23 Oct
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Montreal Canadiens, the oldest and most successful National Hockey League team, played their 100th home opener against Original Six rivals the Boston Bruins on the night of October 15, 2008. The Canadiens won the game in a shootout, 4-3.
22 Oct
Thursday, June 18, 2009
NASA launched the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program space probes, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) on board the Atlas V rocket at 5:32 p.m. EDT (2132 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Due to nearby thunderstorms the launch was delayed about 20 minutes from the scheduled launch time of 5.12 p.m. EDT (2112 GMT). The mission will be NASA’s first unmanned rocket expedition to the moon in a decade.
The aim of the LRO mission is to spend at least a year in a low polar orbit above the surface of the moon to gather neccesary data for future missions and longer lunar expeditions. It will be orbiting approximately 30 miles (48 km)s above the moon, trying to find safe landing sites, locating potential resources, characterizing the radiation environment and testing new technology.
The 2,300 pounds (1,043 kg) spent upper stage Centaur motor of the Atlas V launch vehicle will strike the surface of the moon at 9,000 km/h (5,600 mph) resulting in a 350 ton (317 metric ton) plume of debris rising between 6 to 30 miles (10 to 48 km) above the moon’s surface. From this impact, scientists hope to be able to detect any water ice or vapor using the LCROSS satellite which will crash land nearby four minutes later. Astronomers who own amateur-class telescopes with apertures as small as 10 to 12 inches may be able to sight the ejecta cloud as it will have a period of brightness about one minute after impact.
The launch was originally planned for yesterday, but delayed for the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which was itself later delayed again due to another hydrogen fuel leak.
22 Oct
Friday, February 22, 2008
Steve Wright, yesterday convicted of the murder of five women in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, has today been sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court to life imprisonment. The bodies of the five women who worked as sex workers in Ipswich were found around the town in December 2006.
The judge, Mr Justice Gross said that a “substantial degree of pre-meditation and planning” was involved meaning the requirments for a whole life sentence for Wright was met. He said, “This was a targeted campaign of murder. It is right you should spend your whole life in prison.”
Speaking after the sentencing, Deputy Chief Constable of Suffolk Police, Jacqui Cheer said, “At the start of the inquiry we could not have asked for anything more. It is a tribute to all the people who have been involved – not only police officers but their support teams and all the members of the public who phoned-in offering information.”
20 Oct
Monday, August 7, 2017
Former governor of Texas, Mark White died at the age of 77 in Houston on Saturday, his son Andrew White told the Associated Press. The Democrat served as Texas’ governor from 1983 till 1987. White was considered as an education reformer during his single-term in office for bringing some policies focusing on education. White had suffered from kidney cancer for several years.
White’s son, Andrew paid tribute to his father and said, “He [Mark White] cared about Texas deeply […] He realized that this wasn’t about getting re-elected. This wasn’t about being popular. This was about making Texas a better place.” Former Texan Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby called White “one of Texas’ greatest governors”.
The current Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott also paid tribute to White saying, “Mark White cared deeply about Texas […] and he devoted his life to making our state even better, particularly when it came to educating our children.”
Born in 1940, White served as Texas’ secretary of state and attorney general before he became the governor. He defeated then-incumbent Republican, Bill Clements to become Governor in 1983 despite Clements spending thirteen million dollars on his campaign. Four years later, Clements defeated White to become Texas’ governor.
White brought few educational reforms including the “No-Pass, No-Play” policy. Per the policy, students had to maintain a minimum threshold of grades to participate in school sports and extra-curricular activities. The decision was unpopular among many and even blocked by a state-district judge. The state Supreme Court eventually approved the policy.
Defending the “No-Pass, No-Play policy” in 1987, White told the state lawmakers, “Let’s be real: Anyone who can study a playbook can study a textbook. Americans didn’t get to the moon on a quarterback sneak.”
After losing in his re-election attempt in 1987, White returned to private law practice and also became the owner of a security company. In 1990, he ran for the office again, but lost to Ann Richards in the Democratic primary who later became the Governor.
20 Oct
19 Oct
Saturday, September 12, 2009
On Friday, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ratified the next generation of Wi-Fi Alliance certification known as 802.11n. The path to ratification began on September 11, 2003 with 11 major drafts of the specification over the course of six years. Even though just approved, wireless devices have been available on the the market for over two years, running on what is known as “draft n” or “pre-N”.
The 802.11n standard operates on both the 2.4Ghz and 5.0Ghz frequencies. This will allow it to be backwards compatible with 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g, provided that the base station has dual radios. The speeds of 802.11n are substantially faster than that of its predecessors with a maximum theoretical throughput of 600Mbit/s.
Very few additions were made to the 802.11n draft standard over the last two years, so most if not all “draft n” hardware available on the market today is expected to be compatible with n-standard devices available in the future. In a similar process of the upgrade from “pre-G” to 802.11g, it is expected that most manufacturers of wireless hardware will release new firmware to bring all draft devices up to full standard compliance.
19 Oct
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Besides becoming a political stomping ground for the Pan-Green and Pan-Blue coalitions, there are other changes from past years of Taipei Audio Video Fair (TAVF). With those changes in mind, Wikinews reporter Rico Shen interviewed You-peng Wang, chairman of the Taipei Electrical Commercial Association (TECA), the main organizer of TAVF, about the 60th year anniversary of TECA and the changes to the show.
19 Oct
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Famed English actor, singer and author Sir Christopher Lee died last Sunday morning in London aged 93, after being admitted to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for heart failure and respiratory problems. News of his death only became public on Thursday, as his wife of 54 years, Birgit Krøncke Lee, wished first to inform friends and family.
A spokesman for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea confirmed the issuing of his death certificate.
Lee first rose to prominence in the 1950s starring in Hammer Horror films as the classic movie monsters Dracula and Frankenstein and was more recently seen as Saruman the White in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films as well as portraying the villainous Count Dooku in the Star Wars films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
In 2010 Lee released a heavy metal album titled Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross followed by another metal album in 2013, Charlemagne: The Omens of Death and several collections of Heavy Metal cover songs including A Heavy Metal Christmas, A Heavy Metal Christmas Too and Metal Knight.
In 2008 Lee was knighted for services to drama and charity, and in 2001 received a Bafta Fellowship.
Lee is survived by his wife Birgit and daughter Christina.
19 Oct
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Travelers to the New Orleans area, or NOLA as it is known to locals, often marvel at the sheer range of dining experiences before them. No matter where they go, every section of this historic city holds a wide array of restaurants and cafes. The diversity of food and chef prepared meals only rivals the sheer cultural mecca that this city has evolved into. On every corner, there is another restaurant beckoning one to sit down and enjoy a plate of the chef’s specialties.
One cuisine that many people are surprised to find in New Orleans is Mexican food. They formerly had come to associate this style of cooking only with states like California, Arizona and New Mexico. However, once they look around, hungry travelers discover that Mexican dining in New Orleans is indeed available and presented at its highest levels.
La Casita is an NOLA restaurant that has elevated cooking styles developed South of the border into an art form of its very own. In addition to food and desserts, their staff has designed a number of cocktails not seen in other dining venues. It doesn’t matter whether they are sitting down to lunch, dinner or an early evening feast, diners feel right at home. They have a choice of eating indoors in a rustic and yet modern interior or dining outside in a decorative courtyard setting.
Mexican dining in New Orleans is known for such traditional dishes as homemade guacamole from fresh avocados and tacos filled with everything from vegetarian beans to native seafood. People find that when they dine in an atmosphere of fun, every day can truly be Mardi Gras. This is as true of business-oriented lunch meetings as it is of happy hour revelers who wish to cool off with a pitcher of Margaritas mixed especially for them.
To learn more and see photographs of this kind of restaurant, visit the web pages of Eatlacasita.com. This website features restaurant menus and a glimpse into how special this dining experience really is. Newcomers to the city as well as local residents can contact the restaurant through their website to make group reservations or ask questions.
18 Oct
Friday, July 11, 2014
On Tuesday, Indian Railway Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda presented his first budget for Indian Railways.
The budget emphasized increased amenities for travelers, better safety, and timely completion of projects. There were no fare hikes announced as both passenger and freight fares had been increased last month. But, it was announced that fares will be revised twice a year to absorb fuel costs. Gowda criticized previous governments for announcing new projects and failing to complete them. He said projects will now be prioritized, such as decongesting major routes instead of announcing new ones. Gowda announced no major new projects, but announced 54 new trains. He also criticized the last government for driving the railways into a loss.
Gowda announced a bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad; new semi-high speed trains in nine sectors connecting metros; and new measures towards improving cleanliness, food, and e-ticketing were announced. He said CCTVs will be installed in major stations to monitor cleanliness, and major stations will have food courts serving local cuisines and precooked food from reputable catering brands will be served on-board. The railways have faced complaints of substandard food in the past.
He announced the introduction of a new rail-flaw detection system to better investigate the causes of accidents. The budget allocated a significant sum to the construction of bridges at unmanned crossings, a major cause of rail-track deaths. He announced a new project to introduce automatic closing doors on mainline and suburban trains, and said wi-fi will be provided in larger stations and select trains. Workstations will be available for on-board use for a fee by Business travelers. The e-ticketing system will be extended from booking tickets to booking coaches and entire trains, and also retiring rooms in stations. Electric mobility carts will be provided to elderly and handicapped passengers at all major stations. Also, Railway Protection Force will recruit four thousand female constables and escorted carriages will be provided for women. A significant amount was announced for improving rail connectivity in north-east India.
Gowda emphasized use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to fund future projects. He also said he will ask the Cabinet to approve foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indian Railways. Some stations are to be improved using PPPs. Manish R. Sharma, executive director of capital projects and infrastructure at PricewaterhouseCoopers, pointed out the budget didn’t contain any information on how the government intends to attract private investors. Deven Choksey, managing director at K. R. Choksey securities, said the government now seemed to be more inclined towards PPPs than before. India’s stock index SENSEX dropped and closed 2% below opening. Investors were observed selling shares in energy, infrastructure, and real estate sectors.