Clipmarks | People and places Clips

Google Is Turning 10 This Sunday -- Summary Of News Articles

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:08:53 GMT

clipped by: victorlamp
clipper's remarks: For a compiled list of news article celebrating Google's 10th Birthday, go to the link at http://coolsciencenews.blogspot.com/2008/09/google-is-turning-10-this-sunday.html

Clip Source: coolsciencenews.blogspot.com

Whither Google As It Turns Ten? -- CBS Science News

It Grew Exponentially From Startup To Superstar And Part Of Our Culture, But What's Ahead?

(CBS) It wasn't long ago that we weren't able to "Google" people, places and things.

But, observes CBS News Science and Technology Correspondent Daniel Sieberg, in just ten years, Google has grown exponentially from garage startup to Web juggernaut -- and a verb as well as a noun!

As Google marks its tenth anniversary this weekend, it's become "part of culture, much like Xerox," points out John Battelle, who wrote a best-seller about the rise of Google called "The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture."

He notes that the verb "google" quickly became synonymous with speedy learning on virtually every subject.

Tags: google

Martian Life: Where Fire Meets Ice?

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:31:34 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks:

"It's possible that volcanic activity on Mars is much more widespread and recent than people on the whole thought," Hovius said. "This is a flood bigger than anything we've seen on Earth."

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

Sept. 5, 2008 -- If life on Mars exists, it may dwell in a violent home.

The Red Planet is no stranger to fiery volcanic eruptions: It is home to the solar system's largest volcano, Olympus Mons. The planet is also well-endowed with ice, which has collected in large sheets near its north and south poles. Yet a key ingredient for life as we know it -- liquid water -- remains elusive.

But what if fire met ice in the Martian north? On Earth, volcanoes sometimes erupt beneath glaciers, melting huge quantities of water and spawning massive floods. Lakes of meltwater are sometimes pinned at the bottoms of glaciers.

Could the same happen on Mars? If so, it might be one of the best places to look for alien life. Now a new study published this month in the planetary science journal Icarus claims to have found evidence of just such an event in the Abalos region, at the edge of the northern ice cap.

Tags: mars, life, glaciers, volcanoes, science

Digital Divide - Is it the Chicken or the Egg?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:26:22 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: I've read a lot about the so called digital divide a lot in various news outlets and agree, it's definitely a real issue and one that needs to be addressed.

However, this article made me think whether or not having access to the Internet is the issue. Especially when I see the statistic that only 29% of people who haven't graduated high school have Internet access.

Is the real issue education? Is it not that some groups don't have access to the Internet, but that the lack of quality education they receive leads them to not realize or understand why access to information on the net is so valuable?

I don't know the answer to the question, but I do know our public school systems are terrible in many places. Maybe we need to focus on educating our youth. If we don't, even if they do get Internet access, what will they really do with it?

Clip Source: news.cnet.com

Overwhelmingly, these unconnected individuals tend to be minorities and people with low education levels. A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that only 57 percent of African Americans and 37 percent of Hispanics have Internet access. And only 29 percent of people who have not graduated from high school are connected to the Internet.

There's been a lot of chatter over the years about the digital divide or the idea that there is a great chasm between people who have access to technology such as computers and the Internet, and those who do not. While some 68 percent of the U.S. population has access to the Internet via broadband or dial-up connections, there are still millions of people across the country who do not have any access at all.

ACLU: Police misconduct threatens free speech

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:42:18 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Calls for investigation into raids and mass arrests at RNC

Clip Source: www.aclu.org

ACLU Calls For Investigation Into Raids And Mass Arrests At RNC (9/2/2008)

Police Misconduct A Threat To Free Speech

"Conducting mass arrests and raiding meeting places of innocent Americans exercising their constitutional right to express political dissent are antithetical to the fundamental values of our democracy. Free speech has to be safeguarded during the Republican National Convention, as the workings of our democracy in the streets are as important as those in convention halls. Allegations of police misconduct must be investigated thoroughly and free speech must be safeguarded for the remainder of the convention."

Attorneys assembled by the ACLU are currently in the jails offering limited representation to hundreds of people who were swept up in mass arrests in the Twin Cities.

Tags: rnc, police, media, free speech

Russia's Bizarre & Horrifying Road Through Hell

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:18:38 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Yakutsk is the capital of the Yakutia Republic, part of the vast Russian region known as Siberia. The old joke is 'War is God's way of teaching us geography'. With that in mind, any kid who grew up playing the board game Risk remembers Yakutsk and neighboring Kamchatka as two territories with weird names located up at the top of Asia. As a kid, I had never heard of these places. Nor did it ever dawn on me people actually live there (if getting stuck in the mud is considered living... )

The road of mud isn't the only problem. It seems that people who live in Yakutsk were born to suffer. Yakutsk is considered the coldest city on earth, with January temperatures averaging -45 °F. The coldest temperatures ever recorded outside Antarctica occur in the basin of the Yana River just to the northeast. Yakutsk is the world's biggest city built on continuous permafrost. Most houses are built up on concrete piles to keep from sinking.

Clip Source: www.ssqq.com

The Russian Federal Highway runs from Moscow city to the Siberian city of Yakutsk. The last 600 miles is called the "Lena Highway". This bizarre road runs parallel to the Lena River on the final leg to Yakutsk.

As you can readily see for yourself, in the summertime, the Lena Highway turns to mud whenever it rains.

the Lena River
during the bitter Russian winter.
The Lena Highway is nearby

August 30, 2006. As you can see, this is a dirt road

others are not quite so lucky

Now let's see some truly horrifying pictures of a road ruined with mud

This area is surrounded by hills on both sides and there appears to be nowhere along the side of the road for the water to drain.

my guess is the summertime speed is 45 miles per week

Such a pretty girl and such a pretty car

no wonder so many Russian women are trying to get married in America

It could be days before they get out of this mess

Surely there is modern technology to fight this problem. This is ridiculous

Tags: russian federal highway, moscow city to yakutsk, "lena highway"

Attack on Mosque stirs anxiety in Azerbaijan

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:50:23 GMT

clipped by: tommy2balmy
clipper's remarks: A second explosion August 22 at a small power sub-station in Baku’s Khatai District frayed nerves further. The blast left two workers dead and three injured. Investigators are probing a connection between the mosque attack and the power station explosion. Authorities have proclaimed both incidents to be terrorist acts.

Clip Source: www.eurasianet.org

The mid-August bombing of a Baku mosque is heightening an already anxious mood in Azerbaijan. Reflecting the government’s alarm over the terrorist incident, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is personally leading the ongoing investigation. Some opposition politicians have openly wondered whether Russia is trying to stir instability in Azerbaijan in order to extend the Kremlin’s influence in the Caucasus.

The August 17 attack at the Abu-Bekr mosque left two dead and 19 wounded, including the mosque’s imam, Gamet Suleimanov. About 200 people were on the mosque premises for evening prayers when an assailant tossed at least one grenade through a window and fled the scene.

The Abu-Bekr mosque is one of the most highly attended places of worship in Azerbaijan, drawing up to 8,000 believers for Friday prayers. It is known for attracting conservative Muslims, and has in the past drawn scrutiny from Ministry of National Security officials for suspected ties to radicals.

renegade art

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:50:11 GMT

clipped by: Nuathi

Clip Source: www.neublack.com

Jr: Photographer, Street Artist, and Renegade

Using compelling photography as a base Parisian artist JR takes street art to activist levels. His most interesting project Face 2 Face, pairs photos of Palestinian and Israeli citizens in direct proximity. These images are printed on a grand scale and pasted across eight Palestinian and Israeli cities as well as prominently on the partition wall dividing the two territories. The 25 year old artist has not only photographed the very people engaged in some of the most conflicted regions of the world, he is making social commentary in each of the places he visits.

Northrend Map

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:32:58 GMT

clipped by: dgrove21

Clip Source: twistedfaith.wordpress.com

The people over at the WotlkWiki have released an interactive map of Northrend, similar to GoogleMaps. This is pretty exciting, as it gives a good view on exactly what the place will look like and where we can find all those exciting places we hear about from beta-testing people.

Officials May Evacuate New Orleans as Gustav Nears

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:22:07 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: If a Category 3 or stronger hurricane comes within 60 hours of the city, New Orleans plans to institute a mandatory evacuation order. Unlike Katrina, there will be no massive shelter at the Superdome, a plan designed to encourage residents to leave. Instead, the state has arranged for buses and trains to take people to safety.

Since the storm (Katrina), the Army Corps of Engineers has spent billions of dollars to improve the levee system, but because of two quiet hurricane seasons, the flood walls have never been tested.

Floodgates have been installed on drainage canals to stop any storm surge from entering the city, and levees have been raised and in many places strengthened with concrete.

Scientists cautioned that the storm's track and intensity were difficult to predict several days in advance.

The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals planned to move animals to shelters elsewhere in the state and in Texas.

Clip Source: townhall.com

National Guard troops stand ready, batteries and water bottles are selling briskly, and one small-town mayor has spent a sleepless night worrying. The New Orleans area is watching as a storm marches across the Caribbean on the eve of Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary.

With forecasters warning that Gustav could strengthen and slam into the Gulf Coast as a major hurricane, a New Orleans still recovering from Hurricane Katrina's devastating hit drew up evacuation plans.

Taking no chances, city officials began preliminary planning to evacuate and lock down the city in hopes of avoiding the catastrophe that followed the 2005 storm. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin left the Democratic National Convention in Denver to return home for the preparations. Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency to lay the groundwork for federal assistance, and put 3,000 National Guard troops on standby.

Forecasters said Wednesday that Gustav could strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 111 mph

Tags: new orleans, gustav, national guard on standby, gov.bobby jindal, state of emergency, (spca) shelters for pets

Copyright Deposit

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:31:25 GMT

clipped by: Dawaditty

Clip Source: www.all-things-photography.com

Many people now know that a Google image search will bring up your exif-data-embedded pics in all sorts of places. Most I find are legit but some get through the net. I recommend placing all of your images with a company such as Copyright Deposit for safe keeping.

killerapplications mobile

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:22:59 GMT

clipped by: KindSoulMark

Clip Source: www.techcrunch.com

Snap is kind of like Digg on a map. People can tag certain places and then other users can vote that particular attraction up or down.

So if you’re in a new city, you can pull up your current location and find things around you that other people think are interesting.

If there’s a particular user that’s uploaded a bunch of cool stuff, you can subscribe to his or her stuff. Arrows on the map change color the more popular they get. Very cool.

for soul

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:13:50 GMT

clipped by: q4061

Clip Source: www.gratefulness.org

6,019,475 candles have been lit from 242 countries, including 12,776 candles in last 2 days.

In many different traditions lighting candles is a sacred action. It expresses more than words can express. It has to do with gratefulness. From time immemorial, people have lit candles in sacred places. Why should cyberspace not be sacred?

You may want to begin or end your day by the sacred ritual of lighting a candle on this website. Or you may want to light a birthday candle for a friend. One single guideline is all you need: Slow down and do it with full attention. From here on, you will be guided step by step.

Begin »

FAQs about Extreme Ironing

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:23:18 GMT

clipped by: bbittner

Clip Source: www.extremeironing.com

What is extreme ironing?

The sport that is 'extreme ironing' is an outdoor activity that combines the danger and excitement of an 'extreme' sport with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt. It involves taking an iron and board (if possible) to remote locations and ironing a few items of laundry. This can involve ironing on a mountainside, preferably on a difficult climb, or taking an iron skiing, snowboarding or canoeing.

How many people do extreme ironing?

Presently it is estimated that up to 1,000 people (2003 figs) around the world take part in extreme ironing. Over 80 people competed at the World Championships in Munich in Sept 2002.

Where can I start?

Budding extreme ironists are advised to start ironing in the safety of their back garden, before progressing to mountainsides, woods or public places. The basic equipment is an iron and board. Ironists are also advised to take full safety equipment such as harnesses, ropes and helmets where appropriate.
Info here

America: Freedom to Fascism - A Film by Aaron Russo

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:06:12 GMT

clipped by: BartendingBear
clipper's remarks: Do you file an IRS form 1040? Many very smart people say you really don't have to. The SCOTUS has ruled that there is no governing authority to do so. Juries have ruled in favor of those charged with not filing. This film by the late Aaron Russo (Wise Guy, Trading Places, The Rose) looks at the question very deeply with interviews on all sides.

Clip Source: video.google.com

[Video]

Conservatives Grow Wary of Mixing Church, Politics

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:06:28 GMT

clipped by: Maxwell_Smart
clipper's remarks: A word to conservatives - you do not have to bring religion (that which you claim is built on divine revelation) into politics. The reason - American government is founded on "self-evident" truths. Read the Declaration of Independence. If you make it more complicated than that and you get what we got. Take time to read Frederic Bastiat's The Law for a more detailed explanation of this position. To drag churches into politics is to corrupt both institutions.

Clip Source: www.faithinpubliclife.org

Conservatives Grow Wary of Mixing Church, Politics

August 22, 2008

Fifty percent of conservatives think churches and other places of worship should stay out of social and political matters, up from 30 percent four years ago, according to a survey released Thursday by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

That's an eight percentage point increase over 2004 and the first time a majority of Americans has held that opinion since Pew officials started asking the question 12 years ago.

On this question, the gap between conservatives and liberals is narrowing: just four years ago, liberals were twice as likely as conservatives to say churches should stay out of politics. Now, 50 percent of conservatives and 57 percent of liberals think that. Four years ago, 62 percent of liberals opposed church involvement in politics. Democrats and Republicans are about even on the question, as well.