aqua luna 2

NASA has announced that they did find water on the moon. From media release

Jonas Dino
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650.604.5612
Jonas.Dino@nasa.gov

Nov. 13, 2009

RELEASE : 09-146AR

NASA'S LCROSS Impacts Confirm Water in Lunar Crater

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- Preliminary data from NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, indicates the mission successfully uncovered water in a permanently shadowed lunar crater. The discovery opens a new chapter in our understanding of the moon.

The LCROSS spacecraft and a companion rocket stage made twin impacts in the Cabeus crater Oct. 9 that created a plume of material from the bottom of a crater that has not seen sunlight in billions of years. The plume traveled at a high angle beyond the rim of Cabeus and into sunlight, while an additional curtain of debris was ejected more laterally.

"We're unlocking the mysteries of our nearest neighbor and, by extension, the solar system," said Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The moon harbors many secrets, and LCROSS has added a new layer to our understanding."

Scientists long have speculated about the source of significant quantities of hydrogen that have been observed at the lunar poles. The LCROSS findings are shedding new light on the question with the discovery of water, which could be more widespread and in greater quantity than previously suspected. If the water that was formed or deposited is billions of years old, these polar cold traps could hold a key to the history and evolution of the solar system, much as an ice core sample taken on Earth reveals ancient data. In addition, water and other compounds represent potential resources that could sustain future lunar exploration.

Since the impacts, the LCROSS science team has been analyzing the huge amount of data the spacecraft collected. The team concentrated on data from the satellite's spectrometers, which provide the most definitive information about the presence of water. A spectrometer helps identify the composition of materials by examining light they emit or absorb.

"We are ecstatic," said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientist and principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. "Multiple lines of evidence show water was present in both the high angle vapor plume and the ejecta curtain created by the LCROSS Centaur impact. The concentration and distribution of water and other substances requires further analysis, but it is safe to say Cabeus holds water."

The team took the known near-infrared spectral signatures of water and other materials and compared them to the impact spectra the LCROSS near infrared spectrometer collected.

"We were able to match the spectra from LCROSS data only when we inserted the spectra for water," Colaprete said. "No other reasonable combination of other compounds that we tried matched the observations. The possibility of contamination from the Centaur also was ruled out."

Additional confirmation came from an emission in the ultraviolet spectrum that was attributed to hydroxyl, one product from the break-up of water by sunlight. When atoms and molecules are excited, they release energy at specific wavelengths that can be detected by the spectrometers. A similar process is used in neon signs. When electrified, a specific gas will produce a distinct color. Just after impact, the LCROSS ultraviolet visible spectrometer detected hydroxyl signatures that are consistent with a water vapor cloud in sunlight.

Data from the other LCROSS instruments are being analyzed for additional clues about the state and distribution of the material at the impact site. The LCROSS science team and colleagues are poring over the data to understand the entire impact event, from flash to crater. The goal is to understand the distribution of all materials within the soil at the impact site.

"The full understanding of the LCROSS data may take some time. The data is that rich," Colaprete said. "Along with the water in Cabeus, there are hints of other intriguing substances. The permanently shadowed regions of the moon are truly cold traps, collecting and preserving material over billions of years."

LCROSS was launched June 18 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as a companion mission to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO. Moving at a speed of more than 1.5 miles per second, the spent upper stage of its launch vehicle hit the lunar surface shortly after 4:31 a.m. PDT Oct. 9, creating an impact that instruments aboard LCROSS observed for approximately four minutes. LCROSS then impacted the surface at approximately 4:36 a.m.

LRO observed the impact and continues to pass over the site to give the LCROSS team additional insight into the mechanics of the impact and its resulting craters. The LCROSS science team is working closely with scientists from LRO and other observatories that viewed the impact to analyze and understand the full scope of the LCROSS data.

For information about LCROSS, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/lcross

Of course, India's moon mission Chandrayaan-1 had also announced it had found evidence of water on the moon only recently.

Most people are probably not even aware that India even has a space program.

Sabi found

From a Department of Defence media release of 12 November 2009

AUSTRALIAN DOG RETURNS HOME AFTER A YEAR IN THE AFGHAN WILDERNESS

An Australian Special Forces Explosive Detection Dog has been found alive and well almost fourteen months after going missing in action (MIA) in Afghanistan. “Sabi” was recovered by a US Soldier at an isolated patrol base in north-eastern Oruzgan last week.

The black Labrador was trained to counter the threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Oruzgan province.

Sabi was declared MIA in September 2008 during the same battle with the Taliban in which SAS Trooper Mark Donaldson won his Victoria Cross. Sabi was present with her handler when their combined Australian, US and Afghan National Army convoy was ambushed by a numerically superior, well-sited and prepared insurgent force. Nine Australian soldiers, including Sabi’s handler, were wounded during the engagement.

The US soldier who recovered her and who can be identified only by his first name, John, was aware his Australian Special Forces mates were missing one of their explosive detection dogs.

He said it was immediately obvious that Sabi was no ordinary canine. “I took the dog and gave it some commands it understood.”

John thanked the man who was with Sabi and shook his hand.

Sabi spent more than a year in the desolate south of Afghanistan. Repeated attempts were made by the Special Operations Task Group to discover Sabi’s fate. Sabi was flown to Tarin Kowt to be reunited with one of her Australian Special Forces trainers.

The Australian trainer knew instantly it was Sabi.

“I nudged a tennis ball to her with my foot and she took it straight away. It’s a game we used to play over and over during her training,” the trainer said. “It’s amazing, just incredible, to have her back.”

Currently in the United Kingdom after meeting Her Majesty the Queen, Trooper Mark Donaldson said Sabi’s return closed a chapter of their shared history.

“She’s the last piece of the puzzle,” Trooper Donaldson said. “Having Sabi back gives some closure for the handler and the rest of us that served with her in 2008. It’s a fantastic morale booster for the guys.”

At the time of her disappearance Sabi was coming to the end of her second tour of duty in Afghanistan, having previously deployed to Oruzgan in 2007.

Sabi had also deployed with the Incident Response Regiment during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.

Sabi will now undergo a period of quarantine before a decision can be made about the timing of her return to Australia. A veterinary assessment of Sabi’s exposure to diseases has yet to be completed. It is hoped the tests will prove negative and Sabi can return to Australia.

Photos from Department of Defence

At work in July 2007


A bath after being found on 28 October 2009


Awww... I love these Lassie come home type real life stories.

I was going to just link to articles reported in newspapers (online), but given the nature of an actual media release (the source), I can copy and paste this in its entirety (sourced appropriately of course). Would minor paraphrasing and the addition of a byline make such an article the copyrighted property of a media outlet? If I had reproduced an article from a Newscorp owned newspaper, would Rupert Murdoch get upset?

another useless invention 7

Pretend you are a disc jockey while washing the dishes by hand. I kid you not. Introducing, the Dish Jockey, by Dunlop Volley Warehouse.



Seriously, it is not a joke but a real product for sale.

40 years of Sesame Street

Sesame Street Google with the ensemble. Where is Mr Snuffleupagus?


People all over the world between the ages of 20 and 50 are probably reminiscing about their childhoods with Sesame Street. I don't know when I stopped watching, but with younger siblings, I was still watching well into my teens.


Richard Termine/Sesame Workshop

I remember the opening sequences below (first two) from when I was a kid.

episode 1575 opening


episode 2178 opening


Having stopped watching, as most grown ups without young children do, I am not familiar with the new sequence from 1998-2001, but do understand that something as important as the opening sequence theme music must evolve with the times.

episode 3940


Promotion for the new series


Elmo's new best friend is Jake Gyllenhall (from New York Post) photo by Jesse Grant

20 Jahre Mauerfall - 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall

Some great photographs from AFP of 20 years ago via ABC.





Official celebrations in Berlin are being held as Fest der Freiheit (Festival of Freedom) and tonight focuses around the Brandenburg Gate.

Some other great sites
- www.mauerfall-berlin.de
- Goethe Institut
- Berlin.de

Count von Count Google

He's called Count von Count because he loves to count. After he finishes counting, the Count would laugh like a maniac "ah ah ah ah ah" and there would be thunder and lightning.

Elmo Google

more Google Sesame Street

The top two were featured before Bert and Ernie.



Oscar the Grouch was today's. I can't wait to see who Google will feature tomorrow.

Sesame Street classics

Sesame Street was first broadcast on 10 November 1969. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Google has been featuring characters.



My favourite monster was always Grover. Grover first appeared in 1970. He was always a hopeless waiter, frustrating Mr Johnson.





Clumsy, naive, misunderstood - there's a little bit of Grover in all of us, some moreso than others.

Banksy 'grafitti' attracts graffiti

Reported by the BBC (2 November 2009), a Banksy work in south London has been defaced

Banksy mural defaced during vote

A mural by graffiti artist Banksy has been defaced in south London while a public vote was taking place calling for its preservation.

Sutton Council asked residents to vote on whether the "punk" mural should stay on its Beddington Farm Road site.

More than 93% of the 250 voters urged the council to keep it but as the vote was taking place, the work was defaced by graffiti "taggers".

The council is deciding whether the mural can be restored.

The mural showed a punk standing by a box labelled IEAK - an anagram of the furniture store Ikea - apparently reading instructions on how to put together a graffiti slogan.

Despite usually operating a zero-tolerance stance on graffiti, the council made an exception for this piece of work.

Councillor Colin Hall said: "We believe in democracy and wanted local people to decide what should happen to the Banksy.

"Sadly someone decided to take it into their own hands."

He added: "The image actually criticised mindless graffiti so perhaps it isn't surprising that the sort of people who do that sort of thing should attack it."

The council is consulting the building's owner to decide whether the mural can be restored.

Acclaimed artist Banksy has gained an international following for his graffiti and exhibitions, the latest of which drew 300,000 visitors to Bristol earlier this year.

In September, Hackney Council in east London partially covered a Banksy mural with black paint by mistake.

Photos by Robin Gunningham via Gawker





Ironic.

San Diego zoo's panda naming

San Diego Zoo's male giant panda cub, born on 5 August 2009, is to be named and the public's vote is now being sought amongst the following five options

福圣 Fú Shèng (fu sheng): blissful San Diego
小龙 Xiǎo Lóng (siao long): little dragon
熊伟 Xióng Wěi (syong wei): extraordinary bear
永祥 Yǒng Xiǎng (yong siang): eternally blessed
云子 Yún Zǐ (yun zih): son of cloud

Pronunciation of names in this YouTube video


See - San Diego Zoo: Name the Panda (note vote ends at midnight, Tuesday 4 November - their time)

Seriously, why should every single Panda cub born outside of China be given a Mandarin Chinese name?

What is wrong with names like Percival or George? Personally, I think Patrick would be a cool name for a panda.

Horse racing - for every 3 champions, 7 end up at the knackers

Today was Melbourne Cup day, when most of Australia stopped and watched the horse race.

Most people have probably not given a second thought to the cruelty behind horse racing. The RSPCA has campaigned against the use of whips.

Worth a read
- PeTA
- Animals Australia
- animal liberation victoria

In Australia, retired race horses (no longer of any economic worth to owners) do not get put out to pasture for the rest of their lives. They are sent to a horse abattoir and turned into pet food, with choice cuts exported to Japan and Europe. Along the way from retirement to slaughter, the treatment of these horses is cruel.

headline of the month

One of Italy's most wanted mafia bosses was recently arrested in Italy. This was widely reported and a few media outlets picked up the Agence France-Press (AFP) feed. Only one newspaper came up with a decent headline. From Sydney Morning Herald

Mafia top rooster caught hiding in hen house

Shame on the rest.

cruel cheap meat

I find cruelty to animals abhorrent, as would many people. Unfortunately, it is all too common in the practices to produce meat as 'efficiently' and as cheaply as as possible so they can be sold at low prices to consumers.

This PeTA video is very disturbing, though it is nearly two years old now


Many people now buy free range eggs and free range chickens. Perhaps one day, meat at the supermarket could be labelled as "cruelty free" and certified as such, in much the same way that tinned tuna is labelled "dolphin safe".

Den Haag and Amsterdam

Interesting facts about the Netherlands. The Hague acts as seat of government although it is not the nation’s capital. Amsterdam is the capital city but is not the seat of government.

Living in a cashless society - a freeconomy

Some people are challenging the notion that money makes the world go round.

Suelo has been living without money for nearly nine years around Moab and Portland (presumably in Oregan USA). See his website.

More recently, Mark Boyle in Bristol UK has lived for nearly a year without money and wrote an article for The Guardian about it.

In the photo that he provided for the article, it shows that he looks healthy and not malnourished.


It's a noble concept, which relies on the kindness of others. The other extreme is greed, where people exploit others for personal gain (and wealth). Thankfully most people lie somewhere in between, though most people would like to have more money than they really need.

Root of all evil?

more on Brisbane zombie walk

According to a more recent report by Gary Kemble on ABC News, there may have been as many as 5000 who attended Sunday's zombie walk in Brisbane, which may have set a new world record. Except

Queensland Police say five police were tasked to help with the zombie walk, based on estimates from event organisers that 1,500 people would take part.

"A much larger number of people participated in the walk than expected, possibly as many as 5,000, however the exact number is not known," the statement said.

Ms Westworth says she was shocked and delighted by the turn-out.

"We'd been expecting a good 2,000 or so people and we'd speculated maybe 3,000 or so people turning up due to the amount of last-minute press we'd received the week before, but not in my wildest dreams had I thought we'd get that many people," she said.

"Luckily for us the police were really helpful and did an excellent job of getting all those people through the city without incident and even managing to close off roads so efficiently and without prior planning."

She said unfortunately the event didn't raise as much money as they had hoped for.

"But we figure every little bit helps and at least we know what we need to do differently next year in order to raise more money or the Brain Foundation, who we'll keep using as our chosen charity," she said.

Ironically, the event's success has landed organisers with a new headache.

Mr Radaza wrote on the Brisbane Zombie Walk Facebook page that if the same numbers are expected next year, organisers will have to foot half of the policing bill.

The official police statement says police will continue to work with organisers to plan and manage future zombie walks.

"Having due regard to potential crowd sizes and their impact upon public safety and amenity, police will negotiate with organisers as to the provision of policing resources considered necessary to support the event. This may include some costs associated with police involvement," the statement said.

The official World Record for a gathering of zombies is 4,026, at the Big Chill festival in Ledbury, UK, in August.

another awesome photo from ABC News by Giulio Saggin

Interestingly, Gary Kemble who authored that article is also actively posting on the facebook page mentioned. A news reporter also being actively involved in the story is usually a conflict of interest, but in this case, justified. I hope he was also dressed as a zombie.

He also has an interesting blog - The Kemblog.

Next year, participants should contribute more, perhaps $10 each, which would raise over $50,000 for charity.

wild budgies

The above photo was taken by Ann Britton who submitted it as a user submitted photo to the ABC. It shows a flock of budgerigars at Boulia in far west Queensland (15 October 2009).

Budgerigars (also called budgies) are such a common (bird) pet that it's easy to forget that they are native to Australia and flock in the wild.


Close up of a pet budgie by Amos T Fairchild from Wikipedia.

The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is a very hardy species.

A reason to visit Iceland

Reported in Morgunblaðið, Iceland's major newspaper, McDonald's is to close. According to the franchisee, with the collapse of the kronar and the requirement to import all ingredients and packaging from Germany, the business is now uncompetitive.

Metro-máltíð.

Viðskipti | mbl.is | 26.10.2009 | 08:47

McDonald's hættir - Metro tekur við

Lyst ehf. mun um mánaðamótin hætta samstarfi við McDonald's skyndibitakeðjuna, en fyrirtækið rekur þrjá veitingastaði samkvæmt sérleyfi frá McDonald's. Rekstri staðanna verður haldið áfram undir nafninu Metro. Þetta kemur fram í tilkynningu.

Fram kemur að ástæðan fyrir breytingunni sé erfitt efnahagsumhverfi hér á landi. Þar ráði hrun gengis íslensku krónunnar mestu. Lyst ehf. hafi undanfarin ár keypt flest hráefni í McDonald's réttina, kjöt, ost, grænmeti og önnur aðföng af erlendum birgjum, samkvæmt kröfum og stöðlum McDonald's.

Gengishrunið, ásamt háum tollum á innfluttar búvörur, hafi tvöfaldað hráefniskostnað fyrirtækisins og gert afkomuna erfiða. Aðilar hafi ekki trú á að efnahagsaðstæður hér batni nægilega til að rekstur veitingastaða undir merkjum McDonald's verði arðbær til lengri tíma.

Þá kemur fram að Metro-staðirnir muni áfram bjóða svipaðar vörur og áþekkan matseðil á sambærilegu verði. Áhersla verði lögð á íslenskt hráefni, gæði og hraða þjónustu eins og áður. Breytingin sé gerð í góðu samkomulagi við McDonald's.

Veitingastaðirnir á á Suðurlandsbraut, í Kringlunni og á Smáratorgi muni halda áfram undir nýju nafni. Einnig komi fram að 10-15 ný störf verðo til hjá innlendum framleiðendum vegna breytingarinnar. Nautakjöt, kjúklingur, mjólkurvörur, sósur, ís, brauð, grænmeti og umbúðir allt frá innlendum framleiðendum.

Þá segir að viðskiptavinir Metro muni frá og með 1. nóvember geta gengið að svipuðum matseðli og hafi verið á McDonald´s stöðunum.

Soon, it will be the perfect time to visit Iceland. Iceland used to be very expensive to visit as it had a high standard of living and a strong currency. A further appeal is the fact that there now won't be a McDonald's. It's not even food.

No, I can't read Icelandic either. Daniel Tammet, on the other hand, learnt the language in one week.

Brisbane zombie walk

The fourth Brisbane zombie walk happened yesterday. It used to be held earlier in the year, so it was many months late. Reported by Gary Kemble for ABC News

Zombie brides, zombie doctors and nurses, zombie strippers and zombie Santas were popular at this year's walk.

Zombie Darth Vader, zombie Where's Wally, and even zombie Hunter S Thompson turned out at the walk, which raised money for the Brain Foundation.

First-time lurcher Lara Shprem said the walk was more than just a fun day out for her.

"The charity is apt and ironic and funny, but it also has personal meaning for me," she said.

"My Mum's suffering from brain lesions so we're hoping to raise heaps of money. It may not help my Mum but it will help other people facing similar issues."

Organiser Cara Westworth said she was happy with how things went, and was looking forward to next year's walk.

Police said the zombie walkers were well-behaved and there were no problems reported.

The earliest recorded zombie walk was held in California in 2001, and have become popular since through the rise in zombie-related video games and movies.

photos from ABC News by Giulio Saggin






One day, a real zombie might appear and infect the others for real!

another useless invention 6

A tray attached to a steering wheel by Mobile Gear and distributed by cyberguys.com and Amazon.com, amongst others. From Amazon's product description

Introducing the AutoExec WM-01 Wheelmate Steering Wheel Desk Tray - Gray - , featured in our Other Vehicle Parts department. This product generally ships within 2 business day(s) from Pinellas Park, Florida, and weighs 2 pound(s). Attaches to your steering wheel for easy access to a writing and drink storage surface. The Go Office Wheel Mate Steering Wheel Desk is flat for writing and perfect for lunch or a snack. This Go Office Wheel Mate Steering Wheel Desk stores neatly in your car when used with the larger Auto Exec Laptop Car Desk. For safety reasons, never use this product while driving. Easily convert your car into your personal automobile office with the Wheel Mate car desk by MobileOffice.

Of course, when it comes to useless inventions, it is most likely that that Japan had it available first. This one is Thanko's eDesk.



Seriously. If, not to be used while driving, then get out of the car.

games of former empires

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years (in between Olympic Games years), with participant nations and territories from the Commonwealth members participating (71 teams from 53 members). Most were formerly part of the British Empire or constitutionally linked with members who were, with Mozambique being the only exception. The Commonwealth Games evolved from the British Empire Games which began in 1930.

Just recently this year (27 September to 6 October), the French Jeux de la Francophonie was held. Participants were members of Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (56 member nations, 3 associate members and 14 observers). Many were former French colonies, but most united by the French language. Mozambique is an observer. The games were first hosted in 1989 in Rabat and Casablanca in Morocco.

Only a few months earlier this year, the Portuguese Jogos da Lusofonia was held. Participants were members of Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (11 members). Most were former Portuguese colonies and united by the Portuguese language. Mozambique is definitely a member. The games were first hosted in 2006 in Macau, China.

Unusually, Spain, former members of the Spanish Empire and Spanish-speaking nations have not yet united to hold their own games in this manner. Should they do one day, Mozambique would probably also want to participate.

Beyond reasonable doubt 2

Last month, I raised attention about David Grann's article in the New Yorker about Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed for the murder of his daughters through arson.

An Australian writer in New York, Bernard Lagan, has now raised the case in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald (same publisher). Highly unusual for Australian newspapers.

Within three weeks of the publication of the New Yorker article, Perry suddenly, and totally unexpectedly, announced that he had fired members of the Texas Forensics Commission, whom he had appointed, just two days before the commission was to hear evidence from one of America's mostly highly regarded arson experts on the Willingham case. Dr Craig Beyler intended to say Willingham had been convicted on evidence of arson that was wrong. Other leading experts have agreed that the original arson findings were made by ill-trained men who had little or no understanding of fire behaviour.

and

On Wednesday, under increasing suspicion that his office – and he – had ignored the evidence that might have saved Willingham, [Texas Governor Rick] Perry refused to release written advice he had received from his general counsel about giving a stay of execution. Instead he called Willingham a monster.

For those who don't believe that Governor Perry or the US system would be capable of killing an innocent, it is worth considering one fact; 17 people have left death row alive because DNA testing proved their innocence after a death sentence. They served an average of 12 years in prison.

John Burnett in All Things Considered on NPR also raised important issues

Did Texas execute an innocent man?

That question, and the controversy surrounding it, continues to dog Gov. Rick Perry. Critics say the governor has tried to squelch an investigation into the case. Now the issue has moved to the forefront of Perry's effort to win re-election.

At the heart of the controversy is Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed by lethal injection in 2004 after being convicted of setting a house fire in Corsicana that killed his three children.

The Texas Forensic Science Commission hired a nationally recognized arson expert to examine the fire science used to convict Willingham. In a report made public in August, that expert, Craig Beyler, asserted the initial arson investigation was deeply flawed, adding his voice to those of other fire investigators who now doubt whether arson caused the fatal blaze.

Just as the commission was set to hear from Beyler in late September, Perry abruptly removed three of its members, including the chairman. The chairman, Sam Bassett, later said he felt pressure from the governor's office because it was unhappy over how the Willingham probe was proceeding.

Governor Defends His Actions

As the uproar swelled, the governor went on the offensive. He called Willingham "a monster" and said numerous state and federal courts had upheld his conviction for more than a decade. Perry dismissed contrary views as those of "latter-day supposed experts."

As for the shakeup on the Forensic Science Commission, Perry said, "What's happening is we're following pretty normal protocol in the state. Those individuals' terms were up, so we replaced them — nothing out of the ordinary there."

But the state's leading newspapers aren't buying his explanation. Their editorial pages have roundly condemned the governor's actions as arrogant. They also have criticized his refusal to release an advisory memo from his general counsel regarding clemency for Willingham on the eve of his execution. The governor says the state attorney general has ruled that the memo is protected by attorney-client privilege.

Leading Republican Opponent Criticizes Perry

Capital punishment is sacrosanct in Texas, which executes more inmates than any other state. No serious candidate from either party runs against it.

So it was with some delicacy that Perry's opponent for the Republican nomination for governor, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, took on the Willingham case.

"I just think the governor made a mistake in trying to ramrod a covering up of what might be more evidence for the future," Hutchison told a Dallas-Fort Worth radio station.

Perry's office pounced on Hutchison, knowing the popularity of capital punishment in Texas — upwards of 70 percent of the population support it.

"If the senator is suggesting she opposes the death penalty for an individual who murdered his three daughters, then she should just say so," said the governor's spokeswoman, Allison Castle.

However, the senator had started her statement by saying she's "a steadfast supporter of the death penalty."

"The point that Hutchison is trying to make about Rick Perry is that he's hurt the death penalty, weakened it, by making it look to people outside Texas — and a lot of people in Texas — that he's playing fast and loose with the death penalty," said Dave McNeely, a longtime political journalist in Austin.

Perry, who gained his seat after George W. Bush left the Texas governor's mansion for the White House in 2001, is the longest-serving governor in Texas history. He's seeking an unprecedented third term.

Perry's new chairman of the Forensic Science Commission, John Bradley, is a hard-nosed district attorney and a conservative ally of the governor. He says he needs time to study the Willingham arson report and has not set a new date for the commission to consider it.

Surely, the case is an argument against the death penalty. Senator Kay Baily Hutchison's motives in raising the issue are probably purely political and not on any moral or ethical grounds.

newsreader in the land of the giants

Either the seagull is a giant, or the newsreader is a miniature. Proper explanation provided by ninemsn

Aqua Tower in Chicago

Under construction in Chicago at 225 North Columbus Drive is a mixed-used building tower, Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects and developed by Magellan Development.

Aqua Tower will stand 250 m (819 ft) tall with 82 floors, containing a mix of apartments, hotel rooms, offices and retail space.

From the Studio Gang website

In an increasingly dense city like Chicago, views from a new tower must be negotiated between existing buildings. Aqua tower considers criteria such as views, solar shading and function to derive a vertical system of contours that gives the structure its sculptural form. Its vertical topography is defined by its outdoor terraces that gradually change in plan over the length of the tower. These terraces offer a strong connection to the outdoors and allow inhabitants to occupy the building façade and city simultaneously. The result is a highly sculptural building when viewed obliquely that transforms into a slender rectangle from further away. Its powerful form suggests the limestone outcroppings and geologic forces that shaped the great lakes region.

I think it would have been more appropriate to call it Iceberg. According to the UK Guardian, it is also the tallest building in the world to be designed by a woman.

The balconies do not look safe and it would be a nightmare to people suffering from acrophobia. The railing should be as high as a person's shoulder.

The question remains, how energy efficient is the building?

125 years of the Prime Meridian

In October 1884, an international conference was held in Washington DC for the purpose of fixing a prime meridian and universal day.

The result was the conference agreed the prime meridian (at longitude 0° 0' 00") would be located at Greenwich, United Kingdom.

The conference also agreed Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) would be used as the standard for the world, with the day beginning at midnight at Greenwich and counted on a 24-hour clock.

Read more at BBC News

This was at the height of the British Empire, a great sea-faring nation, so it was not surprising. Imagine if this was on the agenda at the United Nations today. It would be a complete debacle as national egos come into play.

mental_floss

mental_floss is a great magazine for those who like trivia, as I do.

Having a lot of knowledge about trivia, no matter how useful it may be one day, does not make one smart. It only means having a good memory and a natural curiosity.

Smart people are those who are analytical, can reason well, and can argue a point of view without offense, while keeping an open mind.

It's how to apply knowledge that should be more valued than just having knowledge.

the world will not end in 2012

I previously wrote about the upcoming film 2012. It seems that the marketing of the film has a lot of people worried. Understandably, the NASA Astrobiology Institute is rather annoyed. See Ask an Astrobiologist from their website

Question

People are saying that a solar flare is going to hit the Earth in 2012 and "toast" us alive. What is this site http://www.instituteforhumancontinuity.org/ all about? I even saw their commercial on tv! I just want to know the truth and be prepare[d] if something is really going to happened. AND I recently saw a commercial on Discovery's History Channel where a lottery entry has begun to "save yourself" from the 2012 doomsday event; however, it was not specified what this event may be or how these winners would be saved. AND I found this website with very believable information. Is it really true ? http://www.instituteforhumancontinuity.org/#/home. AND I saw this commercial on tv about the institute for humanity continuity and I am very scared.

About dozen people have written to me this week about ads for the Institute for Human Continuity. This is just part of the publicity for the science fiction film “2012” to be released in November. Let me be clear: (1) Nothing bad is predicted to happen in 2012. The 2012 doomsday is a hoax. (2) There is no Institute for Human Continuity. It is a fake website created to generate interest in the film. (3) Neither the film nor this website are based on science. This is fiction. (4) The creation of a fake website to publicize a film is called “viral marketing” by a analogy with a computer virus (look it up in Wikipedia). (5) It is important to learn to distinguish fiction from fact, and Hollywood film plots from reality. Here is what I wrote in this subject a few months ago in my “Twenty Questions” about 2012: The pseudoscientific claims about Nibiru and a doomsday in 2012, together with distrust of the government, are being amplified by publicity for the new film from Columbia Pictures titled “2012”, to be released in November 2009. The film publicity includes creation of a faux scientific website (www.instituteforhumancontinuity.org/) for “The Institute for Human Continuity”, which is entirely fictitious. According to this website, the IHC is dedicated to scientific research and public preparedness. Its mission is the survival of mankind. The website explains that the Institute was founded 1978 by international leaders of government, business, and science. They say that in 2004, IHC scientists confirmed with 94% certainty that the world would be destroyed in 2012. This website encourages people to register for a lottery to select those who will be saved; a colleague submitted the name of her cat, which was accepted. I learned from Wikipedia that creating this sort of fake website is a new advertising technique called “Viral Marketing”, by analogy with computer viruses.

David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
September 23, 2009

See also Nibiru and Doomsday 2012: Questions and Answers

Additional reporting by UK Daily Telegraph.

There's one born every minute.

Murdoch versus the world

At the World Media Summit, held in Beijing, Rupert Murdoch, chief executive of News Corporation, spoke (on 9 October 2009) about his vision of the future of news media

Too often the conventional media response to the internet has been inchoate. A medium once thought too powerful has often seemed impotent in the past few years. Of course there should be a price paid for quality content, and yet large media organizations have been submissive in the face of the flat-earthers who insisted that all content should be free all the time. The sun does not orbit the earth, and yet this was precisely the premise that the press passively accepted, even though there have been obvious signs that readers recognize the reality that they should pay a price.

There are many readers who believe that they are paying for content when they sign up with an internet service provider, presuming that they have bought a ticket to a content buffet. That misconception thrived on the silence of inarticulate institutions which were unable to challenge the fallacies and humbug of the e-establishment.

The value of content has been volatile in the past decade but we are entering another decisive phase in which device makers are again courting the creators of content. I have sensed that shift in recent days during my travels in Japan and South Korea where I met some of the world’s leading electronics manufacturers. These companies don’t want their customers to be served a diet of digital dross, and yet that will be the inevitable consequence if the worth of content and creativity are not appreciated.

The Philistine phase of the digital age is almost over. The aggregators and the plagiarists will soon have to pay a price for the co-opting of our content. But if we do not take advantage of the current movement toward paid-for content, it will be the content creators, the people in this hall, who will pay the ultimate price and the content kleptomaniacs will triumph.

Obviously the age of the internet does not agree with Mr Murdoch. Google is merely a short cut for consumers (whether paying or not) to locate news articles of interest based on topic. Even then, they are merely links. He would probably also want to scour Wikipedia and invoice them for every word that he perceives to have originated from his media empire. What is also galling is the fact that he was speaking in China, where there is no media freedom.

One could also describe as dross, his version of the news as it appears on Fox in the United States.

As Mr Murdoch's speech was provided in a media release, I could have quoted him in full. If it was an article in one of his online newspapers, probably not.

Meanwhile, Mark Scott, Managing Director of the publicly funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in a speech about the future of media, given in Melbourne on 14 October 2009, countered the Murdoch view

When you have been so powerful and dominant for so long, it is hard to believe that empire is slipping away. You want to believe you'll see the green shoots of recovery, the good times coming back when advertisers start spending again. These surviving media giants - successful and profitable for decades - are used to shaping their audiences and their worlds.

The habit of command is hard to break. And any deference to audience power seems acquired only when all other possibilities have been exhausted. The latest example is the push by newspaper proprietors, led by Murdoch, to get people to pay for their content online. After nearly 15 years where the vast majority of online news and information has been free.

When Rupert Murdoch bought The Wall Street Journal, he indicated he would look to drop the paper's paid website. But now in the saddle, he looks to transplant that paid content model to all his newspapers. And he is keen for other newspapers to fall into line. And as his son James said recently in the UK, those pesky public broadcasters, who would seek to provide quality content to the public for free should be pulled into line.

The Murdoch push is fascinating. You sense this rage at the injustice of what the online world is doing to his traditional print business model. Murdoch has always been willing to cross-subsidise his print passions. Papers like The Times of London, The New York Post and The Australian endured years of losses and survived, because he said so. And because he had The Simpsons there to soak up the red ink.

And, ironically given his current plans, one of his strategies was always to cut the price of content - to cheap and almost uneconomic levels - to put his competitors under the gun.

But now, the man who just four years ago said he wanted to "make the necessary cultural changes to meet the new demands of the digital native" says he's not going to respond to the demands of these digital natives. Instead, they - who have never in their lives paid for news online - will be asked to respond instead to his demands and start paying.

The argument seems to be that people once didn't pay to watch television but now many do. We fought against timed local calls but now make them every day on our mobiles. Some of us might pay for recorded music we might once have illegally downloaded. And because we want to read and see this great content so badly, now we will pay for that.

It strikes me as a classic play of old empire, of empire in decline. Believing that because you once controlled the world you can continue to do so, because you once set the rules, you can do so again. Acting on the assumption that you still have the power that befits the Emperor.

And while it is always dangerous to underestimate Murdoch, the assumptions that underpin the Murdoch plan seem wistful, and perhaps, wishful. Some mastheads, like the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, will have pricing power. They have distinctive content. That content, appropriately used, is more than entertaining and informative - it can be financially valuable. And beyond that - there will be other brands - The New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post - who provide reporting so distinctive, so comprehensive, so authoritative, that they may have pricing power.

But what about the rest of what is on offer online? Major events have never been reported more widely. From news reports to commentary, analysis, chatrooms. Photos and video become ubiquitous. When a newspaper breaks a story, it becomes news - and everyone reports it. Unless everyone, everywhere decides they will charge - then so much content will be available free.

The pricing power comes from being an exclusive provider of services people feel they badly want. The convenience and utility of the mobile phone allowed providers to set a price for those services - and while there are differences in prices and offers - noone is offering mobile services for free. Exclusive content on pay-TV in the main has been the driver of audience take up there.

Despite the massive piracy levels for recorded music, iTunes has demonstrated again that the public is willing to pay for a service that appears to be relatively cheap, of high quality and of enduring value. A song on iTunes costs little, and lasts forever, and is built on the back of micropayments for artist royalties.

But when you want to charge customers for something that in this era is effectively generic, that has many different free substitutes and is, by its nature ephemeral - mainly used and discarded - then the challenges you face are formidable.

Anti-trust laws lie in wait for a deal to be struck between newspaper organisations around a collective approach to this. And in any event, game theory would suggest the incentive for other newspapers will be, finally, not to charge. To lock up content will be to dry up traffic.

To be a substitute that offers that content for free will drive traffic up and assist in the pricing power in setting advertising rates.

You can almost hear other proprietors urging Murdoch on, assuring him they are right behind him. And they are, pushing him through the pay wall as they then scurry away to make as much as they can for as long as they can outside it. To be free to pick up the traffic that flees the sites that now want payment for access. There will be sites that have free and premium content, as there are today. But I suspect too much attention is being given to finding a pay model rather than addressing the content questions in terms of quality and distinctiveness that will really drive audience commitment.

There will be newspapers that largely get out of online altogether, who try and hold their print franchise for as long as they can. It might work for a regional paper, for a time, but it denies the reality of those who can make the investment in content without the overheads of printing and distribution.

Much of the content, most of it, nearly all of it when you look at the totality of the web - will be free.

It will certainly be free online at the ABC. We run the most comprehensive news operation in the country, with more reporters locally, nationally and internationally than anyone else.

We report the news, break news and provide space for analysis and commentary. The public pays for the ABC to deliver distinctive, quality content to them - and if it is content we are creating and packaging for them now, they are entitled to view that content free of charge.

We are restructuring our entire operations around our ability to deliver on that commitment: redesigning the way our newsrooms operate, creating new services like our continuous news online and our internet television service, iView.

And as our content is paid for by the public and the public also currently pays for the distribution of our content through terrestrial broadcasts, we will be fighting for that content to continued to be accessed free, including through the national broadband network.

Today at the ABC we face plenty of challenges. In a way we are a media giant of our own and face very real demands in this new environment. Like how a public broadcaster created in an era of media scarcity survives in an era of media plenty - how to be heard amidst the clutter?

And standing up to critics who, in the face of their own competitive pressure, will turn against the public broadcaster. Attacking our content, our funding, our right to exist.

Brilliant view of Murdoch by Mark Scott. I could have quoted his entire speech, just like any item from ABC News online, without any problems. He also makes salient points about online content.

looking for the Higgs boson, but it does not want to be found

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN was built to create conditions of the Big Bang and find the Higgs boson (see also CERN).

Holger Bech Nielsen, of the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, and Masao Ninomiya of the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics in Kyoto have suggested that the Higgs boson eventually created by LHC in the future may have travelled back in time to sabotage its creation in the first place.

Paradox galore. Awesome!

Also see my previous post on the topic.

Frankfurter Buchmesse ist nicht verboten

foto: DPA

The Frankfurter Buchmesse (Frankfurt Book Fair) is the largest book trade fair in the world. Over 7000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries take part. International sale rights and licences are negotiated.

This year's fair is from 14 to 18 October 2009 with China as this year's Guest of Honour.

Ironic, as the People's Republic of China bans some 600 books a year. Just like its 'great firewall', written work about the Tianenmen Square events of 1989 are unlikely to be published in China.

See Der Spiegel (Deutsch, Englisch) und Die Presse (Deutsch)

herbivorous spider

photo by Robert L. Curry: An adult female Bagheera kiplingi harvested this tasty yellow treat from the tip of an ant-acacia leaf.

Scientists have discovered a species of spider that does not prey on other insects, according to a study published in Current Biology, Volume 19, Issue 19, R892-R893, 13 October 2009. Abstract

Spiders are thought to be strict predators [1]. We describe a novel exception: Bagheera kiplingi, a Neotropical jumping spider (Salticidae) that exploits a well-studied ant–plant mutualism, is predominantly herbivorous. From behavioral field observations and stable-isotope analyses, we show that the main diet of this host-specific spider comprises specialized leaf tips (Beltian food bodies; Figure 1A) from Vachellia spp. ant-acacias (formerly Acacia spp.), structures traded for protection in the plant's coevolved mutualism with Pseudomyrmex spp. ants that inhabit its hollow thorns [2]. This is the first report of a spider that feeds primarily and deliberately on plants.

See also reporting in (UK) Daily Telegraph and NPR. Excerpt from BBC News (includes video).

Running the gauntlet

The jumping arachnid, which is 5-6mm long, has developed a taste for the tips of the acacia plants - known as Beltian bodies - which are packed full of protein.

But to reach this leafy fare, the spider has to evade the attention of ants, which live in the hollow spines of the tree.

The ants and acacia trees have co-evolved to form a mutually beneficial relationship: the aggressive ants protect the trees from predators, swarming to attack any invaders; and in return for acting as bodyguards, the ants get to gorge on the acacias' Beltian bodies themselves.

But the crafty Bagheera kiplingi has found a way to exploit this symbiotic relationship.

One of the study's authors, Professor Robert Curry, from Villanova University, Pennsylvania, told BBC News: "The spiders basically dodge the ants.

"The spiders live on the plants - but way out on the tips of the old leaves, where the ants don't spend a lot of time, because there isn't any food on those leaves."

But when they get hungry, the spiders head to the newer leaves, and get ready to run the ant gauntlet.

Professor Curry said: "And they wait for an opening - they watch the ants move around, and they watch to see that there are not any ants in the local area that they are going after.

"And then they zip in and grab one of these Beltian bodies and then clip it off, hold it in their mouths and run away.

"And then they retreat to one of the undefended parts of the plant to eat it."

Like other species of jumping spider, Bagheera kiplingi has keen eyesight, is especially fast and agile and is thought to have good cognitive skills, which allows it to "hunt" down this plant food.

Fierce competition

The spider's herbivorous diet was first discovered in Costa Rica in 2001 by Eric Olsen from Brandeis University, and was then independently observed again in 2007 by Christopher Meehan, at that time an undergraduate student at Villanova University.

The team then collaborated to describe the spider for the first time in this Current Biology paper.

Professor Curry said he was extremely surprised when he found out about its unusual behaviour.

He said: "This is the only spider we know that deliberately only goes after plants."

While some spiders will occasionally supplement their diet with a little nectar or pollen, Bagheera kiplingi's diet is almost completely vegetarian - although occasionally topped up with a little ant larvae at times.

Professor Curry said there were numerous reasons why this spider might have turned away from meaty meals.

He said: "Competition in the tropics is pretty fierce so there are always advantages to doing what someone else isn't already doing.

"They are jumping spiders, so they don't build a web to catch food, so they have to catch their prey through pursuit. And the Beltian bodies are not moving - they are stuck - so it is a very predictable food supply."

Acacias also produce leaves throughout the year - even through the dry season - which would make them attractive.

And Professor Curry added: "Because the plants are protected by ants, they have none of their own chemical defences that other plants do."

Bagheera kiplingi looks like a spider, but maybe it gets bullied by the other insect eating spiders. It would be worth finding out which species are above it in the food chain.

dink

Some colleagues in the office cycle to work. Today, I asked someone who lives in the same suburb if he'd cycled, and if so, could I get dinked. I said "dink me". My colleague laughed, but other people looked confused.

The (Australian) Macquarie Dictionary defines dink as

--verb (t) 1. to convey as a second person on a horse, bicycle, or motorcycle.
--noun 2. a ride obtained from being dinked.

When I was a kid growing up, we lived less than a block away from the local primary (elementary) school so we walked to school. Some kids had bikes and it was fun to be dinked home. Usually, the person being dinked would ride behind the cyclist on the rack, or sitting over the front handle bars with legs hanging over the front. If the person being dinked was really lucky, the cyclist would ride over the front bar and give their 'passenger' the seat.

Nobody dinks these days and children today have no idea what the word means. In fact, the word is so particular to certain parts of Australia, that a lot of older people have never heard of it.


Photographer Heidi Swift took this photo of cyclist Chris Horner dinking Billy Demong during the Cascade Cycling Classic in 2008 (from Velo News - which did not use the word dink at all).

solar flares will not destroy Earth

According to NASA, a massive solar flare won't destroy Earth

If the flare happened on the side of the Sun directly facing the Earth, the ozone layer would be destroyed completely and a huge amount of energy would be added to the upper atmosphere causing it to expand into space. Many satellites in Low Earth Orbit would re-enter the atmosphere, and most of the other satellites would be damaged by the huge increase in radiation exposure. Astronauts working in space would be instantly killed. Airline passengers might receive as much radiation exposure in a few hours as the normally would on the surface of earth for one or more years. But as for any impact to the biosphere, there wouldn't be much to worry about. During the last few million years, lunar rock samples show that there has not been a solar 'superflare' for at least this time, even though Earth has experienced literally millions of smaller flares during the same time. Superflares are not very common on G-type stars like the sun, but on M-type dwarfs called 'flare stars' they can outshine the star by over 1000 times!

So there is no chance of this happening


Whew!

I want one, err two

The latest pet craze in Britain is the micro pig. Much smaller than the previous American craze of pot belly pigs (most grew too big and retired to the country side), these are the size of a spaniel. From (UK) Daily Telegraph

Micro pigs are much smaller than a standard farm pig and weigh 9oz, about the size of a tea cup when they are born.

At two years old they are fully grown and weigh in around 40-65 lb and are around knee height at 12-16in tall. They can live for up to 18 years, but make popular pets as they are low maintenance, quiet and surprisingly clean.

See also UK Daily Mail

ITN News


msnbc Today Show

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The piglets are bred in the UK at Little Pig Farm.

Not only do they make great pets, but are the perfect size for whole roast suckling pig. Just kidding.

aqua luna

NASA's search for water on the moon is incredibly fascinating. From media release

Grey Hautaluoma/Ashley Edwards
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668/1756
grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov,ashley.edwards-1@nasa.gov

Jonas Dino
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650.604.5612
Jonas.Dino@nasa.gov

Oct. 9, 2009

MEDIA ADVISORY : 09-131AR

NASA Spacecraft Impacts Lunar Crater in Search for Water Ice

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, created twin impacts on the moon's surface early Friday in a search for water ice. Scientists will analyze data from the spacecraft's instruments to assess whether water ice is present.

The satellite traveled 5.6 million miles during an historic 113-day mission that ended in the Cabeus crater, a permanently shadowed region near the moon's south pole. The spacecraft was launched June 18 as a companion mission to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"The LCROSS science instruments worked exceedingly well and returned a wealth of data that will greatly improve our understanding of our closest celestial neighbor," said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS principal investigator and project scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. "The team is excited to dive into data."

In preparation for impact, LCROSS and its spent Centaur upper stage rocket separated about 54,000 miles above the surface of the moon on Thursday at approximately 6:50 p.m. PDT.

Moving at a speed of more than 1.5 miles per second, the Centaur hit the lunar surface shortly after 4:31 a.m. Oct. 9, creating an impact that instruments aboard LCROSS observed for approximately four minutes. LCROSS then impacted the surface at approximately 4:36 a.m.

"This is a great day for science and exploration," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The LCROSS data should prove to be an impressive addition to the tremendous leaps in knowledge about the moon that have been achieved in recent weeks. I want to congratulate the LCROSS team for their tremendous achievement in development of this low cost spacecraft and for their perseverance through a number of difficult technical and operational challenges."‪

Other observatories reported capturing both impacts. The data will be shared with the LCROSS science team for analysis. The LCROSS team expects it to take several weeks of analysis before it can make a definitive assessment of the presence or absence of water ice.

"I am very proud of the success of this LCROSS mission team," said Daniel Andrews, LCROSS project manager at Ames. "Whenever this team would hit a roadblock, it conceived a clever work-around allowing us to push forward with a successful mission."

The images and video collected by the amateur astronomer community and the public also will be used to enhance our knowledge about the moon.

"One of the early goals of the mission was to get as many people to look at the LCROSS impacts in as many ways possible, and we succeeded," said Jennifer Heldmann, Ames' coordinator of the LCROSS observation campaign. "The amount of corroborated information that can be pulled out of this one event is fascinating."

"It has been an incredible journey since LCROSS was selected in April 2006," said Andrews. "The LCROSS Project faced a very ambitious schedule and an uncommonly small budget for a mission of this size. LCROSS could be a model for how small robotic missions are executed. This is truly big science on a small budget."

For more information about the LCROSS mission, including images and video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/lcross

Here is the video of the press conference after impact




NASA isn't really looking for water. They are trying to get the subterranean inhabitants of the moon to come to the surface!

Why President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

No doubt conservatives are thinking up a response to this. So far, the best some can come up with is "go figure".

This is the announcement from the Norwegian Nobel Committee

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

Oslo, October 9, 2009

Perhaps they should put more analysis into figuring out why George W Bush was never considered. 20 years ago, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

When Mr Obama collects his award in Oslo, previous laureates would be invited to attend. Surely China could not object to a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Mr Obama in this context.

it's now Vegemite Cheesybite

I previously wrote about Kraft's new name for its new Vegemite product.

After a consumer backlash against the new name of iSnack 2.0, Kraft allowed consumers to vote in a poll last weekend (from Friday to Monday).

Yesterday Kraft announced the new name as Vegemite Cheesybite (reported in Sydney Morning Herald).

Also see Vegemite website.