N. Korea may fire missile toward Hawaii Japanese analysis of intelligence reportedly suggests launch in early July Thurs., June 18, 2009 SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese newspaper reported Thursday, as Russia and China urged the regime to return to international disarmament talks on its rogue nuclear program. The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles, would be launched from North Korea's Dongchang-ni site on the northwestern coast, said the Yomiuri daily, Japan's top-selling newspaper. It cited an analysis by the Japanese Defense Ministry and intelligence gathered by U.S. reconnaissance satellites. The missile launch could come between July 4 and 8, the paper said. While the newspaper speculated the Taepodong-2 could fly over Japan and toward Hawaii, it said the missile would not be able to hit Hawaii's main islands, which are about 4,500 miles from the Korean peninsula. A spokesman for the Japanese Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report. South Korea's Defense Ministry and the National Intelligence Service — the country's main spy agency — said they could not confirm it. MSNBC

'Resurrection bug' revived after 120,000 years 00:01 15 June 2009 NEWSCIENTIST A tiny bacterium has been coaxed back to life after spending 120,000 years buried three kilometres deep in the Greenland ice sheet. Researchers who found it say it could resemble microbes that may have evolved in ice on other planets . Officially named Herminiimonas glaciei , the bug consists of rods just 0.9 micrometres long and 0.4 micrometres in diameter, about 10 to 50 times smaller than the well-known bacterium, Escherichia coli . "What's unique is that it's so small, and seems to survive on so few nutrients," says Jennifer Loveland- Curtze of Pennsylvania State University, whose team has described the new species. She speculates that thanks to its tiny dimensions, it can survive in minute veins in the ice, scavenging sparse nutrients that were buried along with the ice. It also has extensive tail-like flagella to help it manoeuvre through the veins to find food . "Along with the snow, you get dust, bacterial cells, fungal spores, plant spores, minerals and other organic debris," says Loveland-Curtze. "So we postulate that it lives in these microniches in the ice." Coaxed back to life Researchers in the team coaxed it back to life by keeping it at 2 °C for 7 months, then at 5 °C for a further four-and-a-half months, after which they saw colonies of very small purplish-brown bacteria. Loveland-Curtze speculates that similar microbes may have evolved in the ice on other planets and moons , such as the ice at the poles of Mars and the ice-covered ocean on Europa, one of Jupiter 's moons. "All we can say is that because ice is the best medium to preserve nucleic acids, other organic compounds and cells, the potential for finding them in these environments is quite high because of the cold," says Loveland-Curtze. "It gives us hope that if something is there, we can locate it." The oldest known ice on Earth yielded a bacterium that grew after 8 million years . Journal reference: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.001685-0).

Close Encounter Of the Rock Kind June 12, 2009 “ The odds of it happening are astronomical, but not impossible, as one schoolboy found out when he was struck by a passing meteorite . The rock flew down from space at speeds of 30,000mph, and grazed past 14-year-old Gerrit Blank as he made his way to school. The meteorite continued on before ending its billion-year intergalactic journey on the pavement, leaving a smoking, foot-wide crater. Gerrit was left with a scar on his hand, making him one of only a handful of people to have been struck directly by a meteorite. The student, from Essen, Germany, said: ‘At first I just saw a large ball of light, and then I suddenly felt a pain in my hand.”

Top Six 2012 Apocalypse Theories June 11, 2009 “ You may have noticed a recent trend of trying to fit every hackneyed doomsday prophecy into the same red-letter year of 2012 . The theories are obtuse, their connections are flimsy and the perceived consequences are completely unsubstantiated. Unsurprisingly, these prophecies are enormously popular.” w/ photos

Phoenix crop circle may predict end of the world Crop circle experts believe the latest pattern to be discovered, a phoenix rising from the flames in Wiltshire, may give a warning about the end of the world. 15 Jun 2009 The 400-foot design was discovered in a barley field in Yatesbury near Devizes and depicts the mythical phoenix reborn as it rises from the ashes. Investigators claim more formations are referencing the possibility of a cataclysmic event occurring on December 21, 2012, which coincides with the end of the ancient Mayan calendar. The Mayan's believed civilisation exists within a series earth cycles of 144,000 days each with the 13th expiring in December 2012, resulting in Armageddon. Crop circle enthusiast Karen Alexander, from Gosport, Hants, said: "The phoenix is a mythical creature which symbolises rebirth and a new era in many cultures across the world. "Within the crop circle community many believe the designs are constantly referring to December 21 and its aftermath. "This could be interpreted as the human race or earth rising again after a monumental event. "The patterns are becoming more intricate with every find and it is exciting to think how they are going to evolve by the time we get to 2012." Recent crop circles have included giant jelly-fish and one image discovered in Wiltshire in June which experts dubbed the most 'mind boggling' they had ever come across. The formation, measuring 150ft in diameter, is apparently a coded image representing the first 10 digits, 3.141592654, of pi. Telegraph.co.uk

Backers of legal pot eye ballot San Francisco Chronicle Thursday, June 11, 2009 (06-10) 20:40 PDT -- With polls showing the legalization of marijuana gaining public support, and a state budget crisis fueling an ever-more-desperate search for revenue, backers of the first major statewide initiative to legalize marijuana for personal use - and allow counties to tax and regulate the drug - say they're preparing to get the matter on the November 2010 ballot. "We think the tides have turned," said Richard Lee, the executive director of Oaksterdam University, a major medical marijuana dispensary and advocacy group in Oakland, and a founder of TaxCannabis2010.org, sponsor of the initiative. He said polls showing voters' support for legalization and taxation of the drug, combined with the financial strains of a recession, mean that "this will be a landmark opportunity that will generate interest and funds nationwide." If successful, Lee said, the initiative will be viewed as a watershed - "a first step in changing federal law." The initiative that Lee's group is preparing to circulate calls for legalization of small amounts of marijuana for personal possession by adults 21 and older, and allows cities and counties the option of regulating sales and cultivation. The legal amount would be 1 ounce for personal possession, with cultivation allowed in a space no larger than 5 feet by 5 feet. The move comes as other legislative efforts to legalize marijuana are beginning to gain traction, including a special July election in Oakland to create a category for cannabis taxes, and hearings this fall on a bill by state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano to decriminalize the substance. With California counties and cities facing huge cuts in critical programs because of the state's $24.3 billion budget deficit - supporters of efforts to legalize and tax marijuana have seized on a new and potentially potent financial argument to take a new look at the issue.

Three-Wheeled Hybrid Car June 13, 2009 “ The XR3, a three-wheeled plug-in hybrid that achieves 125 mpg on diesel power alone, 225 mpg on combined diesel and electric power . It can carry two-passenger in this three-wheeled hybrid. It is designed to be as light as possible. At just 1480 pounds, this high-performance design combines fast acceleration, and featuring its hybrid system allows for 200 mpg. The choice of operating mode: diesel-only, battery-electric-only, or hybrid – is operator selectable by flipping a pair of switches. When operating on just the 23 hp diesel engine, the trike achieves 125 mpg. The li-ion battery pack is good for 40 miles.” w/ photos

Cocaine Stuffed Inside 20 Shark Carcasses June 17, 2009 “ Mexico’s navy has seized more than a tonne of cocaine stuffed inside 20 frozen sharks , authorities said. The bizarre seizure came as drug gangs under military pressure are being forced to go to greater lengths to conceal narcotics bound for the United States. Armed and masked navy officers cut open more than 20 shark carcasses filled with slabs of cocaine after checking a container ship in a port in the southern Mexico state of Yucatan.” w/ photos

Nude Mona Lisa? June 13, 2009 “ Leonardo da Vinci, in a Renaissance version of Mad Magazine, may have painted his famous Mona Lisa in a number of ways, including nude . Now, a painting has surfaced that looks much like the original, sparking debate over just how far the master took his iconic painting. The newly revealed painting, hidden for almost a century within the wood wall of a private library, shows a portrait of a half-naked woman with clear links to the famous (and clothed) Mona Lisa.” w/ photos

Introducing the new hotness Tactical Corsets are high-fashion high-function clothes for empowered women. For too long, women have had to compromise practicality for beauty. Men got pants with cargo pockets and built-in knee pads, women got clothes whose only built-in feature was cuteness. But why should men get all the high-speed low-drag tactical toys? Tactical gear is no longer an all boys club. Tactical Corsets bring female operators MILSPEC features like MOLLE modular pouch attachment webbing and self-adjustable quick-release buckles in a load-bearing carrier designed to support the female form. And we're just getting started. Tactical Corsets are now available for custom order. More details on styles, sizing, materials and more is coming soon.

‘ Cat bong’ suspect gets ticketed again Lincoln Journal Star Monday, Jun 15, 2009 - 07:26:13 pm CDT Police say they ticketed Acea Schomaker — the man who publicly swore off marijuana after he was arrested on suspicion of smoking pot with a kitten in the bong — for being in possession of marijuana. Police Capt. David Beggs said officers were contacted about a disturbance at 1040 Goodhue Blvd. just after 11 Saturday night and ended up taking the 20-year-old to Cornhusker Place Detox. When Schomaker’s pockets were emptied, Beggs said, officers found a small plastic sandwich bag with 1.7 grams of what they believe to be marijuana. Police cited him on suspicion of possession of marijuana and minor in possession of alcohol, Beggs said. Schomaker gained notoriety after Lancaster County Sheriff’s deputies ticketed him March 1 for animal cruelty for allegedly putting a 6-month-old kitten in a homemade plexiglass bong. Two days later, he told The Associated Press he had sworn off marijuana. “Mainly because I’m tired of getting fines for something that I believe in, and I really don’t have the money to try to fight any legal battle on it,” Schomaker had said. He is set to return to court on the misdemeanor charge later this month.

Admiral Abramovich launches his £300million mega-yachtski: The world's biggest (and it even has its own submarine ) 15th June 2009 It is the biggest private yacht in existence and comes with a missile-detection system, two helipads, a luxury spa, swimming pool and a miniature submarine. But when you're Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, only the most ostentatious displays of wealth will do. His latest baby is the Eclipse, a 557-footer reported to have cost a staggering £300million.

The Color Changing Baby Suit June 18, 2009 “ Six years ago Chris Ebejer conceived a way to stop babies from overheating. Now, proudly, he is delivering his fully-formed creation to the world . The father of one has signed a $18.5million contract with a manufacturer to take his ‘Babyglow’ babygrows global. The garments change colour with baby’s temperature – meaning they can tell parents when their child is getting too hot and help prevent catastrophic illness.” w/ photos

The 2010 Triumph Thunderbird 1600 Triumph recently unveiled a new model set for 2010, the Triumph Thunderbird 1600. Upgraded tremendously from the 1946 Thunderbird, this motorcycle’s design could be to compared to a classic Harley cruiser with a tubular steel frame and a twin-sided steel swingarm. The relaxed riding provided by forward mounted controls and pull back handlebars continue reading… $12999 Check It Out

Kitanica Mark I Jacket If it’s good enough for Mythbuster’s Adam Savage, it’s good enough for us. You gotta figure a guy who almost blows himself up once a week knows a thing or two about a durable jacket. The Kitanica Mark I Jacket boasts some key tactical clothing features, like a flashlight mount, endless amounts of straps, 8 continue reading… $538 Check It Out

Public release date: 16-Jun-2009 University of Leicester 'Cannabis alters human DNA' -- new study Research at University of Leicester highlights cancer risk from cannabis smoke A new study published by University of Leicester researchers has found "convincing evidence" that cannabis smoke damages DNA in ways that could potentially increase the risk of cancer development in humans. Using a newly developed highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method, the University of Leicester scientists found clear indication that cannabis smoke damages DNA, under laboratory conditions. They have now published the findings in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology 1. The research was carried out by Rajinder Singh, Jatinderpal Sandhu, Balvinder Kaur, Tina Juren, William P. Steward, Dan Segerback and Peter B. Farmer from the Cancer Biomarkers and Prevention Group, Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine and Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Raj Singh said: "Parts of the plant Cannabis sativa, also known as marijuana, ganja, and various street names, are commonly smoked as a recreational drug, although its use for such purposes is illegal in many countries. "There have been many studies on the toxicity of tobacco smoke. It is known that tobacco smoke contains 4000 chemicals of which 60 are classed as carcinogens. Cannabis in contrast has not been so well studied. It is less combustible than tobacco and is often mixed with tobacco in use. Cannabis smoke contains 400 compounds including 60 cannabinoids. However, because of its lower combustibility it contains 50% more carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including naphthalene, benzanthracene, and benzopyrene, than tobacco smoke." Writing in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology , the scientists describe the development of a mass spectrometry method that provides a clear indication that cannabis smoke damages DNA, under laboratory conditions. The authors added: "It is well known that toxic substances in tobacco smoke can damage DNA and increase the risk of lung and other cancers. Scientists were unsure though whether cannabis smoke would have the same effect. Our research has focused on the toxicity of acetaldehyde, which is present in both tobacco and cannabis." The researchers add that the ability of cannabis smoke to damage DNA has significant human health implications especially as users tend to inhale more deeply than cigarette smokers, which increases respiratory burden. "The smoking of 3-4 cannabis cigarettes a day is associated with the same degree of damage to bronchial mucus membranes as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day," the team adds. "These results provide evidence for the DNA damaging potential of cannabis smoke," the researchers conclude, "implying that the consumption of cannabis cigarettes may be detrimental to human health with the possibility to initiate cancer development."

Man pimps wife on Craigslist Police say husband encouraged acts to "pay bills" Tuesday, 16 Jun 2009, 11:56 AM MDT ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A man given the responsibility of protecting one of America's top nuclear labs is accused of prostituting his wife through Craigslist. Some of the country's most guarded secrets sit behind the walls at Los Alamos National Laboratory. One of the men asked to guard them, Christopher Anaya, is accused of taking part in a sleazy operation involving his own wife—Edonila Anaya. In July 2008, Albuquerque Police Department vice detectives spotted a posting on Craigslist titled "Lustful Latina." The posting had a picture of Edonila showing her breasts. Officers set up a sting operation at the Grand Albuquerque Hotel near Yale and arranged a meeting with Edonila. Police said she was arrested after she showed up and agreed to perform sex acts with the undercover officer. They also said she quickly implicated her husband. "During the course of the arrest, she offered that he was an officer and they followed up and learned that Christopher Anaya apparently had produced the ad online on Craigslist and the grand jury alleges that he delivered her and solicited patrons for her," Spokesperson for the District Attorney Pat Davis said. The grand jury handed down a two count indictment against Christopher Anaya Monday morning. He faces one count of promoting prostitution and of one count of conspiracy.

Teenage girl dug up to be 'corpse bride' Five people have been arrested in China for digging up the corpse of a young woman to be a "ghost bride" for a man killed in a car crash. 15 Jun 2009 The suspects included a grieving father who allegedly paid his four accomplices around £2,700 pounds to find a female to be his son's companion in the afterlife. The men were caught after unearthing the remains of a teenage girl who had poisoned herself after failing her university entrance exams last year, a newspaper in Xianyang in China's Shaanxi province reported. In rural China, superstitious villagers have for centuries sought out the bodies of recently deceased woman to be ghost brides for young men who die single. Marriage ceremonies are conducted for the two corpses, and the bride is placed in the same grave as her husband. Under Chairman Mao's rule, officials made strenuous efforts to stamp out the ghoulish practice but it has since resurfaced in some rural areas. Last year, a gang in southern China was arrested for strangling young women to sell as ghost brides when the supply of female corpses in their area ran short. Telegraph.co.uk

Urban Camping The 'car tend' looks like a car cover, for urban camping.

Scarred for life: The teenager who asked tattooist for THREE stars on her face and ended up with FIFTY-SIX 16th June 2009 A teenage girl is suing a tattoo artist for £8,500 after she allegedly asked him for three stars on her face - but ended up with 56. Eighteen-year-old Kimberley Vlaminck paid £55 for 'the graffiti that has ruined my life' in her Belgian home town of Courtrai. She claimed the Romanian tattooist who performed the artwork misunderstood her French and English. She claims she fell asleep while he was doing his work... and awoke to 'this nightmare'. 'But I explicitly said in my native tongue, French, and also in a little bit of English when he looked confused, that I wanted three little stars only near my left eye.' Rouslan Toumaniantz, who runs the tattoo parlour called The Tattoo Box in Courtrai, denies her claim. He said she knew 'exactly what she wanted'. He added: 'She was awake and looked into the mirror several times as the procedure was taking place. 'She asked for 56 stars and that’s what she got.' To remove the stars would require surgery costing £8,500. But even the most advanced laser techniques would, while removing the tattoos, leave deep white marks all across Kimberley's face. She has launched legal proceedings against Toumaniantz seeking damages, plus the money for the operation.

Woman’s Face Swells Up Like A Rugby Ball June 17, 2009 “ A housewife who used a common hair dye to cover her grey strands suffered such a severe allergic reaction that her face swelled and she was left temporarily blind . Paula Pratt struggled to breathe when her neck swelled up ‘like a rugby ball’ after she used the $8 Clairol ‘Nice n Easy’ hair dye. Mrs Pratt said she followed the instructions on the box to the letter, and carried out a 48-hour reaction test before going ahead with the treatment. She was taken to A&E where doctors managed to stop the swelling with a course of steroids and antihistamine tablets. But the 38-year-old, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, said she has been left emotionally scarred by the ordeal.” w/ photos

Busty barmaid prepares for topless skydi ve 17 June 2009 Lancashire Evening Post Busty barmaid Charlotte Robinson is gearing up for a skydive with a difference. The 24-year-old, from Catterall in Garstang, will jump 14,000ft from a Turbine Porter aircraft – topless. The bubbly mother-of-one will be strapped to the front of an instructor and will freefall at more than 120mph before the parachute opens. She is hoping the jump, at the Black Knights Parachute Centre, Hillam Lane, Cockerham, will raise hundreds of pounds for the North West Air Ambulance. She said: "I don't know if I'll hurt myself – I might do because I'm a 36GG. "I saw the sign three weeks ago on the side of the A6 in Lancaster and I don't know how the topless part came about. I'm just a bit mental really and definitely outgoing." Charlotte, who has a seven-year-old son called Zac, will take the plunge on Saturday, August 1. She said: "I'm a bit nervous. The only other thing I've done is a bungee jump when I was about 12. But I do like to live on the edge." A spokesman for the Black Knights Parachute Centre said: "We've had girls previously that are raising money for charity. "There's not a lot for anyone to see – the only people that will see anything are the people in the aircraft."

June 13, 2009 06:14 pm Molester’s sentence leads to cries of injustice Kathryn Cole considered it harmless horseplay when her granddaughter, who had just turned 5, reached over and touched her breast during a dinner at her home last September. She corrected the child’s behavior anyway. What the girl said next revealed a horrible secret that later would garner national headlines involving the granddaughter, her year-older brother and the man who was their baby-sitter. “Gramma, it’s OK,” the girl said, according to an account the grandmother gave police. “David Earls touches me there.” David Harold Earls, 64, a twice convicted felon, had watched the children during weekends while their mother worked. He recently admitted raping and sodomizing the girl in return for serving one year in the county jail, with credit for time he has already spent behind bars since his arrest nine months ago. Judge Thomas Bartheld ordered the sentence under a plea bargain agreement recommended by Earls’ lawyer and Assistant District Attorney Lisa Birdwell. The agreement has touched off a major controversy over criminal justice in McAlester, including calls for the removal of the judge from office. The state attorney general has also launched an inquiry into the case. Actually, the judge imposed a sentence of 20 years in prison, but he suspended 19 of those years. He also fined Earls $1,000.