Author: Serkadis

‘A massive mobilization between December
27, 2009 and January 1, 2010 with candlelight vigils, concerts,
marches, demonstrations, art installations and movie screenings will
assemble all over the world to send a clear message to world leaders:
end the siege on Gaza. To tackle
the blockade against Gaza, grassroots activists are moving quickly and
acting in unison for an absolutley crucial time. Dec. 27 will mark one
year since the Israeli attack and invasion of the Gaza Strip. Although
the Israeli tanks have left, the complete closure of the borders
continues.

In order to unite the public to
influence public leaders behind the Gaza Freedom March goals,
solidarity action organizers harnessed the power of the internet to
coordinate a global week of actions. There will be actions at many
places around the world: France, United Kingdom, Turkey, Ireland,
Germany, Spain, United States, Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium,
Switzerland, Sweden, Jordan, Canada, Israel/Palestine, Poland, Denmark,
and Greece.

On December 31, 2009, more than 1,400
citizens from across the world will travel to Cairo to join the Gaza
Freedom March. This historic non-violent action has been organized by
The International Coalition to End the Illegal Siege of Gaza. Its
objective is to draw international attention to the siege and blockade
of Gaza which are illegal under international law.’

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‘The entire
pharmaceutical industry is based on the idea that for whatever’s wrong
with you, there’s a patented chemical pill that can make it better.
Feeling some anxiety? There’s a pill for that. Have high blood
pressure? There’s a pill for that, too. Suffering from sleepless
nights? There’s yet another pill for that, too.

Importantly, modern
medicine and the pharmaceutical industry both believe there is no limit
to how many prescription medications you can simultaneously take. If
you have ten health problems, they’ve got ten different pills for you.
And when those pills cause twenty different dangerous side effects,
they’re ready for twenty more prescriptions for you to dutifully
swallow.

This idea that health is
achieved by taking prescription chemicals is ludicrous from the start.
And yet it’s the foundation of the pharmaceutical industry. Take as
many pills as you “need”, they insist. Don’t worry: They’re all FDA
approved!’

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Review By Dane Rauschenberg

Recently I received a complimentary signed copy of Scott Rigsby‘s book, Unthinkable (Tyndale House Publishers/ 2009) from the author.  Going into reading this book I knew what to expect.  Scott Rigsby overcame a horrific car accident, dozens of surgeries, the amputation of one leg right after the accident, and another amputation years later of his other leg, to become the first double amputee to finish an Ironman in Kona.  BAM.  I knew I was about to be extremely inspired.

But, being inspired and actually enjoying a book are two separate things.  Not every great story has a great storyteller. Fortunately, while Rigsby’s book has a few sections I could have done without, it was overall a very enjoyable read.

In the past few years of becoming a “runner,” quickly surpassing 100 lifetime marathons, and immersing myself in all things running, I have read dozens and dozens of books on the subject.  Countless hours have been spent learning as much as I can about the history, present and future of running.  Couple all of that with many of my life experiences and I rarely look at something from just one angle.  Call it cynical, call it hyper-awareness or call it a product of a shirt-attention span, rarely is anything simple for me.  But beginning Scott’s book I knew that all the elements were there to make a good story.  When more effects were sprinkled in (his rebellious nature, bouts with alcoholism, wasteful spending, etc) I was certain this was a prime example of someone who had not only been dealt a rough hand in life, but also heaped more on himself which, as I knew how it ended, created the great American story of succeeding against all odds.

Do not get me wrong, I truly believe every high and low Scott writes about.  I do not, for one second, think anything was embellished.  However, there were elements here that I had read in so many other stories.  I was prepared to see the same formulaic falling down and rising again.  Scott’s tale begins with a gripping recount of the fateful day which changed his life forever, only to to backslide a bit into how his faith helped get him on, well, his prosthetic feet again.  I am sure his faith is very important to him, but this was the one section I personally sort of glazed over during  But that’s just me.  I am the guy who when someone says, “God helped me get through that car accident,” responds “Yeah, well he sorta is the one who had the car hit you in the first place, too.”

But as the focus of the book turned towards his goal of completing what many would call “Unthinkable,” completing a full Ironman triathlon (for the uninitiated that is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and THEN a marathon), the book finds its groove.  You are moved with Scott as his setbacks and successes alternate.  As an athlete who was chasing a dream myself, all while feeling a financial pinch –always seemingly this close from ending that dream, the anxiety Scott was feeling woke the same feelings in me.  Finally, Scott crossed the finish line in Kona and redefined what possible means.

I have written before about how as a society we often cheer on those who have chosen a wrong career path knowing it was wrong and then turned their lives around.  We like to see people fall down and then get back up again.  sure, Scott illustrates some of the poor choices he made in his life but he never once chose to have an accident that would subsequently make him lose both legs.  Yet, although it took him some time, he finally set a huge goal and embraced  all that came with it.

Unthinkable?  Only to those who decide to listen to their limitations.  Scott decided not to. 

Dane Rauschenberg is an extreme runner, speaker and author. His seminars and speeches are known not only as powerful, passionate and engaging but above everything else, encouraging. His first book, See Dane Run has been a surprise breakout hit for both runners of all speeds and those outside the world of running. It empowers people to set goals for themselves and use their passion and strength to reach those goals. Dane Rauschenberg currently lives in Salt Lake City. He runs and designs marathons around his speaking schedule. His book, See Dane Run, is currently available at www.seedanerun.com

Kelly Luckett: Only Amputee Completing Boston Marathon 5 Times (2005-2009)

Book Review: See Dane Run By Dane Rauschenberg

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

‘Houthi fighters in Yemen say Saudi
warplanes have carried out several attacks on residential areas in the
country’s beleaguered north. In a
statement released on Sunday, the fighters said that Saudi jets
launched over 30 airstrikes on villages in the northern parts of the
country. Saudi forces have also
fired some 660 rockets and artillery rounds at civilian areas along the
border, websites close to the fighters reported.’

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Considering the present date, it’s no longer a mystery that Fermi won’t be seeing the glaring lights of store shelves this year, but now DigiTimes reports that the delay might be even longer than feared. Sources from within board manufacturers have been informed by NVIDIA that the launch of the 40nm GPU will be pushed back to March 2010. Though NVIDIA’s flagship DirectX 11 card has yet to get out of the starting blocks, ATI — already the proud papa of a litter of DX 11 parts — is said to be preparing a renewed onslaught on the mainstream market with two new releases slated for late January or early February. The HD 5670 (Redwood) and HD 5450 (Cedar) will slot in alongside the unannounced HD 5570 and HD 5350 to flesh out the lower and middle portions of ATI’s Evergreen refresh. So that’s one whole family of DirectX 11 parts from ATI, and one long wait from NVIDIA.

NVIDIA Fermi pushed back to March, ATI prepping midrange refresh for early Q1? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The slow steady drip of details from the yet to be announced Nexus One continues today with a pair of accessories for the HTC / Google mashup. Above we’ve got a wireframe of the portrait-mode Desktop Dock to be known as model CR B410. What’s unusual here is the inclusion of Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR in the dock when the Nexus One is already Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR capable. After all, we’ve heard that the handset includes a docking connector at its base so what additional functionality would the second Bluetooth radio provide? That mystery aside, the FCC test report also shows a configuration where the dock is tethered via an AV-jack to a DVD player to help pull your multimedia off the slate and into the living room. We’ve also grabbed a shot of the Nexus One navigating inside a car with the help of a dashboard clip mount — check it after the break along side another FCC pic.

[Thanks, elli8ness]

Continue reading Nexus One Bluetooth desktop dock clears the FCC, car clip spotted in the wilds

Nexus One Bluetooth desktop dock clears the FCC, car clip spotted in the wilds originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 06:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Piaggio Aero, makers of the P.180 Avanti II, recently announced its expansion in North America by adding another three new service centers to their service network, in Ft. Lauderdale, Toronto and Montreal. According to a company statement, all three new service centers are active beginning December 2009.
 
Since 2008, the Piaggio Aero brand has doubled its North American service network and commenced an ongoing commitment to Canada, with another new service center in Calgary due to… (read more)

If you’re stuck in a rut with your girlfriend and have absolutely no imagination, the new Sex Position of the Day iPhone app from Cosmopolitan Magazine could help.

This to-go version of The Cosmo Kama Sutra for the iPhone features 77 sex positions direct from the pages of the famed book along with innovative features including the “Slot Machine Effect” and the “Shake,” each of which provides various sex positions for every day.

Cosmo’s Sex Position of the Day app also includes:

• The Carnal Challenge Rating: the more flames a position displays, the higher the difficulty
• Erotic Instructions: hints to help you make the most of the position and what to look forward to
• Colorful Illustration: tasteful visuals that help you understand what the position should look like

Future updates will include additional positions from Cosmo’s Red-Hot Sex Guide and Cosmo’s Aqua Kama Sutra.

Cosmo’s Sex Position of the Day is available on iTunes for $1.99.

Related posts:

1. Your iPhone Can Now Start You Car
2. 20 Minute Meals on the iPhone
3. Peekababe: The Sexiest iPhone App Ever

Facebook is in the midst of yet another redesign and this time the signs are looking good and most people seem to be favorable to the changes. It doesn’t mean that a lot of people will have a fit, yet again, when the design goes live, as is the case with all Facebook changes but, for the most part, the tweaks will likely be appreciated. Most of the changes are subtle in nature, but a few are significant in what they point out for the site’s future, like the greater emphasis on search and the de-emphasis on Facebook apps.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the upcoming redesign but the new screenshots, published by Gigaom, clarify a few of the remaining elements like the bottom toolbar which has now been trimmed down and hosts only the Facebook Chat.

Great attention has been paid to the top navigation bar which is now a lot cleaner and better laid out. The Facebook logo is at its usual location followed by buttons for Friends, Inbox and the new Notifications section designed for applications. Next there is the search box which is now significantly bigger and occupying a more central position, signaling that Facebook is focusing a lot more on search in the future.

It makes sense too, with a lot more content inside the site, thanks to the huge number of Facebook pages and … (read more)

Now that Michael Schumacher is back in the Formula One picture, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) has one more shot at proving everyone that the favoritism claims regarding the German driver are nothing but simple allegations.

According to former F1 champion Damon Hill, Schumacher was always regarded by his fellow drivers in the paddock as having a warm relationship with the ruling body. Apart from the obvious Jerez episode in 1997 – when he was docked all points in t… (read more)

Millstaetter Lake in Austria has a latest new attraction- the Lightsails. The Lightsails designed by Söhne & Partner Architekten in collaboration with Karl Sodek, are actually illuminators that are visually very appealing and asct as guiding symbols for the lake visitors around the area. But, the asymmetrical structures also have more to it. These generate power from the lakes itself to lighten itself up. The illumination reacts to the surrounding- the more people approaching the sails the more vibrate the light. The illumination is also reacts to the temperature – they constantly change color; the colder the temperature the warmer the color of the light. Since the energy of the lake is trapped, converted and reflected as light the sails work as a transmitter and receiver at the same time.

[Trendhunter]

The four-door Bugatti 16 C Galibier concept design has been patented at the World Intellectual Property Organization, reports AutoCar. Before you get your hopes up, the patent is only for the concept car, showing that Bugatti is merely trying to protect the design of the 16 C Galibier from being copied.

Last we heard anything on the four-door Bugatti concept, it was reported that the car has been given the green light for production with a $1.4 million price tag. However, director Alisdair Stewart says that the decision to put the Galibier into production won’t be taken until next spring after the concept has been through a world tour at auto shows to gauge prospective customers.

He said that if Bugatti decides to put the 16 C Galibier into production, expect to see a limited run of 300 units by 2013.

Power for the concept comes from a 8.0L W16 flex-fuel engine with twin-turbochargers and is estimated to produce around 800-hp. Top speed figures have yet to be confirmed but Bugatti says that the model will be the fastest sedan in the world if produced.

Bugatti 16 C Galibier Concept:

– By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoCar

Though some of you may consider it a bit frustrating, the whopping price tag of $22.7 million (£14.2 million) set by German custom bike builders House of Thunder for what they claim is the world’s most expensive chopper also includes a 45-meter luxury transoceanic yacht.

The Germans worked on building the yacht with a rear garage that houses a rescue boat, two jet skis and a custom Harley-Davidson, built and painted to match the boat’s livery, with Turkey-based Yacht manufacturer … (read more)

Lots of folks have sent in various versions of Amazon’s hyped up press release about how it sold more ebooks on Christmas than physical books. While this ought to make some publishers reconsider their hatred of ebooks, there are two points that make this rather meaningless. First, how many physical books are usually sold on Amazon on Christmas day? My guess is not very many. Books are purchased before Christmas day. However, I’m sure plenty of people did get new Kindles on Christmas, and quite a few then went and “purchased” an ebook or two to test it out.

But, again, since this is the Kindle we’re talking about, shouldn’t Amazon make the distinction between purchased and rented? When someone buys a physical book from Amazon, they then own that book and can do pretty much what they want with it, including reselling it or giving it away. When they “purchase” an ebook from Amazon, that’s not the case at all. They’re quite limited in what they can do with it. They can’t resell it. They can’t share it with a friend (unless they give up their entire Kindle and all the books on it). And, of course, Amazon can make the ebook disappear at will — though, it insists it will never do this again. Even though it can. So, congrats to Amazon, for renting more books on a day when such rentals are to be expected and when physical book sales are probably at their very lowest.

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‘Israel has invited tenders for
construction of more housing units in the occupied East Jerusalem
Al-Quds, Israel’s Channel 10 says. The
housing ministry has sought bids for building a total of 696 new homes
in the settlements of Neve Yaacov, Pisgat Zeev and Har Homa, the
channel said. The expansion of Israeli settlements is considered the main hindrance to the resumption of peace talks.’

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Stanford University has come up with a unique photovoltaic chip to provide partial vision to the blind. The existing artificial implants have faced a roadblock when passing of the data to a processing retinal chip and onward to the brain was concerned. But a research team at Stanford has deviced this solar cell array in the eye that not only generates power but also passes the data. Called the sub-retinal implant, it is placed behind the retina and generates power and passes the image data across the eyeball for the brain to process. The system includes a video camera to capture the image, a pocket PC to process the image real time, and a bright near-infrared LCD screen. This is where the solar feature comes into play, when the LCD screen produces enough light to enter the eye and charge-up the solar cell array.

The photovoltaic system gives vision of 20/100, which is enough to recognize faces and read large print. When I read about such wondrous things, my faith in science always gets more and more instilled!

[Greenmuze]

When the big boys say it, it’s always heard. What better way than to start the new year with the super good news that Ferrari is finally going to be coming out with its gas-electric supercar early next year. Rumors say it is building a hybrid based on the 599 GTB Fiorano with a variation in the kinetic energy recovery system in its F1 cars. Some say the system uses a V12 engine up front with an electric motor at the rear transaxle and a lithium-ion battery. The concept car could appear at the Geneva auto show in March.

[Wired]

British Museum

Maria Carmela Gatto
British Museum Studies in Ancient Egypt and Sudan 13 (2009): 125–45

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

PalArch

Gregory Bearman* & William A. Christens-Barry

Bearman, G. & W.A. Christens-Barry. 2009.
Spectral Imaging of Ostraca
Palarch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology 6(7) (2009), 1-20.

ABSTRACT
By analogy with ancient texts, infrared imaging of ostraca has long been employed to
help improve readings. We report on extensive spectral imaging of ostraca over the visible and near infrared. Spectral imaging acquires the complete spectrum for each pixel in an image; the data can be used with an extensive set of software tools that were developed originally for satellite and scientifi c imaging. In this case, the spectral data helps explain why infrared imaging works to improve text legibility (and why not in some cases). A better understanding of the underlying imaging mechanism points the way for inexpensive methods for taking data either in the fi eld or at museums.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

http://www.wgsr.uw.edu.pl/pub/uploads/mcg04/22plit.pdf

AND REGIONAL STUDIES OF WARSAW UNIVERSITY
Florian Plit
Miscellanea Geographical 2004, Vol.11

Abstract: During January and February 2004, an interdisciplinary group from the Institute of Developing Countries at the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies of Warsaw University spent time at the Farafra Oasis in Egypt, observing changes in resource management and transformations in the society. The aim was to compare the results with those of earlier studies conducted in 1993.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes