Bid To Give Jackson The Nobel Peace Prize UK, Monday July 27, 2009 Twitter Michael Jackson's fans think he should be nominated for a Nobel medal The late star's fans have flocked to sign online petitions supporting the move. They say he should be honoured for his charity work and "lifelong dedication to the well being of humanity". So far, more than 2,000 people have added their names to the campaign started by Los Angeles student Anneliese Nichole Brown. She hopes 100,000 will lend their support for the Thriller singer who died on June 25. A similar petition has been signed by 10,000 fans. News of the campaign is spreading virally online on sites such as Twitter. However, nominations for the peace prize are not made according to public demand. Members of governments, professors, and former winners of the prize are among those who can suggest names. The campaign would need to win the support of someone eligible to nominate to get the musician's name in the running. Submissions start in September and the name is then announced the following October. If the star did make the shortlist but he did not win, fans would have to wait a long time to find out - as the names of unsuccessful candidates are not revealed for 50 years. Former winners of the prize include Nelson Mandela, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter.

US Air Force says decision-making attack drones will be here by 2047 by Laura June , posted Jul 28th 2009 at 4:28PM Leave it to the military to dream big . In its recently released "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Plan 2009-2047" report, the US Air Force details a drone that could fly over a target and then make the decision whether or not to launch an attack, all without human intervention. The Air Force says that increasingly, humans will monitor situations, rather than be deciders or participants, and that "advances in AI will enable systems to make combat decisions and act within legal and policy constraints without necessarily requiring human input." Programming of the drone will be based on "human intent," with real actual humans monitoring the execution, while retaining the authority and ability to override the system. It's all still extremely vague, with literally no details on exactly how this drone will come into existence, but we do know this: the Air Force plans to have these dudes operational by 2047. We're just holding out to see what those "classified" pages are all about. [Warning: read link is a PDF] [Via PC World ] Read -Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Plan 2009-2047

St. Pauli Girl: Probably Not Just a Waitress What's not to like about the St. Pauli Girl? She's blonde, big bosomed, and brings us big frothy mugs of beer! But what most people don't realize is that she's not exactly just a waitress. Yep, St. Pauli is the famous red light district of Hamburg, Germany. In 1977, St. Pauli Girl Beer started to choose a spokesmodel to represent the beer brand and appear on the popular St. Pauli Girl poster. In 1999, they started using Playboy magazine playmates as the girl (the 2008 St. Pauli Girl is Irina Voronina ).

Divorce 'health scars permanent' Stressful relationships can be bad for your health Divorce has a lingering, detrimental impact on health that even remarriage cannot fully repair, a study suggests. A Chicago study involving 8,652 people aged 51 to 61 found divorced people have 20% more chronic illnesses such as cancer than those who never marry. The figure only drops to 12% for those who remarry, researchers write in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour. They say we start adulthood with a "health stock" that is kept or eroded depending on our marital experience. Only those who are continuously married can expect the same rate of chronic health problems as the never-wedded, the study suggests. BBC

Rolls-Royce Unveils a Recession-Ready Limousine Monday, Jul. 27, 2009 Rolls-Royce's new recession-beating luxury car, the Ghost Rolls Royce Motor Cars Ltd Rolls-Royces are typically leviathan in size and synonymous with ostentatious wealth. But the company's new Ghost model will be much more modest. A prototype of the four-door sedan that has been making the rounds at auto shows this summer is shorter and sleeker than the company's flagship Phantom limousine, making it "slightly more agile" and better for daily use, says Rolls-Royce CEO Tom Purves. It's more affordable as well, priced at just $245,000, far below the $380,000 baseline price tag for the Phantom.

Agents seize $1.2 billion worth of pot in Calif. More than 318,000 marijuana plants were destroyed in the operation Thurs., July 23, 2009 FRESNO, Calif. - Federal and state agents have arrested 83 people accused of growing more than $1.2 billion worth of marijuana in a crackdown on illegal pot gardens in California's Sierra Nevada range. Local officials said several Mexican marijuana-growing cartels helped set up the grow sites scattered throughout rocky mountainsides of eastern Fresno County, and they warned that more arrests were likely as the sweep continues. More than 318,000 marijuana plants were destroyed in the operation, which also netted nearly $41,000 in cash, 25 weapons and two vehicles, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said Thursday. "You can imagine looking from a helicopter down onto a forest, there are a lot of different shades of green. It took some specially trained personnel to spot where the marijuana was growing," Mims said. "We found it planted on hillsides and gullies, and some of the plants had grown to be eight feet tall." While the bust was large enough to merit a visit Wednesday from Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, it accounts for a small percentage of the pot typically seized in California each year.

Lighted Wings July 23, 2009 “ We’ve made many styles of lighted wings for butterflies, angels, fairies, and other flying creatures using LEDs and EL wire . Most have straps so they can be worn over the shoulders, like a backpack. The batteries and on/off switch are usually located in a pocket at the center back of the wings.”

John Travolta 'scared to leave Church of Scientology' NEWS.com.au July 27, 2009 JOHN Travolta is a virtual recluse considering leaving the Church of Scientology six months after the sudden death of his son, according to a report quoting insiders in the church and friends of the actor. The report, in Britain's Mail on Sunday , claims Travolta is so distraught over the death of Jett, 16, in the Bahamas during a New Year family holiday, that he is barely able to function and seldom seen in public. It says Travolta is disillusioned with the secretive church and bitterly regrets adhering to its teachings when treating his son's condition, which is believed to have been autism. But the report claims the 55-year-old actor may not follow through on private threats to quit the church because of fears it could retaliate by revealing embarrassing details about his private life. The report quotes a neighbour of Travolta's as saying that he is rarely seen during daylight hours, but is often spotted driving around his property at night, alone in the golf buggy.

Fate of "marijuana mine" in limbo Thu Jul 23, 9:23 am ET VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) – An abandoned mine in northern Canada may lose its role as the country's only government-sanctioned marijuana farm. Production at the mine -- deep under the tundra at Flin Flon, Manitoba -- had to be moved because the facility was not big enough and a deal to expand it had not been worked out, operator Prairie Plant System said on Wednesday. The mine had been producing legal marijuana for nearly a decade since Canada began allowing patients legal access to marijuana for medical reasons such as controlling pain. The switch to another location prompted media reports that the operation had gone up in smoke, but Prairie Plants Chief Executive Brent Zetti said that was premature. Zetti still hopes to strike a deal with mine owner HudBay Minerals Inc "It may be or it may not be (closed forever)," Zetti said. The company, which raises plants for pharmaceutical uses, has other operations in the Trout Lake mine. Its contract to supply pot to Health Canada for sale to authorized medical users runs for another 2-1/2 years. Some marijuana activists have panned the quality of pot from the Flin Flon facility, saying many medical users simply grow their own or buy from sources other than the government. Authorized medical marijuana users are allowed to legally grow their own pot. While medical marijuana's use is controversial, some research has show has shown the drug to be effective in alleviating symptoms of debilitating diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis.

Naked girls plow fields for rain Thu Jul 23, 9:21 am ET PATNA, India (Reuters) – Farmers in an eastern Indian state have asked their unmarried daughters to plow parched fields naked in a bid to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed monsoon rain, officials said on Thursday. Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar state plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the plows. "They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains," Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar's remote Banke Bazaar town. "This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily." India this year suffered its worst start to the vital monsoon rains in eight decades, causing drought in some states.

Breckenridge: One small step closer to legalizing pot Colorado Crimes , News Monday, Jul. 27 2009 @ 12:24PM Small amounts if this could soon be legal in Breckenridge.​In the battle to become Ski Country's most weed-friendly destination, the town of Breckenridge has moved one step closer to legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The town clerk has certified a petition circulated by Sensible Breckenridge, part of the larger advocacy group Sensible Colorado, verifying that at least 500 of the signatures were not signed "Cheech" or "Stoney McStonerton." The town council will now have a chance to vote on the measure, which would "remove local penalties for the private possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults twenty-one or older," Sensible Breckenridge said in a release. If the town council gets all high and forgets to vote on August 11, a measure will appear on November's ballot allowing voters to decide. And no: Just because Breck's totally your favorite place to board and you'd totally go there every weekend if this law takes effect, that doesn't make you eligible to vote. Nice effort though.

Pictured: (NEXT SLIDE) The record-breaking kayaker who risked life and limb in a 186ft waterfall drop 27th July 2009 Perched on the brink of a 186ft drop, this was the moment when Tyler Bradt probably felt the urge to start frantically paddling backwards. Less than four seconds later, he was celebrating a world record for kayak descents. The 22-year-old American touched 100mph as he plummeted over Palouse Falls in eastern Washington. Tyler Bradt tumbles down the 186ft waterfall, shattering the previous world record of 127ft he'd set weeks earlier. Amid an eerie stillness he fell 186ft in just 3.7 seconds as he touched speeds of 100mph in the terrifying descent. After disappearing under the water at the base of the torrent, he emerged with a broken paddle. His only physical damage was a sprained wrist.

Women wanted for chocolate experiments Thursday, July 23, 2009 Scientists are hunting for new volunteers who will be required to eat chocolate every day for a year. Boffins studying the potential health benefits of dark chocolate at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, Norfolk, need 40 women to test specially made bars. Participants must be post-menopausal and have type 2 diabetes to help see whether flavonoid compounds in chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease. Some 150 volunteers who took part in the study's first round of tests last year will soon be tested for any health benefits. Dr Peter Curtis, of the UEA's School of Medicine, said: "Our first volunteers are about to return for their final visit to see if the markers of heart health - such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels - have changed. "A successful outcome could be the first step in developing new ways to improve the lives of people at increased risk of heart disease." Researchers believe that chocolate rich in flavonoid plant compounds found in cocoa and soy could help postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes ward off heart disease. A Belgian chocolatier has been used to create bars rich in flavonoids, and the test bars used in the clinical trials are said to have a "bitter" taste. The new volunteers must be under 76 years old and must not have had a period for at least one year or be taking HRT. Volunteers must also be non-smokers and have been taking cholesterol lowering drugs such as statins for at least a year.

Boy arrested at playground sandbox with heroin Jul 09 10:57 CET The Local / Germany A 12-year-old boy was arrested by Berlin police Monday evening after he was discovered to be carrying 150 small packets of heroin at a playground. Plainclothes officers became suspicious of the boy when they noticed him rummaging around the sand of a playground in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. When they tried to approach the youth and speak to him, he attempted to flee, police spokesman Martin Otter told The Local. The officers managed to restrain the child and search him, at which point they discovered he was carrying 150 packets of heroin and a “large” quantity of cash. “Let’s just say that for a 12-year-old, he had a lot of money on him,” Otter told The Local. The boy is a resident of a children’s home but has never had any past problems with police, Otter said. Police are trying to determine whether the boy was dealing the drugs himself or carrying the drugs and cash for someone else. Kreuzberg has a thriving drug scene mostly concentrated around Kottbusser Tor, not far from where the boy was arrested. Otter said uniformed and plainclothes police are constantly patrolling the area to monitor the situation but said the officers were shocked at the boy’s age. “This is a total exception, most people in the drug scene in Kreuzberg are quite a bit older,” Otter said. The boy has been returned to the children's home while police continue their investigation.

How One Joint Could Wreck Your Mental Health July 28, 2009 “ Cannabis causes mental illness and even one-off users show signs of behaviour linked to schizophrenia, pioneering research showed yesterday . It found in tests on 22 healthy students and academics that half showed an ‘acute psychotic reaction’ when injected with the main active ingredient of the drug. And it detected a series of similarities to symptoms of schizophrenia in their responses. The research, the first to try to chart exactly the impact of doses of cannabis on mental functions and mood, is one of the clearest indicators yet that the drug is a primary cause of mental illness. It suggests that current Home Office advice to young people, which says that the drug is dangerous only to those who already have mental health problems, is misinformed and misleading.”

Naked Bicyclist Nabbed Cops: Father found Florida man in bed with 14-year-old daughter JULY 23--Meet Jose Antonio Torres. The Florida man, 23, was allegedly having sex Tuesday morning with his 14-year-old girlfriend when the teen's father discovered the pair in bed. After being punched several times by the father, a bleeding and naked Torres fled the girl's home on a red bicycle. He was soon nabbed by Altamonte Springs cops, who spotted Torres "traveling from behind a closed business on a bicycle...the male suspect appeared to be nude," according to a police report. As seen in the below evidence photo, Torres and his getaway vehicle were corralled on someone's front lawn. Torres, pictured in the mug shot at right, was charged with felony sexual battery charge and booked into the Seminole County jail, where he is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond.

BORN IN THE USA? $100,000 offered for proof of eligibility Businessman asks how president can issue orders 'if he is not qualified' Posted: July 28, 2009 10:04 pm Eastern WorldNetDaily A man who runs a silver business and offers stock investment advice has announced he's offering a reward of $100,000 for proof meeting his satisfaction that Barack Obama is a "natural born" citizen of the United States, and therefore eligible to be president. On his website, Jason Hommel announced the offer. "I, Jason Hommel, promise that I will give $100,000 to the first person who can prove to my satisfaction that Barack Obama, acting as president of the United States, is a 'natural born' citizen of the USA, which is a qualification to hold the office as indicated in the U.S. Constitution," he wrote. "Please prove that Obama is a 'natural born' US citizen, and put to rest the claims in lawsuits, as wnd.com reports, 'that include contentions Obama was born in Kenya, wasn't a 'natural born' citizen because of his father's Kenyan citizenship, was a dual citizen and that his mother wasn't old enough to transmit citizenship at birth. In addition, his citizenship is clouded by his move as a child to Indonesia and apparent adoption by an Indonesian citizen who married his mother.'" Hommel told WND that the offer has produced for him a flood of e-mails , but no proof.

Norio Fujikawa Jetscooter Definitive Touch. July 22nd, 2009. Illustrator and conceptual thinker Norio Fujikawa gets full-marks for this radical Jetscooter concept. Based in San Fransisco the designer has a penchant for futuristic ideas, with retro styling, and transport innovation that might become a reality in, say 2025. Until then we can only marvel and this creative genius.

Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle Just because you like to ride on two wheels instead of four doesn't mean you can't go green. Meant to be an urban cruiser, the Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle ($12,000 and up) uses six Lithium Phosphate battery modules to propel you from zero to 30 mph in just 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 50mph and a range of 45 miles from a single 3-hour charge. The fact that it looks fantastic is just icing on the cake. $12,000

Wed Jul 29, 3:48 PM ET Models displays a creations by Tarrao during the Colombiamoda fashion show in Medellin July 29, 2009.

Single malt has £10,000 price tag The distillery said its 50-year-old single malt was "flawless" A single malt Scotch whisky is to go on sale for £10,000 a bottle, its distiller has announced. The Glenfiddich Distillery described the 50-year-old single malt as "the pinnacle of our whisky-making excellence". It will release just 50 bottles every year for the next decade. They will be sold in selected airports across the world for the next few months, before being made available through a small number of retailers. The whisky has been kept in two casks in the Banffshire distillery's warehouse for 50 years. Each hand-blown, numbered bottle will be decorated in Scottish silver and presented in a hand-stitched, leather-bound case. The bottles will be accompanied by a leather-bound book which details the history of the whisky. It will also have pages for the owner to make their own tasting notes. Buyers will receive a certificate signed by four of the distillery's long-serving craftsmen.

Sachs MadAss 125 Part bicycle, part motorcycle, all badass. The Sachs MadAss 125 ($2,700) is a German engineered beast of a two-wheeler, packing a 125cc engine, a hydraulic fork front suspension, a unique frame that sends shock from the rear wheel to the front for a smoother ride, an in-frame fuel tank, twin H.I.D. headlights, 16-inch alloy rims, dual disc brakes, and a dry weight of just 220 lbs. $2,700

Ferrari 458 Italia We're sad to see the Ferrari F430 go, but at least its replacement is a step up — in nearly every way. Set to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Ferrari 458 Italia ($TBA) sports a new direct-injected, mid-rear mounted 4.5-liter V8 good for 570hp, a 0-62 time of 3.4 seconds, and a top speed of 202 mph, a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, a breathtaking new Pininfarina body with a compact, aerodynamic shape and terrific curves, 20-inch wheels, and more. $TBA

Ural T Sidecar Motorcycle Who hasn't wanted a sidecar motorcycle at one time in their life? Cruise the streets like a WWII gunner in the Ural T Sidecar Motorcycle ($10,000). Assembled in Russia with components from Brembo, Ducati Energia, Sachs, Herzog, Denso, Keihin and others, the bike is powered by a 750cc Boxer engine and has a 4-forward/1-reverse transmission. $10,000

Fiery images as killer volcano that claimed 36,000 lives stirs once more Foreign Service 30th July 2009 An amateur photographer has captured new images of the re-awakening of the world's most famous volcano. In a breathtaking series Marco Fulle, who specialises in shots of comets, has photographed the Anak Krakatoa against a backdrop of constellations such as the Big Dipper. These stunning pictures show the latest activity during the rebirth of the infamous volcano which holds a long-standing record for causing the highest number of human deaths ever - a staggering 36,000 in 1883. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1203028/Fiery-images-killer-volcano-claimed-36-000-lives-stirs-more.html#ixzz0MlDJxmII

Guess Who Clooney's Dating: Another hot squeeze girlfriend for Clooney?

Elisabetta Canalis One of Italy’s most recognizable personalities, Elisabetta has been a fixture on Italian television for a while. She’s appeared alongside some of the most well-known figures within the Italian entertainment industry, and has deftly managed to carry herself with poise and grace no matter what the situation. With her role in the 2006 drama Guilty Pleasures , it seems clear that Elisabetta’s natural gift for performing will become more and more prominent.