How to Chill a Hot Beer or Soda in 3 Minutes

So my father and brother-in-law were over this weekend for a barbecue. My fridge was stuffed with appetizers and salads so I was only able to fit a 12-pack of beer. Normally, this would have been enough so I didn't worry about it. After a couple hours, the stash was depleted.

I did have some more beer in the garage but the 90+ degree Chicago heat had rendered it useless for at least an hour. Now what? These guys all had designated drivers and, in all honesty, they wanted more beer. Little did I know, the old man had a trick up his sleeve that I had never heard of. If I had a video camera ready, I would have taped this because it was pretty cool (sorry, no pun intended there).

Here is how he took beer from 80+ degrees to (seemingly) 40 degrees in about 3 minutes.

1. He took 6 hot beers from my garage and he placed them into a steel pot from the kitchen

2. He tossed in enough ice cubes to completely cover the beer

3. He then filled the pot with water

4. Next, and this is the trick, he tossed in (what must have been) 2 cups of table salt.

5. He took a large wooden spoon and stirred this thing up to be sure the salt dissolved.

6. He placed the concoction into the freezer and in 3 minutes we had ice cold beer.

Frankly, I wish I knew about this little trick years ago. Apparently this works for wine, soda, or anything. The addition of the salt does something that I am admittedly not qualified to explain. If we have any experts that want to weigh in, feel free. I do however know that this works.

World's Biggest Gay Pride Parade

Sao Paulo hosts world's largest gay pride parade

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Millions of people packed the streets of Sao Paulo for what organizers said was the world's largest gay pride parade, dancing and waving rainbow flags in a carnival-like atmosphere to condemn homophobia, racism and sexism.

At least 3 million people filled the canyonlike Paulista Avenue on Sunday, organizers said, surpassing last year's count of 2.5 million. The larger count was confirmed by a police spokesman who is not authorized to be quoted by name under department rules.

"This is the biggest parade on the planet," Tourism Minister Marta Suplicy said. "Our city is showing, once again, its respect for diversity."

In comparison, recent gay pride parades in New York and San Francisco have drawn tens of thousands of people, and world gay pride day celebrations in Berlin in 2004 attracted between 200,000 and 500,000 participants.(AP)

Participants kiss each other during the annual Gay Pride Parade in Sao Paulo, Sunday,

A participant takes a photo during the annual Gay Pride Parade in Sao Paulo, Sunday

Activists take part in the 11th Gay Parade in Sao Paulo

housands march during the annual Gay Pride Parade in Sao Paulo, Sunday

Activists take part in the 11th Gay Parade in Sao Paulo June 10, 2007. An estimated 3 million gays, lesbians and transvestites paraded down the main avenue of Brazil's business capital Sao Paulo on Sunday, showing their pride in a blaze of color and festive music, organizers said. REUTERS

Turtles to test wireless network

DEERFIELD, Mass. - From the way he thrashed his head, kicked and tried to make a getaway, M16 made it clear he didn't like human contact. But the researchers wrangling with him could be helping to save his species.

Despite his best efforts to escape the clutches of two scientists from the University of Massachusetts and get back to the swamp he was just lifted from, the 40-pound snapping turtle finally gave up and let Mike Jones and Matt Garber do their jobs.

Using a combination of orthodontic cement and duct tape, the students attached a postcard-sized waterproof computer to the turtle's shell. After christening the 16th male turtle he found in the area as "M16," Jones scribbled some information about the turtle's shell markings into a field book and set the snapper free.

Knowing where M16 goes could help scientists protect him.

n an experiment taking place along the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts, two otherwise unrelated groups of researchers are working together: computer engineers like Garber who are testing a new wireless communication network, and biologists like Jones who are tracking snapping turtles — a species they worry may be headed for decline as land development shrinks their habitat.

The idea behind the technology is to create a network of constantly moving devices that record and store information, transmit data from one device to another, then relay all the saved information to a central location while running on self-charging batteries.

"A lot of the existing technology works great as long as you're not moving around and you have stable networks and people who could recharge batteries," said Jacob Sorber, a doctoral candidate in computer science who designed the network he calls TurtleNet, a project funded by grants from the National Science Foundation.

The solar-powered computers are light enough so they don't weigh the turtles down, and they don't interrupt their mating habits, Jones said.

Stuck to the shells of about 15 turtles found in spots near the Deerfield swamp, the gadgets will take periodic readings of the reptiles' location and body temperature.

When one computer-carrying snapper gets within a tenth-of-a-mile of another, the machines swap information.

The series of short-distance transmissions allows for long battery life in each computer, and the solar panels attached to the units are expected to constantly keep the batteries charged. Without a relay system, a longer transmission would require a larger battery that would drain too quickly or be too big for a turtle to carry.

The turtle-to-turtle relay ends when one of the snappers passes near a single base station that receives all the accumulated information. While Jones thinks the snappers may roam up to 10 miles from the Deerfield swamp they know as home, he says it's in their nature to return to the bog where the base station is.

Working like a cell phone sending a text message, the base station zaps the data to the UMass-Amherst campus about 15 miles away, where biologists are charting each turtle's whereabouts.

"We're trying to get a better idea of their range, the routes they take and where they hibernate," said Jones, who is working on a doctoral degree in biology. "If you have that information for a good number of turtles, you can predict what their patterns will be for the next 50 years or so."

Booming land development and an increase in natural predators has landed seven of Massachusetts' 10 freshwater turtle species on the state's endangered species list. Snappers aren't there yet, but Jones and other biologists are concerned they're on their way.

"People think they're a nuisance, they're aggressive and they're smelly," he said. "And you see a lot of dead snappers on the side of the road. But most of the turtles that people are running over are mothers trying to get somewhere to nest."

By mapping where and how the snappers move, they're trying to generate enough information that could be used to help protect turtle habitats.

Until now, tracking turtles has been a difficult — and messy — business.

Jones has been following turtles around New England by attaching radio receivers to their shells. When he goes looking for them, he has to carry a radio receiver while wading through swamps and bushwhacking through woods hoping to pick up a signal. And the radio batteries are good for only about two years.

If TurtleNet — which was launched in June — works, he'll be able to spend less time hunting for his subjects. The computers should let him know where the turtles are at any time.

Researchers from Princeton University have been using a similar technology during the past five years to track zebras in Kenya. Unlike TurtleNet, the Princeton project uses computers with larger batteries that could be more easily carried on collars attached to the strong, fast-moving zebras.

Still, the end result is the same, and the Princeton scientists say their studies have shed new light on the animals' migratory patterns.

"These are early examples of using computer engineering to answer questions about biology," said Margaret Martonosi, a professor of electrical engineering at Princeton. "If you know where these animals are going and how they're moving, you could take steps to better preserve the land and their habitat."

While the turtles may not be covering as much ground as the zebras, their interaction with people is increasing. And that puts them in more peril.

"You see a lot of them up the road this time of year," said Les Jackson, who works on a farm adjacent to the swamp where M16 was found.

Early summer is when turtles nest, and finding a place to lay their eggs often means crossing busy roads. The snappers Jackson was referring to were the ones he's seen crushed by cars.

The little girl who can give birth to her own brother or sister

When Melanie Boivin learned that her young daughter Flavie had a rare condition which would damage her fertility, she was determined to find a way to help her.

After a year of research on the Internet, talking to experts and discussing it with her partner, she came up with the answer - to donate some of her own eggs for eventual use by seven-year-old Flavie.

As a result, the little girl could one day give birth to her own half-brother or sister while Miss Boivin, 35, would be both a mother and grandmother to the infant.

"The role of a mother is essentially to help her children and if I could do anything in my power to help her I had to do it, and because of my age I had to do it now," Miss Boivin said.

"I told myself if she had needed another organ like a kidney I would volunteer without any hesitation, and it is the same kind of thought process for this.

"It is not the biological aspect that is as important as caring and raising the child. She would be the real mother as she would be caring for the child."

Now 21 of Miss Boivin's eggs have been put into deep freeze, the first time such a mother-daughter donation has been made.

Miss Boivin, a French-Canadian, lives with partner Martin Cote, 35, a financial analyst, and their three children in Montreal.

Flavie was born with Turner Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that affects one in every 2,000 girls born. It causes infertility and means Flavie will probably never be able to have a baby without donated eggs, but a major worry for her mother was the worldwide shortage of such eggs.

Miss Boivin said: "For a complete year I was thinking about it and did some research on the Internet and was discussing it with my partner because we were concerned about the ethical questions - would I look at the child as my grandchild or as my own?

"We were also concerned about the financial impact, the physical impact on me and the emotional impact on the family. After a year I was convinced there were more advantages than disadvantages."

She contacted the McGill reproductive centre in Montreal which has a major egg freezing programme designed to help cancer victims. After an in-depth interview with the ethics committee, she was accepted for treatment.

Professor Seang Lin Tang, medical director of the centre, said mother-to-daughter egg donation had never before been attempted.

He said: "Because there is a tremendous shortage of egg donors worldwide - we have 300 couples waiting here - couples often search for a donor among family members and this is generally ethically acceptable.

"Intergenerational egg donation has been problematic because it usually involves a daughter donating to her mother, which raises the possibility of coercion and feelings of obligation.

"This did not apply to a mother giving to her daughter - it's a mother's love that motivates the donation."

There is no time limit on the eggs being stored in Canada, though in the UK it is unlawful to store eggs which are not for a woman's own use for more than ten years.

Genetic diagnosis could be applied to the eggs before fertilisation to ensure there was no risk of Turner Syndrome being passed on.

Miss Boivin, who has an 11-year-old son Jamie and a healthy second daughter Clara, two, said: "Flavie is full of life. She is always happy and smiling and she is a very social child. She is brilliant at school.

"I do not want to oblige her to use the eggs. I want to give her the option."

Details of the donation were released yesterday at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lyon, France.

Josephine Quintavalle, of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: "This is very worrying. We have to stop thinking of women only in terms of their reproductive potential. The daughter could live a full and happy life without having children of her own."

But Dr Richard Kennedy of the British Fertility Society, which represents specialists working in the field, said: "Here is a mother who has the capacity to do something to help her daughter have a child. This altruistic behaviour is not dissimilar to the scenario where a parent donates a kidney to a child."

Cell Phone Explodes and Burns Off Owner’s Nipple

You often hear of stories how a cell phone can harm people who have heart problems and use pacemakers or that there is radiation in the airwaves that effect the brain. Rarely do you actually consider your cell phone would explode on you.

That is exactly what happened to poor Cai.

“Right after I powered on the cell phone and pressed the button it exploded. My nipple got burned so badly from the explosion”.
20 year-old Cai paid $50 for a second hand cell phone and followed the instruction that the battery needs to be fully charged before use.

Next morning he got out the bed, couldn’t wait to try out his new toy, right after he powered on and he began to press a few buttons, it exploded.

Cai wasn’t wearing any clothing at the time, his left chest got badly burned including his nipple. The cell phone was some “Made in China” local brand with cheap quality and the battery wasn’t even safety certified.

An office girl also bought a similar new cell phone and it exploded as well, her nose was hurt so badly she ended up having to be hospitalized and might need a plastic surgery later.China is famous for cheap products which are often are fake, imitation and even dangerous.

These types of underground factories are everywhere and the government is not regulating it enough.

Check out our previous posts for fake eggs and a brick satellite receiver. You might fine these “Made in China” stories are humorous and unbelievable.
Source:-Weird Asia News

The human cannonball who has mastered the art of flying

Blasted out of the smoking cannon, this daredevil appears to have mastered the impossible Art of flying.

But seconds later Mike - the Bullet - Smith loses his inevitable battle with gravity and lands 50 yards away on a giant safety net.

The cannonball man, wearing a special red jumpsuit and safety helmet, was the star attraction at the Royal Norfolk Show in Norwich.

Thousands of spectators clustered around the waterlogged field on Thursday to watch him execute a perfect arc across the sky.

Photographer Bill Smith was perfect placed to film his spectacular ascent with his high-speed professional Nikon camera.

He said: "I was in the right place at the right time. The blast from the cannon was so loud the first few frames were a little wonky, but I managed to keep it steady.

"My camera, which takes around eight shots a second, was for the job."

Mr Smith used all 29 frames his camera took of the flight to produce this astounding composite picture.

Having perfected his craft over 20 years in the job, he combined each frame of the photos stuntman using a computer software programme.
He added: "When I started we just used film and printing. But with digital cameras you can do some quite exciting things. It was really fun putting this sequence together."

Kiss Caught on Camera Raises Issues of Big Brother Surveillance

Surveillance cameras in schools are meant to keep children safe and in-line, but a kiss, a camera and a controversy have Gig Harbor High School in Washington in an uproar.

A security camera captured two girls kissing, but it’s what happened next that sparked a surveillance debate. With Warren County schools having surveillance cameras not only in the high schools but in the middle school and elementary schools as well, you’ll want to read on because reporter Keith Eldridge’s brings you the story that asks the question: When does Big Brother surveillance cross the line?

The dean of students said he saw two girls kissing. He checked the surveillance tape then shared what he saw with the parents of one of the girls. They then pulled her out of school, which then pulled the peninsula school district into a big controversy.

“They weren’t harming other students, so I don’t think the administrators had a right to show it to her parents or anybody else,” student, Laura Varadi said.

“I think that they didn’t use the cameras like how they should. They should only be used for safety I think,” student, Jade Egelhoff said.

“We obviously made a mistake,” Superintendent Terry Bouck said. “We’re here to make sure our kids, our staff and parents are safe, but we’re not going to be monitoring public displays of affection, etc.”

But some parents ask “Why not?”

“I think that that’s fine if they’re doing something they shouldn’t be doing. The surveillance is fine,” said Heidi Holmes, a Gig Harbor parent.

“We’re watching them at home, so we should be watching them at school too,” said Tim, Heidi’s husband.

The Holmes said surveillance cameras are a way of life. Helping prevent crime, identifying suspects and just giving folks a sense of security knowing the cameras are always watching.

You’ve got to figure that no matter where you are you’re probably going to be on camera, whether from that angle or this angle, you’re probably going to be on. But one store owner said it shouldn’t be for spying.

“I’m not for it, because we don’t use it that way,” store owner, Sean Whang said.

This is a debate that is not likely to end with the superintendent saying they made a mistake. It really goes to all facets of life not just schools but the workplace and all public areas.

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