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WTF?

The White House, in a rare public retort Thursday, rejected the king's characterization of U.S. troops in Iraq as an "illegitimate foreign occupation," saying the United States was not in Iraq illegally.

"The United States and Saudi Arabia have a close and cooperative relationship on a wide range of issues," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "And when it comes to the coalition forces being in Iraq, we are there under the U.N. Security Council resolutions and at the invitation of the Iraqi people."

I must've missed the SC resolution calling for a unilateral decision to invade Iraq, or when the White House got bombarded with letters from Iraq, inviting an army over for a few years.

So wrong

"The blog post I hoped I'd never have to write...

What happened to Kathy Sierra, an utterly glowing gem in the blogosphere, and a really good buddy to me over the years, utterly horrified me.

Rachel Clarke sums it up well:

What the fuck is going on? Why does this happen again and again. The only people I know (in real life or virtually) who have been threatened and stalked have been women. What insecure, small mindedness, misogynistic behaviour takes over people to do things like this. Over 50% of the blogosphere are women, yet we continually get the refrain that they are not A-list, that they are not speaking at conferences. This is why. Put yourself out there, show that there is no difference and you get the anger and vitriol poring out from people from people who think they are better just because they have a Y chromosome.

(...)

Follow the story on Techmeme

(...) "

[gapingvoid, March 27 2007]

US 'no longer technology king'

The US has lost its position as the world's primary engine of technology innovation, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. The US is now ranked seventh in the body's league table measuring the impact of technology on the development of nations. (BBC)

Convenient Referendum in Egypt

You can participate in Democracy without having to go to the voting booth. Wohoo !!

(This clip shows somebody working in the voting booth of Egypt constitutional referendum two days ago filling up votes)

Once in a lifetime

nomads, something awesome has happened, and i just have to share it with you all....

‘Dump your children here’

Desperate mothers are being urged to drop their unwanted babies through hatches at hospitals in an effort to halt a spate of infanticides that has shocked Germany.

At least 23 babies have been killed so far this year, many of them beaten to death or strangled by their mothers before being dumped on wasteland and in dustbins.

Police investigating the murders are at a loss to explain the sudden surge in such cases, which have involved mothers of all ages all over the country.

Now city councils have launched an advertising campaign to highlight the problem and to promote greater use of the Baby-Klappe hatches that allow women to drop off their babies to be found and cared for without having to give their names. Posters were being put up in cities and towns across Germany yesterday, urging women to make use of the Baby-Klappe, with the slogan “Before babies land in the rubbish bin . . .”

The campaign has already attracted criticism from senior clergymen and from charities, including Caritas, who argue that it could actively encourage mothers to dump their children. But there is agreement that something must be done to address what appears to be an infanticide epidemic.

The Times

Two worlds come together to broker a new era of hope

"We must not allow our justified loathing of the horrors and tragedies of the past to become a barrier to creating a better and more stable future"

It is possible for sworn enemies to come to an agreement and work together for everyone's betterment. Northern Ireland can be an example to all. It is not easy, but it IS possible!

Big Bangism !! Have a good laugh :)

"

The Earth is not rotating...nor is it going around the sun.

The universe is not one ten trillionth the size we are told.

Today’s cosmology fulfills an anti-Bible religious plan disguised as "science".

The whole scheme from Copernicanism to Big Bangism is a factless lie.

Those lies have planted the Truth-killing virus of evolutionism"

(fixedearth)

(via boortz)

Showdown Tomorrow in Cairo

(3arabawy)

"So anyway, the referendum is tomorrow (Monday March 26), and most of the opposition has decided to boycott because they know the election results will be fixed, and that they'd just be legitimizing a farce if they voted. But the purpose of having this national referendum is so that the government can claim, for the sake of greater international legitimacy, to have the support of the majority of the Egyptian people (for the same reason every crackpot dictatorship has to call itself the 'democratic republic' of whatever), and so the way to take that way is to have a mass media spectacle protest. Usually these are downtown, in the main Tahrir square, in front of the Arab League building, the Mugamma (civil service bldg, where you go for visas and licenses and whatnot), the American University in Cairo, etc. So today's is about to start.

The government has sworn not to allow any protests or demonstrations, that they must be prevented from "delaying, opposing and stalling the democratic process". So the lines have been drawn...

I just passed through Tahrir a few hours ago, on the way back from a class at Al Azhar, and it is FILLED with beltagayya (plainclothes thugs), like tons and tons standing in formation waiting for protesters to come by. I've never seen that before... typically they wait in police trucks and occasionally microbuses and only come out when protesters are getting significantly out of hand. This is even with major protests that they've been expecting for ages - the judges last May, Lebanon over the summer, etc. Also these beltagayya look much more like normal people than usual - usually they have black boots and carry police clubs. Now it's jeans and, like, tennis shoes. The gist is: they're really playing it both ways. Egyptians all know that beltagayya are the ones to be afraid of (normal cops never hit you, because they fear the media attention), and the regime is just sticking them out there, daring a response. They're even in formation, so they're not even pretending, not even trying to deceive the Egyptians. But they're wearing more normal clothes than usual, because enough readers/viewers of foreign media ( i.e. the regime's foreign bankrollers) will be so stupid as to think that protesters are just being random and violent and beating each other up, and that the referendum is actually democratic and meaningful." (Aatif)

UPDATE (Tom) - I walked through the square around 7:30 and it looked just like this - a ton of plainclothes guys, a ton of thugs (in unbelievably flagrant coordination with the police - actually reinforcing police lines in places...) and few protesters. But it turns out something really terrible happened, check Arabawy for the details

UN Security Council unanimously voted to give Iran more sanctions. Nothing good can come out of this.

Mr. Mobarak rebuffed Mr. Ban on Darfur.

Beer and Pot

(chart via Andrew Sullivan)

"New landmark research concludes that alcohol and tobacco are more dangerous than some illegal drugs like marijuana or ecstasy and should be classified as such in legal systems, according to a new British study.

In research published Friday in The Lancet, Professor David Nutt of Britain's Bristol University and colleagues proposed a new framework for the classification of harmful substances, based on the actual risks posed to society. Their ranking listed alcohol and tobacco among the top 10 most dangerous substances. " (cbc.ca)

There is no case in the history of humankind in which a husband beat the shit out of his wife after smoking pot. But you hear plenty of cases with drunk husbands.

mixed bag

Danny Hillis wrote this lovely little piece on evolution back in 1998. He, along with Stewart Brand, is also the co-chairman of the Long Now Foundation, that runs a fantastic series of seminars on Long-term Thinking, available for free download.

Fan's of Steve Job's inspirational valedictory speech at Stanford university will remember Stewart Brand as the founder of the Whole Earth Catalogue... the magazine that signed off to the world with the message: "Stay hungry, Stay foolish".

We come in peace. Really.

"France became the first country to open its files on UFOs Thursday when the national space agency unveiled a website documenting more than 1,600 sightings spanning five decades.

The online archives, which will be updated as new cases are reported, catalogues in minute detail cases ranging from the easily dismissed to a handful that continue to perplex even hard-nosed scientists." (Yahoo)

This is the site www.cnes-geipan.fr.

Whoa ! Murder at the Cricket World Cup

"Pakistan's cricket coach Bob Woolmer was murdered in his hotel room on Sunday after the team's World Cup shock defeat to Ireland, Jamaican police say.

A post-mortem examination established that the former England player had died as a result of "manual strangulation", police commissioner Lucius Thomas said.

"In these circumstances, the matter of Mr Woolmer's death is now being treated as murder," he told a news conference.

Police say Mr Woolmer may have known his killer or killers." (BBC)

All hell about to break loose

Locate your nearest fallout shelter, nomads...

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fifteen British Marines on patrol in the Persian Gulf have been "seized" by the Iranian navy, the British Ministry of Defense said.

The Marines were "engaged in routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi territorial waters," the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

A U.S. military official who monitors the region told CNN the Marines stopped an Iranian ship suspected of smuggling automobiles, and boarded it for an inspection.

The British ministry's statement said the Marines "completed a successful inspection of a merchant ship when they and their two boats were surrounded and escorted by Iranian vessels into Iranian territorial waters."

Phwoar.

Videos for those who need to work with their PC

... and are just too cool to let themselves being controlled by a simple piece of tech. My favorite is "PC gets the girl" ... so true!

Link

Bummer

TimesOnline reported on a creature that has not had sex for 100m years. No, it's not "computer geeks". I think it has been married for that long.

Seven Questions: The Ethanol Effect

Foreign Policy.com does a wonderful little feature where they put seven questions across to noted academics and professionals. This time around, they interviewed Lester Brown from the Earth Policy Institute...

FP: What are the implications of so much corn being used for fuel?
LB: I don’t think most people realize yet that the price of oil is going to dictate the price of food.

Get rid of anonymous comments on nomadlife?

Hi there all

Given that commenting on the nomadlife frontpage is pretty much entirely done by nomadlifers, would anyone mind if we switch off anonymous commenting here?

I've noticed that is is getting more common to see kinda obnoxious comments on the front page - particularly coming from anon users. I am 100% cool with trash talk and general badness - as long as it comes from someone who will put their name to it.

If anyone has problems with switching off anonymous comments, then.....leave your concern in comments. If nothing significant comes up, I'll switch it off in a couple of days....

Peace
T

Magic moment at MENALDS

Hey all,

I am here in Morocco with 26 US delegates at MENALDS. As we are about to close the conference I would like to share with you a “magic moment” that a delegate from the US had here that was written to the entire conference. This experience has been so incredible and I hope you are able to hear from all the people who attended the impact the conference had on them. This is just a small glimpse.

---

My Magic Moment

This has been the most amazing and inspiring experience I’ve ever had … EVER. I am only 19 and I never expected that I would participating in something like this at this point in my life.

When I told my mother I was going to travel around Morocco for a few days before the conference with only one other friend, she was very worried and even sent me a book entitled “Come Back Alive” but she understood that having this type of experience was important for me. Before I came here I knew absolutely nothing about Morocco, or any of the MENA countries. I knew their geographic location, a basic understanding of Islam and I sometimes pretend that I understand and speak French (I really don’t know any French!).

So, I didn’t really know what to expect when I arrived in Morocco, but whatever these expectations were they were surpassed beyond belief. I was really blown away by the kindness, curiosity and acceptance from everyone I have met here, both AIESECers and non AIESECers.

As a delegate from the United States and a leader of my LC, I came here with the intention of impacting others but I never realized just how much I would be impacted myself. After this conference, I understand now that what I thought I understand about the MENA region and Muslim people barely scratched the surface of the rich culture and mentalities that exist here.

I have never felt so inspired, motivated and in awe of a group of people, from opening plenary with the crazy drumming, chanting and singing (which continued on our bus to the official dinner) to the one on one conversations that I have had. Seeing the passion and energy that has been present here, I really cannot describe how proud and amazed it makes me feel.

I can honestly sat that I will return to the United States a very different person than when I first arrived in Morocco. It is really important to me that you all know that even if my impact has been minimal and even if I never get to ask you the questions I wanted to ask you, your impact on me has been greater then anything I have ever known.

Thank you.

McJob

The UK arm of McDonald's is planning a campaign to have the dictionary definition of a McJob changed.

The Oxford English Dictionary says it is: "An unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, esp. one created by the expansion of the service sector." bbc

"1943. Ils n'avaient encore jamais foulé le sol français, mais parce que c'est la guerre, Saïd, Abdelkader, Messaoud et Yassir vont s'engager comme 130 000 autres "Indigènes" dans l'armée française pour libérer "la mère patrie" de l'ennemi nazi. Ces héros que l'histoire a oubliés vaincront en Italie, en Provence, et dans les Vosges, avant de se retrouver seuls à défendre un village alsacien contre un bataillon allemand." (tadart)

Here's the English review of the movie.

It tells the story of the fate of hundreds of thousands of North African soldiers heroic fight to free France in WW II only to be forgotten and unrecognized by French history.

I bet some Moroccan nomads here have something to say about this movie and the history behind it as well.

Nomad - the movie

"Set in 18th-century Kazakhstan, a vast, pitiless region of austere and terrible beauty, and tells the story of a boy who is destined to one day unite the three warring tribes of the country who have survived and fought for centuries - against invaders, against their formidable enemies and amongst themselves."

Check the trailer, featuring Devrim lookalike.

Go Marianne !!!

Hi Nomads,

My name is Marianne, a former @er from Ohio State, salaamer and MC member of @Bahrain (Yalla Bahrain!), and I am running the 2007 London marathon to raise funds for destitute refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.

There are thousands of destitute refugees and asylum seekers in the UK ; men, women and families of all ages, who have applied for asylum and have been refused settlement (refugee) status, and are unable to return home. They are not permitted to work, and are not entitled to benefits; most are deprived of money, food, shelter and health care. They have left their home country because it is too dangerous to continue living in--they may have been tortured or lost family and friends and have been witness to horrific atrocities--to be denied the chance to regain their humanity and rebuild their lives here in the UK.

I'm running 26.2 miles (3 weeks before my wedding day!) and hoping to raise 2,500 GBP to raise money for a hardship fund, which will provide basic necessities (like toiletries, phone cards and transportation funds). I am very proud to be running for a cause that is so close to my heart; I am committed to do anything I can to fight against the inhumanity of destitution, and to help the men women and children that are affected by such bogus legislation.

Please join me in doing so by going to my website http://www.justgiving.com/mariannecronin and helping in any way you can! And feel free to leave a word of encouragement!

See you at the finish line!
Lots of love from London!
Marianne (http://macronin.nomadlife.org/)

Learn how to count to 31 using one hand

It's quite neat actually.

A guy cry

EW lists 13 movies that they think will make grown men cry.

I am quite upset they don't include any of Chuck Norris' films !!

Cricket - the giants are falling

Two amazing upsets in the Cricket World Cup - India get a beating by Bangladesh, while in one of the biggest upsets in a long time, Ireland - who play cricket about as much as Sri Lankans play basketball - beat long time mainstays Pakistan. On St Patrick's day. Go Paddies.

If the Netherlands beat Australia this afternoon, then we will know we have entered a parallel bizarro universe where anything is possible.

Advice to Young Men from an Old Man.

"
18. Don’t cheat on your wife/girlfriend. If you must cheat, don’t humiliate her. Don’t risk having your transgressions come back to her or her friends. Don’t do it where you live. Don’t do it with people in your social circle. Don’t shit in your own back yard.
19. If your girlfriend doesn’t make you feel good about yourself and bring joy to your life, fire her. That’s what girlfriends are for.
20. Don’t bother with “emotional affairs.” They are just a vehicle for women to flirt and have someone make them feel good about themselves. That’s the part of a relationship they want. For you it is a lot of work and investment in time. If they are having an emotional affair with you, they’re probably fucking someone else.
21. Becoming a woman’s friend and confidant is not going to get you into an intimate relationship. If you haven’t gotten the girl within a reasonably short period of time, chances are you won’t ever get her. She’ll end up confiding to you about the sexual adventures she’s having with someone else."

20 most expensive divorces of all time.

Magic in the making ...

MENALDS 2007 ... so far the most magical experience :) 230 delegates, 18 OC members, 10 facilitators, 8 partners, 1 chair. AIESEC in the news. Incredible! More pics here.

Remember this CPR Info

Chest compression -- not mouth-to-mouth resuscitation -- seems to be the key in helping someone recover from cardiac arrest, according to new research that further bolsters advice from heart experts.

A study in Japan showed that people were more likely to recover without brain damage if rescuers focused on chest compressions rather than rescue breaths, and some experts advised dropping the mouth-to-mouth part of CPR altogether. The study was published in Friday's issue of the medical journal The Lancet.

More than a year ago, the American Heart Association revised CPR guidelines to put more emphasis on chest presses, urging 30 instead of 15 for every two breaths given. Stopping chest compressions to blow air into the lungs of someone who is unresponsive detracts from the more important task of keeping blood moving to provide oxygen and nourishment to the brain and heart.

.."It is important to note that victims of cardiac arrest from non-cardiac causes, like near-drowning or electrocution, and almost all victims of pediatric cardiac arrest benefit from a combination of rescue breathing and chest compressions," a heart association statement says.
(AP)

You might find yourself in a situation where you can save someone's life. Do the Chest Compression, even if you are not willing to the mouth to mouth ventilation. It's better than nothing. And do get certified.

Home

Fellow Nomads, where is home to you?

A picture taken in Dahab, Egypt

Was thinking to buy one of these until I clearly read what it meant :)

MENALDS 2007

Making magic happen in Morocco ... in 24 hours ... and counting. Watch this space.

Pandora/iPod replacement?

Check out Slacker, the new internet radio service with the same personalization capabilities of Pandora, but soon with the ability to take it with you...

Slacker, the real iPod killer?

Steve Jobs introduces the new Apple iRack

MAD TV skit found on the The Unofficial Apple Weblog.

Blow Job does not cure cancer

If you ever read this 'cnn report', it's a joke btw.

"Study: Fellatio may significantly decrease the risk of breast cancer in women

Thursday, October 2, 2003 Posted: 9:19 AM EDT (1319 GMT)

(AP) -- Women who perform the act of fellatio on a regular basis, one to two times a week, may reduce their risk of breast cancer by up to 40 percent, a North Carolina State University study found."

Work Out Tips - Cool Down

Wired Magazine covered "the glove" in its application to the military (it keeps soldiers going and going) and this is the key paragraph in the article

"In trying to figure out why the Glove worked so well, its inventors ended up challenging conventional scientific wisdom on fatigue. Muscles don’t wear out because they use up stored sugars, the researchers said. Instead, muscles tire because they get too hot, and sweating is just a backup cooling system for the lattices of blood vessels in the hands and feet. The Glove, in other words, overclocks the heat exchange system."

And this is a 2005 magazine article about the gadget.

"A few years ago, he was intrigued when he heard about a device—that has been called at various times the RTX, Core Control or simply The Glove—invented by a pair of Stanford biologists. Using the device to lower his core body temperature between sets, he was able to lift 495 pounds in four sets of squats instead of his normal two. He usually does squats only on Mondays, but he decided to try a second series a few days later. That Friday, he was able to increase the weight to 545 pounds." (Standford Magazine)

If the statement is correct, it means you can increase your resistance training between sets by getting a bucket of ice in your gym and cool your body by putting your hand in the cold water. Give it a try.

Changing the world, one hobohookah at a time - thanks to a nomad. It's a durable, machine washable and very portable hookah pleasure system. They are taking orders.

Snail Love

ha...ha..ha

"The Israeli ambassador to El Salvador has been recalled after he was found drunk, naked and bound in sexual bondage gear in his yard, an official said Monday.

Tsuriel Raphael has been removed from his post and the Foreign Ministry has begun searching for a replacement, said spokeswoman Zehavit Ben-Hillel.

Two weeks ago, El Salvador police found Raphael naked outside his residence, tied up, gagged and drunk, Israeli media reported. He was wearing several sex toys at the time, the media said. After he was untied, Raphael told police he was the ambassador of Israel, the reports said.

The British Broadcasting Corp. reported that he could identify himself to police only after a rubber ball had been removed from his mouth." (FoxNews)

Ha..ha..imagine how the termination letter reads like.

World Cup Cricket 2007 begins tomorrow!

16 teams...1 mission...

West Indies and Pakistan meet in an explosive opener tomorrow...

Official site here

My good wishes to the Men in Blue! Go India!

Any bets for the winners :)?

Fine Wine Exchange Index

"

Jaboulet, Hermitage Chapelle 1989
12x75cl
End January:	£ 1,500
1 Month Ago:	£ 1,100
6 Months Ago:	£ 895
1 Year Ago:	£ 895

"

If you want to check out the market prices for fine wine, go no further than Live-ex, a site that keep track the fluctuation of wine prices.

Matriarch society

Have you been to a place or interact with a culture of matriach society? How does it differ from the patriach style that's currently the norm.

"Oil services giant Halliburton Co. will soon shift its corporate headquarters from Houston to the Mideast financial powerhouse of Dubai, chief executive Dave Lesar announced Sunday." (AP)

This is a coup for Dubai.

The Economist Innovation Unit

"We're a small team set up by The Economist Group, the parent company of the eponymous newspaper. Our mission is to develop truly innovative services online. We already have some ideas, of course. But as champions of free markets, we abhor the concept of a closed system. This is why we would like you to submit your idea (or ideas). Just think big - and we'll do the rest."

(Project Red Stripe)

Verdict: U.N. Human Rights Council sucks

This article by NY Times condemns the year old U.N. Human Rights Council

" The United Nations Human Rights Council begins a three-week session in Geneva on Monday amid expressions of frustration from rights advocates at its early performance and alarm over proposals that might weaken it further.

“So far it’s been enormously disappointing, and the opponents of human rights enforcement are running circles around the proponents,” said Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch."

Gone

BBC NEWS - Superhero Captain America has been killed off after appearing in US comic books for 66 years.

The character, who appears in the Captain America comic book, was created in 1941 to build up patriotic feeling during World War II.

Co-creator Joe Simon told the New York Daily News: "It's a hell of a time for him to go, We really need him now."

Publisher Marvel Entertainment has confirmed it is developing a film based on the character.

Fans may not have seen the last of the character in print either, as the comic's editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada, refuses to rule out resurrecting him in the future.

The latest edition will show the superhero dying on the steps of a courthouse in New York, after he was shot by a sniper.

Captain America first appeared nine months before the Pearl Harbor bombings, punching Hitler on the cover of the comic's first issue.

Since then, Marvel has sold more than 200 million copies of Captain America magazine in 75 countries.

WWOD

What Would Osama Do.



He turns 50 today.(cnn)

How do you think the number one terrorist celebrate his 50th birthday? Cave painting? Burqalicious dance party with his entourage? "Death to America" sing along?

South by Southwest music download

Download 3GB of free music from SXSW festivals which is happening right now in Austin from March 9 to March 18.

I would love to have one of these

Courtesy of US Postal Service. (thru BoingBoing)

Switzerland invade Liechtenstein

A 171-man Swiss company invaded neighbours Liechtenstein earlier this week, after their commanding officer made a wrong turn in a forest, at night.
Liechtenstein's response: "It's not like they invaded with attack helicopters."

I wish I could have said this came from some website like The Onion. In this case, however, the BBC has more details! :)

Top 20 Most Admired Companies

AMERICA'S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES
Top 20 Most Admired Companies
To create the top 20 for our 25th annual rankings, Fortune and its survey partners at Hay Group asked 3,322 executives, directors, and securities analysts to select the 10 companies they admire most. Having fresh ideas and being green are among the qualities that distinguish this year's winners.


And yes, Apple made the cut...

"My new mobile is lumbered with a bewildering array of unnecessary features aimed at idiots"

Best. Mobile Phone Review. Ever.
(found via BoingBoing)

Day of Tyranny

Today is International Women's Day.

ha..ha

"Spokespersons for the National Gay & Lesbian Recruitment Task Force announced Monday that more than 288,000 straights have been converted to homosexuality since Jan. 1, 1998, putting the group well on pace to reach its goal of 350,000 conversions by the end of the year." (The Onion)

Got some spare change?

Kiva.org matches potential micro-finance donors with small projects and individual entrepreneurs across the world. You also have the option of donating a portion of the project requirements instead of donating the full portion. Loans can begin at as little as $25 and repayment rates are 97%.

Not a bad way to lend a helping hand...

ouch

"France's Constitutional Council has passed a new law which would criminalize so called "citizen journalists" who record acts of violence. The rising numbers of cellphones which come with built in video-recorders has lead to a surge in bystanders recording crimes and events of note - then passing those recordings to the media. Under this new law, only accredited journalists would be permitted to make recordings in public places." (cellular-news)

The law was originally crafted to criminalize the trend of French kids slapping people and recording it on camera.

Another Mouth to Feed

As biofuels boom, will more go hungry?
By Ruth Gidley Wed Mar 7, 10:11 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Using plants to feed our fuel needs may be a great idea, and the biofuel goldrush could be a moneyspinner for several poor countries, but some experts warn people may go hungry as food prices rise.
Fans of biofuels give the impression we could soon be running cars on maize, producing electricity with sugar, and getting power from palm oil.
Even though the biofuel boom is only just beginning, it has already pushed up the cost of staples in places like Mexico where rocketing tortilla prices have sparked angry protests.
Some experts foresee a permanent change in food economics if farmers scent higher profit in fuel crops than in growing plants to feed people.

737 graveyard

Yet another crash in Indonesia. It's a Garuda, which is actually the best run airline in Indonesia. Check out how the pilots discuss this crash.

Indonesia has one of the more extensive and frequent flight network in the world due to the nature of its geography. During my two weeks stay recently, I flew 8 times. The open sky policy has created a fierce competition in the domestic airlines industry. I paid 24 dollars for one hour flight on an aging 737. The budget airlines have mushroomed in the past five years to fulfill the great demand for quick transport accross the massive archipelago.

Most of the airlines employ leased 737 as their main workhorses. You might be aware of another quite recent Adam Air explosion over Sulawesi which was also a 737. Last week there was also another landing accident of another Adam Air 737 in Surabaya which broke the frame of the plane although it thankfully produced no fatality.

We have had one airline accident every month this year. January, February and March. Talk about consistency.

Stop the clash of civilisations

Vote for Internationally Diverse music!

Nomadlifer Andu's band, 4Twenty, is in music contest with their new single: wenn der beat rollt.

Armed with funky beats and bass lines, hot guitar riffs, an insanely groovy horn section and an MC on tha microphone...

...the band’s typical mix of “shanty” dance-blues, “acid-jazzy” bass lines, earth-shaking funk beats, all wrapped up by wicked rapping and soulful singing, is a typical product of our modern society.

What's fun is that the group performs in their 3 "native" languages from South Tyrol: Italian, German & English. You can listen to their single, and vote here! They also have a cool myspace.

Rumble down South East

"You may have heard in the news there was a 6.6 Earthquake that affected the area of Sumatra (420 kms South East from Singapore). Luckily enough we are all OK and no major damage has been reported as of now. Nevertheless, we felt the trembling in our building and some others were evacuated out of safety reasons. (That was not our case)" (Nacho)

$$$$ cities in the world

The Economist Intelligence Unit found out that Oslo is the most expensive city in the world.

1. Oslo
2. Paris
3. Copenhagen
4. London
5. Tokyo
6. Kobe Osaka
7. Reykjavik
8. Zurich
9. Frankfurt

New York City is a cheapo ranked at 28. Dang, those Vikings have expensive tastes.

(AP)

nomadfest ireland 2007?

boys and girls nomads round the world,

last year, with the opportunity of st paddy's day, there was a nomad gathering and lots of fun in dublin. this year i haven't heard anything around that. is there a plan or something? anyone heading to dublin? anything being organised by the ppl living there?

i am heading to dublin on friday the 16th for the weekend :) so would be up for some guiness with whoever is there for the weekend! on a side note, i also don't have a place to stay for saturday night (yet) so you are more than welcome to offer a bed, a couch, a floor, or a suggestion, anything really...and i'll be eternally grateful! just e-mail me. tks!

looking fwd to meeting everyone who's in Dublin for that weekend!

Anatomy of an All-Nighter

Anatomy of an All-Nighter

Cramming 12 weeks of calculus or the history of the Western world into 12 hours at night is the ultimate collegiate challenge. Our natural cycles of sleep and wakefulness are governed by nothing less than the circadian rotation of the earth, and overriding these cycles is difficult. "These rhythms exist even in the absence of time cues such as sunlight and clocks," says Charmane Eastman, Ph.D., the director of the Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, in Chicago.

The all-night scholar is also contending with fatigue: Most people going into an all-nighter haven't slept in at least 12 hours, and so their brains are already working less efficiently. According to a study done at the Sleep Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, the reactions of a group of college students who had been sleeping five hours a night were 20 percent slower than those of a group that had been getting their proper eight hours of shut-eye.

There's no way to beat the clock completely; no matter what, staying up all night takes its toll on both physical health and mental performance. But an understanding of the body's natural rhythms can help a night owl maximize brain power.

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Brought to you by the good folks of UT Austin. Click on the link above to read the hour-by-hour suggestions on how to get the most out of your all-nighter...

Happy Holi everyone!

Holi is an annual and popular Hindu spring festival. It takes place over two days in the later part of February or early March. As per the Hindu calendar, it falls on the Phalgun Purnima (or Pooranmashi, Full Moon). It is also called the Festival of Colours.

On the first day, a bonfire is lit at night to signify burning Holika. On the second day, known as Dhulandi, people go around until afternoon throwing colored powder and water at each other. A special drink called thandai is prepared, sometimes containing bhang (Cannabis sativa). People invite each other to their houses for feasts and celebrations later in the evening. Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours.

This festival occurs at the onset of spring. This period, during which the weather changes, is prone to cause viral fever and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of the coloured powders has a medicinal significance as the coloured powders are made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors.

More.

To all the visitors (past or present) to the motherland, and to my Indian compadres spread across the globe, smear yourself with some color and have a great day!

Happy Holi everyone!

Holi (Hindi: होली)is an annual and popular Hindu spring festival. It takes place over two days in the later part of February or early March. As per the Hindu calendar, it falls on the Phalgun Purnima (or Pooranmashi, Full Moon). It is also called the Festival of Colours.

On the first day, a bonfire is lit at night to signify burning Holika. On the second day, known as Dhulandi, people go around until afternoon throwing colored powder and water at each other. A special drink called thandai is prepared, sometimes containing bhang (Cannabis sativa). People invite each other to their houses for feasts and celebrations later in the evening. Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours.

This festival occurs at the onset of spring. This period, during which the weather changes, is prone to cause viral fever and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of the coloured powders has a medicinal significance as the coloured powders are made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors.

More.

To all the visitors (past or present) to the motherland, and to my Indian compadres spread across the globe, smear yourself with some color and have a great day!

Cancer Update from John Hopkins Hospital, US

Please Send to everybody you know
Cancer update -- John Hopkins -- Cancer News from John Hopkins:

1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.

Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.

He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers.

This especially applies to foods that contain fat.

He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.

Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.

He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.

Cover food with a paper towel instead.

This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!

Inside Perspective on the TSA

Here's an interesting (and L O N G) article about the US's TSA Airport Screeners. This writer signed up to get an inside perspective on the people who manage a failed system.

Inside Job: My Life as an Airport Screener
by Barbara S. Peterson
Published March 2007

Must-Watch

http://www.uglyrumours.com/

A new pop group, starring Tony Blair... singing "War, what is it good for?"

Must-Watch

http://www.uglyrumours.com/

A new pop group, starring Tony Blair... singing "War, what is it good for?"

Buying a cell phone in Hong Kong

Urban legend says... Hong Kong is paradise for the ones wanting / needing to buy a new cell phone.
Can someone help me out with this?
Is this true?
What can I expect?
What are my choices?
Where can I get the best deal?
It's just going to be 2 crazy latin girls wondering through HK buying a cell phone... or should I find a local to walk me through HK's mobile bargaining culture?

I am arriving in Hong Kong on April 1st... and I want to make the best out of my visit...

Can anyone share experiences or knowledge with me?

Let me know! :) please help!

bleh

Folks,

Greeting from Monkey Island.

I think I've cleared out all the request backlog to dody at nomadlife dot org for password reset or account creation today. I'll be back to Egypt on March 6 so we'll be back to the 24 hours (hopefully) response time for nomadlife requests.

I also found the source of the problem where people's ftp login password got expired and cannot publish to nomadlife. That problem shall be squashed next week.