American famed basketball star, known by some as the "Best Player Alive." Over 13 seasons as pro basketball's most dynamic and influential star, a dazzling career, there seemed to be nothing he could not do. He won six world championships with the Chicago Bulls, ten scoring titles and enough Most Valuable Player awards to stock his own wing at the Hall of Fame. He may possibly be the most famous American in the world, and is certainly so in the sports world. His salary peak was $34 million in 1998 and he reputedly earned $240 million from endorsements alone in the '90s. His sole public vice is gambling, and he appears to have his addiction under control. The son of James and Deloris Jordan, Michael was encouraged to play baseball as a kid. While a senior in high school, he was invited to go to Dean Smith's basketball camp at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, 1980. Only the best players were invited. Jordan's determination to do the best he could got him on the Five-Star team. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in his junior year at Chapel Hill and reluctantly left school behind as it had been his mother's dream for her children to attain higher education. After 13 seasons playing with the National Basketball Association, Jordan has won the admiration of the sports world as a flawless player. As NBC analyst Bob Costas said, "Michael Jordan was just beautiful to watch." Trauma was a factor in Jordan's life from before he was born. His mom had to stay in bed to avoid a miscarriage and when he was born with his nose bleeding, they wondered if he was all right. As a baby, he nearly suffocated once in the bedding. At about age two, he picked up two live wires and was blown three feet away with the shock. When Jordan was in college, his girl friend died in a flood, and he himself once had a near-drowning in a riptide. In 1993, he was shattered by the murder of his father in North Carolina during a roadside robbery. His dad, James (born 7/31/1946), vanished in mid-July and his body was later found floating in a So. Carolina creek 8/03/1993. Jordan seemed to interpret the tragedy as a message to embrace what was really important. He retired from basketball, albeit prematurely. Perhaps because his dad wanted him to play pro baseball, he joined the Chicago White Sox's for a brave but inglorious season-long spectacle that ended with his return to the Bulls in 1995. Three world championships later, Jordan retired for real in 1/13/1999 to the dismay and sorrow of millions of fans to pursue a flourishing career in movies and TV. He was busy as well supervising his many endeavors such as the Jordan brand for a division of Nike and a Chicago restaurant. He is reportedly interested in pursuing the game of golf. Michael met Juanita Vanoy in March 1985. In 1988, pregnant with Jeffrey, she considered filing a paternity suit but instead, they married on 9/02/1989 (at 3:30 AM!) in Las Vegas. They set up permanent residence in a 25,000-square-foot million-dollar mansion in Highland Park, Illinois with their three children, Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine. Jordan is known for his determination not to take himself too seriously and lead a good life. After 12 years of marriage, Juanita filed for divorce on 1/04/2002, three months after her restless husband went back to work. She asked for custody of their three kids and a fair share of his estimated worth of $400 million. They reconciled within the month, apparently with a compromise on their living arrangements. After two retirements, he returned to play for the NBA's Washington Wizards. In January 2001, Jordan bought 10% of the Wizards for an estimated $2.5 million with the job of president of operations. He commuted to their Washington DC HQ where he kept a deluxe apartment until October, when he began playing for the team. He then lived full-time in DC while Juanita stayed in Texas. Jordan’s official birth certificate was sold for $26,290 at Heritage Auctions on 1 August 2013.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Biography of the Michael Jordan
American famed basketball star, known by some as the "Best Player Alive." Over 13 seasons as pro basketball's most dynamic and influential star, a dazzling career, there seemed to be nothing he could not do. He won six world championships with the Chicago Bulls, ten scoring titles and enough Most Valuable Player awards to stock his own wing at the Hall of Fame. He may possibly be the most famous American in the world, and is certainly so in the sports world. His salary peak was $34 million in 1998 and he reputedly earned $240 million from endorsements alone in the '90s. His sole public vice is gambling, and he appears to have his addiction under control. The son of James and Deloris Jordan, Michael was encouraged to play baseball as a kid. While a senior in high school, he was invited to go to Dean Smith's basketball camp at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, 1980. Only the best players were invited. Jordan's determination to do the best he could got him on the Five-Star team. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in his junior year at Chapel Hill and reluctantly left school behind as it had been his mother's dream for her children to attain higher education. After 13 seasons playing with the National Basketball Association, Jordan has won the admiration of the sports world as a flawless player. As NBC analyst Bob Costas said, "Michael Jordan was just beautiful to watch." Trauma was a factor in Jordan's life from before he was born. His mom had to stay in bed to avoid a miscarriage and when he was born with his nose bleeding, they wondered if he was all right. As a baby, he nearly suffocated once in the bedding. At about age two, he picked up two live wires and was blown three feet away with the shock. When Jordan was in college, his girl friend died in a flood, and he himself once had a near-drowning in a riptide. In 1993, he was shattered by the murder of his father in North Carolina during a roadside robbery. His dad, James (born 7/31/1946), vanished in mid-July and his body was later found floating in a So. Carolina creek 8/03/1993. Jordan seemed to interpret the tragedy as a message to embrace what was really important. He retired from basketball, albeit prematurely. Perhaps because his dad wanted him to play pro baseball, he joined the Chicago White Sox's for a brave but inglorious season-long spectacle that ended with his return to the Bulls in 1995. Three world championships later, Jordan retired for real in 1/13/1999 to the dismay and sorrow of millions of fans to pursue a flourishing career in movies and TV. He was busy as well supervising his many endeavors such as the Jordan brand for a division of Nike and a Chicago restaurant. He is reportedly interested in pursuing the game of golf. Michael met Juanita Vanoy in March 1985. In 1988, pregnant with Jeffrey, she considered filing a paternity suit but instead, they married on 9/02/1989 (at 3:30 AM!) in Las Vegas. They set up permanent residence in a 25,000-square-foot million-dollar mansion in Highland Park, Illinois with their three children, Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine. Jordan is known for his determination not to take himself too seriously and lead a good life. After 12 years of marriage, Juanita filed for divorce on 1/04/2002, three months after her restless husband went back to work. She asked for custody of their three kids and a fair share of his estimated worth of $400 million. They reconciled within the month, apparently with a compromise on their living arrangements. After two retirements, he returned to play for the NBA's Washington Wizards. In January 2001, Jordan bought 10% of the Wizards for an estimated $2.5 million with the job of president of operations. He commuted to their Washington DC HQ where he kept a deluxe apartment until October, when he began playing for the team. He then lived full-time in DC while Juanita stayed in Texas. Jordan’s official birth certificate was sold for $26,290 at Heritage Auctions on 1 August 2013.
Williams shocked by Stoke penalty decision
Swansea City's Ashley Williams was in the dark as to why his side were punished on Sunday with the award of a late penalty for Stoke City. The Welsh club fought back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 at the Liberty Stadium but were denied three points courtesy of a 96th-minute Charlie Adam spot-kick. Referee Robert Madley awarded the penalty after the ball appeared to strike Wayne Routledge on the arm in the area, although Williams was perplexed by the decision. "It seemed like none of their players appealed for a penalty - maybe one of them was appealing for a corner," the defender told the South Wales Evening Post. "It was a shock to everyone. I didn't see a handball from Wayne or Leon (Britton). I don't know. "All I can say is that I didn't see a handball and I think both sides were surprised." Adam's penalty ensured Swansea were denied a first victory in five matches and the chance to get back on track following defeat to rivals Cardiff City in their previous Premier League outing. "It's a sickener because to get three points going into the mini-international break would have been good," Williams added. "It (a win) is what we deserved and the table would have looked a bit better, but we can be pleased with what we did in the second half."
Biography of Giorgio Armani
Messi psyche worries Martino
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino is worried injuries could affect Lionel Messi mentally after he was substituted in their win over Real Betis. Messi injured his left thigh at the 18 minute mark of their 4-1 La Liga win, pulling up sore after sprinting with the ball at his feet. Barcelona has confirmed the Argentine star will undergo scans on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. "We'll have to talk to Lionel (Messi) and see if he's worried because of this, his third injury of the season," Martino said. "It's true that it didn't take long for him to overcome the first, but this is the third one and it could affect him mentally." Martino was full of praise meanwhile for midfielder Cesc Fabregas' efforts to score a brace in the second half. "Cesc Fabregas is such a complete footballer. He can do whatever he likes. He can assist, he can score, he can start plays, he can finish them off." But despite the convincing win away from home, Martino insisted there was still room for improvement from the defending champions. "We positioned in the pitch where Betis wanted us in the first 30 minutes," he said. "We knew their defence would stay up and therefore that we were getting spaces at their back. But we didn't want to stay back that much. "We did so because of their pressure and this didn't prevent us from creating chances. We managed to score twice even though they deserved to score as well. But at the start of the second half, similar to the first, Fabregas scored and finished off the game. "The pitch wasn't easy for us to play on either. It was hard to get our combinations going we had to play smart football to overcome this. Betis deserved their goal."
None of The Beatles Could Read Music
The Beatles are talked about as one of the best bands of all times but surprisingly none of The Beatles could even read music! Although they could play the guitar, and wrote their own lyrics, they never learned how to read music. They did know the chords and knew where middle C was on a piano. In a 1980 interview with Playboy, John Lennon said: “I think Paul and Ringo stand up with any of the rock musicians. Not technically great — none of us are technical musicians. None of us could read music. None of us can write it. But as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they are as good as anybody” Paul is the only one of The Beatles who attempted to learn how to read music. He tried to take piano lessons from his girlfriend’s mother but did not have the time or the patience. None of the others even tried.
16 extras in zombie makeup got injured while filming Resident Evil 5. THe makeup made it hard for medical staff to identify them!
Hollywood special effects make up is starting to be a little too realistic. Toronto paramedics found this out after a platform collapsed on the film set of Resident Evil 5, and 16 extras, who were dressed as zombies, were injured. When the paramedics first arrived on the scene, they thought there had been a catastrophe because they saw all the "gore" and "wounds" covering the victims. They quickly found out that the victims were dressed like zombies, and as a result, they had a difficult time identifying what wounds were real, and which ones were just part of the costume!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
There’s a lost city buried in California!
The city isn’t ancient ruins, though. It’s the remnants of a hugely over budget film set by Cecil DeMille from the 1923 film “The 10 Commandments.” DeMille had the set secretly buried after filming in the California desert near Guadalupe, CA. DeMille made a longer film with the same name and story in 1956 with Charlton Heston as Moses that is well known today. The lost city was unearthed in 1983 by filmmaker Peter Brosnan.
Romania call up Pantilimon
Manchester City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon has been called up to the Romania squad for their FIFA World Cup play-off against Greece. Pantilimon has started City's last four games, after claiming the number one jersey at the Etihad Stadium from Joe Hart, and will replace Ciprian Tatarusanu. The Steaua Bucharest goalkeeper has been withdrawn from the squad by Victor Piturca due to a back complaint, with the coach also missing Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches due to a broken nose. Pantilimon was not initially included in the national squad and has not featured for his national side since the 4-0 defeat to the Netherlands in March but could be called upon for his country's vital play-off. The first leg takes place in Pireas on Friday, with the return the following Tuesday in Bucharest. The goalkeeper failed to make a top-flight appearance for City in his first three seasons with the club but started against Norwich City and Sunderland in recent weeks, with hart dropped for a string of costly mistakes.
King John of Bohemia was a warrior and died in battle despite being blind!
King John of Bohemia (who was also the Count of Luxembourg and King of Poland) in the 1300s was also known as "John the Blind." Yes, you guessed it, John was blind. This didn't stop him from acting courageously as any King should though. John was the son of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII and his wife Margaret of Brabant. When he was still in his teens, he became the King of Bohemia. When he was around 40 years old, John went blind from ophthalmia. Attempted treatments to reverse the effects of the disease did not work. John continued to rule though. When the Hundred Years War broke out in 1337, he allied with the King of France. When the Battle of Crecy began in 1346, John was 50 years old. Despite his disability, he insisted on fighting. He was killed during the fighting. After his death, the saying "to fight like King John of Bohemia" became popular and meant "to fight blindly."
Before they were famous, Brad Pitt and Lady Gaga were strippers!
Before the glamour and glitz lifestyle, a lot of celebrities were tight for money and just trying to earn enough to survive. You'd be surprised at the celebrities that started off their "entertainment" careers as strippers. When Lady GaGa was just 18 years old, she started working at a strip club. GaGa said that her act consisted of her wearing black leather and dancing to Guns 'n Roses, Black Sabbath, and other heavy rock bands. Although she has said she doesn't like to talk about it, she briefly said in an interview that there were "drugs, serious drugs." Brad Pitt, while in college, would perform in a strip routine with a few of his friends. The group was known as the Dancing Bares, and they would perform at female fraternities when one of their members turned 21! Some other notable celebrities that were strippers at one point in their lives are Renee Zellweger, Courtney Love, and even Carmen Electra!
A mentally unstable amateur pilot helped bring about the end of the Cold War!
Mathias Rust had some real cahoneys to do what he did. He was a West German who grew fed up with the Cold War tensions that were constantly emerging from all around the world. He was an amateur pilot, often noted to be 'mentally unstable', he wasn't sure what he could do until one day he told his parents he was going to take his plane out for a spin. After two weeks of day dreaming and planning, Rust finally got the courage to take his plane to Moscow. Each broadcaster tower on his way to Moscow thought he was a local pilot and for the most part, paid little to no attention to him. He finally made it to Russia where he thought he should land near the Soviet Union landmark, The Kremlin. Rust changed his mind and aimed for the Red Square, however there were too many people around for him to land safely. Rust landed nearby, and later walked into Red Square to find himself being stared at by hundreds of Russiands.
An artist sold a glass case filled with random medications for $19 million!
A common complaint about modern art goes something like this: "that? Art? I could make that myself? Heck, my two year old could make that." And yet, art critics and art collectors alike maintain that these seemingly simple pieces are extremely impressive and valuable. Damien Hirst is a famous modern artist. Born in Britain in 1965, Hirst came to prominence as an artist in the 1990s. His pieces, which often featured dead animals in formaldehyde, often sold for millions of dollars. In 2008, he sold an entire collection of pieces at Sotheby's for a whopping $198. In 2007, Hirst broke the record for most expensive piece of art by a living artist when his "Lullaby Spring" sold for $19.2 million. The piece is made of a 3 meter wide steel cabinet with 6,136 pills inside it.
An author wrote a 50,000 word novel without using the letter E!
Gadsby: A Story of Over 50,000 Words Without Using the Letter "E" is a 1939 novel by Ernest Vincent Wright. The plot revolves around the dying fictional city of Branton Hills, which is revitalized thanks to the efforts of protagonist John Gadsby and a youth group he organizes. The novel is written as a lipogram and does not include words that contain the letter "e". Though self-published and little-noticed in its time, the book is a favorite of fans of constrained writing and is a sought-after rarity among some book collectors. Later editions of the book have sometimes carried the alternative subtitle 50,000 Word Novel Without the Letter "E". In 1968, the novel entered the public domain in the United States due to failure to renew copyright in the 28th year after publication.
To reduce childhood obesity, Belgium substituted soft drinks for beer in schools!
Oh Belgium, they really love beer over there. In fact, they love it so much, that they chose it as a healthier alternative than soft drinks in their school system! They wanted to reduce the childhood obesity rate by giving students the choice of either a lager or a beer, both of which won't exceed an alcohol percentage of 2.5%. According to Rony Langenaeken, a chairman on the board of education who supported this decision, "Beer is for the whole family...And this scheme will be for children between the ages of three and 15." Suddenly those milk plans we all loved so much in school look a little lame. Children can drink this low fat, low sugar (allegedly a lot healthier than soda) low alcohol beer instead of having Coca-Cola or lemonade at lunch time. Don't worry, apparently the children will have to drink about 5 litres of the stuff before they become intoxicated. The childhood alcoholism rate might sky rocket, but at least childhood obesity will be lowered!
None of The Beatles Could Read Music
The Beatles are talked about as one of the best bands of all times but surprisingly none of The Beatles could even read music! Although they could play the guitar, and wrote their own lyrics, they never learned how to read music. They did know the chords and knew where middle C was on a piano. In a 1980 interview with Playboy, John Lennon said: “I think Paul and Ringo stand up with any of the rock musicians. Not technically great — none of us are technical musicians. None of us could read music. None of us can write it. But as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they are as good as anybody” Paul is the only one of The Beatles who attempted to learn how to read music. He tried to take piano lessons from his girlfriend’s mother but did not have the time or the patience. None of the others even tried.
16 extras in zombie makeup got injured while filming Resident Evil 5. THe makeup made it hard for medical staff to identify them!
Hollywood special effects make up is starting to be a little too realistic. Toronto paramedics found this out after a platform collapsed on the film set of Resident Evil 5, and 16 extras, who were dressed as zombies, were injured. When the paramedics first arrived on the scene, they thought there had been a catastrophe because they saw all the "gore" and "wounds" covering the victims. They quickly found out that the victims were dressed like zombies, and as a result, they had a difficult time identifying what wounds were real, and which ones were just part of the costume!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Oops! United airlines accidentally offers airline tickets for 'Free'
The next time you’re sitting on a full-price seat on a United Airlines flight, the person next to you, likely hogging your armrest too, may have paid just $5, or less. An unknown number of United Airlines customers purchased flight tickets for practically nothing Thursday after a computer glitch caused some fares to show up online for anywhere from $10 to $0. “I just booked a couple of round trips from SJC – BOS via IAH in November and December for $10 round trip. Found them on United.com,” user Quiltingatty posted on FlyerTalk.com, an air travel online forum. “UA: IAD – MSP $5 each way Sept 25th/26th… Just went to book this for a work trip and ended up paying $7.50 all in,” posted another user on the same site. “During this time I’m looking up everything,” said Dawnica Jackson, a United Airlines customer who rushed to book flights after seeing the glitch. “I’m like, we’re going here. We’re going there. I was like we’re going to do Christmas in Maui.” As word spread online of the deals, United quickly shut down the booking section of its website and phone centers to prevent more tickets from being sold. The website began again accepting reservations, at the normal prices, around 2:45 p.m., CST. A spokeswoman for the Chicago-based company told the Associated Press the error was not a website malfunction but an error in filing the fares. The airline does not know how many of the bargain-priced tickets were sold, nor does it know how it will handle the tickets that were sold. “As always, we will do what is appropriate,” United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said. United did not reply to ABC News’ request for comment as of this writing.
Samsung launches smartphone with curved display screen
Samsung Electronics, the world's best-selling smartphone maker, has launched a handset with a curved display screen. Called the Galaxy Round, the smartphone will feature a 5.7in (14.5cm) display. The launch comes just days after rival LG said it would begin production of curved-screen phones next year. Digital display technology has been progressing towards curved screens. Both Samsung and LG alread Samsung said the curved screen display would help consumers use some of the features on the phone, including those that enable users to check information such as date, time and missed calls when home screen is off, with more ease. At the same time, users can also change music tracks on their phone, even while its display is off. The Galaxy Round will initially be launched only in South Korea. The firm gave no indication of its plans for a global launch. 'Internet of Things' The global smartphone market has been growing rapidly. According to research firm CCS Insight, worldwide smartphone sales will hit nearly one billion in 2013 - accounting for more than half the total of 1.7 billion mobile phones sold. As as result, smartphone manufacturers have been keen to offer new products to win consumers. With display technology moving towards flexible and bendy screens, it is one area that companies have been looking at. Some analysts said that while the initial offering of curved-screen phones may not see huge sales, the segment of flexible displays was one to keep an eye on. "These phones may not be a game-changer today, but they are definitely an indication of things to come," Manoj Menon, managing director of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan . "Flexible displays have a huge role to play as the market place for 'internet of things' grows." This refers to the idea that many things in homes or offices - not just typical computers - will soon be connected to the internet. The sector is tipped by many to be a major industry in the near future. Mr Menon said that as flexible screens became more advanced and cost-effective to make, it was likely to speed up growth in the sector
'Hard drugs found' on Greenpeace ship seized by Russia
Russian investigators say they have found what appear to be hard drugs on board the Greenpeace ship seized during a protest in the Arctic last month. "During a search of the ship, drugs (apparently poppy straw and morphine) were confiscated," Russia's Investigative Committee said. Poppy straw, or raw opium, can be used to produce morphine or heroin. Greenpeace said in a statement that any suggestion of illegal drugs being found was a "smear". "We can only assume the Russian authorities are referring to the medical supplies that our ships are obliged to carry under maritime law," it said. Thirty people are being held on suspicion of "piracy" after activists attempted to scale a Russian oil rig. The head of Greenpeace International, Kumi Naidoo, has written to Russian President Vladimir Putin, offering himself as a guarantee for the detainees. There is widespread international concern for the crew of the Arctic Sunrise, who hail from 18 nations. The Netherlands has demanded the immediate release of the detainees, who are being held in the northern port of Murmansk pending trial, as well as the release of their the Dutch-flagged ship. Six Britons are among those arrested, and UK Foreign Office officials have discussed the case with Russia's ambassador in the UK, it was reported on Wednesday. In its statement, the Investigative Committee said charges against some of the detainees might change in the light of evidence gathered from the ship. Apart from the suspected drugs, "dual-purpose" equipment was found on the Arctic Sunrise, it said, adding that this "could be used not only for ecological purposes".
Orbital's Cygnus space freighter embarks on maiden voyage
The new Cygnus commercial cargo ship has launched on a demonstration voyage to the International Space Station. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), the robotic vessel lifted off atop an Antares rocket from the Wallops spaceport in Virginia, US. Cygnus is one of two private systems seeded by Nasa to meet America's ISS re-supply requirements following the retirement of the space shuttles. A successful mission will see OSC begin a series of operational cargo flights. Nasa has awarded the company a $1.9bn (£1.2bn) contract covering eight sorties to the station. Lift-off occurred at 10:58 local time (14:58 GMT). The two-stage Antares appeared to work flawlessly. Its aim was to put the freighter in an orbit more than 240km above the Earth. Cygnus will have to use its own thrusters over the course of the next four days to raise its altitude and chase down the space station. Because this is a demonstration mission, Nasa has insisted on a number of practice manoeuvres to ensure the ship poses no danger when it approaches the ISS. Assuming all goes well, Cygnus will park itself just under the orbiting lab on Sunday. The astronauts onboard the platform will then reach out with a robotic arm and grab the freighter, berthing it to a free port. The job of unloading the roughly 700kg (1,500lb) of food and equipment will begin on Monday. The expectation is that Cygnus will stay at the ISS for about a month. Before departure, the ship will be filled with station waste. It will take this rubbish into a destructive dive in the atmosphere over the Southern Pacific Ocean. Nasa is attempting to hand over routine human spaceflight operations in low-Earth orbit to commercial industry, in a way similar to how some large organisations contract out their IT or payroll. The carriage of freight is the first service to be bought in from external suppliers; the transport of astronauts to and from the station will be the second, later this decade. The US space agency hopes these changes will save it money that can then be invested in exploration missions far beyond Earth, at destinations such as asteroids and Mars. To this end, it offered Orbital a series of incentive payments to help it develop a cargo-delivery system, with the carrot of a bumper operational contract once it was working. So far, OSC has met 28 of 29 milestones in the development of Cygnus and Antares, earning $285.5m in the process. Satisfactory completion of the demonstration mission will tick a 29th milestone, releasing a final $2.5m payment. But, more importantly, it would also then green-light the first fully commercial run to the space station in December. Although $288m is a sizeable sum, it did not match what the company itself had put up, said OSC vice president Frank Culbertson. "The Orbital investment far exceeds the Nasa investment, so we're hoping for a long series of cargo re-supply missions to help recoup that," he told reporters in a pre-launch briefing.
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There are people live under Las Vegas in an underground network of tunnels
The tunnels where designed as a city pluvial system. People have found shelter in the tunnels, and they have even gotten used to live in literally pitch black spaces. There are approximately 1,000 people living there and they are mainly people that have lost everything because of gambling, or homeless people. Some of them have even found their other halves and live down in the tunnels. Some of them have day jobs, decorate their place with priced possessions and try to live a normal life. One of the entrances to the tunnels is literally a few feet away from the world famous strip. They admit that there are a few things that they have problems with, such as water, bugs and outsiders. It is really dangerous to live there because if there is more than 3 consecutive days of rain, the tunnels fill with water, whipping anything that is in the tunnels. Matthew O’Brien has dedicated a lot of his life to expose the world to the reality of the situation. He has called the attention of the media, and has helped social workers around the tunnels so that they can be reached and make sure the
New orleans water flushed for brain-eating amoeba
LOUISIANA HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE USING CHLORINE TO KILL A BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA LURKING IN THE NEW ORLEANS WATER SUPPLY. THE AMOEBA, NAEGLERIA FOWLERI, CAUSES A DEADLY FORM OF MENINGITIS WHEN INHALED THROUGH THE NOSE. IT HAS KILLED AT LEAST TWO CHILDREN THIS SUMMER, INCLUDING A 4-YEAR-OLD BOY FROM ST. BERNARD PARISH WHO CONTRACTED THE INFECTION WHILE PLAYING ON AS SLIP 'N SLIDE. "WE KNOW THAT CHLORINE KILLS NAEGLERIA FOWLERI, WHICH IS WHY IT WAS CRITICAL THAT THE PARISH PROACTIVELY BEGIN FLUSHING ITS WATER SYSTEM WITH ADDITIONAL CHLORINE LAST WEEK," LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SPOKESMAN J.T. LANE SAID IN A STATEMENT, ADDING THAT THE CHLORINATION PROCESS WOULD CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. TESTS BY THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF NAEGLERIA IN WATER SERVING ST. BERNARD PARISH SEPT. 12, BUT HOW THE AMOEBA INFILTRATED THE WATER SUPPLY REMAINS UNCLEAR. A SIMILAR SITUATION IN AUSTRALIA WAS TRACED TO A STRETCH OF OVERLAND PIPE SUPPLYING WATER THAT WAS OVERHEATED AND UNDER-DISINFECTED, ACCORDING TO THE CDC. THE CONTAMINATION LED TO "MULTIPLE DEATHS" AND RESULTED IN REGULAR MONITORING FOR NAEGLERIA IN DRINKING WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS. THE AMOEBA ALSO THRIVES IN WARM, STANDING FRESHWATER AND THE SEDIMENT OF RIVERS AND LAKES. IN JULY 2013, 12-YEAR-OLD KALI HARDIG CONTRACTED NAEGLERIA FROM A SANDY-BOTTOM LAKE AT WILLOW SPRINGS WATER PARK IN LITTLE ROCK, ARK. SHE'S THE SECOND AMERICAN KNOWN TO HAVE SURVIVED THE INFECTION OUT OF AT LEAST 124 PEOPLE. EARLY SYMPTOMS OF A NAEGLERIA INFECTION INCLUDE A SEVERE FRONTAL HEADACHE, FEVER, NAUSEA AND VOMITING, ACCORDING TO THE CDC. BUT THOSE CAN SWIFTLY GIVE WAY TO A STIFF NECK, SEIZURES, CONFUSION AND HALLUCINATIONS AS THE AMOEBA MAKES ITS WAY UP THROUGH THE NASAL CAVITY INTO THE BRAIN. "AFTER THE START OF SYMPTOMS, THE DISEASE PROGRESSES RAPIDLY AND USUALLY CAUSES DEATH WITHIN ABOUT FIVE DAYS," THE ACCORDING TO THE CDC. "PEOPLE SHOULD SEEK MEDICAL CARE IMMEDIATELY WHENEVER THEY DEVELOP A SUDDEN ONSET OF FEVER, HEADACHE, STIFF NECK AND VOMITING, PARTICULARLY IF THEY HAVE BEEN IN WARM FRESHWATER RECENTLY." LOUISIANA HEALTH OFFICIALS SAID NAEGLERIA COULD NOT BE CONTRACTED THROUGH DRINKING CONTAMINATED WATER, AND EMPHASIZED THAT CHLORINE LEVELS WOULD BE MONITORED DAILY TO ENSURE THE WATER WAS SAFE FOR CONSUMPTION. BUT FAMILIES ARE URGED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS FOR SWIMMING AND BATHING. THE CDC RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING SAFETY STEPS: DO NOT ALLOW WATER TO GO UP YOUR NOSE OR SNIFF WATER INTO YOUR NOSE WHEN SWIMMING, BATHING, SHOWERING OR WASHING YOUR FACE; DO NOT JUMP INTO POOLS OR PUT YOUR HEAD UNDER BATHING WATER; KEEP YOUR POOL ADEQUATELY DISINFECTED BEFORE AND DURING USE; RUN BATH TAPS AND HOSES FOR FIVE MINUTES BEFORE USE TO FLUSH OUT THE PIPES AVOID SLIP 'N SLIDES, AND DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO PLAY UNSUPERVISED WITH HOSES OR SPRINKLERS; KEEP SMALL PLASTIC AND BLOW-UP POOLS CLEAN, AND ALLOW THEM TO DRY AFTER EACH USE; USE ONLY BOILED AND COOLED, DISTILLED OR STERILE WATER WHEN USING NETI POTS OR PERFORMING RITUAL ABLUTIONS.
Lewis Hamilton fastest during first practice in Singapore
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton produced a sensational performance to set the pace in first practice at the Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton headed Red Bull's Mark Webber by 0.365 seconds, with the Australian's team-mate Sebastian Vettel third. The second Mercedes of Nico Rosberg was fourth, 1.184secs behind his team-mate. Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean were fifth and sixth ahead of Vettel's title rival Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who was 1.3secs off the pace. Alonso is 53 points behind Vettel heading into this race, with 175 still available in the remaining seven grands prix and really needs to beat the German to revive his dwindling hopes. But the Ferrari appeared to be struggling for grip as the team experimented with upgrades, including new front and rear wings, and diffuser. Alonso had a couple of near-misses with the wall and at one point had a moment at Turn 13 when he had a wobble during braking and ran wide on entry. The rear of the car looked loose when Alonso pushed hard and the team will need to make some changes if they are to compete at the front this weekend. His team-mate Felipe Massa, who will be replaced by Raikkonen next season, was 12th, 1.1secs behind Alonso. McLaren's Sergio Perez was eighth fastest after learning ahead of the session that his drive is under threat for next season. His team are trying to prise Alonso away from Ferrari to team him with Button.Alonso is 53 points behind Vettel Perez was told of the development no more than an hour before first practice started. Perez was 0.3secs and six places ahead of Button, who was down in 14th, behind Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne, Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez, Williams's Pastor Maldonado, Massa and the second Williams of Valtteri Bottas. The session suggested that Mercedes and Red Bull are clear at the front of the field - particularly Hamilton and the Red Bulls. The Mercedes did not look as good as the Red Bull out on the track, but Hamilton was at his acrobatic best as he danced the car around the tight corners of the demanding 3.18-mile Marina Bay street track. Hamilton finished the session 0.830secs clear of Vettel, who inherited victory in Singapore last year when the Englishman suffered a gearbox failure in his McLaren while leading the race. BBC 5 live analyst and Williams development driver Susie Wolff said: "I think the battle is going to be between Mercedes and Red Bull. Lotus are going to have to do a bit of work to catch up. BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson added: "I think Ferrari will join that club after they worked out the best combination of the jigsaw of bits they were trying in this session.
2015 Cadillac Escalade unveiled
Hot on the heels of the successful Cadillac ATS and CTS sedans, Cadillac introduced its new 2015 Escalade luxury full-size SUV, claiming big improvements in quality, craftsmanship and technology. The fourth-gen Escalade is a new design but Cadillac says it will be instantly recognizable. “Cadillac's growth provides the ideal stage for the all-new Escalade to take a major leap forward,” said Bob Ferguson, senior vice president, global Cadillac. “The 2015 Escalade is completely new and elevated in design and technology, inside and out. The clear objective is to once again assume the leadership position among luxury SUVs.” The Escalade line will again have short- and long-wheelbase versions. The ESV model is about 20 inches longer than the standard model and has a 14-inch longer wheelbase. Two- and four-wheel drive will be offered and Magnetic Ride Control is now standard across the board and includes Tour and Sport modes. Cadillac says in efforts to make the Escalade even quieter on the road, the new truck's box frame is 75 percent high-strength steel. The big story is inside, where Cadillac says it has made huge efforts in improving materials, fit and finish. Instrument panel and door panel tolerances have been tightened up. The redone interior has ambient lighting as well as cut-and-sewn materials with various wood trim choices. Cadillac says the seats were engineered to be more comfortable and look more sculpted. Big efforts were made to make the new interior dramatically quieter as well, thanks to a stronger new body structure, new acoustic material (and more of it), and Bose Active Noise Cancellation technology. “An exceptional level of craftsmanship has gone into the redesign of the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, and it all centers on the premium materials and extensive use of cut-and-sew live stitching -- the way fine furniture is produced,” said Eric Clough, director of design, Cadillac Interiors. CUE, Cadillac's system for connectivity and control, is standard, featuring voice recognition with touch controls meant to be common with tablets and mobile devices. The “favorites” section has been expanded, offering quick access to phone contacts, nav destinations and digital music in the same one-touch form as traditional radio presets. A standard 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster can be reconfigured with four themes. Head-up display is optional. Also optional is a Blu-Ray DVD rear entertainment system with a 9-inch roof-mounted screen on the standard model Escalade and two 9-inch screens on the ESV. Up front there's 1.5 inches more headroom and more than 4 inches of additional legroom compared to previous models. The second- and third-row seats now fold flat for more cargo versatility. The hands-free liftgate has programmable height settings. New tech goodies include front- and rear-automatic braking -- radar technology and ultrasonic sensors are meant to help the driver avoid front and rear low-speed collisions with a progression of alerts extending to a full stop if necessary. Also new is the front seat center-mounted air bag; Cadillac calls it the first in the segment, and the idea is to provide more protection for drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes, where the affected occupant is on the opposite, non-struck side of the vehicle. A Driver Awareness package includes forward-collision alert, lane departure warning, and safety alert seat, offering directional vibrations to alert the driver about potential crashes. The Driver Assist package adds adaptive cruise control, front and rear automatic braking and automatic safety belt tightening. Side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert and lane change alert are standard on Luxury and Premium models.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Navy Yard: Swat team 'stood down' at mass shooting scene
One of the first teams of heavily armed police to respond to Monday's shooting in Washington DC was ordered to stand down by superiors, the BBC can reveal. A tactical response team of the Capitol Police, a force that guards the US Capitol complex, was told to leave the scene by a supervisor instead of aiding municipal officers. The Capitol Police department said senior officials were investigating. Aaron Alexis, 34, killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard. "I don't think it's a far stretch to say that some lives may have been saved if we were allowed to intervene," A former Navy reservist, Alexis was working as a technical contractor for the Navy and had a valid pass and security clearance allowing him entry to the highly secure building in south-east Washington DC. About 8:15 local time (12:15 GMT), Alexis entered Building 197, headquarters for Naval Sea Systems Command, which builds and maintains ships and submarines for the Navy, and opened fire. Armed with a shotgun and a pistol he took from a guard he had shot, he sprayed bullets down a hallway and fired from a balcony down on to workers in an atrium. He fired on police officers who eventually stormed the building, and was later killed in the shootout. Multiple sources in the Capitol Police department that its highly trained and heavily armed four-man Containment and Emergency Response Team (Cert) was near the Navy Yard when the initial report of an active shooter came in about 8:20 local time. According to a Capitol Police source, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Washington DC's main municipal force, told the Capitol Cert officers they were the only police on the site equipped with long guns and requested their help stopping the gunman.
A 555 lbs. lady lost 443 in one year by eating nothing but baby food!
Dolly Dimples was a sideshow fat lady who weighed 555 lbs. In the mid-1900s. She was born Celesta Herrmann in Cincinnati on July 18, 1901. As a baby her eating habits and weight were amongst normal ranks. Her early weight gain was contributed to the visitations of a family friend. The friend was a butcher that often played with young Dolly and the game involved dangling bits of butchered meat in front of her. Thanks to this game and her early eating disorder, her first word was “meat”. As she grew older her fascination with food grew along with her appetite. She often spent her allowance by buying baked goods and cookies. In 1950, Dolly suffered a near fatal heart attack. Her Doctors told her to alter her diet or else she would die. While frightened, she decided to changer her eating habits. In fourteen month she weighed 112 pounds. She had lost over 443 pounds by limiting her diet to baby food! Baby food doesn’t sound that bad now, huh?
Colorado Couples Keep Wedding Day Despite Massive Flooding
They say it's good luck to have it rain on your wedding day, but what do you do if rain becomes record-breaking downpours and devastating flooding that leaves your wedding guests stranded and your venue under water? Three Colorado couples, all of whom spent at least a year planning their weddings for this past weekend, were forced to come up with a Plan B in a matter of hours when faced with raging floodwaters, calling upon the help of family, friends, total strangers and, for one bride, a police escort, to make their big day happen. All said they felt "blessed" they were still able to have their special day in the midst of a natural disaster. "We never thought the flood would stop us from getting married," said Joshua Bundy, 25, of Thornton, Colo. Bundy, a petty officer first class in the Navy, and his new bride Lacy Wilkinson, a 25-year-old senior at the University of Denver, also from Thornton, had planned their wedding for Saturday, Sept. 14, in Estes Park, Colo., where heavy flooding has now destroyed 1,500 homes. As wedding guests started arriving Tuesday, Sept. 10, the couple said they kept an eye on the weather. "And it said 'sun' on Saturday and we thought that we were good to go," Wilkinson said. But then the rains came and didn't stop, and by Friday morning, the night of their rehearsal dinner, roads were closed. "Before our venue was canceled, we had 30 out-of-state guests coming in, and they were getting called first. Their hotels said they had to cancel their reservations, 'we're evacuating,'" Wilkinson said. When the couple couldn't get ahold of their rehearsal dinner venue, they realized they needed a new plan, and said they had upwards of 25 people working the phones to find a new venue. "We were getting married no matter what, we just needed a different location," Bundy said. "We were going as far as to just pick a park from somewhere," Wilkinson said. During this time, Sarah Roshan with "Save My Colorado Wedding," one of many initiatives helping displaced Colorado couples with their flood-affected weddings, reached out to Wilkinson and Bundy and offered to help them make their wedding happen, pro-bono. "'Save My Colorado Wedding' was pretty much the catalyst for having the wedding go through," Wilkinson said. Roshan, a Denver-based wedding photographer who works as part of a wedding collective with a few wedding planners, set up the "Save My Colorado Wedding" Facebook page with a friend last Thursday night. "When I woke up Friday morning I had like 100 message," she said. "It was insane." Through the initiative, she and her all-volunteer team have spent the past few days solving wedding crisises across Colorado, from finding a venue that was not underwater to getting vendors to donate services. "A florist called me and said, 'I have all these flowers. Can you help me find someone to get them to?' And they were picked up by a bride who was displaced," Roshan said. "We have bridal shops that have offered to let brides use their sample dresses. "Whatever we can do for these couples, we're willing to do," she added. "So far we haven't had a request we haven't been able to fulfill." To date, Roshan said her team has helped more than 50 couples and is currently working with 32 more. Bundy and Wilkinson were the first couple she reached out to. Roshan was able to reschedule their whole wedding at a new venue. After being in "panic mode" for most of the day, Bundy and Wilkinson said yes to Roshan's offer without even seeing the venue and were married at the Spruce Mountain Lodge in Lakespur, Colo. "It was like, 'holy smokes,'" Bundy said. "Did we just pull off a whole year of planning in eight hours?" Wilkinson added. Out of the 120 guests invited, only about 10 people weren't able to come, the couple said, and some were because their families' homes were evacuated. Although they had to pay extra for the new venue, the couple said the lodge is giving them 30 days to pay in full. "A lot of our guests who knew the situation ... said it seemed as though it was the wedding we had planned the whole time," Bundy said. "Obviously it was still the best day of my life," Wilkinson added. "I couldn't have had a better day, given the circumstances." But for Jyssica Lasco, a 24-year-old nanny from Englewood, Colo., her flood-impacted wedding day didn't go as smoothly. She and her new husband Grant Hetherington, a 27-year-old auto technician, had spent two years planning their dream wedding in Lyons, Colo. The ceremony was supposed to be set against a mountain backdrop surrounded by large trees, with a reception near the famed Red Rocks and an after-party at a local brewery. The wedding was scheduled for Friday, Sept. 13. As "huge horror movie lovers," Lasco said getting married on Friday the 13th was special to both of them. But on Thursday morning, Lasco said she woke up to a stream of text messages from friends and family asking if she was safe. Then she turned on the news. "And literally at that exact moment they said, 'Lyons is an island, you can't get get in or out of Lyons,'" she said. "We went from having an entire dream wedding planned in two years to planning a new wedding in 36 hours." Lasco said family members from both sides sprang into action to find a new venue that was still open and could hold her 100-person guest list. After a few hours, they finally found an indoor space in Loveland, Colo., which should have taken less than an hour to drive to, and was willing to keep her Friday date. But when she and her maid-of-honor headed out on Thursday, Lasco said they ran into road block after road block, and found themselves stranded for almost four hours at a bridge in the southern part of Loveland. Finally, Lasco said, a police officer was able to escort them across to the north part of the city. After her mother called her during the virtual walkthrough of the new venue, and told her it was an all-concrete space that "smelled like a thrift shop," Lasco said she broke down in tears. It was not exactly what she had envisioned for her special day and she considered canceling. "We were still having a wedding and I'm so grateful," she said. "[But] that is our one day that it was just going to be us and it kind of snowballed into a mess, but it still ended up beautiful... pretty much all I remember from the day is walking down the aisle." Despite guests having to take roundabout routes to get to the wedding -- it took Lasco's grandfather 11 hours to come in from Wyoming -- her caterer having to prepare all the food with only his wife for help, and the minister and the groomsmen getting stuck in road blocks on the way to the new venue, Lasco and Hetherington were still able to say "I do" in front of around 80 guests. "On Friday I was all smiles. I was grinning ear-to-ear because everyone was able to make it there and was safe," Lasco said. "People kept coming up to me and saying, 'you have been one of the most mellow, laid-back brides, why aren't you freaking out?' ... and I said, 'you're here, you're safe, and I'm not worried about you.'" Sarah Simonic, 24, and her new husband Alan Stratton, 31, both of Boulder, Colo., also had planned an outdoor wedding in Lyons, but at a farm. Things seemed to be going as planned for most of the week, despite the rain, until the owner of the farm texted Simonic on Friday and said, "Do you have a plan B?" After working the phones, the couple's families were able to book the Avalon Dance venue in Boulder for their Sunday wedding date. Canceling wasn't an option, the couple said. "Honestly was it was my family who had to push me at the last minute to say, 'lets look at a new venue,'" Simonic said. "In my heart I thought I would be getting married outdoors ... [but] I feel very lucky. I feel blessed we were able to pull through." Once the venue was nailed down, it was a mad scramble to set everything up, which took some improvising -- the dance studio provided no dressing room space for the bridal party, so they had to create one. When only one member of the band they hired made it through the floodwaters, the couple used an iPod. "We understood quite quickly that it wasn't going to be the wedding that we [originally] wanted or planned, but it was still the wedding that we wanted," Stratton said. "It was a little stressful, but I had a lot of good people helping and a lot of hands." The groom, who took charge of last minute set-up, said he didn't start getting ready for the wedding until 15 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start at 3 p.m. "Up until 2:45, I was in plain clothes, jeans and t-shirt, still setting up tables, still deciding where the bar should go," he said. "Someone literally tied my tie for me... it was a huge group effort to make me look presentable."
Military base shootings shake sense of security
Armed guards stand at the gates. IDs are needed to pass through electronic barriers. And uniformed members of the American military — trained and battle-tested to recognize the enemy and kill — are everywhere, smartly saluting as they come and go. And yet, twice in less than four years, a person with permission to be there passed through the layers of protection at a U.S. base and opened fire, undermining the sense of security at the installations that embody the most powerful military in the world. "It is earth-shattering. When military bases are no longer safe, where is safe if that even doesn't exist anymore?" said Col. Kathy Platoni, a reservist who keeps a gun under her desk after witnessing the shooting at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009, when Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Hasan killed 13 people. In the wake of this week's deadly rampage at the Washington Navy Yard, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the Pentagon to review security at all U.S. defense installations worldwide and the issuing of security clearances that allow access to them. "We will find those gaps and we will fix those gaps," Hagel vowed on Wednesday. After Fort Hood, the military tightened security at bases nationwide. Those measures included issuing security personnel long-barreled weapons, adding an insider-attack scenario to their training, and strengthening ties to local law enforcement, said Peter Daly, a vice admiral who retired from the Navy in 2011. The military also joined an FBI intelligence-sharing program aimed at identifying terror threats. Then, on Monday, Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old former Navy reservist who held a security clearance as an information technology employee at a defense company, used a valid pass to get into the Washington Navy Yard and killed 12 people before dying in a gun battle with police. Among other things, the attack has raised questions about the adequacy of the background checks done on government contractors who hold security clearances. Alexis had a history of violent behavior and was said to be hearing voices. Many of the security improvements adopted after 9/11 and Fort Hood were created largely with terrorism in mind, not unstable individuals with no apparent political agenda. Those threats can be more difficult to detect. Daly, who directs the U.S. Naval Institute in Annapolis, Md., said more can be done when it comes to vetting people before issuing them credentials that allow them inside. "The bottom line is, once you're inside that hardened line of defense, that is the most difficult scenario," he said. "We need to look at how these clearances are granted to contractors and subcontractors and to make sure once someone is granted clearance, that we come back and check again." Some of the shock and sudden sense of vulnerability caused by Fort Hood and the Navy Yard attack may be based on the mistaken belief that military personnel are armed when they are on domestic installations. Most military personnel are, in fact, barred from carrying weapons onto a base, and Hasan and Alexis probably knew it. Another little-known fact is that many searches are random. Not all vehicles or packages are checked. John Barney, the owner of Tri-Star Commercial, an Austin-based security company that has installed cameras and card access systems at several military installations, said that after Fort Hood, the military mostly responded by increasing the armed police presence, but added few electronic measures.
Top 5 dangers that remain after the financial collapse
On the fifth anniversary of Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy filing, which many say catalyzed the financial collapse that began in 2008, five experts share the biggest lessons from that era and dangers that could spark another crisis. We asked how much has changed since the crisis that nearly brought down the world's financial system and whether it can happen again. The thing that drives Dennis Kelleher, president and CEO of Better Markets Inc., "crazy" about the bailouts, he says, is the idea that the government made a profit after the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, plus the trillions of dollars in commitments it made. Better Markets hosted a conference on Thursday in Washington, D.C., posing the question: are we better prepared for the next financial crisis? "The number one lesson learned is that we must do whatever is necessary to prevent another financial crash because the crash and economic crisis it caused is going to cost the American people tens of trillions of dollars," he said. Kelleher said it's a "lie and a fraud" to say the government made money from the bailout with a "1 percent return," "It's like saying you and I went to the bank and I got a one percent return and you got 50 percent return," he said. "It's true: we both got a return, but you did a lot better but I look like a fool. And I am a fool if you got 50 and I got 1 percent; that's the U.S. government." Former Senator Ted Kaufman was one of the panelists who spoke at Thursday's Better Markets conference. As former chair of the congressional oversight committee for TARP, Kaufman reflected on working on Dodd Frank Wall Street reform in 2009 and 2010. He said there was "little agreement" on most issues between the Democratic and Republican Senators. "In spite of this, there was one thing all the Senators agreed on; the American taxpayer should never again have to bail out a big bank," he said. "Here we are five years later and the big banks are bigger than ever, much bigger than they were in 2008 when we know they were too big to fail. Many respected bankers, including both Fed Chair Ben Bernanke and Bank of England head Mark Carney have said that our banks are too big to fail. In spite of this, the President and the Congress are doing nothing to fix this basic problem." Back in 2009, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke defended the multi-trillion direct and indirect bank government bailouts by explaining, "it wasn't to help the big firms that we intervened . . .when the elephant falls down, all the grass gets crushed as well." "Yet, today, the elephants are even larger than ever and the grass is still crushed," says Jennifer Taub, Vermont Law School professor. In addition to the large size of many banks, Taub is concerned that giant firms are still permitted to borrow excessively, up to $97 for every $100 in assets they own. "Of greatest concern to me is a point often overlooked -- in addition to size and leverage, banks are still dangerously interconnected and prone to wholesale runs due to their excessive dependence on short-term, often overnight lending," said Taub, author of the forthcoming book, "Other People's Houses: How Decades of Bailouts, Captive Regulators, and Toxic Bankers Made Home Mortgages a Thrilling Business." Taub points out that the run on Bear Stearns in March and the run on Lehman in September 2008 was by other financial institutions through the wholesale funding market, known as the tri-party repo market. Yet today there's nearly $2 trillion in this "fragile" funding outstanding, she said. Regulators and bankers have also expressed concerns about the risky conditions of the financial industry. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein testified at a Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission hearing in 2010, saying, "Certainly, enhanced capital requirements in general will reduce systemic risk. But we should not overlook liquidity. If a significant portion of an institution's assets are impaired and illiquid and its funding is relying on short-term borrowing, low leverage will not be much comfort." "It is high time to consider restrictions on short-term funding throughout the system," Taub said. "This is the tinderbox that awaits an asset reversal or shock to ignite." Lehman Was Symptom, Not Cause, of the Financial Crisis Norbert Michel, research fellow with The Heritage Foundation, said the "key policy failure" that led to the crisis was the government's bail out of Bear Stearns investment bank in March 2008. Michel said it set the expectation that Lehman would also be bailed out, "setting up investors and creditors for a fall," he writes in a Heritage report. "The notion that allowing Lehman to file bankruptcy caused the financial crisis is both wrong and dangerous," Michel said. "The danger in this myth is that it perpetuates the policy of bailing out financial institutions with taxpayer money—and that it allows policymakers who caused the crisis to escape responsibility for their actions." The Power of Banking Lobbying John Coffee, professor at Columbia Law School, said some regulatory agencies have put forward "cosmetic" changes in assuring history does not repeat itself with another financial crash. "My view is that we've made at best uneven and modest progress towards curbing systemic risks for a variety of reasons," he said. The most important barrier, he says, is that the financial services lobby "is most powerful interest group in U.S. and doing everything possible to slow down the pace of change," he said. Coffee said he has dozens of examples where lobbyists have prevented regulatory action to support financial stability. For example, without a required capital buffer by law, Coffee is concerned about a future run on money market funds. He blames lobbyists for influencing Congress, which oversees federal agencies. "The SEC won't dare move in that direction. Congress would curb their budget if they move in that direction," he said.
THIS IS CRUEL: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words.
There are a lot of interesting and random phopias out there. Dendrophobia is the fear of trees. Blennophobia is the fear of slime. And neophobia is the fear of anything new. However, the fear of long words may have the most ironic (and cruelest name). Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. So let’s say you do have this phobia. You’d be terrify to name your ailment. Kind of a conundrum.
Amanda Knox haunted by prison
Amanda Knox is no longer sleeping in a prison cell, but she is haunted by her 1,400 nights in an Italian jail. Panic attacks and symptoms of PTSD plague her and often leave her in shambles. Knox says physical freedom did not mean a free mind. "I was continuing to have panic attacks and nightmares, and I was continuing to think that strangers on the street were prisoners that I had known," she told ABC News in a recent interview. She says the breakdowns began in prison. "I had panic attacks and just broke down. And I couldn't breathe," she said. Knox, 26, is just days away from going back on trial for the alleged murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher in November 2007. Knox was convicted in 2009, but then acquitted on appeal and set free on Oct. 4, 2011. In March, however, the Italian Supreme Court rejected the Appeals Court ruling and ordered a new trial for Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 29 set to begin Sept. 30 in Florence, Italy. Knox says she will not return for the trial. Though Knox was paid nearly $4 million by Harper Collins for her book, "Waiting to Be Heard," she says most of that money has gone to legal bills, taxes and other debt her family accrued during the four year ordeal between her arrest and release. After her return home to Seattle, Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, suggested she see a therapist. "I started talking [to the therapist] about how difficult it was coming back and coming back into a world of the familiar, but feeling like I had to get to know it all over again. And in the course of talking to him-- I think it took about 15 minutes of speaking before I was inconsolable. I was weeping and unable to speak and I had to leave. Leave. I had to cut the session short. And I left. And my boyfriend picked me up and I spent the rest of the night crying," she said. Mellas says Knox brought some of her prison habits home with her. When Knox returned home, she immediately cleaned her room almost bare. "She was just overwhelmed by stuff because she had been in such a stark environment," her mother said. "So I saw things like her hand washing her clothes. We had to reintroduce her to 'This is a washing machine, and it's okay, you don't have to hand wash your clothes, and hang them up.'" Knox had also never heard of Justin Bieber or seen an iPhone. Knox says the emotional toll of her ordeal hit her as she wrote her memoir and re-lived every minute of her ordeal. "I was at times so angry and so sad and I had to, I just had to step away. I had to get away from my computer, I had to get away from the memory, I had to go on my bed and cry. I had to go and walk around the block five, 10 times to just breathe and get my way through it and then go back and try not to instill the emotions that I was experiencing now into the emotions I was experiencing then. I was, I mean, I'm very aware of that." Knox has begun to recognize the changes from the 20-year-old girl who left for Italy to study aboard. "I've become a little more introverted and quiet and less sociable. My sister's always telling me that I should go out more and have more fun when what I tend to look for now is quiet. And space to move. That's really important. I'll take ridiculous walks just because I can. So that's different. I'm a lot quieter," Knox said.
Van Persie loving Rooney partnership
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie hailed team-mate Wayne Rooney following his side's 4-2 Champions League win on Tuesday. The Dutchman notched his sixth goal of the season against Bayer Leverkusen in the first match of the group stage but Rooney stole the limelight with a double that took him to 200 goals for the club. The England international is now the fourth-highest scorer in United's history, a fact with which he is delighted, and Van Persie is enjoying the experience of playing alongside him. "Wayne played really well," he told MUTV. "I love to play with him as he can do everything; he can drop, he can go in behind, he can play the short and the long game. He did really well." The Netherlands marksman was also full of praise for new addition Marouane Fellaini, who impressed in his 80 minutes on the field. "Marouane did really well also," Van Persie added. "He was very solid and gets a lot of loose balls back. He's very confident and always tries to get the ball going forward."
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