Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Darpa Wants to See Inside Your House
The Pentagon wants to be able to peer inside your apartment building -- picking out where all the major rooms, stairways, and dens of evil-doers are.
The U.S. military is getting better and better at spotting its enemies, when they're roaming around the streets. But once those foes duck into houses, they become a whole lot harder to spot. That's why Darpa, the Defense Department's way-out research arm, is looking to develop a suite of tools for "external sensing deep inside buildings." The ultimate goal of this Harnessing Infrastructure for Building Reconnaissance (HIBR) project: "reverse the adversaries' advantage of urban familiarity and sanctuary and provide U.S. Forces with complete above- and below-ground awareness."
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/10/darpa-see-throu.html
Eco soundings - Take a look inside your house
Essential surveillance kit for the new green police: the Energy Saving Partnership has taken out a patent on Heatseekers, thermo-imaging vehicles which, at full potential, have the capacity to identify 1,000 properties an hour, or 5,000 properties a night, that are leaking carbon. "Once the property has been scanned, a dedicated team of energy advisers will visit householders to show them the thermal image scan of their homes," says Inspector Knock-on-the-Door. That'll go down well after midnight.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/22/1
Fluoride is added to children's milk in 42 primary schools
A NEW strategy with the focus of preventing dental problems among children is be introduced in Sheffield.
Dentists in the city, who are currently paid according to how much treatment they carry out, will be asked to sign a new contract that will encourage them to carry out more preventive work.
The changes are part of NHS Sheffield's Dental Health Commissioning Strategy, which outlines how services should be run up to 2011.
Key changes will come into force in March next year, when the current three-year dental contract comes to end.
The director of dental public health for Sheffield, John Green, said the current dental contract was very "activity focused."
He said: "It focuses on treatment, which can be a bit of a problem, so at the end of the three years there is an opportunity to revisit it all and focus on other things, such as prevention, to try and stop teeth going bad in the first place.
http://current.com/items/89452960_fluoride_is_added_to_children_s_milk_in_42_primary_schools
Dentists in the city, who are currently paid according to how much treatment they carry out, will be asked to sign a new contract that will encourage them to carry out more preventive work.
The changes are part of NHS Sheffield's Dental Health Commissioning Strategy, which outlines how services should be run up to 2011.
Key changes will come into force in March next year, when the current three-year dental contract comes to end.
The director of dental public health for Sheffield, John Green, said the current dental contract was very "activity focused."
He said: "It focuses on treatment, which can be a bit of a problem, so at the end of the three years there is an opportunity to revisit it all and focus on other things, such as prevention, to try and stop teeth going bad in the first place.
http://current.com/items/89452960_fluoride_is_added_to_children_s_milk_in_42_primary_schools
Porous Defenses
Congressional investigators have found alarming weaknesses in security procedures at two top laboratories that work with the world’s most dangerous biological agents and diseases. As the country races to open more labs to develop vaccines and treatments for exotic diseases and potential biological weapons, the government clearly has a lot more work to do to ensure that dangerous materials cannot fall into terrorists’ hands.
The Government Accountability Office evaluated perimeter security at all five of the country’s so-called Biosafety Level 4 facilities. These are the only labs allowed to work with pathogens for which there is no cure or treatment, such as the Ebola virus and smallpox.
Three of the labs had all or nearly all of the 15 security controls that the G.A.O. deemed important. The other two — one reportedly operated by the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio, the other by Georgia State University in Atlanta — lacked the vast majority of the recommended controls.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/opinion/23thu3.html?_r=4&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Sunday, October 26, 2008
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'Flying syringe' mosquitos gets Gates funding
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded 100,000 dollars each on Wednesday to scientists in 22 countries including funding for a Japanese proposal to turn mosquitos into "flying syringes" delivering vaccines.
The charitable foundation created by the founder of software giant Microsoft said in a statement that the grants were designed to "explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve global health."
The grants were awarded for research into preventing or curing infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis and limiting the emergence of drug resistance.
http://www.pyrabang.com/contenteditor.php?pd=4084&ps=4577&org=4084&target=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081022/hl_afp/ushealthmicrosoftgatesfoundation_081022162821
Twenty Leading Food Companies and Retailers Reject Ingredients from Cloned Animals in their Products
The Center for Food Safety and Friends of the Earth announced that 20 of America’s leading food producers and retailers have stated that they will not use cloned animals in their food. The companies include Kraft Foods; General Mills; Gerber/Nestle; Campbell Soup Company; Gossner Foods; Smithfield Foods; Ben & Jerry’s; Amy’s Kitchen; California Pizza Kitchen restaurants; Hain Celestial; Cloverland, Oberweis, Prairie, Byrne, Plainview, and Clover-Stornetta Dairies; and grocers PCC Natural Markets, Albertsons, SUPERVALU, and Harris Teeter. The move by these companies represents a growing industry trend of responding to consumer demand for better food safety, environmental, and animal welfare standards.
“This rejection of food from clones sends a strong message to biotech firms that their products may not find a market,” says Lisa Bunin, PhD, Campaigns Coordinator at the Center for Food Safety. “American consumers don’t want to eat food from clones or their offspring, and these companies have realistically anticipated low market acceptance for this new and untested technology.” This sentiment is echoed by General Mills in their letter to the Center which identified “consumer acceptance” as an important consideration with respect to the potential use of ingredients from clones in their products.
http://truefoodnow.org/2008/10/08/twenty-leading-food-companies-and-retailers-reject-ingredients-from-cloned-animals-in-their-products/
“This rejection of food from clones sends a strong message to biotech firms that their products may not find a market,” says Lisa Bunin, PhD, Campaigns Coordinator at the Center for Food Safety. “American consumers don’t want to eat food from clones or their offspring, and these companies have realistically anticipated low market acceptance for this new and untested technology.” This sentiment is echoed by General Mills in their letter to the Center which identified “consumer acceptance” as an important consideration with respect to the potential use of ingredients from clones in their products.
http://truefoodnow.org/2008/10/08/twenty-leading-food-companies-and-retailers-reject-ingredients-from-cloned-animals-in-their-products/
Bill O'Reilly and Roger Ebert - Brain implants
See Bill O'Reilly talking to Roger Ebert on forthcoming brain implanted microchips.
IBM advert For Implanted microchips.
IBM advert For Implanted microchips.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Mouse with Human Ear / Or Not?
The "mouse-ear" project began in 1989, when Charles Vacanti (brother of Joseph) managed to grow a small piece of human cartilage on a biodegradable scaffold. The scaffold was the same synthetic material (99% polyglycolic acid and 1% polylactic acid) used in dissolving surgical stitches. In the body, it degrades into carbon dioxide and water. The fibres of this material were woven into a loose mesh that was 97% air - leaving lots of room for cells to grow into. His surgeon colleagues had told him that the human ear was the body's most difficult cartilaginous tissue to reconstruct and rebuild - and that they would love to have a "spare" ear to transplant.
After 8 years, Charle's team got to the stage where they could mould their sterile biodegradable mesh into the exact shape of a 3 year-old's ear. The next step was to seed this ear-shaped scaffold with cartilage cells from the knee of a cow (remember how I said that the famous mouse-ear had absolutely no human cartilage cells in it). The team used a Nude Mouse. The Nude Mouse got its name thanks to a random mutation in the 1960s that left the mouse with no hair, and virtually no immune system. The lack of hair was irrelevant to their project, but the lack of immune system was critical. It meant that the mouse would not reject the foreign cow cartilage cells. The only purpose of the mouse in this project was to supply power to let the cow cartilage cells grow. The cartilaginous ear was implanted under the skin layer of the mouse, but over the muscle layer. Over some three months, the mouse grew extra blood vessels that nourished the cow cartilage cells, that then grew and infiltrated into the biodegradable scaffolding (which had the shape of a human ear). By the time that the scaffolding had dissolved away, the cartilage had enough structural integrity to support itself.
That cartilaginous structure that looked like a human ear was never transplanted onto a human, because it was full of cow cells and would have been rejected by a person's immune system.
Legal loophole in embryology bill could pave the way for human-ape hybrids
The one in the middle...only twice as big.
Comment: This is like the re-emergence of Stalin’s dream about the half-man, half-ape super-warriors. Uncovered secret documents. a few years ago revealed that Josef Stalin ordered the creation of Planet of the Apes-style warriors by crossing humans with apes.
Gordon Brown has described the proposed legislation as a ‘moral endeavour’.
Scientists would be able to create a ‘humanzee’ - a cross between a human and a chimpanzee or other animal - thanks to a loophole in controversial fertilisation laws, MPs warned last night.
The prospect of animals being inseminated with human sperm was raised during an impassioned Commons debate on the Government’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
The Bill has outraged church leaders and traditionalists as it allows the creation of human-animal embryos for medical research.
Some MPs fear a loophole in the fertilisation laws will allow scientists to create human hybrids
Some MPs fear a loophole in the fertilisation laws will allow scientists to create human-ape hybrids
It also relaxes guidelines to make it easier for lesbians and single women to have IVF treatment and lets parents choose ’saviour siblings’ for seriously ill children.
http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=5039
Cloned/GM Animals
Glowing Cats
South Korean scientists say they have cloned cats whose genes have been altered so that they glow in the dark - taking advantage of a technological twist that could someday be used to make more dramatic genetic changes in all sorts of creatures.
A research team at Gyeongsang National University, headed by Kong Il-Keun, produced several kitty clones in January and February, the government-managed Korea.net news service reported Wednesday. This week the scientists showed off the cats, which now weigh about 7 pounds (3 to 3.5 kilograms) and glow a dull red under ultraviolet light.
"The ability to manipulate the fluorescent protein and use this to clone cats opens new horizons for artificially creating animals with human illnesses linked to genetic causes," the Ministry of Science and Technology said in Wednesday's report.
The Hobra/Zerse
Highly Muscular Mice, Super Sized Sheep, Glow in the Dark Rabbit, Featherless Chicken, Giant Fish, and an animal part Goat and Part Sheep.
Hybrids
South Korean scientists say they have cloned cats whose genes have been altered so that they glow in the dark - taking advantage of a technological twist that could someday be used to make more dramatic genetic changes in all sorts of creatures.
A research team at Gyeongsang National University, headed by Kong Il-Keun, produced several kitty clones in January and February, the government-managed Korea.net news service reported Wednesday. This week the scientists showed off the cats, which now weigh about 7 pounds (3 to 3.5 kilograms) and glow a dull red under ultraviolet light.
"The ability to manipulate the fluorescent protein and use this to clone cats opens new horizons for artificially creating animals with human illnesses linked to genetic causes," the Ministry of Science and Technology said in Wednesday's report.
The Hobra/Zerse
Highly Muscular Mice, Super Sized Sheep, Glow in the Dark Rabbit, Featherless Chicken, Giant Fish, and an animal part Goat and Part Sheep.
Hybrids
9-11 / The NWO & Hollywood
This is a film series documenting the many similarities that Hollywood movies have in common with the attacks on 9/11.
Fight Club 1999
White Collar Slaves Speech
An office employee and a soap salesman build a global organization to help vent male aggression.
An office employee and a soap salesman build a global organization to help vent male aggression.
Twelve Monkeys 1995
In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.
Trailer
Mental divergence
Trailer
Mental divergence
Prince Harry Apologizes
Prince Harry Apologizes For Nazi Costume
Wore Nazi Uniform To Costume Party
LONDON (AP) ― Jewish groups and lawmakers criticized Prince Harry on Thursday for wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party, with one group urging him to visit the Auschwitz death camp, despite an apology from the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II.
The 20-year-old prince apologized Wednesday in a statement after a British newspaper printed a picture of him wearing the uniform with a swastika armband while clutching a cigarette and a drink at a party on Saturday.
"I think a lot of people will be disappointed to see that photograph and it will cause a lot of offense," said Michael Howard, leader of Britain's main opposition Conservative Party.
"I think it might be appropriate for him to tell us himself just how contrite he now is," added Howard, who is Jewish.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles expressed outrage and urged Prince Harry to travel to Poland later this month to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.
"There he will see the results of the hated symbol he so foolishly and brazenly chose to wear," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the center. The action also upset many Israelis.
Vice Premier Shimon Peres called it "very bizarre."
"Well, the next time he will dress up and behave like a prince," Peres said.
http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/2.247886.html
Thursday, October 23, 2008
'only in America'
"THOMAS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Police say a Michigan man has been arrested after "receiving sexual favors from a vacuum" at a car wash.
The Saginaw News reports the 29-year-old Swan Creek Township man was arrested Thursday in Saginaw County's Thomas Township, about 90 miles northwest of Detroit.
Police Sgt. Gary Breidinger says a resident called to report suspicious activity at the car wash about 6:45 a.m. An officer approached on foot and caught the man in the act.
The suspect, whose name wasn't immediately released, is being held in the Saginaw County Jail." Huffingtonpost.com
What's gonna be next in the weird world of sexual perversions...sex with a nuclear reactor? I'd loveto hear that somebody survived to tell the tale of that! Sometimes people just make me shake my head in disgust.
Scientists may soon be able to erase fear and trauma from your mind
Scientists are a step closer to being able to wipe the mind clean of painful memories, a deveolpment that will offer hope to those with a fear of spiders or who are trying to bury traumatic experiences.
Neurobiologists believe they will soon be able to target and then chemically remove painful memories and phobias from the mind without causing any harm to the brain.
The researchers think that the new technique could help war veterans get over the horrors of conflict and cure people with debilitating phobias.
It could even eventually be applied to ease the pain of a failed relationship or a bereavement.
"While memories are great teachers and obviously crucial for survival and adaptation, selectively removing incapacitating memories, such as traumatic war memories or an unwanted fear, could help many people live better lives,"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/10/22/scimind122.xml
A clever montage of Bush administration falsehoods and denials regarding the Iraq War.
*CENSORED By You Tube. This video was listed as #22 on YT's All Time News/Politics Video and was pulled and erased from that standing overnight.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Ages / Aeons - Why is it the year 2008?
The Age of Taurus (The Taurean Age)
"The Age of Earth, Agriculture and the Bull"
Ruffly began in ca. 4300 BC and ended in ca. 2150 BC.
Historical similarities Bull worshiping cults began to form in Assyria, Egypt, and Crete which relates to Taurus symbolizing the bull. Main article: Bull (mythology)
This age is notable for the building of the pyramids, during the Old Kingdom of Egypt and the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. They personify structure, solidity, stability and attempts at eternity, keywords of Taurus. The completed Great Pyramid of Khufu, clad in smooth pure white limestone, must have been a sight of dazzling beauty in the sunlight. Beauty is another keyword of Taurus.
Taurus is associated with the metal copper, and bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) was for the first time smelted and worked into bronze swords during the early phase of this era.
Papyrus was invented during this time, enabling improved writing techniques. It could be manufactured into very long strips that could be rolled (but not yet folded) into scrolls or rolls for efficient storage and handling. (The Taurus glyph invokes the image of the partially-unrolled scroll).
Traits of Taurus such as 'stubbornness' and 'strength' but at the same time 'sensuality' may be attributed to civilizations such as Ancient Egypt's.
The Age of Aries (The Arian Age)
"The Age of War, Fire and the Ram"
Ruffly began in ca. 2150 BCE and ended in ca. AD 1.
Historical similarities Aries represents a Fire symbol as well as bold actions, a lot of these behaviors can be seen during any age. However, the themes emphasised during this age relate to courage, initiative, war & adventure. Nations during this age such as the expanding empires of China, Persia, Greece and Rome, are often cited as examples of the archetypes of Aries in action. Also the Aries constellation shows a ram running. This could correspond with the sacrifice of Abraham's Ram. While the number of names containing the sound of the ram during this period is noted: Ra (Sun God), Ram, Rama, Brahman, Abram, Abraham, Amon Ra, and Ramesses I.[dubious – discuss] The battering ram was employed by the Assyrians, Greeks and Romans with great success during this time.[dubious – discuss] (The symbol of Mars, the planetary ruler of Aries, evokes this interpretation.)
Aries is associated with the metal iron, and iron ore was for the first time smelted and worked into iron swords in Anatolia during the early phase of this era, replacing the heavier, softer-metalled, duller-edged bronze swords of the previous Taurus Age.
Traits of Aries such as 'initiative' may suggest the explosion of originality in the development of social aspects, sciences and arts in regions such as Ancient Greece but at the same time traits such as 'Impulsivity' may be attributed to the various Wars of the time.
The Age of Pisces (The Piscean Age)
"The Age of Monotheism, Spirituality, and the Fish"
Ruffly began in ca. AD 1 and ends in ca. AD 2150.
Historical similarities
The Age of Pisces is characterized by the rise of many religions such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism due to "spiritual" nature of Pisces and its ability to go beyond the boundaries of the physical world. The Age of Pisces is mainly marked by the continuous research of mankind about the truth hidden behind what's perceived by five senses. The New Age movement "celebrating" The Age of Aquarius is claimed by some to be a characteristic of The Age of Pisces.
Traits of Pisces such as being "gentle" and artistically able but at the same time "impractical" may hint to the dominance of European empires on the world.
The Age of Aquarius (The Aquarian age)
"The Age of Freedom, Technology (especially electricity), and the Water Bearer"
Ruffly begins AD 2150.
Read more about the Aquarian age here:
http://www.redicecreations.com/specialreports/aquarianage.html
In accordance with Deity's intention for "Progressive Evolution," each new age gives birth to a new message. That message is unique for its time and, like a beacon, leads its people through the particular circumstances of their time. For example, in the western world, the Piscean Age is associated with the brotherly love of Christianity. Judaism's Arian Age was associated with a war-like and wrathful God. During the Taurean Age, Egypt was known for its beauty and materialistic orientation on the after-life. Today, we are just barely into the Aquarian Age and the world is quickly discovering the need for a religion that can lead it through the demands of a world exploding with ever-changing knowledge and technology. We need a religion that will help us understand our connection with self, family, community, country, planet and universe. We need to come to understand how we are spiritually connected to all other life forms.
One might say there is no need for another religion... That is, there is no need for a religion as most of us currently define and understand it. However, there is great need to redefine the role of religion. Religion helps us define our relationship to Deity. It is only through Deity that we come to know how we are inextricably linked one with the other. How we treat one another does make a difference, and it is possible to have a better understanding of the science of the soul.... we no longer have to blindly believe. The Religion of the Stars teaches that you can KNOW for yourself. More importantly, you have an obligation to yourself not to accept anything on anyone else's authority.
For more information watch the first post of this blog. or go to http://www.spiritlight.com/age.htm
ps: What happened in between these periods that caused massive depopulation?
"The Age of Earth, Agriculture and the Bull"
Ruffly began in ca. 4300 BC and ended in ca. 2150 BC.
Historical similarities Bull worshiping cults began to form in Assyria, Egypt, and Crete which relates to Taurus symbolizing the bull. Main article: Bull (mythology)
This age is notable for the building of the pyramids, during the Old Kingdom of Egypt and the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. They personify structure, solidity, stability and attempts at eternity, keywords of Taurus. The completed Great Pyramid of Khufu, clad in smooth pure white limestone, must have been a sight of dazzling beauty in the sunlight. Beauty is another keyword of Taurus.
Taurus is associated with the metal copper, and bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) was for the first time smelted and worked into bronze swords during the early phase of this era.
Papyrus was invented during this time, enabling improved writing techniques. It could be manufactured into very long strips that could be rolled (but not yet folded) into scrolls or rolls for efficient storage and handling. (The Taurus glyph invokes the image of the partially-unrolled scroll).
Traits of Taurus such as 'stubbornness' and 'strength' but at the same time 'sensuality' may be attributed to civilizations such as Ancient Egypt's.
The Age of Aries (The Arian Age)
"The Age of War, Fire and the Ram"
Ruffly began in ca. 2150 BCE and ended in ca. AD 1.
Historical similarities Aries represents a Fire symbol as well as bold actions, a lot of these behaviors can be seen during any age. However, the themes emphasised during this age relate to courage, initiative, war & adventure. Nations during this age such as the expanding empires of China, Persia, Greece and Rome, are often cited as examples of the archetypes of Aries in action. Also the Aries constellation shows a ram running. This could correspond with the sacrifice of Abraham's Ram. While the number of names containing the sound of the ram during this period is noted: Ra (Sun God), Ram, Rama, Brahman, Abram, Abraham, Amon Ra, and Ramesses I.[dubious – discuss] The battering ram was employed by the Assyrians, Greeks and Romans with great success during this time.[dubious – discuss] (The symbol of Mars, the planetary ruler of Aries, evokes this interpretation.)
Aries is associated with the metal iron, and iron ore was for the first time smelted and worked into iron swords in Anatolia during the early phase of this era, replacing the heavier, softer-metalled, duller-edged bronze swords of the previous Taurus Age.
Traits of Aries such as 'initiative' may suggest the explosion of originality in the development of social aspects, sciences and arts in regions such as Ancient Greece but at the same time traits such as 'Impulsivity' may be attributed to the various Wars of the time.
The Age of Pisces (The Piscean Age)
"The Age of Monotheism, Spirituality, and the Fish"
Ruffly began in ca. AD 1 and ends in ca. AD 2150.
Historical similarities
The Age of Pisces is characterized by the rise of many religions such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism due to "spiritual" nature of Pisces and its ability to go beyond the boundaries of the physical world. The Age of Pisces is mainly marked by the continuous research of mankind about the truth hidden behind what's perceived by five senses. The New Age movement "celebrating" The Age of Aquarius is claimed by some to be a characteristic of The Age of Pisces.
Traits of Pisces such as being "gentle" and artistically able but at the same time "impractical" may hint to the dominance of European empires on the world.
The Age of Aquarius (The Aquarian age)
"The Age of Freedom, Technology (especially electricity), and the Water Bearer"
Ruffly begins AD 2150.
Read more about the Aquarian age here:
http://www.redicecreations.com/specialreports/aquarianage.html
In accordance with Deity's intention for "Progressive Evolution," each new age gives birth to a new message. That message is unique for its time and, like a beacon, leads its people through the particular circumstances of their time. For example, in the western world, the Piscean Age is associated with the brotherly love of Christianity. Judaism's Arian Age was associated with a war-like and wrathful God. During the Taurean Age, Egypt was known for its beauty and materialistic orientation on the after-life. Today, we are just barely into the Aquarian Age and the world is quickly discovering the need for a religion that can lead it through the demands of a world exploding with ever-changing knowledge and technology. We need a religion that will help us understand our connection with self, family, community, country, planet and universe. We need to come to understand how we are spiritually connected to all other life forms.
One might say there is no need for another religion... That is, there is no need for a religion as most of us currently define and understand it. However, there is great need to redefine the role of religion. Religion helps us define our relationship to Deity. It is only through Deity that we come to know how we are inextricably linked one with the other. How we treat one another does make a difference, and it is possible to have a better understanding of the science of the soul.... we no longer have to blindly believe. The Religion of the Stars teaches that you can KNOW for yourself. More importantly, you have an obligation to yourself not to accept anything on anyone else's authority.
For more information watch the first post of this blog. or go to http://www.spiritlight.com/age.htm
ps: What happened in between these periods that caused massive depopulation?
The Corpus Clock & Chronophage
The Corpus Clock is a large sculptural clock on the outside of the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. It was conceived and funded by John C. Taylor, an old member of the college.
It was officially unveiled to the public on 19 September 2008 by Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking.
The clock's face is a rippling 24-carat gold-plated stainless steel disc, about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in diameter. It has no hands or numbers, but displays the time by opening individual slits in the clock face backlit with blue LEDs; these slits are arranged in three concentric rings displaying hours, minutes, and seconds. The seconds light darts rapidly around the clock, pausing at the correct positions to allow the time to be read as on a normal analog clock.
The dominating visual feature of the clock is a sculpture of a grim-looking, devouring, metal insect similar to a grasshopper or locust. The sculpture is actually the clock's escapement (see below). Taylor calls this beast the Chronophage (literally 'time eater', from the Greek χρόνος [chronos] time, and φαγέω [phageo] I eat). It moves its mouth, appearing to 'eat up' the seconds as they pass, and occasionally it 'blinks' in seeming satisfaction. The creature's constant motion produces an eerie grinding sound that suits its task. The hour is tolled by the sound of a chain clanking into a small wooden coffin hidden in the back of the clock.
Contact
The Voyager Golden Record is a phonograph record included in the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. It contains sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. It is intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or far future humans, that may find it. The Voyager spacecraft would take about 40,000 years to reach the distance of the star nearest the Sun, Alpha Centauri at a distance of 4.4 light-years, though neither craft is travelling toward that star.
As the probes are extremely small compared to the vastness of interstellar space, it is extraordinarily unlikely that they will ever be accidentally encountered. If they are ever found by an alien species, it will most likely be far in the future, and thus the record is best seen as a time capsule or a symbolic statement rather than a serious attempt to communicate with extraterrestrial life.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Is anybody listening out there?
Messages have been sent to a planet 20 light years from Earth in the hope they will reach intelligent alien life.
Some 501 photos, drawings and text messages were transmitted on Thursday by a giant radio-telescope in Ukraine normally used to track asteroids.
The target planet was chosen as it is thought capable of supporting life.
Any reply to the messages - collated through a competition by the social networking website Bebo - would not reach Earth for 40 years.
The competition - A Message From Earth - invited Bebo's 12m users to send in missives they would like extra-terrestrials to receive.
Topics submitted ranged from the environment, politics and world peace to family relationships and the sender's first kiss.
Having been translated into a binary format, the 500 selected will travel 120 trillion miles into space after being sent via high-powered radio waves from the National Space Agency of Ukraine's RT-70 radar telescope in Evpatoria.
Antikythera mechanism
The Antikythera mechanism (IPA: [ˌæntɪkɪˈθɪərə], an-ti-ki-theer-uh), is an ancient mechanical calculator (also described as the first known "mechanical computer") designed to calculate astronomical positions. It was discovered in the Antikythera wreck off the Greek island of Antikythera, between Kythera and Crete, in 1901. Subsequent investigation, particularly in 2006, dated it to about 150–100 BC, and hypothesised that it was on board a ship that sank en route from the Greek island of Rhodes to Rome. Technological artifacts of similar complexity did not reappear until a thousand years later.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau visited the wreck for the last time in 1978, but found no more remains of the Antikythera Mechanism. Professor Michael Edmunds of Cardiff University who led the study of the mechanism said: "This device is just extraordinary, the only thing of its kind. The design is beautiful, the astronomy is exactly right. The way the mechanics are designed just makes your jaw drop. Whoever has done this has done it extremely carefully." He added: "...in terms of historic and scarcity value, I have to regard this mechanism as being more valuable than the Mona Lisa."
The device is displayed in the Bronze Collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, accompanied by a reconstruction made and offered to the museum by Derek de Solla Price. Other reconstructions are on display at the American Computer Museum in Bozeman, Montana and the Children's Museum of Manhattan in New York.
Dubai
Modern day sim city!
Current height
As of September 26, 2008, Burj Dubai had reached a height of 707 m (2,320 ft)
The projected final height of Burj Dubai is officially being kept a secret due to competition from other buildings under construction or proposed; however, figures released by a contractor on the project have suggested a height of around 818 m (2,684 ft).
The Burj Al Arab (Arabic:Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel.However, the Rose Tower, also in Dubai, which has already topped Burj Al Arab's height at 333 m (1,090 ft), will take away this title upon its opening.The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the sail of a boat.
The Palm Islands are artificial islands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on which major commercial and residential infrastructure will be constructed. The islands are the largest land reclamation projects in the world and will result in the world's largest artificial islands. They are being constructed by Nakheel Properties, a property developer in the United Arab Emirates, who hired the Dutch dredging and marine contractor Van Oord, one of the world's specialists in land reclamation. The islands are the Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira.
The islands were commissioned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in order to increase Dubai's tourism. Each settlement will be in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent, and will have a large number of residential, leisure and entertainment centers. The Palm Islands are located off the coast of The United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and will add 520 km of beaches to the city of Dubai.
The first two islands will comprise approximately 100 million cubic meters of rock and sand. Palm Deira will be composed of approximately 1 billion cubic meters of rock and sand. All materials will be quarried in the UAE. Between the three islands there will be over 100 luxury hotels, exclusive residential beach side villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities and health spas.
The creation of the Palm Jumeirah began in June 2001. Shortly after, the Palm Jebel Ali was announced and reclamation work began. The Palm Deira, which is planned to have a surface area of 46.35 million square metres and which the developer, Nakheel, claims is a surface area larger than that of Paris, began development in 2003. Construction will be completed over the next 10-15 years.
The World is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the shape of a world map and located 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.The World is one of several artificial island projects being constructed in Dubai, others being the Palm Islands. Like the other artificial island projects, The World is built primarily using sand dredged from the sea.It was developed by Nakheel Properties and was originally conceived by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.
The Hydropolis Underwater Hotel and Resort is a planned hotel which will be the world's first underwater luxury resort. It's situated 66 feet below the surface of the Persian Gulf, just off Jumeira Beach in Dubai. Reinforced by concrete and steel, its Plexiglas walls and bubble-shaped dome ceilings will enable guests to see fish and other sea creatures. It is basically divided into three sections: the land station, where guests will be welcomed; the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel; and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. It will cover an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London's Hyde Park, and will cost an estimated £300 million. It is self-acclaimed to be a 10-star hotel.
Dubai Carbon Neutral Pyramid will House 1 Million
The Mayans and Egyptians constructed incredible feats of architecture able to weather the test of time, but they had no idea their pyramids would inspire the shape of the latest carbon-neutral super-structure to hit Dubai. Dubai-based environmental design firm Timelinks recently released some eye-catching renderings of the gigantic eco pyramid - aptly named Ziggurat - with plans for its official unveiling scheduled for the Cityscape Dubai event which runs October 6-9 of this year. The ginormous pyramid will cover 2.3 square kilometers and will be able to sustain a “community” of up to 1 million.
Current height
As of September 26, 2008, Burj Dubai had reached a height of 707 m (2,320 ft)
The projected final height of Burj Dubai is officially being kept a secret due to competition from other buildings under construction or proposed; however, figures released by a contractor on the project have suggested a height of around 818 m (2,684 ft).
The Burj Al Arab (Arabic:Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel.However, the Rose Tower, also in Dubai, which has already topped Burj Al Arab's height at 333 m (1,090 ft), will take away this title upon its opening.The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the sail of a boat.
The Palm Islands are artificial islands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on which major commercial and residential infrastructure will be constructed. The islands are the largest land reclamation projects in the world and will result in the world's largest artificial islands. They are being constructed by Nakheel Properties, a property developer in the United Arab Emirates, who hired the Dutch dredging and marine contractor Van Oord, one of the world's specialists in land reclamation. The islands are the Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira.
The islands were commissioned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in order to increase Dubai's tourism. Each settlement will be in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent, and will have a large number of residential, leisure and entertainment centers. The Palm Islands are located off the coast of The United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and will add 520 km of beaches to the city of Dubai.
The first two islands will comprise approximately 100 million cubic meters of rock and sand. Palm Deira will be composed of approximately 1 billion cubic meters of rock and sand. All materials will be quarried in the UAE. Between the three islands there will be over 100 luxury hotels, exclusive residential beach side villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities and health spas.
The creation of the Palm Jumeirah began in June 2001. Shortly after, the Palm Jebel Ali was announced and reclamation work began. The Palm Deira, which is planned to have a surface area of 46.35 million square metres and which the developer, Nakheel, claims is a surface area larger than that of Paris, began development in 2003. Construction will be completed over the next 10-15 years.
The World is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the shape of a world map and located 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.The World is one of several artificial island projects being constructed in Dubai, others being the Palm Islands. Like the other artificial island projects, The World is built primarily using sand dredged from the sea.It was developed by Nakheel Properties and was originally conceived by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.
The Hydropolis Underwater Hotel and Resort is a planned hotel which will be the world's first underwater luxury resort. It's situated 66 feet below the surface of the Persian Gulf, just off Jumeira Beach in Dubai. Reinforced by concrete and steel, its Plexiglas walls and bubble-shaped dome ceilings will enable guests to see fish and other sea creatures. It is basically divided into three sections: the land station, where guests will be welcomed; the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel; and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. It will cover an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London's Hyde Park, and will cost an estimated £300 million. It is self-acclaimed to be a 10-star hotel.
Dubai Carbon Neutral Pyramid will House 1 Million
The Mayans and Egyptians constructed incredible feats of architecture able to weather the test of time, but they had no idea their pyramids would inspire the shape of the latest carbon-neutral super-structure to hit Dubai. Dubai-based environmental design firm Timelinks recently released some eye-catching renderings of the gigantic eco pyramid - aptly named Ziggurat - with plans for its official unveiling scheduled for the Cityscape Dubai event which runs October 6-9 of this year. The ginormous pyramid will cover 2.3 square kilometers and will be able to sustain a “community” of up to 1 million.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Bum Fights
Bum Hunter
Bum Cribz
Bumfights 1: A Cause for Concern (2002)
Bumfights 2: Bumlife (2003)
Bumfights 3: The Felony Footage (2004)
Bumfights 4: Return Of Ruckus (2006)
Bum Cribz
Bumfights 1: A Cause for Concern (2002)
Bumfights 2: Bumlife (2003)
Bumfights 3: The Felony Footage (2004)
Bumfights 4: Return Of Ruckus (2006)
Southpark
Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
http://mrtwig.net/
Returning Soldiers Cant Stop Working
Army to probe 5 slayings linked to Colo. brigade
DENVER – Fort Carson soldiers returning from deployment in Iraq are suspects in at least five slayings, and officials want to know why.
Commander Maj. Gen. Mark Graham announced Friday a task force will examine any commonalities in the five killings, all allegedly committed by soldiers from the post's 4th Brigade Combat Team in the past 14 months. A sixth BCT soldier faces an attempted murder charge.
"We have many great young Americans in our Army who have volunteered to serve during a time of war, almost all of whom are great citizens," Graham said in a statement. "However, we too are very concerned about these horrible acts."
Fort Carson also plans to re-screen about 1,200 soldiers from the brigade for potential physical or mental health problems.
Earlier Friday, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar asked Army Secretary Pete Geren to investigate the slayings. Officials learned of the latest on Monday, when Spc. Robert Hull Marko, 21, led investigators to the body of 19-year-old Judilianna "Judi" Lawrence, whom he met on the social networking Web site MySpace, according to an arrest affidavit released Tuesday.
The affidavit said Marko told investigators he had violent sex with Lawrence before slitting her throat and leaving her to die in the foothills west of Colorado Springs. His next court appearance is Monday.
The issue of homicides by combat-stressed veterans gained national prominence in January, after The New York Times reported that at least 121 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans had committed a killing in the United States or been charged in one.
Karen Linne, a spokeswoman for Fort Carson, said commanders two months ago ordered squad leaders and team leaders to reevaluate soldiers to see if they need additional help following concerns raised after another soldier from the unit was linked to a double slaying.
Pfc. Jomar Dionisio Falu-Vives, 24, and Spc. Rodolfo Torres-Gandarilla, 20, face attempted murder charges in the May 26 wounding of Capt. Zachary Zsody, who was shot twice while standing at an intersection. An arrest affidavit released in August said an AK-47 used in the Zsody case was found in Falu-Vives' apartment and it was also used in the June 6 deaths of two people gunned down on the street while putting up signs for a garage sale.
Killed were Cesar Ramirez Ibanez, 21, and Amairany Cervantes, 28. Prosecutors filed murder charges against Falu-Vives on Sept. 15.
Three other members of the unit were accused in the slayings of two soldiers. Bruce Bastien Jr. was sentenced last month to 60 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to accessory to murder in the December shooting death of Kevin Shields, and conspiracy to commit murder in the August 2007 death of Robert James.
Bastien, and co-defendant Kenneth Eastridge, both agreed to testify against fellow Iraq war veteran Louis Bressler, the alleged triggerman.
Eastridge pleaded guilty July 11 to accessory to murder in Shields' death and will be sentenced Nov. 3. Bressler is scheduled to go on trial in the Shield slaying Nov. 3, while his trial in the James homicide is scheduled for Dec. 1.
"Those who committed these violent crimes should be brought to justice," said Salazar. "But these tragedies also raise a number of questions from the backgrounds and service records of these soldiers, to whether they received waivers to enter the service, to the adequacy of mental health screening and treatment within the Army."
Falu-Vives and Torres-Gandarilla, accused together in one case and Bastien, Bressler and Eastridge, accused in the two slayings, served in Iraq last year with the 2nd Battalion of the 4th Brigade Combat Team. There weren't any immediate indications that both sets of men knew each other.
Marko was a mortarman with Charlie Company, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, of the 4th BCT and served from February 2007 until February of this year.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
There are one-story intellects, two-story intellects, and three-story intellects with sky-lights. All fact collectors, who have no aim beyond their facts, are one-story men. Two-story men compare, reason generalize, using the labors of the fact collectors as well as their own. Three-story men idealize, imagine, predict, their best illumination comes from above, through the skylight.
Buckypaper
Buckypaper is a macroscopic aggregate of carbon nanotubes (CNT), or "buckytubes". The idea for buckypaper came when British scientist Harry Kroto and Rice University scientists were attempting to create the conditions found in a star when it forms elemental carbon.[1] It owes its name to buckminsterfullerene, the 60 carbon fullerene (an allotrope of carbon with similar bonding that is sometimes referred to as a "Buckyball" in honor of R. Buckminster Fuller).[1] Richard Smalley, Sir Harold Kroto, and Robert Curl shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of buckminsterfullerene.[1] Their discoveries and subsequent work with carbon nanotubes led to a revolution in the fields of chemistry and materials science.
Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…
Don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body,use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard;
live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund,maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
Pentagon envisions spaceship troops
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon wants to rocket troops through space to hot spots anywhere on the globe within two hours, and planners spent two days last month discussing how to do it, military documents show.
Civilian and military officials held a two-day conference at the National Security Space Office to plan development of the Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion (SUSTAIN) program. The invitation to the conference called the notion of space troopers a "potential revolutionary step in getting combat power to any point in the world in a timeframe unachievable today." Attendees included senior Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force officers.
The next steps toward getting troops in space: addressing the technological challenges and seeking input from the military, said Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Brown, a space office spokesman. No further meetings have been scheduled.
Marines launched the concept after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. They needed the "capability to transport small, mission-tailored units through space from any point on the globe to a contingency at any other point on the globe" within minutes of an order, according to a Marine document.
Some critics are skeptical. The concept defies physics and the reality of what a small number of lightly armed troops could accomplish in enemy territory, said John Pike, a military analyst who runs Globalsecurity.org.
Japanese Giant Spider Crab
The Japanese spider crab, Macrocheira kaempferi, is the largest known arthropod; fully grown it can reach a leg span of almost 4 m (13 ft), a body size of up to 37 cm (15 inches) and a weight of up to 20 kg (44 lb). The crab's natural habitat is on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean (some 300 to 400 m deep) around Japan, where it feeds on dead animals and shellfish. It is believed to have a life expectancy of up to 100 years.
Norman Vincent Peale
"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that."
The Simpsons
http://www.watchthesimpsonsonline.com/
The satiric adventures of a working class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
Muslim fanatic prisoners to be 'de-programmed'
Psychologists in the Prison Service will try to ‘cure’ extremist Muslim inmates of their political beliefs with controversial therapies similar to those used to ‘de-programme’ members of religious cults.
The experimental treatments are being developed by a special Extremism Unit set up by the Ministry of Justice in January last year, The Mail on Sunday has discovered.
Sources say the therapy forms part of a wide-ranging strategy to combat Islamic extremism in Britain’s jails.
One of Whitemoor Prison's Muslim inmates
Experimental techniques: One of Whitemoor Prison's Muslim inmates
There are 90 Muslim prisoners serving time for terrorist offences, and the Ministry fears that, if left unchallenged, their violent, jihadist interpretation of Islam will spread.
About 11 per cent of prisoners are Muslim - three-and-a-half times the proportion in the UK population.
In maximum security ‘Category A’ jails such as Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire - the subject today of an exclusive report in Live magazine based on unprecedented access to both prisoners and staff - they make up 35 per cent of the inmates, and have converted numerous other prisoners to Islam.
In Whitemoor the 150 Muslim inmates include 39 who have converted in the jail since early last year. In some cases, officers believe converts have been subjected to bullying and changed their faith because they felt vulnerable.
A Ministry source said that to be a Muslim in jail was now seen as ‘cool’, and while Muslim prisoners once felt isolated and vulnerable, they were now ‘flexing their muscles’. This made it all the more important to ensure that extremist views did not spread.
The source added: ‘The great fear is that kids from places such as Southall in West London, who feel pretty alienated anyway, could be vulnerable to recruitment. We don’t have evidence this is happening - but we don’t have evidence that it’s not. We need to be aware of the possibility and act on it.’
Psychologists working with the Extremism Unit have for months been investigating ways of de-programming jihadists. Ministry sources said they planned to use ‘cognitive- behaviour’ methods, based on the notion that it is possible to change people’s behaviour by altering their perceptions and attitudes.
One source said: ‘It’s pretty clear it wouldn’t work with everyone. But our view of extremism is that, at the centre, the views of the hardcore, high-profile leaders will not be subject to change. But for those further out, it may be quite effective.’
Another source said: ‘Our focus is on protecting the public and on reducing the risk of offenders hurting others. It’s about stopping violence.’
Therapists would work with such prisoners individually, while the treatments would help the Prison Service determine whether prisoners would still be dangerous if released.
On the front line are approximately 150 prison imams, who are expected to challenge extremist beliefs on the basis of their own religious knowledge.
One source said: ‘We’re looking to them to shoot down the religious justification for violence. They have to be able to stand up to those who support terrorist killers and say they are wrong.’
At the same time, the Ministry had to accept that many Muslims felt a deep sense of grievance about British policy in Afghanistan and Iraq. Imams ‘have to become a valve for the venting of prisoners’ anger without lending support to extremism themselves’.
The unit will train staff to recognise the signs of extremism, such as a charismatic prisoner openly challenging the authority of the imam.
But one source said: ‘The great majority of Muslims want nothing to do with terrorism. Striking the balance is extremely delicate.’
Activists Plunder Gourmet Shop
German left-wing activists dressed up as superheroes have been plundering gourmet stores and posh restaurants in Hamburg. They say they're defending the poor like a modern day Robin Hood would. The police have few leads.
Activists disguised as superheroes plunder a gourmet store in Hamburg on Apr. 28, 2006.
Zoom
Activists disguised as superheroes plunder a gourmet store in Hamburg on Apr. 28, 2006.
The Goedeken food shop on Hamburg's Grosse Elb street is considered a mecca for the city's wealthy gourmets. It draws professional caterers, Tim Malzer -- Germany's equivalent of English TV chef Jamie Oliver -- and plenty of well-heeled hobby cooks decked out in full yuppie regalia.
But two weeks ago, some unusual guests showed up. A horde of young people, dressed up as strange comic book heroes, stormed the store and dragged away cartloads of delicacies -- without paying, that is. Instead of money, the baffled cashier was handled a bouquet of flowers. Then the unwanted visitors posed for a picture and rushed off. The police sent 14 patrol cars and a helicopter, but the culprits were long gone.
It wasn't the first time such a raid has taken place in the northern German city. For years, these kinds of activities, intended as protests against the unequal distribution of wealth, have been taking place in Hamburg, which is one of Germany's wealthier places. The lefty activists believe growing social inequality is reason enough to justify their actions. "They feel like Robin Hood," speculates Hamburg police official Bodo Franz. But just like Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Verfassungsschutz, Franz hasn't been able to find out much more about the mysterious group.
Up to 30 people are involved in the heists, but they operate in a highly clandestine manner, enabling them to escape capture so far. This time they picked the luxury supermarket on the banks of the Elbe River, located in a part of the city that recent years have transformed from a drab commercial zone to a hip and expensive neighborhood. Fish markets, sailors' homes and watering holes have given way to swank restaurants and luxurious lofts.
The activists also do their homework. They knew exactly which products were best and the most costly at the shop. "They already had full shopping carts and baskets waiting to be picked up," says store manager Carsten Sievers. Their booty included venison, gourmet chocolate, Kobe beef filets and bottles of champagne priced €99,53 ($126.30) each.
Kobe beef from Japan is a connoisseur specialty. Presumably, many of the epicurean activists envy the cows for the life they lead before being slaughtered. Kobe calves are nourished with beer and massaged for between one and two hours a day -- thereby ensuring that the meat becomes especially tender. The price for two pounds of Kobe beef can be as high as a monthly welfare check.
Spider Mum fights the Man
The "superhero" activists, who sign their communiqués with names like "Spider Mum" or "Santa Guevara," claim to be acting in solidarity with welfare recipients and others on the down-and-out side of society. They claim their activities are carried out with an eye to those working under "precarious" conditions, and that they are fighting to improve the situation of the "networked perennial intern," the "homeless cleaning woman" and those "who get workfare instead of job training." The note the activists left in the plundered Hamburg gourmet paradise said that "surviving in the city of millionaires requires superhuman abilities."
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German authorities consider the activists part of a loosely organized group calling itself "Hamburg For Free." In past years, members of the group attracted public attention by distributing flyers with tips for avoiding subway fares or sneaking into cinemas with counterfeit tickets. They come "from student backgrounds and from the fringe of the leftist movement," police investigator Franz suspects. "They want to have their fun, but with a political twist."
"Die fetten Jahren sind vorbei" (The Fat Years Are Over) was the smug slogan on a banner the activists displayed in a restaurant in Hamburg's posh Blankenese neighborhood a year ago -- a nod to the same-named 2005 German film (released as The Edukators in English-speaking countries). The restaurant's piqued guests looked on as the activists cleared the buffet, holding up oversized cardboard cutlery as they did so. In the movie, young, idealistic people undertook similar fun-guerilla missions that toyed with the bourgeois parts of society.
An experienced investigator can't help chuckling when he hears about such activities. "They're willing to take risks," he says respectfully. Criticism of the activism tends rather to come from within the left-wing scene. In one Internet forum a leftist accuses the activists of not behaving in an even remotely anti-capitalist manner: "They're just begging for regulated exploitation under standard employment conditions."
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