Beef O Brady's 9 Mile Road
Ngaku Atlet Berprestasi, Ananda Mikola Minta Dibebaskan
Dalam sidang pembelaannya, Ananda Mikola mengklaim sebagai atlet berprestasi yang pernah mengumandangkan lagu Indonesia Raya di dunia internasional. Ananda yang didakwa menganiaya pun minta dibebaskan.
"Saya adalah seorang atlet berprestasi. Semua ini sudah saya mulai dari usia saya 13 tahun. Saya pernah membawa lagu Indonesia Raya ke kancah internasional," urai Ananda dalam sidang pembacaan pledoi atau pembelaannya di Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Pusat, Kamis (28/5/2009).
Dengan semua hal yang telah dilakukannya di atas, Ananda pun minta dibebaskan majelis hakim atas segala tuduhan. Apalagi menurutnya, semua pasal yang didakwakan padanya tidak terbukti.
"Orangtua saya tidak pernah mendidik saya melakukan tindakan itu. Karena hal ini banyak waktu saya yang terbuang. Saya mohon hakim yang mulia dapat membebaskan saya," ujar pria yang pernah menjuarai Asian F3 pada 2005 itu.
Senada dengan Ananda, kuasa hukumnya, O.C. Kaligis juga menganggap dakwaan jaksa tidak terbukti. Kakak Moreno Soeprapto itu tidak terbukti secara sah dan meyakinkan melakukan perampasan kemerdekaan orang lain dan menganiaya.
Daihatsu Siapkan Xenia Matik
Diakui Executive Koordinator Domestic Marketing Division PT Astra Daihatsu Motor, Elvina Afny, bahwa kabar PT Astra Daihatsu Motor (ADM), ATPM Daihatsu bakal menyiapkan Xenia bertransmisi otomatis masih dalam wacana. Kendati belum dipastikan kapan, namun harapannya Xenia bertransmisi otomatis bisa diperkenalkan dalam waktu dekat.
"Ini baru tahap development dulu. Kemungkinan tahun depan, tapi kalau bisa secepatnya," tukasnya. Cuma dia menekankan, Xenia transmisi otomatis tak akan diperkenalkan dalam ajang Indonesia Internasional Motor Show (IIMS) pada bulan Juli mendatang yang dihelat di Kemayoran, Jakarta .
Bila menilik dari sejarahnya, Daihatsu Xenia, kali pertama diperkenalkan pada awal tahun 2004. Memiliki tiga varian, Mi, Li, dan Xi. Lalu pada pertengahan tahun 2006 mengalami up grade tampilan. Mulai dari model gril, hingga rearlamp dengan motif membulat. Termasuk mesin sudah adopsi VVTi. Berikutnya, pada tahun 2008 lalu sempat alami refreshment.
Akankah, Xenia bertransmisi otomatis ini bakal gairahkan pasar?
Profil VW Touran
Sebagai Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV), mata kita pasti terbelalak dengan spesifikasi performa VW Touran. Mesin TSI nya masih satu platform dengan yang dipakai VW Golf GTi, meski hanya 1400cc namun mampu menyemburkan tenaga hingga 140 hp/5600 rpm dan torsinya mencapai 220 NM pada putaran yang cukup rendah di 1500 rpm.
Perpaduan Performance Comfort & Safety
Apalagi masih ditambah transmisi automatic yang sudah DSG (dual sift gearbox) yang membuat perpindahan gigi sangat cepat. Teknologi transmisi ini banyak di pakai pada sedan-sedan sport dan mewah seperti Mitshubishi Evo 10.
"Dengan performa yang begitu baik ini, sayang rasanya bila hanya jadi penumpang," ungkap CEO PT Garuda Mataram Motor (GMM), ATPM VW di Indonesia, Andrew Nasuri. Apalagi konsumsi bahan bakarnya tetap irit. VW mengklaim mobilnya mampu berjalan
hanya dengan satu liter premium.
Meski begitu VW Touran tidak lupa diri. Sebagai mobil penumpang seven seater fasilitas dan kenyamanan mengangkut keluarga tetap diperhatikan. Ruang kabin tetap lega, asiknya lagi untuk keperluan mengangkut barang jok di baris ketiga dan kedua bisa dilipat dan dilepas dengan mudah. "Seorang ibu rumah tangga pun saya yakin bisa melepasnya sendiri. Karena tinggal menekan tuas dan menariknya," terang Eko Yulianto, Training Manager PT GMM. Pria berkulit sawo matang ini juga menjelaskan kalau dalam VW Touran juga totalnya ada 13 konsol untuk menyimpan barang. Keamanan untuk penumpang dan pengemudi pun tak ketinggalan. "Khusus yang ini, pabrikan Eropa seperti VW sangat konsen pada urusan safety," yakin Eko. Buktinya pada mobil ini terdapat 6 air bag. Selain itu fitur safety yang mendukung handling juga tersedia. Mulai dari Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hydrolic Brake Assist System (HBS), Traction Control System (TCS), sampai Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) jadi fitur standar pada mobil ini. "Selain itu di pintu juga terdapat side impact protection, dan di bagian depan-belakang juga dilengkapi dengan fitur crumple zone untuk melindungi penumpang saat terjadi tabrakan dari berbagai sisi," lanjutnya. Selain penumpang keselamatan pejalan kaki juga turut di jaga dengan fitur pedestrian protection. "Pada bagian bumper depan belakang bahannya terbuat dari plastik lentur, saat ada pejalan kaki yang terserempet benturannya bisa diminamalisir. Selain itu bahan ini juga ramah lingkungan karena bisa di daur ulang," terang Eko lagi. Gimana? Performanya galak, ruang kabinnya fungsional dan safetynya cukup baik. Di atas rata-rata MPV yang beredar di Indonesia! Spesifikasi: Engine : 4 Cilinder Petrol Engine, DOHC Displamence : 1390cc Max Output : 140hp/5600rpm Max Torque : 220 Nm/1500rpm Transmission : Dual Clutch Gearbox DSG full automatic electronic control & Triptonic system Dimension : 4407x1794x1635mm Top Speed : 198 kph Acc 0-100 kph : 9,7 s Harga : Rp 395 juta (On The Road Jakarta) 
Ada Lapisan Lilin Antilengket pada Mi Instan?
Mudah, murah, dan enak. Itulah alasan mengapa banyak orang menyukai mi instan. Tinggal dimasak sebentar, bahkan ada yang hanya perlu diseduh air panas, langsung bisa disantap demi "menyelamatkan" perut yang keroncongan.
Seiring kesuksesan mi cepat saji ini, sudah sekian lama beredar isu seputar mi instan. Isu lapisan lilin pada mi instan adalah yang kerap diembuskan, malah bikin heboh beberapa tahun lalu. Lilin atau zat kimia lain sejenis wax tersebut digunakan agar mi tidak lengket ketika dimasak.
Dugaan inilah yang memunculkan banyak anjuran untuk tidak makan mi instan setiap hari. Dinyatakan sejumlah ahli, tubuh memerlukan waktu setidaknya tiga hari untuk membersihkan lilin tersebut. Apalagi ada pula dugaan bahwa lilin ini bersifat karsinogenik atau dapat mencetuskan terjadinya kanker.
Isu lilin ini sudah dibantah oleh Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM) beberapa tahun lalu. Hingga kini pun isu tersebut masih dibantah. Tentu saja, sebuah produk mi instan ternama turut membantah isu tersebut. "Jika isu itu memang benar, tentunya BPOM dan Departemen Kesehatan akan menarik mi instan dari pasaran," ujar Dr Nuri Andarwulan, ahli teknologi pangan dari Institut Pertanian Bogor. Terlepas dari isu lilin tersebut, para ahli kesehatan memang menganjurkan untuk membatasi asupan mi instan. Alasannya, konsumsi secara berlebihan atau sering dapat mengganggu saluran pencernaan dan menyebabkan berbagai masalah kesehatan lain. Meski ada-tidaknya lilin pada mi masih jadi perdebatan, ada baiknya kita berjaga-jaga. Supaya lebih aman, ada baiknya mengikuti tip berikut saat memasak mi instan: - Jerang air agak banyak hingga benar-benar mendidih, lalu dibagi menjadi dua bagian (tuang ke dalam dua panci berbeda). - Masukkan mi ke dalam panci pertama dan didihkan kembali. Panci pertama ini fungsinya untuk mencuci kandungan antilengket lainnya yang terdapat pada mi instan. Setelah matang, pindahkan mi yang telah "dicuci" itu ke dalam panci kedua, lalu didihkan kembali.
Iraqi Teen Solves 300-Year-Old Math Puzzle in Four Months
An Iraqi-born 16-year-old reportedly has cracked a math puzzle that has gone unsolved for over 300 years.
Mohamed Altoumaimi, who immigrated to
Altoumaimi said after his high school teachers were skeptical about his work he contacted professors at
The teen opted to continue his general studies but planned to take courses in advanced mathematics and physics this summer, AFP reported.
Army Starts Testing 'Judge Dredd' Weapon
The U.S. Army is set to start testing a computerized, high-tech projectile launcher that can take out bad guys hiding around corners and in caves or trenches, even if they're out of the soldier's line of sight.
Some experts call it the "Judge Dredd" gun, after the Sylvester Stallone movie. The Pentagon calls it the XM-25 Individual Air Burst Weapon, which uses a laser rangefinder to precisely measure the distance to a target, then primes a fuse on a timed grenade so that the projectile explodes exactly where it should.
"The way a soldier operates this is you basically find your target, then laze to it, which gives the range, then you get an adjusted aim point, adjust fire and pull the trigger," deputy program manager Richard Audette told Army News Service. "Say you've lazed out to
A squad trying to neutralize an enemy fighter wouldn't have to wait until he showed himself — instead, they could just aim to a spot near him, then use the XM-25 to have a grenade explode directly there. "For example, in Iraq we had many instances where there was a sniper firing from a rooftop and you have a squad trying to engage that target, but the soldiers couldn't get to him with the weapons they had, so they'd call in the Air Force to drop a JDAM (joint direct attack munition)," said Audette. "We can take out the target at $25 per XM round as opposed to a $20,000 to $50,000 JDAM." With a range of In addition to precision-timed grenades, the gun is also built to fire armor-piercing, door-breaching, anti-personnel and less-than-lethal rounds.
Scientists Find New 'Ebola' Like Virus in Africa
Scientists have identified a lethal new virus in
The so-called "Lujo" virus infected five people in
It's not clear how the first person became infected, but the bug comes from a family of viruses found in rodents, said Dr. Ian Lipkin, a
"This one is really, really aggressive" he said of the virus.
A paper on the virus by Lipkin and his collaborators was published online Thursday on in PLoS Pathogens.
The outbreak started in September, when a female travel agent who lives on the outskirts of
She was airlifted to A paramedic in Investigators believe the virus spread from person to person through contact with infected body fluids. "It's not a kind of virus like the flu that can spread widely," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which helped fund the research. The name given to the virus — "Lujo" — stems from Investigators in Genetic extracts of blood and liver from the victims were tested at The drug ribavirin, which is given to Lassa victims, was given to the fifth Lujo virus patient — a The research is a startling example of how quickly scientists can now identify new viruses, Fauci said. Using genetic sequencing techniques, the virus was identified in a matter of a few days — a process that used to take weeks or longer. Along with Fauci's institute, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Google also helped fund the research.
Russian Scientist: UFO Crashed Into Meteorite to Save Earth
Did a UFO deliberately crash into a meteor to save Earth 100 years ago? That's what one Russian scientist is claiming.
Dr. Yuri Labvin, president of the Tunguska Spatial Phenomenon Foundation, insists that an alien spacecraft sacrificed itself to prevent a gigantic meteor from slamming into the planet above
The result was was the
Most scientists think the blast was caused by a meteorite exploding several miles above the surface. But Labvin thinks quartz slabs with strange markings found at the site are remnants of an alien control panel, which fell to the ground after the UFO slammed into the giant rock. "We don't have any technologies that can print such kind of drawings on crystals," Labvin told the Macedonian International News Agency. "We also found ferrum silicate that can not be produced anywhere, except in space."
18 Artis Masuk Senayan, Demokrat Paling Banyak
Banyak artis berlaga dalam Pemilu Legislatif 2009. Namun tidak semua beruntung berhasil melenggang ke Senayan.
Ada 18 artis yang tercatat lolos menjadi anggota dewan. Jumlah terbanyak diraih Partai Demokrat yang meloloskan 7 artis.
Berikut nama-nama artis yang bakal mengisi gedung DPR di Senayan berdasarkan data Media Center KPU, Rabu (
1. Okky Asokawati (PPP, dapil DKI II dengan 17.343 suara)
2. Rachel Mariam Sayidina (Gerindra, dapil Jabar II dengan 25.540 suara)
3. Rieke Diah Pitaloka (PDIP, dapil Jabar II dengan 80.681 suara)
4. Theresia EE Pardede (Demokrat, dapil Jabar II dengan 21.672 suara)
5. Ingrid Maria Palupi Kansil (Demokrat, dapil Jabar IV dengan 33.418 suara)
6. Nurul Arifin (Golkar, dapil Jabar VII dengan 122.452 suara)
7. Tetty Kadi Bawono (Golkar, dapil Jabar VIII dengan 35.882 suara)
8. Nurul Qomar (Demokrat, dapil Jabar VIII dengan 101.170 suara)
9. Primus Yustisio (PAN, dapil Jabar IX dengan 60.684 suara)
10. TB Dedi S Gumelar (PDIP, dapil Banten I dengan 42.659 suara)
11. Jamal Mirdad (Gerindra, dapil Jateng I dengan 34.674 suara)
12. Angelina Sondakh (Demokrat, dapil Jateng VI dengan 145.159 suara)
14. CP Samiadji Massaid (Demokrat, dapil Jatim II dengan 70.572 suara)
15. Venna Melinda (Demokrat, dapil Jatim VI dengan 30.650 suara)
16. Eko Hendro Purnomo (PAN, dapil Jatim VIII dengan 64.176 suara)
17. Ruhut Poltak Sitompul (Demokrat, dapil Sumut III dengan 67.162 suara)
18. Tantowi Yahya (Golkar, dapil Sumsel II dengan 209.044 suara)
Anak Ajaib ke Jakarta
KEAJAIBAN yang dialami Anggun Putri Aulia (4) membuat banyak orang terperangah. Putri kedua pasangan Serka Asep dan mendiang Ny Lemi yang selamat dalam musibah jatuhnya pesawat Hercules pekan lalu itu sudah pulih seperti sediakala.
Pada wajah dan kepalanya masih ada bekas luka-luka akibat benturan dan kaki kirinya masih digips, Senin (25/5), Anggun sudah ceria, menyanyi, tertawa, dan bersenda gurau dengan teman sebayanya.
Pada saat kejadian, Anggun dan adiknya, Angga Buana Kusuma (1,5), ditemukan di atas tumpukan mayat yang gosong. Keduanya berada tak jauh dari mayat sang ibu dan kakaknya. Diduga, saat pesawat terempas dan terbakar, sang ibu—nama lengkapnya Lemi Muchandah Ningrum (32)—memegangi Anggun dan Angga sehingga kedua bocah itu selamat.
Pesawat yang ditumpangi Anggun bersama seratusan penumpang lain, yakni Hercules C-130, jatuh dan meledak di Desa Geplak, Kecamatan Karas, Kabupaten Magetan, Rabu (20/5). Ibu dan kakak Anggun, Ardian (8), juga tewas. Kemarin, Anggun dinyatakan sehat dan diperkenankan pulang oleh tim medis RSUP dr Soedono, Madiun, setelah menjalani perawatan intensif sejak Rabu lalu. Sebelum dibawa kembali ke Jakarta, Anggun akan tinggal di rumah kakeknya di Desa Malang, Kecamatan Maospati, Kabupaten Magetan, sambil menunggu adiknya, Angga, pulih kesehatannya. Menurut sang bibi, Aat Sumiati, kedua keponakannya itu akan dibesarkan oleh sang ayah di Kompleks Dwikora, Jakarta Timur. Serka Asep Dedi berdinas di Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma dan tinggal di Kompleks TNI AU Halim Perdanakusuma. "Sampai sekarang kami belum berani memberitahukan kondisi ibu dan kakak kandungnya kepada Anggun, meski dia selalu tanya kondisi ibu dan kakaknya tersebut. Kami akan beri tahu kalau memang situasi dan kondisinya sudah tepat," ungkap Sumiati.
Isuzu Turunkan Harga D-Max
Agar bisa bersaing di kelas pikap, baik double cab maupun single cab, Isuzu menurunkan harga D-Max. Manajemen Isuzu, yaitu PT Isuzu Astra Motor Indonesia (IAMI) dan Astra International–Isuzu Sales Operation (AI-ISO), mengakui, masalah yang selama ini dihadapi Isuzu D-Max saat berkompetisi dengan merek lain, seperti Mitsubishi Strada Triton, Toyota Hilux, dan Ford Ranger, adalah harganya yang lebih mahal.
"Harga D-Max memang lebih mahal. Namun, ketangguhan Isuzu sudah teruji. Kini, kami berusaha menawarkan harga yang kompetitif," ujar Johannes Nangoi, Wakil Presdir PT IAMI, ATPM Isuzu D-Max.
Kini, menurut Supranoto, CEO PT AI-ISO, D-Max double cab ditawarkan dengan harga sekitar Rp 300 juta, sebelumnya, Rp 325 juta. Adapun single cab Rp 260 juta, sebelumnya Rp 280 juta. Dengan harga yang makin bersaing dan terjangkau ini, Isuzu berharap, pasar D-Max semakin besar dan bisa bersaing dengan kompetitor yang selama ini menawarkan harga yang lebih kompetitif.
"Penyesuaian harga ini kami lakukan tanpa specs down. Kondisinya sama dengan D-Max sebelumnya. Kami bisa melakukan hal ini karena mendapat subsidi dari Isuzu Jepang," ungkap Supranoto.
Oli ASPAL (Asli Tapi Palsu)
Jangan pernah beli oli di tempat yang tidak jelas atau tidak dipercaya," ucap seorang pedagang oli di salah satu sentra onderdil di
Fauzan, pemilik O zan Oil Mart di Bekasi bilang kalau sampai saat ini pemalsuan terhadap oli masih banyak terjadi. "Bukan olinya yang jelek, tapi antara kemasan dan isi sangat berbeda," ucapnya.
Untuk mencermati tindak tipu-tipu tersebut, pria berkacamata ini dengan senang hati menceritakan trik-triknya. Tentu kemasan luar jadi salah satu objek yang bisa langsung dilihat.
Pastikan kemasan dalam keadaan bersih, tak ada bercak noda seperti oli dan stiker merek dagang masih dalam keadaan baik. Setelah pengecekan tersebut cukup meyakinkan, jangan keburu puas dulu.
Cek juga pantat kemasan. Kalau terlihat baret-baret panjang atau terkelupas lebih baik ambil kemasan lain. Karena kemungkinan, itu botol bekas. Baret menunjukkan kalau botol pernah disimpan di sembarang tempat atau tergeser-geser. Langkah berikutnya deteksi tutup kemasan. "Ini sebenarnya agak sulit bagi yang awam," ungkapnya. Pada kemasan yang masih asli, ketika tutup kemasan dibuka bunyinya cukup keras dan putarannya juga masih keras. Di kemasan daur ulang, bunyi saat buka sudah lemah dan proses membukanya juga sangat mudah. Sebab, pada kemasan asli, antara tutup kemasan dengan cincin dibawah tutup tersolder dengan menggunakan mesin dari pabrik sedang pada kemasan non asli disolder manual. Jika sudah telanjur buka tutup kemasan, sebelum menuang oli ke mesin masih ada yang b isa dicermati, yakni segelnya. Pada kemasan oli asli, segel ini akan terlihat rapi. Maklum penutupan segel menggunakan mesin yang sudah diprogram. Sedang pada oli 'aspal' (asli tapi palsu), segel ini tidak rapi, sehingga penutupan mulut kemasan justru tak sempurna. Masih ada komponen lain yang bisa dijadikan pembeda. Yakni pada aroma dan warna dari oli itu sendiri. Untuk tahu pembedanya memang harus jeli dan tahu benar kualitas yang asli.
Spesialis Hyundai, Harga Lebih Terjangkau
Bagi pemilik mobil Hyundai (Accent, Getz, Atoz, Avega, atau Trajet), jika besutan Anda tengah bermasalah, silakan sambangi bengkel Hade Motor (HM), di Jl. Junjunan No. 161,
"Pastinya, bengkel ini dibangun oleh para mekanik handal plus senior. Semua jebolan dealer atau ATPM dari produk mobil terkait. Begitu dealer resmi di mana tempat kami bubar, kita kompak bergabung di sini," bisik Dedi Supardi, pria yang dapat tugas menangani urusan spare part di HM ini.
Makanya jangan kaget. Hampir semua produk Hyundai mampu mereka tangani dengan mudah. "Bukan sekadar itu. Dalam menangani servis, pola penanganannya nyaris persis dengan umumnya bengkel rujukan ATPM," tambah Dedi Junaedi dan Taslana, dua mekanik lain dari HM. Termasuk, beberapa pelayanan jasa, diskon harga spare part, dan jasa siap 'terbang' atau dipanggil selama 24 jam jika diperlukan.
Urusan harga tengok saja ongkos jasa turun mesin. Paling mahal, di bengkel HM, angkanya tak lebih dari Rp 1 juta. Begitu juga dengan biaya tune-up atau servis berkala, paling tak lebih dari Rp 85 ribu. Gimana, murahkan?
Penasaran, silakan sambangi Bengkel Hade Motor di Jl. Junjunan No. 161, Bandung (022-6020-375).
Google using Alien Intelligence in Real-Time Search Algorithms
If you're wondering why there's been a fundamental shift in the way search engines index and serve results from older, aged sources percolating to the top to 'real time search,' it's because Aliens are on their way to earth right now and they need to keep up on the latest earth news and gossip.
Consider this for a minute: If you were on an 8 year journey to a new planet inhabited by a race of billions of rapidly evolving, highly unpredictable and potentially hostile beings, wouldn't you want to not only know their history but keep up with current happenings as well?
So how you accomplish such a feat? You jack their interstellar wi-fi and surf their internet, that's how…and that's exactly what a group of Aliens are doing right now as they hurtle toward earth at nearly 4x the speed of light. On March 27,09, AllNewsWeb.com published an article titled: Breaking News: Barack Obama prepares for UFO arrival, open alien contact claiming: The aliens indirectly contributed to the development of internet search engines and they are in limited contact with Google through SETI. They are able to access the internet currently and their involvement in search engine research is for the purpose of allowing them to understand as much about earth as possible prior to their next arrival.
It is believed that search engine algorithms are somewhat based on the form of telepathic communication they use.
So yeah, for the first few years internet search engines exist, they refine their algos to dig up the older, more relevant and most credible data so our Alien visitors can learn the back-story of earth, and then as they get closer to the planet they concentrate on current events to gain a better understanding of our current culture; hence, the shift to real-time search and instant update services.
It's all starting to make sense now.
Media World: Hugh Hefner is Looking For a Sugar Daddy
Hugh Hefner,
According to the New York Post, Playboy Enterprises Inc. (PLA) is being "quietly" shopped around to private equity firms for about $300 million. That's roughly three times the market capitalization of the Chicago-based company. No wonder the Post is reporting that Apollo Capital Partners and Providence Equity Partners, which have been approached, have yet to make an offer. Perhaps Hefner thinks the company is worth quite a bit more than the investment bankers do.
Hefner still has about a 70 percent ownership interest in Playboy. There are many reasons both emotional and financial that may make him reluctant to sell. After all, Hefner is synonymous with the brand in part because of the swinging lifestyle he leads at the company-owned
"Hefner, now 83 years old, said recently that one of his biggest regrets was taking Playboy public," the Post said. It's easy to see why Shares of Playboy, which have run up a bit lately along with the rest of the market, have plunged nearly 80 percent over the past five years amid declining revenue at the company's flagship magazine. Some investors are taking an interest in the stock, betting that the company would get sold once Hefner joins the great pajama party in the sky. Playboy retains a tiny vestige of what made it cool. Young male celebrities still will give their firstborn for an invitation to one of Hefner's famous parties. But that doesn't do shareholders much good amid the explosion of free adult content online. For the quarter ended March 31, the Selling Playboy may prove more difficult for Hefner than convincing women young enough to be his great-grandaughters that he is good boyfriend material.
Note to Lawyers: Don't Accept Sex As Payment
Legal fees can be expensive — but allowing clients to pay with sex, it turns out, is a no-no for lawyers.
A
How much is sex worth in the law world, you might be wondering? The woman's bill, for an assault-related case, was said to be $2,300. Tipler, local media outlets report, credited off $200 each time she had sex with him — and $400 each time she arranged for another woman to have sex with him. That's rather insulting to her, isn't it?
Tipler pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution. It didn't stop there, though: An investigating board apparently found he also charged excessive (non-sexual) fees, altered evidence, arranged false testimonies, and actually stole money from clients.
Parents Fuming as Texas Schools Let Gideons Provide Bibles to Students
Some parents in
Frisco Independent Schools allowed Gideons International to display Bibles on tabletops in all 13 of the district's middle and high schools last week. Officials say it didn't violate the law, but some parents say school is not the place to be offering the Good Book.
"I was never notified by the schools that they were going to allow this. I was a little shocked," said Debbie Lutz, a mother with three children who attend schools in Frisco, about
Michael Baier, who has a son at Frisco's "If they're God-fearing Christians ... they should be giving those items wherever they worship. School is a place to learn, not a place to worship," Baier told. Lutz said she wants the freedom to raise her children as she sees fit — and without the interference of religious groups. She told she worried that allowing one group to offer Bibles in the school would open the floodgates to any groups who want to reach students on school grounds. "It does open the door for other people to have the right to hand out other stuff. And I think that's not a good door to open." School administrators say that door was opened because the Gideons used to stand on public sidewalks near the schools and distribute Bibles to students as they went home. That raised some alarms for parents, some of whom even contacted the police about their children's safety. And it stymied the school system, which says it has "no control over what takes place on the public sidewalks." The Gideons are now taking advantage of a school policy that allows them to leave Bibles on a tabletop in the schools' front offices, though they're barred from interacting with students or remaining there during school hours. A spokeswoman for the school district said that a number of materials are made available to students this way, including newspapers, camp brochures and tutoring pamphlets. College and military recruitment information is available all year long. The Gideon Bibles were made available for just one day. "We have to handle this request in the same manner as other requests to distribute non-school literature — in a viewpoint neutral manner," Shana Wortham, director of communications for the district, wrote in an e-mail. Wortham said that the schools did not solicit or invite the Gideons in, and when one of the evangelists tried to speak to students, administrators quickly stepped in to address the violation. Gideons International had no comment on their in-school offerings when contacted by phone Tuesday. Adult representatives for the Gideons have been barred by federal circuit courts from offering Bibles inside classrooms, but they continue to offer to provide them at many schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and elsewhere. The group, founded in 1907, has distributed about 1.5 billion Bibles in the last century, mostly in hotel rooms. Some parents weren't troubled by the presence of the Gideons or their Bibles. Holly McCall, president of the parent-teacher association at "I didn't feel like [the Bible] was being pushed upon" students at the school, she told. She said she didn't expect to be notified every time books or pamphlets are on offer in the office at Roach Middle. That would be like an advertisement for the Bible, she said. School officials told they would continue to review their policies, but they stressed that they had followed the letter of the law. But for some parents looking for a neutral education in the public school system, that wasn't enough. Lutz, whose children go to schools in the district, said she wants the freedom to raise her children as she sees fit — and without the interference of other religious groups. "I am not atheist — I believe in God," she told. "But I just don't want any religion forced on my child at school. That's why my child goes to a public school."
Alleged PS3 Slim Spy Shots Inspire Hope, Doubt
Dredged from the
Sony has a history of miniaturizing their game systems after a while, as in the cases of the PS2 Slim and PS one, but at this stage in the PS3's life a slim version would be a surprise.
More to the point, there are issue with how this spotted hardware fits within Sony convention. Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft notes that the console has essentially renamed—Sony has always branded it with the full PlayStation 3 moniker—and that midstream logo changes are uncharacteristic of the company. The glaringly inferior finish is what stands out the most, as some of these shitty plastic components look like they came right out of a PS3 knockoff mill.
The Sarah Connor Chronicles Getting 'Terminated'
Just before the film arm of its franchise gets a much-anticipated reboot, The Sarah Connor Chronicles has been canceled by Fox. Sadly, even the show's bold cost-cutting measures weren't enough to save it.
Asimov's Robo Laws
When people talk about robots and ethics, they always seem to bring up Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics." But there are three major problems with these laws and their use in our real world.
The Laws
Asimov's laws initially entailed three guidelines for machines:
• Law One - "A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm."
• Law Two - "A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law."
• Law Three - "A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law."
• Asimov later added the "Zeroth Law," above all the others - "A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm."
The Debunk The first problem is that the laws are fiction! They are a plot device that Asimov made up to help drive his stories. Even more, his tales almost always revolved around how robots might follow these great sounding, logical ethical codes, but still go astray and the unintended consequences that result. An advertisement for the 2004 movie adaptation of Asimov's famous book I, Robot (starring the Fresh Prince and Tom Brady's baby mama) put it best, "Rules were made to be broken." For example, in one of Asimov's stories, robots are made to follow the laws, but they are given a certain meaning of "human." Prefiguring what now goes on in real-world ethnic cleansing campaigns, the robots only recognize people of a certain group as "human." They follow the laws, but still carry out genocide. The second problem is that no technology can yet replicate Asimov's laws inside a machine. As Rodney Brooks of the company iRobot—named after the Asimov book, they are the people who brought you the Packbot military robot and the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner—puts it, "People ask me about whether our robots follow Asimov's laws. There is a simple reason [they don't]: We can't build Asimov's laws in them." Roboticist Daniel Wilson [and "Machines Behaving Deadly" contributor here at Gizmodo] was a bit more florid. "Asimov's rules are neat, but they are also bullshit. For example, they are in English. How the heck do you program that?" The most important reason for Asimov's Laws not being applied yet is how robots are being used in our real world. You don't arm a Reaper drone with a Hellfire missile or put a machine gun on a MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) not to cause humans to come to harm. That is the very point! The same goes to building a robot that takes order from any human. Do we really want Osama Bin Laden to be able to order about our robot? And finally, the fact that robots can be sent out on dangerous missions to be "killed" is often the very rationale to using them. To give them a sense of "existence" and survival instinct would go against that rationale, as well as opens up potential scenarios from another science fiction series, the Terminator movies. The point here is that much of the funding for robotic research comes from the military, which is paying for robots that follow the very opposite of Asimov's laws. It explicitly wants robots that can kill, won't take orders from just any human, and don't care about their own existences. A Question of Ethics The bigger issue, though, when it comes to robots and ethics is not whether we can use something like Asimov's laws to make machines that are moral (which may be an inherent contradiction, given that morality wraps together both intent and action, not mere programming). Rather, we need to start wrestling with the ethics of the people behind the machines. Where is the code of ethics in the robotics field for what gets built and what doesn't? To what would a young roboticists turn to? Who gets to use these sophisticated systems and who doesn't? Is a Predator drone a technology that should just be limited to the military? Well, too late, the Department of Homeland Security is already flying six Predator drones doing border security. Likewise, many local police departments are exploring the purchase of their own drones to park over him crime neighborhoods. We may think that makes sense, until the drone is watching our neighborhood. But what about us? Is it within our 2nd Amendment right to have a robot that bears arms? These all sound a bit like the sort of questions that would only be posed at science fiction conventions. But that is my point. When we talk about robots now, we are no longer talking about "mere science fiction" as one Pentagon analyst described of these technologies. They are very much a part of our real world.
Google Must Reshoot Every Single Street View Image in Japan
Google's gotta reshoot every Street View image it's taken in Japan from a height
The current photos—which cover 12 cities—were taken by cameras mounted on sticks stuck on the roof of a car, placing them over the height of most people's fences (seriously), so Google Japan has agreed to lower them by exactly
Given that addresses are essentially useless in
Acer's Aspire One AO751h 11.6-Inch Barely-a-Netbook Officially $380
Available Configurations Pricing and Availability
The new Acer Aspire One AO751h and AOD250 are available in several configurations. Sample configurations follow:
Acer Aspire One AO751h-1192 Specifications
* Intel(r) Atom(tm) Processor Z520 (1.22GHz, 490MHz FSB, 512KB L2
Cache)
* Genuine Microsoft Windows XP(r) Home (Service Pack 3)
* 11.6-inch WXGA 16:9 ratio Acer CrystalBrite(tm) High Definition
LED back-lit TFT LCD (1364 x 768 resolution)
* Mobile Intel(r) US15W Express Chipset
* 1024MB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM Single Channel Memory
* Integrated Intel(r) Graphics Media Accelerator 950
* 160GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
* Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader and Dedicated SD Card
* Acer InviLink(tm) 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(r)
* Acer Crystal Eye Web Camera
* Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
* Three USB 2.0 Ports
* 6-cell Li-ion Battery (5200mAh)
* 11.18" (W) x 7.79" (D) x 1" (H)
* Sapphire Blue
* One-Year Standard Warranty
* Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: $379.99
Acer Aspire One AOD250-1042 Specifications
* Intel(r) Atom(tm) Processor N270 (1.60GHz, 533MHz FSB, 512KB L2
Cache)
* Genuine Microsoft Windows XP(r) Home (Service Pack 3)
* 10.1-inch WSVGA 16:9 ratio Acer CrystalBrite(tm) LED back-lit
TFT LCD (1024x600 resolution)
* Mobile Intel(r) 945GSE Express Chipset
* 1024MB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM Single Channel Memory
* Integrated Intel(r) Graphics Media Accelerator 950
* 160GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
* Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
* Acer InviLink(tm) 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(r)
* Acer Crystal Eye Web Camera
* Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
* Three USB 2.0 Ports
* 3-cell Li-ion Battery (2600 mAh)
* 10.17" (W) x 7.24" (D) x 1" (H)
* Ruby Red
* One-Year Standard Warranty
* Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: $298.00
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Source: https://want2knowjust.blogspot.com/2009/05/
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