IF you think your being watched by satellite this is for you

are you paranoid of Big Brother, Google Maps, NSA.....if you are this a must buy

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Top 10 Star Wars TV Moments

Was it Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at the "Attack of the Clones" premier? Or, maybe it was the Family Guy "Blue Harvest" episode. Classic Star Wars TV spots and spoofs.

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Landfills to Fertilize Biofuel Crop With Trash-Juices

Two British landfills could soon use their trash’s syrupy excretions to irrigate and fertilize on-site biomass crops.

A developer, Waste Recycling Group, hopes to construct two 18-foot-deep lagoons near landfills to produce fertilizer from the leachate that oozes from the trash piles. The substance will be pumped from the dump into the lagoons where bacteria will eat away at the contaminants. The developer then hopes to use the fertilizer to grow willow coppices at the landfill for use as biofuel.

While neither of the concepts involved are entirely new, the plan for the two North Hykeham landfills is unique in that the fertilizer may be used for an onsite crop, reducing the need for shipping and making use of landfill space.

The lagoons are anything but certain. Waste Recycling Group had two similar projects rejected recently, while these remaining two will undergo thorough odor and health assessments before being approved by county planners.

Waste Recycling Group has successfully built one leachate lagoon at another landfill in Welbeck, but instead of processing the substance into fertilizer, it is pumped into the sewer system to be treated.

Photo Credit: ibjorn on Flickr under Creative Commons license.

Rare Plant Thought Extinct Re-discovered in Upstate New York

by Christine Lepisto, Berlin

Image source: Tony Eallonardo in Syracuse

A salt-marsh plant thought to have vanished from upstate New York is back. But it has not come back to the inland salt marshes, of which only four remain (three in New York and one in Michigan). Rather, the rare goldenrod was found growing alongside local streets, probably competing well where run-off from winter road salt suppresses other plant life. The species was discovered serendipitously by Dr. Leonardo of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) as he was out walking.

"They're coming out of asphalt, with no soil anywhere," Leopold is quoted in an article in Syracuse. "And it's striking because they're all blooming right now. It's a visually spectacular plant." But the seaside goldenrod's beauty is not alone among it's benefits to humanity and the environment.

Beauty to Behold
Seaside goldenrod can grow to 8 feet tall and blooms rich yellow blossoms atop dark green stems and leaves. Seaside goldenrod is innocent of misplaced blame for causing allergies -- which are actually caused by the ragweed that blooms around the same time. It is a good nectar source for many insects, especially because it blooms later in the season than many other native goldenrod species.

Benefits to Boot
However, the most important contribution of seaside goldenrod may be applications in urban gardening. "The real value is we've been trying to find native species to use in a green approach to handling urban run-off. Not only is this plant beautiful, it is quite functional. Instead of building a multimillion treatment plant or allowing the run-off going into our creeks and streams, it looks like this could provide a natural solution," Dr. Leonard is quoted as saying in an article at the Weather Channel's Forecast Earth. Furthermore, the plants grow maintenance free, making them a better choice for urban community gardens than many imported species and superior to greenhouse plants often selected for public landscaping.

Post-doc student Tony Eallonardo is helping Dr. Leonardo locate populations of the seaside goldenrod. Two sites have been found in addition to the original plants discovered by Dr. Leonard, including a stand in the median on highway 81 (pictured). According to Eallonardo, the plant species represents "the natural and cultural heritage of Syracuse, the Salt City." The region once had thousands of inland saltwater marshes.

Magnetic Air Car Could Be Ready by 2010

Written by Ariel Schwartz

Last week, I took a trip down to San Jose for West Coast Green, an environmentally-focused conference with an emphasis on sustainable building. One booth stood out from the crowd—Magnetic Air Cars, Inc.. The San Jose-based company claims that it is working on the world’s first fuel-less car.

The Magnetic Air Car uses three on-board substations to harness compressed air. The resulting airflow is channeled, modulated, and converted to torque that propels the car.

According to company representative Paul Donovan, the car uses a silicon salt battery that has 30% more mass power than a lead acid storage battery and can charge completely within an hour. The 95 percent recyclable battery can also can be used in a temperature range from -40 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius.

Though the Magnetic Air Car has not yet been tested, Donovan hopes to have it ready for production by 2010. The company plans on building its first prototype at Club Auto Sport in San Jose in the near future.

The car draws comparisons to Tata Motors’ compressed-air powered vehicle, but Donovan says that the Tata Motors design uses pistons while the Magnetic Air Car design uses magnetic technology.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any more details available on the Magnetic Air Car at this time. But if the prototype is successful, I’m sure we’ll hear plenty more about this company.

Spaceship dies in blaze of glory

by Alan Boyle

ESA The unmanned Jules Verne ATV cargo ship breaks up in a spectacular display during re-entry, as seen on Monday over the Pacific from an observation plane.

The European Space Agency's first cargo mission to the international space station ended in a spectacular fireworks show today, with the fiery re-entry of the unmanned Jules Verne ATV spaceship over the South Pacific.

"Jules Verne has now successfully completed its mission," ESA Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain declared at the International Astronautical Congress in Glasgow, Scotland.

The end came at around 9:30 a.m. ET, when controllers back at Europe's mission control in Toulouse, France, directed the 17-ton craft into its final plunge. Jules Verne, the first of Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicles, was launched from the ESA spaceport in French Guiana early March 9. It linked up with the space station almost a month later, delivering tons of food, water and equipment.

During its stay, Jules Verne periodically boosted the space station's orbit, and in fact helped the station dodge a passing piece of Russian space junk last month.

But all good things must come to an end: Unlike the Italian-built space cargo modules that are carried back and forth inside NASA's space shuttle, the Euroean-built ATVs are not designed for return or reuse. Instead, each spent craft has to be disposed of safely, by directing it remotely on a plunge through the atmosphere. The wide-open South Pacific is the favorite dumping ground for such space junk, as we saw back in 2001 when Russia's Mir space station fell to its doom.

Jules Verne's re-entry was witnessed by an international team of scientists flying aboard a NASA DC-8 observation plane. Studying the spacecraft's controlled fall could lead to fresh insights about the chemical and radiation effects of falling meteors - as well as better computer models for predicting how objects fragment as the blast through the atmosphere.

ESA The Jules Verne ATV cargo craft glows during its atmospheric re-entry, in a view captured Monday from a DC-8 observation plane flying over the Pacific. A lens diffraction flare can be seen in rainbow colors at lower right.

Today's first pictures from the DC-8, posted to ESA's ATV blog, revealed a spray of fireworks similar to those seen during Mir's fall. More tragically, they also recalled what witnesses saw during the shuttle Columbia's breakup five years ago.

Although experts still have to track all the bits of debris, it looks as if Jules Verne's plunge through the atmosphere provided a great light show, but no big impact. There were far more damaging plunges elsewhere on the planet today.

FujiFilm's Real 3D Camera is Just The Beginning

By Jose Fermoso September 29, 2008 | 7:08:54 PMCategories: Cameras

Camera makers are jumping into the 3D photo market more than 20 years after the format was laughed out of town and ended up as Michael Jackson's sidekick in Captain Eo.

Last week, Fujifilm announced a two-lensed camera that takes images and movies in 3D and captures wide-angle photos of single scenes simultaneously. As a result, we've heard some rumbling in the wires about other camera manufacturers coming out with their own version in the next year or so.

Since the lenses are 6-7cm from each other (or about the same length between most people’s eyes), the Real 3D's camera processes the images in real time to produce the stereoscopic 'trick' effect that makes them look as if they're floating in air. This is where the processing update of Fujitsu's 'Real Photo Processor 3D' chip comes in.

The chip blends the dual images and all the important metrics (focus, zoom range, and exposure) at once and pushes them out to the LCD, which is also on a 3D-display. By the time this camera is released next year, the company is promising to be able to shoot HD video on it as well.

Of course, there are several 3D custom rigs out there that are producing 3D images, but they're usually very expensive. Some have even made 3D rigs out of two mainstream digital cameras. In the case of the 3D Advantage Casio, a company has attached a tridelta beam splitter to a single point and shoot camera that creates a 3D image with a single shutter. But a pro-ready camera ready to shoot 3D images is better than a custom rig, for obvious user friendly reasons.

So while the majority of the renewed excitement about 3D imaging has come from the display side and recent focus from the movie industry, don't expect FujiFilm to be the only one coming out with a consumer 3D cam.

A few years ago, Olympus created a 3D camera system for the da Vinci Surgical robot system that works in real time and is dependable enough to used during open surgery. They only have figure out how to transfer the tech to a more affordable, consumer friendly chassis and they'll be in the 3D game. Don't be surprised if they've already figured out how to do that.

50 Rules To Being A Gentleman

For dudes who split bills on fast-food dates, KING offers a template for sophistication. Relax and take notes.

The Gentlemen Panel: Fonzworth Bentley, Pacino Bing, John Delgado, Gerrell Gaddis, Damon Gales, Claveria “JoJo” Gumersindo, Rashaun Hall, Sheldon Hall, Grant Hill, Chris Mathis, Adam Matthews, Zach McCall, Mark Rooney, Jalen Rose, Anslem Samuel, Chiun-Kai Shih, Musiq Soulchild, Jamal Sullivan, Q-Tip, Greg Watkins, Pat Wilcox

50. A warm iron and a can of spray starch can do wonders. Invest in them even if you don’t wear slacks and button-ups regularly.

49. “If you buy one pair of shoes and one suit per year, you’ll have a nice collection soon enough. It’s an investment. Also, know your measurements and sizes, because you might find a woman who wants to hook you up and get a suit made.”—Chris Mathis, 36, barber

48. Wearing a fitted hat on your commute to work with your business suit or with just pants and a dress shirt isn’t a good look.

47. “Tone down the bagginess a bit without wandering into nut-hugger territory. Showing your ass and boxers is not appealing in any setting.”—Anslem Samuel, 31, magazine editor

46. Find a good tailor.

45. T-shirts should fall just below your waist, and the seam of the shoulder should be right on your shoulder.

44. Wear a belt. It’s called underwear for a reason.

43. Don’t try to outdress a woman. She should be the center of attention and should not feel that she’s underdressed.

42. “The world is bigger than your hood and the places your favorite rappers represent. Try to travel to a place where your cell phone won’t work. That’s when you know you’ve actually gone somewhere. If you can’t afford to put your passport on pivot, try reading a book or travel guide about the place you’d like to visit.”—A. Samuel

41. Barnes & Noble should be your best friend.

40. “[As far as books], start with the classics: Catcher in the Rye, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Odyssey, Crime and Punishment.”—Q-Tip, 38, rapper/producer/actor

39. If reading books the size of War & Peace seems daunting, peruse different types of magazines—ones covering art, architecture, design or photography.

38. Try not to go straight to the sports section of the newspaper.

37. Watch the news, preferably more than one channel. Suggestions: BBC, MSNBC, CNN and, yes, even FOX News.

36. Being open-minded and aware of the world around you shows class and sophistication, but avoid seeming pretentious by being modest instead of showing off what you know.

35. “There will come a time when you outgrow the dudes you grew up with. Have a beer with them once in a while, but it’s OK to move on and be friendly with new people.”—Adam Matthews, 36, journalist

34. Go easy on the slang, especially among those who are already judging you based on race and age.

33. Don’t just talk the talk.

32. Look people in the eyes when you greet them and shake their hand.

31. “Take criticism with an open mind. You can improve from listening to superiors and by changing your actions to serve them. Don’t mess with the pack order—it’s there for a reason.”—A. Matthews

30. Be on time to meetings—early if you can.

29. In meetings, don’t hold conversations at the same time someone else is speaking. Let the person finish his point before giving yours.

28. “Memphis Bleek had one good line: ‘The strong move quiet, the weak start riots.’ Don’t be the guy who always needs attention on him or starts problems over small stuff.”—Mark Rooney, 31, salesman

27. Don’t talk down to coworkers, including subordinates. You may be above them in rank, but as a human being, you’re on a level playing field.

26. “Look for the people who will make your job easier. You can’t do everything yourself, so you’re going to need help. These people will be pivotal to your success. And always thank them and show your appreciation when they come through for you.”—Claveria “JoJo” Gumersindo, 36, quality management

25. Don’t be afraid to share the spotlight in your workplace. Rather than being self-centered, work together with somebody of equal ambition. You don’t always have to be in the front seat—the backseat is cool.

24. Don’t think because someone has money, he’s a good businessman; there are people with no money who are better.

23. “You don’t want to do anything and everything just for a buck. I’ve walked away from deals a number of times that I think were good deals, but I didn’t think they were good people.”—Grant Hill, 35, Phoenix Suns small forward

22. Learn more about food and where to eat it cheaply. Most cities have great ethnic food; you just have to go to a specific neighborhood to get it.

21. If you initiate a dinner date or meeting, then you should expect to pay. That works both ways.

20. At a restaurant, let women order food first, and stand up when a woman leaves the table.

19. Avoid unnecessary use of expletives in public, especially in the presence of a woman you’re trying to impress.

18. Unless your Fight Club membership is in danger of being revoked, walk away from altercations.

17. Always put your napkin in your lap at dinner. Stuffing it in your shirt is grounds for getting slapped.

16. Caveman behavior at the dinner table isn’t good. Use utensils, avoid chewing with your mouth open and don’t leave a messy plate.

15. When eating out, always tip more than 20 percent. Waiters live off of customers’ kindness. And you don’t want to make other people at your table reach into their pocket to cover your cheapness.

14. “Treat older women as if they were your own mother.”—C. Mathis

13. Always have a woman walk on the inside of the sidewalk and on the side of parked cars in a parking lot, basically using your body as a barrier from harm.

12. Sometimes the best movies are in the independent market. Documentaries are great educational sources, too.

11. If you’re trying to have a relationship, let the woman know. If you’re not, and you’re just trying to hit, let them know that, too.

10. Brush your teeth, gargle or have a breath mint before getting up close and personal.

9. If the opportunity presents itself on the first night, don’t pull a condom out of your wallet. She’ll get the impression that you’re premeditated and will be turned off.

8. Even if you’re having a one-night stand with a woman, be respectful. Jay-Z might brag about kicking women out five minutes after having sex with them, but he’s not having sex with your date—you are. Casual sex needn’t be disrespectful. In fact, it’s more fun when its not.

7. “Don’t fall asleep when you’re done. Just because you got yours doesn’t mean the night is over.”—JoJo

6. “If you’re not into oral, you better get into it. Not with every woman, of course, but someone you’re serious with.”—C. Mathis

5. “If you want her to be your devil, treat her like an angel.”—Gerrell Gaddis, 32, songwriter

4. Don’t ask about the last guy she was with; as in, “Was I better than he was?” Being competitive is a young man’s game.

3. Never forget to introduce your woman as your girlfriend, spouse or otherwise to people when you’re out at functions together.

2. Avoid public fights with your woman. Keep things private to let her know there’s an exclusive world that you and her share.

1. “Young guys should pump their brakes. Don’t have kids until you’re 30, and look at her family and background to know what you’re getting into.”—C. Mathis

CNN Finds Another Excuse to Report on Boobs

By W Gladstone

Hot Chicks and Wild Hair at Edgefest 2008

There were two things in abundance at Edgefest on Saturday, September 27: hot-looking women and wild-looking hairstyles. We’ve got pictures of both.

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Conservatives try to sabotage McCain's loss by asking Sarah to drop out

Sarah Palin, we are a better website because of you.

Kathleen Parker, a conservative columnist for the National Review Online, is calling for Sarah Palin to drop out of the race.

"Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first."

Sarah, darling, don't listen to that nasty slut Kathleen Parker. She has an ulterior motive- she's trying to get McCain in the White House. I'm not.

Seriously, Sarah Heath Palin, I can't live without you. Like Paulson to Pelosi, I'm on my knees, begging you to be my partner in comedy until Nov 4th, when Barack Obama sends you and the entire GOP back to Wasilla with gift baskets of condoms and rape kits.

Every word that shoots from your sarcastic yet uninformed mouth is a gift from God. (Or a witch!) And Sarah, you head my favorite family since the Brady Bunch. The adorably miserable Bristol, soldier-boy Track and his coke habit, the Christchild Trig, Piper the licker and Willow, the mysterious one. Don't get me started on the Eskimo husband Todd who keeps puttin' it in ya after all these years. Do you know how many Palin stories we've done? 234. Whoops, this one-235. Never mind. The number rises quicker than the debt clock.

Just today, new video emerged of your swimsuit walk in the Miss Alaska competition. Yes, you were a runner up in Miss Alaska, and yes, you will lose Miss Vice-President, but 23/6 has a more impressive crown, Miss Internet Traffic.

Oh Dear God: Latest Palin/Couric interview clip released

Katie Couric interviews John McCain and Sarah Palin together on CBS news on 9/29/2008. September 29th 2008.

In a joint interview with John McCain, Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin responds to a report that she said the US should "absolutely launch cross border attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan..." "to stop the terrorists from coming any further in." A view that McCain criticized Democratic nominee Barack Obama For during the first debate.

John McCain and Sarah Palin accuse Katie Couric of "gotcha journalism" even though the quote from Palin came while she was talking to a voter, not a reporter.

McCain Palin Couric joint interview 9/29/08.
Sarah Palin John McCain interview.

First Trailer to Will Smith New Movie Seven Pounds

Ben (Will Smith) is an IRS agent who is depressed and guilt-ridden about mistakes from his past. He sets out to make amends by helping seven strangers. When he meets Emily (Rosario Dawson), a beautiful woman with a heart condition, he falls in love with her, thereby complicating his plans. Woody Harrelson also appears as a blind pianist who befriends Ben.

Bill Murray Discusses Ghostbusters 3

by: nathanbloch

The comedic giant Bill Murray is at Fantastic Fest this week, says Cinematical, and gave a tasty little dollop of gossip on all things movies -- including the movie of many rumors, Ghostbusters 3. Sounds like the old man is actually on board.

Does that mean I'm any happier about a couple of hacks from The Office penning the script? No. But it's interesting to hear Murray's insights on why Ghostbusters 2 wasn't as successful as it could have been. I've always been a big fan of the second film, though he points out the first focused on the characters and the comedy, whereas the second was all about cramming as many effects into the movie as possible.

Bill Murray Discusses Ghostbusters

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The problem with the third won't be cramming in too many effects, it will be with having too many characters sharing screen time. At this point all the rumors have emphasized the original four Ghostbusters handing the business down to three or four new guys -- almost definitely to be hand-picked from Apatow's crew. What I still can't wrap my mind around is how Apatow and his henchmen have managed to get their hands all over this franchise. I mean, has anyone stopped to ask: What does Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen have to do with Ghostbusters? Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis's (the writers of the first two films) comedic sensibilities in no way shape or form resemble those of Apatow's.

Why aren't Aykroyd and Ramis penning the script? Are they too busy? Too many AARP meetings to chair? I mean, come on!

Rosh Hashanah: L'shanah tovah ("for a good year").

Rosh Hashanah Level: Basic

...In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. -Leviticus 16:24

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.

There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. More on this concept at Days of Awe.

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. Click the shofar above to hear an approximation of the sound of Tekiah Shevarim-Teruah Tekiah. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. This was the second Jewish religious practice I was ever exposed to (the first one: lighting Chanukkah candles), and I highly recommend it. It's yummy. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.

Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services. When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread) on Shabbat.

Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of G-d's sovereignty.

The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." More on that concept at Days of Awe.

You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as occurring on the first day of the seventh month. The first month of the Jewish calendar is Nissan, occurring in March and April. Why, then, does the Jewish "new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh month?

Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January, but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that start at various times of the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar, Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals, Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (when we increase the year number. Sabbatical and Jubilee years begin at this time).

See Extra Day of Jewish Holidays for an explanation of why this holiday is celebrated for two days instead of the one specified in the Bible.

List of Dates

Rosh Hashanah will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar:

• Jewish Year 5768: sunset September 12, 2007 - nightfall September 14, 2007
• Jewish Year 5769: sunset September 29, 2008 - nightfall October 1, 2008
• Jewish Year 5770: sunset September 18, 2009 - nightfall September 20, 2009
• Jewish Year 5771: sunset September 8, 2010 - nightfall September 10, 2010
• Jewish Year 5772: sunset September 28, 2011 - nightfall September 30, 2011

For additional holiday dates, see Links to Jewish Calendars.

Avinu Malkeinu - Our Father Our King

sung by Barbara Streisand


An array of images representing Jewish, Muslim and Christian Prayer, Pointing to the idea that G-d is One and The Same for all of us...
---
Our Father Our King
Hear our prayer
We have sinned before Thee
Have compassion upon us and upon our children
Help us bring an end to pestilence, war, and famine
Cause all hate and oppression to vanish from the earth
Inscribe us for blessing in the Book Of Life
Let the new year be a good year for us

Avinu malkeinu sh'ma kolenu
Avinu malkeinu chatanu l'faneycha
Avinu malkeinu alkenu chamol aleynu
V'al olaleynu v'tapenu

Avinu malkeinu
Kaleh dever v'cherev v'raav mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu kalehchol tsar
Umastin mealeynu

Avinu malkeinu
Avinu malkeinu
Kotvenu b'sefer chayim tovim
Avinu malkeinu chadesh aleynu
Chadesh a leynu shanah tovah

Sh'ma kolenu
Sh'ma kolenu
Sh'ma kolenu

Avinu malkeinu

Avinu malkeinu
Chadesh a leynu

Shanah tovah

Avinu malkeinu
Sh'ma kolenu
Sh'ma kolenu
Sh'ma kolenu
Sh'ma kolenu

"Sung during Rosh Ha' Shanah (the Jewish New Year), "Avinu Malkeinu" ("Our Father, Our King") is a supplication to God to treat us with kindness and generosity, even when we haven't always lived up to His ideals for us. The melody I sing here is so beautiful, surely the hand of God touchedthe composer." Barbara Streisand

Music: Traditional

Another Sneak Image of Lamborghini's rumored 4 Door

Following a series of images consisting of exhaust pipes, taillights, and a front fender, the folks in Sant'Agata Bolognese want you to see this: a headlight. Although the tight shot offers little to the untrained eye, it does provide a few clues.

First, any doubts that this isn't a front-engined car can be erased, thanks in part to that large air vent just behind the headlamp. Second, the headlamp's shape is drastically different than those used on both the Gallardo and the Murciélago. It's squat shape recalls lamps used on the original Lamborghini 350 GT, which was also a front-engine car. Coincidence? We think not.

There's still plenty of mystery surrounding the car. Some suggest it will be a full-fledged four-door sedan, while other sources imply it'll borrow the Espada's layout, that of a four-passenger, two-door touring car.

We still aren't even sure what to call it. Urus? Estoque? Espada? The rumor mill continues to turn, but we'll know for certain in just a few days. Stay tuned to Automobile Magazine for breaking news on the latest Lamborghini.

Stogie Guys Review: Bolivar Royal Corona (Cuban)

Call it quality or call it hype, but I’m never surprised when I see Cubans rated highly in mainstream cigar publications. I think the greater stogie community, however, was caught off guard when a Bolivar—not considered one of Habanos SA’s flagship brands—was named Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado in 2006.

The four and 7/8 inch by 50 ring gauge Royal Corona earned that title, along with a rating of 94, for its “sophisticated flavor bomb of smoke with an array of rich character, including touches of chocolate, coffee, and leather.” You can watch Gordon Mott and James Suckling of CA profess their admiration in this video.

Produced at the H. Upmann factory in relatively limited quantities (only 300,000 were made in 2006), this cigar has been hailed as symbolic of Cuba’s return to glory and reminiscent of Habanos from the golden ’80s and ’90s. Textured, clean, and firm, a slight box press and a beautifully adhered flat cap add to its character and mystique.

I’ve had the good fortune to smoke six Royal Coronas over the past few months, and I’m happy to report all the accolades and rave reviews are well deserved. This is simply one of the most satisfying cigars around, and the price—about $10 for a single or $215 for a box of 25—is very fair for the tremendous, full-bodied experience.

If the radiant prelight aromas of nuts and milk chocolate don’t make you salivate, toasting the foot certainly will. From there, you’ll find a dry, woody spice with hints of cocoa sweetness. Other tastes also pop in and out, including leather, coffee, and plenty of floral notes.

Aside from being extremely well-balanced and complex, this exquisite smoke doesn’t fall into the same construction traps with which many of its Cuban cousins grapple. The ash holds well, the draw is clear and deliberate, and the burn, albeit imperfect, self-corrects its own missteps. Expect the slow smoke time to be closer to a toro than a robusto.

Awards and ratings aside, this is the sort of creation that makes me proud to be a cigar enthusiast. I’m simply infatuated with the Bolivar Royal Corona, and I have no qualms about adding a rating of five out of five stogies to its growing trophy case.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-Patrick A

Beware of Easy to Make Nukes

By Mark Anderson 09.22.08

Portrait: Mario Hugo

In the past, malefactors seeking to enrich uranium to bomb-grade quality needed either a highly conspicuous industrial plant or specialized equipment that was hard to obtain and relatively easy to monitor. But there's a new method on the horizon, and it's potentially far easier to hide.

For the past four years, Charles Ferguson has been tracking the progress of a technology known as laser isotope separation. Still experimental, it requires only a warehouse-sized space and the kind of lasers within reach of a high school science geek. "The A. Q. Khan network is old-school," Ferguson says, referring to the Pakistani scientist who sold bomb secrets to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. "The next Khan network could use this new technique."

WMD experts often overlook laser enrichment because it's not yet productive enough for industrial use. That's a serious mistake. In 2002, dissidents exposed laser experiments in Iran; at least a dozen other countries are known to have dabbled in the technique.

Bottom line: The US needs to develop its own small-scale laser-enrichment operations, which it could study to learn more about the telltale signs of illicit setups. For example, key equipment used for the faux projects could then be flagged for additional monitoring. If authorities can learn to track these small-scale operations, they have a decent chance of bringing the clandestine potential of laser uranium enrichment in from the cold.

Bomb Factories

Uranium enrichment facilities are getting smaller—and easier to hide.

Gaseous Diffusion
This Cold War-era method of enriching uranium is expensive and difficult to conceal. It consumes large amounts of energy (which can be monitored easily) and requires industrial facilities of several acres, almost always conspicuous in satellite imagery. Gas Centrifuge Separation
This process takes less space and energy than diffusion but poses other inconveniences to would-be proliferators. Few manufacturers are capable of producing the necessary precision-tooled centrifuges, a fact that makes equipment easier to track. Laser Isotope Separation
Off-the-shelf technology can be used to run this emerging enrichment method. It takes relatively little space and consumes virtually untraceable amounts of energy, so a secret laser separation facility can operate in an unassuming warehouse.

Charles Ferguson is Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Tech Stocks to Keep Tanking

Chismillionaire disagrees with this article and feels Tech and Healthcare will be the best performing sectors in the next 3 year period. While the returns may not be great, they will outperform the market as a whole.

Google, Apple, Microsoft and other tech stocks will likely continue to slide until a bailout package gets passed, which won't likely happen until the House reconvenes on Thursday. Meanwhile, some Wall Street analysts think this is a buying opportunity for anyone who can wait for stocks to bottom out. But it could be tricky.

"Nobody will buy any [stocks] right now because there's a huge uncertainty. People are liquidating their positions. It's just brutal, and it will continue to be brutal until some kind of bailout package gets agreed upon," says Jeffrey Lindsay, an internet investment analyst with Bernstein Research. "But we aren't going to have a shantytown in Central Park again. It won't be like the 30s."

AppleTech analysts and venture capitalists were optimistic that Silicon Valley would escape the financial crisis unscathed, but Monday's bloody trading session paints a different picture. Shares of some of the biggest tech companies -- including IBM and Oracle -- got knocked in the cross-fire, after the House rejected a bailout package and the stock market tanked.

Still, Lindsay thinks there could be some buying opportunities for brave investors who aren't risk averse.

"There's going to be a bull market when this is over," he says. "We said Google would be a good buy if it broke $400. We don't think it will stay below $400 for very long."

That goes for other internet stocks, too.

"If this continues for a couple more days, and Yahoo falls below $15 per share, shares could be very cheap. We think eBay's extremely cheap, too," says Lindsay.

Investors might want to wait before buying Apple, though, which is grappling with its own problems. Apple opened low on Monday after a pair of analysts said the company could get hit by sluggish PC sales and slowing consumer spending. It was particularly disconcerting news ahead of the fourth quarter, which is usually Apple's strongest, thanks to holiday sales.

"People are putting the breaks on spending on everything," says Trip Chowdry, a Global Equities Research analyst. "Until oil prices are fixed, there is no way I could say Apple is a good buy. When oil returns to 2003 levels -- or $25 per barrel -- then I think Apple will be a good investment. Until that happens, I think the stock could hit $50 or $60 per share."

UPDATE: The post now includes Trip Chowdry's title information.

Private Rockets could Boost Military too

Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies just put the first privately developed rocket into orbit. That's not only a breakthrough for the space community. It has huge military consequences, too -- if the company can turn the one-time launch into a regular event.

The U.S. military relies on satellites to spy on enemies, relay orders and guide unmanned planes. But putting a satellite into orbit is an enormously expensive undertaking. "Humanity has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on space exploration in the past half century, and the numbers have not changed: about $10,000 a pound to put something in low Earth orbit," said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity, when speaking with Wired's Carl Hoffman. Only a few, government-backed companies offer these Maybach-priced services. Which means every aspect of the satellite business happens at a slow crawl. Satellites are built, oh-so-deliberately, to have zero defects -- and then take forever to replace, once the inevitable errors happen.

For decades, the military has tried to break this bind of inflated costs and limited suppliers. The Pentagon would rather send up satellites in a hurry, and cheaply -- kind of like how airplanes are flown today.

"For as long as I've been in this game -- 20 years -- the military [has] said they're going to cut launch costs in half," says Theresa Hitchens, who looks at space issues for the Center for Defense Information. "It's never happened."

Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, is promising to cut that $10,000-per-pound price in half. No wonder the Air Force has committed more than $100 million to the company, founded by PayPal's Elon Musk. Darpa has made major investments, as well. "The military now has a stick to poke and prod the traditional big launch providers (Boeing and Lockheed Martin) into actually being competitive and saving the taxpayer money instead of just sucking off the government teat," former Air Force space officer Brian Weeden tells Danger Room.

But that stick only gets sharp if SpaceX can pull off the launch trick more than once. The company's first three efforts were disasters. And there's no guarantee the next three won't be disasters, too. "Musk will need 20 or so launches before he knows how reliable his technology is -- and how much it really costs," Hoffman wrote. And even if Musk can get these relatively-simple, relatively-small Falcon 1 rocket launches together, the real test will be whether the heavier, farther-reaching Falcon 9s will work out as planned.

It's not just American launch costs that could go down. The next SpaceX rocket is supposed to carry a Malaysian reconaissance satellite into orbit. "This could be the beginning of a general diffusion of on-orbit capability of all sorts and a loss of U.S. ability to call the shots in space," says long time satellite-watcher (and former CIA officer) Allen Thomson.

The kind of satellites could change, as well. Some in the Defense Department -- especially within Darpa -- have been pushing for a shift, "relying on large, expensive, orbiting ducks to larger distributed constellations of microsatellites," Weeden notes. Think of it as the IBM mainframe to Google server cluster evolution of computing."

This gives you is multiple advantages. First, you no longer care about China's (or anyone else's) kinetic kill ASAT [anti-satellite] capability. If you have a couple hundred nodes in your satellite system and they take out a handful, who cares? Properly designed, the system is protected against outages and just routes around them. Second, such a system means you need to launch lots of small satellites into orbit meaning you can take advantage of new, cheaper vehicles like Falcon. Third, you can launch your constellations incrementally in phases and upgrade to new generations of satellites with each increment, as long as the mesh in with the older satellites, instead of waiting 20 years.

Pike isn't sure the space game is really about to change all that much, however. Anti-satellite weapons will still be much cheaper send up than satellites. "It continues to be the case that the ASAT does not have to achieve much more than half orbital velocity, and the ASAT kill vehicle can be a small fraction the size of the satellite," he tells Danger Room. "So the cost of the satellite is on the order of 100 times the cost of killing the satellite -- a factor of two change in launch costs does not alter this. And if the satellite operator can achieve such reductions, then in principle so can the ASAT shooter."