Fire!

Oklahoma And Texas Fires

Western and central Oklahoma, as well as, Texas are experiencing severe wildfires. Paul Cunningham, the Sheriff of Montague County in North Texas said, “We’ve lost communities. Stoneburg is pretty much gone.”

Hundreds of homes and businesses have burned. Seventy mile-an-hour winds are fanning the fires. Just in Texas, more than 100,000 acres have been charred.

Indian Ocean — It is like some kind-of retro Pirates of the Caribbean meets a futuristic War of the Worlds. Somali pirates have attacked ships from Norway, Germany, North Korea, France, the Philippines, Russia and the United States to name a few. They hold over 250 hostages. The most recent kidnapping is of a U.S. captain. The pirates originally overtook the whole crew; however, the captain negotiated that he be taken hostage in exchange for the release of the crew. The pirates escaped on a lifeboat with the captain. Later, the captain tried to escape by jumping overboard. The pirates fired weapons and re-captured him. Now, the U.S. is sending in the Navy. Two warships are on the scene and a third with 12 attack helicopters is on the way. The FBI and CIA are also intervening. Ironically, the unarmed U.S. ship was carrying relief supplies for Kenya.

The cargo ships are unarmed for insurance reasons. If the crews were to arm themselves, insurance rates would skyrocket.

Over the weekend, one of the pirates was taken prisoner. The three remaining pirates appeared to be putting the captain’s life in “imminent danger.” In the dark of night and on rough seas, U.S. snipers killed the pirates.

These guys are pikers compared to Wall Street. Perhaps we ought to send the best and the brightest from Wall Street to the bazaars of Ghazni .

“…American and Afghan officers who cite some examples: police officials who steal truckloads of gasoline; judges and prosecutors who make decisions based on bribes; high-ranking government officials who reap payoffs from hashish and chromite smuggling; and midlevel security and political jobs that are sold, sometimes for more than $50,000, money the buyers then recoup through still more bribes and theft.”

But the peasants know where to go.

“People have no choice but to go to the Taliban to solve their problems.”

“Residents take complaints to local Taliban leaders, not the police, he said. “They have a judge and prosecutor.”

And resolution is swift and certain.

“They burned the three men and chopped their limbs off with axes,” he said. “

From Kipling:

“When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.”

Read the article, courtesy of the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/world/asia/09ghazni.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all

Unique solution opens new horizons in personal mobility

NEW YORK – General Motors Corp. and Segway today demonstrated a new type of vehicle that could change the way we move around in cities.

PUMA Concept Car (Credit GM)

Dubbed Project P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), GM and Segway are developing an electrically powered, two-seat prototype vehicle that has only two wheels. It could allow people to travel around cities more quickly, safely, quietly and cleanly – and at a lower total cost. The vehicle also enables design creativity, fashion, fun and social networking.

GM and Segway announced their collaboration, while demonstrating the Project P.U.M.A. prototype in New York City this morning.

“Project P.U.M.A. represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world’s people live,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development, and strategic planning. “Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them. Now, connect those vehicles in an Internet-like web and you can greatly enhance the ability of people to move through cities, find places to park and connect to their social and business networks.”

Trends indicate that urbanization is growing, and with that comes increased congestion and more competition for parking. Cities around the world are actively looking for solutions to alleviate congestion and pollution. Project P.U.M.A. addresses those concerns. It combines several technologies demonstrated by GM and Segway, including electric drive and batteries; dynamic stabilization (two-wheel balancing); all-electronic acceleration, steering and braking; vehicle-to-vehicle communications; and autonomous driving and parking. Those technologies integrate in Project P.U.M.A. to increase mobility freedom, while also enabling energy efficiency, zero emissions, enhanced safety, seamless connectivity and reduced congestion in cities.

“We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility,” said Jim Norrod, CEO of Segway Inc. “There’s an emotional connection you get when using Segway products. The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle embodies this through the combination of advanced technologies that Segway and GM bring to the table to complete the connection between the rider, environment, and others.”

Project P.U.M.A. vehicles will also allow designers to create new fashion trends for cars, and to focus on the passion and emotion that people express through their vehicles while creating solutions that anticipate the future needs of urban customers.

The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle integrates a lithium-ion battery, digital smart energy management, two-wheel balancing, dual electric wheel motors, and a dockable user interface that allows off-board connectivity. The result is an advanced and functional concept that demonstrates the capabilities of technology that exists today.

Built to carry two or more passengers, it can travel at speeds up to 35 miles per hour (56 kph), with a range up to 35 miles (56 km) between recharges.

Since the introduction of the Segway Personal Transporter (PT), Segway has established itself as the leader in the small electric vehicle space. Its approach to congestion and environmental challenges is balanced with a strong understanding of the functional needs of its customers, enabling them to do more with less. Segway has delivered more than 60,000 lithium-ion batteries to the market.

GM has been a leader in “connected vehicle” technologies since it introduced OnStar in 1996. Today, this on-board communications package connects six million subscribers in North America to OnStar safety and security services. GM has also pioneered vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications systems and transponder technology. These and additional connected vehicle technologies could ultimately enable vehicles that don’t crash and drive themselves.

“Imagine moving about cities in a vehicle fashioned to your taste, that’s fun to drive and ride in, that safely takes you where you want to go, and “connects” you to friends and family, while using clean, renewable energy, producing zero vehicle tailpipe emissions, and without the stress of traffic jams,” said Burns. “And imagine doing this for one-fourth to one-third the cost of what you pay to own and operate today’s automobile. This is what Project P.U.M.A. is capable of delivering.”

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), one of the world’s largest automakers, was founded in 1908, and today manufactures cars and trucks in 34 countries. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 243,000 people in every major region of the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. In 2008, GM sold 8.35 million cars and trucks globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

More About Segway And P.U.M.A.
About the Inventor of the Segway, Dean Kamen

Italian Red Cross Responds to Earthquake in L’Aquila

Italy — At least 217 people died in an an earthquake centered around L’Aquila. Overnight, more than 100 people were rescued from under fallen buildings. It is estimated that thousands of people are without homes.

The Red Cross says:

The American Red Cross will continue to monitor the situation and communicate with our sister society, the Italian Red Cross, and the International Federation, and stands ready to provide further assistance if requested. The Italian Red Cross has not yet asked for international assistance.

At 3:30 a.m. a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the city of L’Aquila in central Italy, 75 miles northeast of Rome. It’s the worst earthquake to hit this region in nearly 30 years.

According to recent reports at least 90 people have been killed and 400 injured. The numbers of dead and injured are expected to grow as search and rescue efforts continue. Tens of thousands of people have become homeless in the city which has a population of 70,000.

Italian Red Cross rescue teams were on the scene of the disaster within an hour after the earthquake struck, searching for people trapped in the rubble and providing emergency care for the injured.

The Italian Red Cross has established a field hospital to relieve the burden on local health facilities which are under an enormous strain due to the sudden upsurge in demand. Also, the Italian Red Cross has set up mobile kitchens with the capacity to provide 10,000 meals a day run by a team of 16 Italian Red Cross staff and 30 volunteers. Two soup kitchens providing up to 400 meals a day have been mobilized to respond to the needs of L’Aquila Hospital, whose patients are being evacuated to other cities.

Thirty-six ambulances from the Italian Red Cross are on rotation to evacuate injured people from L’Aquila to hospitals in Tagliacozzo, Pescina and Avezzano. They are also providing care for children evacuated from an orphanage in San Gregorio. Additionally, five psychological support teams from the Italian Red Cross are now on the ground to help deal with the emotional needs of survivors.

Additional resources, including 30 search and rescue dog units, five other psychological support teams and three veterinary teams, are on standby depending on the needs.

With up to 10,000 buildings in the city believed to be badly damaged or destroyed, the Italian Red Cross foresees growing problems with shelter, warm clothes and food provisions for the survivors.

“Once we have addressed the need to reinforce emergency health care in the region, the next major challenge, apart from urgent search and rescue, is to find a solution for the thousands of homeless survivors,” says Tommasso Della Longa, Head of Communication for the Italian Red Cross.

Working in close coordination with the Italian Civil Protection, the Italian Red Cross has activated its national operations center, as well as four regional offices, to respond effectively to the growing needs of survivors.

In consultation with the Italian Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is currently assessing which assistance can be best provided right now to supplement and support the efforts of the Italian Red Cross.

Since 1968 the International Federation and member National Societies have supported the Italian Red Cross three times after earthquakes in 1968, 1976 and in 1980. In 1980 some 3,000 people lost their lives after a deadly quake hit the region of Naples. In 1992 a quake in Umbria claimed 13 lives and countless cultural treasures. The most recent deadly quake was in 2002 when 30 people died, including 27 pupils and their teacher, in the southern Italian town of San Giuliano di Puglia.

UPDATE
Now, calls are being made for a criminal investigation into building techniques. The structural integrity of many buildings is being called into question over shoddy construction. Some evidence points to corrosive sea sand being used in concrete mix.

Send Babe Bombs Instead of Dropping Bombs

By Army Spc. Opal Hood
Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 1, 2009 – Troops from different service branches and different countries eagerly got into a line that wrapped around the inside of a tent here March 24 to meet four former World Wrestling Entertainment “divas.”

For more than two hours, Terry Runnels, Nora “Molly Holly” Greenwald, Christy Hemme and Shelly Martinez signed autographs and posed for photos with servicemembers and civilians at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation gym.

“Events like having the divas here give the troops a break,” Air Force Capt. Carey Caudell of Task Force Warrior said. “When you work seven days a week, you need something to take your mind off the day-to-day and just relax.”

This was the first trip to visit deployed troops for three of the divas; only Runnels had made a trip to Kuwait to visit troops before. They were invited as part of MWR’s effort to keep the morale of deployed troops high.

“The morale of troops is important, because we are away from family and friends,” said Army Pvt. Nathan Brown, 101st Airborne Division Special Troops Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company. “Things like this helps remind us that we are still supported.”

Hemme said she wanted to do the tour because she didn’t want the “filtered version of the war” and wanted to see things for herself.

“People back home will never really understand how things are here without actually having ever been here,” Martinez agreed.

In addition to Bagram, the divas also visited a couple of forward operating bases, but weather forced cancellation of planned visits to some smaller bases. “It felt as if my heart was ripped out when we realized we were going to miss a few stops,” Hemme said.

The women made every moment count by visiting with the troops as often as possible. Aside from meals, sleeping and an hour of shopping, the majority of their time was spent with troops. But even during meals, they were happy to take a break for photos and autographs. Their goal was to show their appreciation to the troops and remind them that people back home support them.

“It makes us happy to see [troops] happy,” said Runnels, who added she felt honored and humbled by her experience here.

The divas never said “You’re welcome” when troops thanked them for being here, Kevin Dessart, the diva’s tour manager, observed. Their response always was “No! Thank you,” he said.

From the looks on the troops’ faces, the divas succeeded in their mission to boost morale.

“The divas are the best tour we have had so far because of their genuine concern, curiosity and overall love for the troops,” Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Gore, an MWR planner, said.

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Ambler, PA — Is there life on Mars? There will be, and it will be Earthlings. At least, that is what the crowd at the Wissahickon High School was informed by Stepehen Davis of the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA).

Mr. Davis is the director of the Ares rocket project. In a presentation in front of the FIRST Robotics Team 341 and the general public, he unveiled for the first time computer animation of the Ares I-X test rocket scheduled to take-off this summer.

The Ares I Ares V Rockets: Image courtesy NASA

There are three rockets that are part of the project — the Ares I-X test rocket, the Ares I manned rocket, and the Ares V cargo rocket.

The space shuttle program will soon be shutting down. The next manned space flight is not expected to launch for five years when the Ares I is complete. This creates a delicate situation. The United States will be dependent on Russia for transporting American astronauts back and forth to the space station. [??????????? ????? ????? ???????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????????????? ???????????? ??????????? ???? ? ??????? ? ??????????? ???????.] Hopefully, relations will warm through the efforts of new U.S. administration. For instance, what would happen if we have men at the space station and Russia attacks Georgia again? There is no immediate solution to this problem; however, Mr. Davis is confident the politics and budgets can be handled to ensure a smooth transition.

The Ares program is scheduled for the test flight of Ares I-X in 2009, the Ares I manned space flight in 2015, the Ares I and Ares V to the moon in 2020, and a manned flight to Mars by 2030.

The Ares I flight in 2015 will re-establish NASA’s ability to shuttle astronauts to the space station. The Ares I and Ares V flights in 2020 are meant to start a space station on the moon. The flight to Mars is independent.

When asked what happens if the Ares I-X test flight fails, Mr. Davis replied, “It would look bad. It would look worse than it really is. We would still learn a lot.” Would there be another test flight before sending humans up? “No, There will be no other tests.”

A lot is riding on the math, science and engineering abilities of the current NASA staff, as well as, the future generation of engineers in the audience. When asked why we are going back to the moon, Mr. Davis gave a good, long list of reasons. Perhaps the best reason was his personal interest — adventure and exploration. That seemed to be the same factor motivating the youth in attendance. Maybe that is exactly what we need to forge the ingenuity necessary to best serve humankind in the years to come.

This man should be put in charge of the auto companies.

I shall keep an eye on him. He probably does eighty on the freeway on his couch.

http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/03/31/barstool.ART_ART_03-31-09_A1_D1DDFUN.html?sid=101

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/03/30/story_barstool.html?sid=102

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/03/31/story_bar_stool.html?sid=102

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20090401/NEWS01/904010309

by Christopher Brouse and Daniel Brouse

Ambler, PA — The Wissahickon FIRST robotics team is from Ambler, PA. They are known as Team 341 and have named their robot Miss Daisy. The team’s battle cry — “Flower Power!” Everyone is welcome to their garden. With ten great years of experience, this has been one of their most successful seasons.

The Wissahickon team recently traveled to San Diego. On the trip, they acquired some very impressive trophies. The Judge’s Award was achieved in large part for aiding a Brazilian team. The South American robot had accidentally been shipped to Memphis, Tennessee. Several members of the Wissahickon team, along with help from a few other teams, assisted the Brazilians in successfully building a machine “on-the-spot.” Though it normally takes weeks for a build season, the robot was able to hold 7th place out of 46 teams.

The Wissahickon team was even more fortunate by winning first place in the overall competition against one of the best machines in the world — a team sponsored by NASA and supported by NASA engineers. Miss Daisy took the stadium by storm by making one of the biggest robotic upsets in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) history. It would also appear that Team 341 was the first East Coast team to ever win the Western Regional. (Read more about the San Diego competition at http://membrane.com/robotics/San-Diego.html)

The MC Announces Miss Daisy in Philly

In March, at the Philadelphia Regional, Team 341 achieved one of the most honored awards, Engineering Inspiration. Not only do the members try to have a highly inspired team, they also try to spread the inspiration to young and old… both far and wide.

Next, the team travels to compete at the World Championship event in Atlanta, GA, April 16, 17 and 18.

The Wissahickon website also won first place at the San Diego event. It is a great place to learn more about FIRST and Miss Daisy. You can check it out at www.team341.com.

For more information on robotics, visit http://membrane.com/robotics/.

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[Christopher Brouse is the team captain and has been the mechanical build team captain for the past three years.]

For quite some time, the Internet security community has been aware of computers being compromised and taken over as part of a “Zombie Army” or “Botnet”. (See the FTC’s article)

Now, a far reaching cyber espionage networks using Ghost RAT has been uncovered. A RAT is a Remote Access Trojan that takes over the host computer.

The GhostNet RAT uncovered by a team from the University Of Toronto found 1,295 infected computers in 103 countries. What makes these RATS all the more alarming is that it appears to be a well organized network attacking high level computers in government agencies, financial institutions and defense departments.

GhostNet was originally investigated because the Dalai Lama thought his computer might be infected.

The GhostNet RAT spreads itself through Microsoft Word documents or Adobe PDF files sent in email as attachments.

Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network