Social

Chinese Government Monitors and Blocks Skype Messages

admin — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:27:06 -0700

According to the researchers, the government of People's Republic of China monitored and censored messages that were sent through Skype, program which allows users to chat and make phone calls over the Internet.

Representatives of a research group from University of Toronto, Canada, called Citizen Lab, stated that they were able to discover a database that featured thousands of words that were blocked by China due to their political sensitiveness. It is worth mentioning that that database, which is free for public view, also included personal information of every subscriber.

America's Most Costly Waterfront Cities

admin — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:54:09 -0700

From the very start it is worth mentioning that the Pacific Ocean is more expensive than the Atlantic due to a number of factors; besides people have to pay much more if they wish to live on the west coast.

Most expensive waterfront places to live are located in California. Forbes presented the most expensive waterfronts in the United States, mentioning that the prices for a small-size bungalow may reach $1.85 million. However, the Atlantic Ocean is not that cheap either - the price for a two-bedroom in Boston may reach $1.5 million.

People Learn Much Less About Politics from Fake News Shows

admin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:46:17 -0700

According to a new study, various entertainment news shows do not teach voters about candidates and political issues as much as it was previously thought.

Studies performed earlier showed that about 48 percent of all adults and 60 percent of young voters watched fake news shows in order to obtain the necessary information on 2004 presidential election. However, scientists from Ohio State University discounted the effectiveness of these shows to inform the public about the elections.

The “Suicide” of U.S. Army Private LaVena Lynn Johnson. In army there are murders or suicides?

vova — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:22:17 -0700

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Private LaVena Lynn Johnson killed herself on July 19, 2005, eight days before her twentieth birthday. Exactly how did she end her life? She punched herself in the face hard enough to blacken her eyes, break her nose, and knock her front teeth loose. She douched with an acid solution after mutilating her genital area. She poured a combustible liquid on herself and set it afire. She then shot herself in the head. Despite this massive self-inflicted trauma, she somehow managed to drag her then fully clothed body into the tent of a KBR contractor, leaving a trail of blood along the way and set the tent ablaze in a failed attempt to cover up her crimes against herself.

Increasing Gas Prices Lead to Segway Popularity

vova — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:50:28 -0700

After Paul Feeney mover closer to the place where he worked, he started enjoying the battery-powered scooter, called Segway. According to the sales representative of multinational seller of computer equipment, software, and information technology services, Sun Microsystems, the scooter makes the 1.4 mile journey a lot of fun. Besides, Segways save a lot of money on the commute to the workplace.

For the first time the Segway Personal Transporter was introduced into the market in 2001.

Ominous beauty of nuclear explosion

vova — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:28:50 -0700

It was 63 years ago today that the United States detonated the very first atomic bomb. Three weeks later, the only two A-bombs dropped in warfare destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Many nuclear, and thermonuclear bombs, have been tested since. It is necessary for all to reflect. What will be further???..........

Green Library is Being Built in Himalayas

vova — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:05:23 -0700

Global design and business consulting firm, Arup, has designed the Perma Karpo Library, located in a small Indian village, called Ladahk, which is situated in Indian Himalayas. It's worth mentioning the library is a part of the company's award-winning Ladakhi Druk White Lotus School located in northern India. It provides a good example of how a green design should be. The company incorporated science and local knowledge to erect this sustainable building.

The project of Arup represents a part of the company's pro bono work. Its officials decided to work on this particular project when realizing how they can influence the development process in some of India's distant Himalayan regions. Each year the company sends one of its associates to visit the site and supervise the project. In addition, a special group provides solutions that could be used on the site.

The accessibility of Heroin in the USA

vova — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:06:33 -0700

Heroin is a highly addictive drug. It is illegal to manufacture, possess, or sell heroin in the United States, and its use is a serious problem in America. Popular street names for heroin include black tar, smack, junk, skag, horse, brain, chaw, chiva, and others. These are specific references to heroin and not used to describe any other drug.

The heroin available in the USA is brought here from four main sources: South America (Colombia), Southeast Asia (principally Burma), Mexico, and Southwest Asia (principally Afghanistan).

At the present day and since mid-1990s, the most outspread heroin in the USA is South American heroin. Prior to it the dominant types were Southwest Asian, Southeast Asian and Mexican heroine, as following:

Best and Worst Places In Terms of Women's Freedom

vova — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 05:17:38 -0700

The world that humanity lives today faces critical changes in various fields, be it human rights, environment protection or information technology. For centuries people fought for their rights and during the whole history of human existence women were considered inferior to men. Today women have more freedom and are granted more power than they had in the past, but still, the image of a contemporaneous woman, who is self-confident, successful and surrounded by the glowing feminine aura, is greatly spoiled in some of the countries.