Newsweek has boiled down the the first decade of this millennium into a seven minute video, highlighting the good, the bad and the unforgettable. From Bush V. Gore, to 9/11, to the iPod, to Borat, to the Iraq war, to Twitter and much, much more. Watch and marvel at this busy decade.
It really makes you remember about all that has changed about that last 10 years around the worldNewsweek has boiled down the the first decade of this millennium into a seven minute... more
A giant "digital cloud" that would "float" above London's skyline has been outlined by an international team of architects, artists and engineers.
The construction would include 120m- (400ft-) tall mesh towers and a series of interconnected plastic bubbles that can be used to display images and data.
The Cloud, as it is known, would also be used an observation deck and park.
The unconventional structure was originally envisaged as a centre piece of the city's Olympic village.
The building draws inspiration from the work of Tomas Saraceno
Its designers plan to raise the funds to build it by asking for micro-donations from millions of people.A giant "digital cloud" that would "float" above London's skyline has been outlined by... more
Architects of a massive "digital cloud" structure that would "float" above London's skyline are hoping the general public will fund the thing through micro-donations.
The construction would include 120m- (400ft-) tall mesh towers and a series of interconnected plastic bubbles that can be used to display images and data.
Known as The Cloud, it would also be used as an observation deck and a park.
The team of architects, artists and engineers say they can fund their cloud with £5m or £50m, with the size of it depending on how much money they receive.
"We can build our Cloud with £5m or £50m. The flexibility of the structural system will allow us to tune the size of the Cloud to the level of funding that is reached.
It's one of collection of designs shortlisted in a competition to built a tourist attraction in London's Olympic Park, set-up by Mayor Boris Johnson. The Cloud hasn't won yet but the team behind it have cheekily decided to release details, presumably to garner public support and show funding is possible.
So would you donate? I think if I was to part with my money for a project like this I'd prefer to give it to younger, less-funded artists for a project that benefits people more directly than giving them a nice view. Saying that, it looks very cool indeed and would look brilliant on London's skyline.
Ladderball is an alternative lawn sport where participants can drink and play with their balls (bolas). The Ladder Ball Association of Greater Santa Barbara talk about their love for the game, beer, and Olympics, during their fall 09 Halloween tournament.Ladderball is an alternative lawn sport where participants can drink and play with... more
The International Olympic Committee will convene a special conference of medical experts to draw up guidelines for dealing with "ambiguous" gender cases in the wake of South African runner Caster Semenya's sex-test controversy.
IOC medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his panel will organize a symposium in Florida in January to look at gender issues and advise sports bodies how to respond.
"Sometimes you come across cases that are uncertain and ambiguous, and it changes from being a sports matter to a medical matter," Ljungqvist said. "That's where we need to have a review."
The move comes amid intense international scrutiny on Semenya, the 18-year-old athlete who won the women's 800 meters at the world championships in Berlin in August.
The International Association of Athletics Federations is reviewing gender test results to determine whether Semenya is eligible to compete as a woman. The IAAF has refused to confirm or deny Australian media reports that the tests indicate Semenya has both male and female sex organs.
Ljungqvist said the IOC would have reviewed gender issues in any case, as 10 years have passed since the committee did away with mandatory gender testing at the Olympics. But he said the Semenya case has pushed the IOC to move now.
"When the Semenya case came up with all the publicity around her, and her integrity was violated, we felt perhaps it is time to review and make clearer guidelines of what to do in those ambiguous cases," the Swedish official said in a telephone interview. "The timing is appropriate."
The IOC will seek common scientific ground on "intersex" cases, where a person has ambiguous sexual characteristics. This can mean getting the athlete to receive medical treatment, including possible hormone therapy.The International Olympic Committee will convene a special conference of medical... more
WHAT. Unfortunately, even though the Olympics are on NBC, ABC will be taking a short hiatus in the middle of the (final!) season of Lost, so it won't clash.
I think /Film put it most eloquently when they said “F*ck the Olympics.”WHAT. Unfortunately, even though the Olympics are on NBC, ABC will be taking a short... more
Who is Coach J Robinson?
Coach J Robinson is certainly illustrious. See his career: an Army Ranger during the Vietnam War, an Olympian wrestler and one of the greatest coaches in University of Minnesota history.
Coach J Robinson is certainly caring. See him fly to Iraq recently to motivate the troops.Who is Coach J Robinson?
Coach J Robinson is certainly illustrious. See his career:... more
FROM THE NEWS BLOG:
One of the topics we follow closely here at Current News is the growth of megacities in the developing world. As more and more of the world's citizens leave their farms and take up residence in urban settings, cities like Lagos in Nigeria, Chongqing in China and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil become visions of our possible future.
Rio's winning of the 2016 Olympics was seen by many as a recognition of the growing influence of such cities. This week, however, Rio has been engulfed in violence as its drug gangs have gone toe-to-toe with its police. In this dramatic video you can see that gangs even managed to down a police helicopter.
From the NYTimes:
"For years, the police essentially abandoned the shantytowns, or favelas, that ring the city’s wealthier neighborhoods, following a policy that resembled containment more than enforcement. That allowed drug traffickers to create strongholds where violence is pervasive. And as the downing of the helicopter illustrated, the police have not done enough to slow the flow of weapons into the favelas."
This is the sort of strategy we'll see more and more of in developing megacities as under-resourced municipal services strain under the pressure of rapidly growing populations. The Olympics, as it so often serves to highlight a country, may end up highlighting this escalating drama in Rio.
If you're down in Rio, let us know. We'd love to hear your perspective from down there.FROM THE NEWS BLOG:
One of the topics we follow closely here at Current News is the... more
Just over two weeks ago, this striking city landed the 2016 Olympic Games, the first ever in South America, setting off a sweaty, impromptu beach party that lasted most of the weekend. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil sobbed with happiness. Rio’s residents glowed with pride.
Residents of a Rio neighborhood found the body of a man in a cart on Tuesday. They said the man was killed by a rival gang.
Then over the weekend, in a chilling outburst of violence, drug traffickers wielding what the police say they believe was a large-caliber weapon shot down a police helicopter just one mile from Maracana stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics will be held and the World Cup final will be played two years before the Olympics.
Suddenly, the celebration has been overwhelmed by hand-wringing that Rio’s chronic drug violence, its Achilles’ heel, is being laid bare before the world, and at a particularly inopportune time. Brazilian leaders are touring the world, searching for the investors needed to pay for the billions of dollars in infrastructure required for the events.
The images of the downed police helicopter “really shocked Brazilians, and now everyone is worried about what will happen with the Games,” said Nadine Matos, 21, who works at a hair salon a block from Copacabana Beach. “We need to tell the world where we stand so that people outside Brazil understand what measures we are taking and are not so worried when planning to come down here.”
More @ linkJust over two weeks ago, this striking city landed the 2016 Olympic Games, the first... more
The week that the Olympics welcomed South America as its new home Telecom Heavy-weights announce key meeting in Panama
Latin America is predicted to be the strongest region of growth in 2010, Investment is flooding to the area and telecommunications is essential for the region to fulfill its potential. Backed by Government incentives and commercial opportunities figureheads such as Humberto Roca, CTO , Antel, Israel Madiedo, CTO, Cablevision , Claudio Bermudez, CTO Grupo ICE, Peter Jones, VP Technology, LIME , Miguel Angel Gray , Millicom International Cellular CEO Central America , Robert Masse, CTO Telefonica del Sur (Telsur) and Pedro Planas , CTO LA, Telefonica Media Networks SA have agreed to meet in Panama on November 10th this year at the illustrious NGT Summit to discuss technology investment to support market growth.
‘As Latin America continues its socio-economic Growth, development in ICT clearly sends out the right message to Global investors.’ Paul Southwell – NGT LA Summit Director
Massive investments in 3G has been highlighted as operators will start to see an increase in mobile application use and IPTV may finally take hold. The cost of voice services is at such a low point that voice alone is no longer a viable competitive advantage, operators must improve service levels and delivery methods in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Partnering with IDC and Pyramid Research the NGT Summit LA is set to outline the path to success in 2010.The week that the Olympics welcomed South America as its new home Telecom... more
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic organisers have just unveiled the medals that will be handed out duing the Olympic and Paralympic games.
The twist is... it is made out of metals recovered from e-waste (as in broken TV's, computers and circuit boards) and they are not flat at all as they are ridged. Over 1,000 medals are made and they were produced by metal giant 'Teck Resources' along with the Royal Canadian Mint.
Let's hope London can match that or better for 2012...The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic organisers have just unveiled the medals that will... more
The US Olympic Committee is attempting to block a newspaper from trademarking the name "The Olympian" – despite the paper being from Olympia, Washington.
Lawyers from the US Olympic Committee say the name will cause confusion through its similarity to the Olympic brand.The US Olympic Committee is attempting to block a newspaper from trademarking the name... more
COPENHAGEN - Golf has a tee time for 2016, and Tiger Woods can hardly wait. The sport returns to the Olympics for the first time since 1904 amid the spectacular backdrop of Rio de Janeiro's sand and sea, giving Woods the chance to do something even the great Jack Nicklaus never did — win Olympic gold.
Olympic officials had no sooner voted golf in — along with rugby — than Woods and his fellow players cheered their chance to finally compete on sport's biggest stage. They will compete for Olympic medals, but the greater promise is that the game catches on in countries where golfers are few and golf courses are even fewer.
"I think it's great for golf," Woods said from the Presidents Cup in San Francisco. "It's a perfect fit for the Olympics, and I think we are all looking forward to golf getting into the Olympics."COPENHAGEN - Golf has a tee time for 2016, and Tiger Woods can hardly wait. The sport... more
Golf and rugby sevens will both be included in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after the IOC voted to raise the number of sports at the Games from 26 to 28. Seven sports had been considered for inclusion by the IOC, with squash, karate, softball, baseball and roller sports all rejected.
For both golf and rugby union one of the biggest obstacles was proving that the Olympics could be viewed as the pinnacle of those sports. In the case of rugby it was decided that the Games could not become more important than the World Cup for the 15-a-side version of the game, but the International Rugby Board has said it would scrap the Sevens World Cup to ensure the Olympics became the top event for that version of the game.
The proposed format for golf, meanwhile, is a to have men's and women's 72-hole strokeplay competitions with 60 players in each field. The best 15 players in the world would qualify automatically for each draw, while existing tour scheduled would be altered to avoid any clash with the Olympics.Golf and rugby sevens will both be included in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro... more
Golf and rugby sevens have been added to the Olympic schedule from the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, the International Olympic Committee said on Friday.
From ReutersGolf and rugby sevens have been added to the Olympic schedule from the 2016 Games in... more
There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the International Olympic Committee rejected Chicago's bid to be host of the 2016 summer games.
"Cheers erupted" at the headquarters of the conservative Weekly Standard, according to a blogpost by a member of the magazine's staff, with the headline "Obama loses! Obama loses!". Rush Limbaugh declared himself "gleeful". "World Rejects Obama," gloated the Drudge Report. And so on.
So what did we learn from this moment? For one thing, we learned that the modern conservative movement, which dominates the modern Republican party, has the emotional maturity of a bratty 13-year-old. But more important, the episode illustrated an essential truth about the state of American politics: At this point, the guiding principle of one of our nation's two great political parties is spite, pure and simple. If Republicans think something might be good for the president, they're against it whether or not it's good for America.There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the... more
America loses an Olympic bid; Republicans celebrate. News that America was not awarded the Olympic games of 2016 was met with cheers from Republicans and conservatives alike. In what can only be considered a shocking display of anti-Americanism the right wing gave a collective cheer with the news that the 2016 Olympics would not be held in Chicago.America loses an Olympic bid; Republicans celebrate. News that America was not awarded... more
A recent Huffington Post article by bid chairman Ryan has no numbers. Rather than explain the committee's financial plan, Ryan simply calls it "strong" and cautions readers from throwing in with the naysayers who are too afraid of the scale of the Olympics to take them on. Translation: "Shut up, nerds. The Games are going to be awesome!"
The hard-to-refute fuzziness of concepts like "the world stage" and a city's "global profile" resonate with large segments of the public. They also drive nerds into a rage by giving them no data to refute. It's hard to avoid the conclusion that the two sides are talking past each other, appealing to their constituencies by speaking different languages.
We see this same jocks-vs.-nerds conflict play out every time a pro sports team threatens to skip town unless the taxpayers cough up money for a new stadium. The opposition to these arena grabs typically consists of good-government types who argue that the alleged economic impact of the new building is greatly inflated—and wouldn't that money be better spent on education? The jocks play to municipal pride and the desire for the beloved local team to stay in town. And usually, though not always, the stadium gets built.
Who in America has the power and the bona fides to end this perpetual jock-nerd standoff? If anyone can do it, it's President Obama.A recent Huffington Post article by bid chairman Ryan has no numbers. Rather than... more
A Free Hawai`i is a sovereign country with dominion, the right to join the UN, and fly it's own flag.
Under federal recognition and the Akaka bill, Hawai`i would technically become a "captured nation," meaning that international law could not prohibit the US from aggression and extermination of its indigenous Hawaiian population.
Even worse, native recognition would be conditional only after extinguishing Hawaiian Kingdom Citizenship political status (your right to exist.)
US law would not grant full autonomous self-rule and would in fact destroy territorial integrity which continues to exist right now, even as you read this.
Why reject federal recognition for a Free Hawai`i ?
Independence is a formal recognition of Hawai`i's territory and laws. It's citizens are not under US jurisdiction.
The Hawaiian Kingdom still has its own bill of rights, constitution and comprehensive complied laws.
Which future do you want to live in - as a captive of US occupation or in a Free Hawai`i?http://FreeHawaii.Info
A Free Hawai`i is a sovereign country with dominion, the... more
