Dolphins = 'Non-Human Persons'?!?

This torturing of the English language is getting almost comical. I know that dolphins are smart, watch them blowing bubbles. I have even had the experience of swimming with a few. Still, 'non-human persons'?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6973994.ece

"Dolphins have been declared the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as “non-human persons”."

Burj Dubai - The Worlds New Tallest Building

This building is so large it may qualify as the first 'SuperScraper'. The exact height should be released tomorrow, but it is thought to be about 2700 feet. By any standard, that is a humongous building.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6974104.ece

"Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al- Maktoum, the emirate’s ruler, will celebrate at least one global milestone he can be proud of when he opens the tallest building on the planet.

The £1 billion Burj Dubai is at least 2,683ft from its base to the tip of its spire — that’s more than half a mile, the equivalent of three-and-a-half Canary Wharf towers or two Empire State buildings stacked up. Its final height is being kept secret until tomorrow, but architects who have worked on the building have hinted it could break the 2,700ft mark.

The tower is more than 1,000ft higher than its nearest inhabited rival, Taiwan’s 1,671ft Taipei 101. It is also the tallest man-made structure in the world, surpassing the 2,063ft KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, America."

Update (1/4/2010): Burj Dubai (Now Burj Khalifa) is Officially 2,717 Feet Tall

Leaning Tower of Liuzhou (China)

When building demolition goes wrong, you can be left with this;

Pictures embedded below. (via)

Noah's Ark Was Circular?

There is newly discovered evidence to suggest that Noah's Ark was circular, contrary to the popular image. It may make some logical sense. Since the boat did not have to be designed to travel, only to float, a circular design has more volume per-surface-area then an oval design.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/01/noahs-ark-was-circular

"According to newly translated instructions inscribed in ancient Babylonian on a clay tablet telling the story of the ark, the vessel that saved one virtuous man, his family and the animals from god's watery wrath was not the pointy-prowed craft of popular imagination but rather a giant circular reed raft.
...
In his translation, the god who has decided to spare one just man speaks to Atram-Hasis, a Sumerian king who lived before the flood and who is the Noah figure in earlier versions of the ark story. "Wall, wall! Reed wall, reed wall! Atram-Hasis, pay heed to my advice, that you may live forever! Destroy your house, build a boat; despise possessions And save life! Draw out the boat that you will built with a circular design; Let its length and breadth be the same.""

Non-Latin Character Website Domain Addresses Could Become a Serious Phishing Problem

ICANN allowing non-Latin character website domain addresses (read also) could become a serious phishing hazard. The problem comes in with how different language scripts are rendered in browsers. Different combinations of letters from other scripts could appear as a plain English domain name. Clicking on a link could bring you to a site where the domain name appears to be PayPal but is actually just a phishing site designed to steal your username and password. There is a way to protect yourself even if you are not 'tech-savvy'. All you have to do is manually type in the domain name to get to the site and not rely on a link to get you there. This holds true even if the link is from someone you trust because hackers/phishers often use compromised accounts to attack that person's friends and family.

http://mashable.com/2010/01/01/idn-phishing

"The Times Online article uses PayPal — already a frequent phishing target — as an example.

If the domain, created using Cyrillic scripts “raural.com” was registered, the way that Unicode-browsers will actually render that domain in latin is as “paypal.com.” In theory, phishers could pass around that link and set up a fake version of the PayPal site to harvest logins and credit card data.

I’ve made this graphic for even better illustration:

Pretty scary, no? As of right now, ICANN hasn’t instituted any policies of trying to protect these kinds of situations, meaning it might be that much more difficult for even normally cautious users to avoid being scammed. Of course, a certain amount of the success of these scams is determined by how well different mail and browsing programs handle Unicode. However, most modern browsers and operating systems have strong Unicode support, which makes deciphering the differences that much more difficult.

"

Joan Walsh (Salon) - 'Criticism of Obama is Un-American And Traitorous'

So much for 'dissent is patriotic'.

Video embedded below.



"The climate right now is that Republicans use everything they can to undermine and delegitimize this president. And it‘s actually un-American. It‘s traitorous, in my opinion. Do you want to give aid and comfort to our enemies? Continue to treat this president like he wasn‘t elected and he doesn‘t know what he‘s doing! He knows what he did. He knows what he‘s doing. I‘m proud of him. I believe that he has the stalwart, resolute nature to get this done..."

'Interesting' White House Christmas Tree Ornaments

The White House had a few interesting ornaments on their Christmas tree.

http://biggovernment.com/2009/12/22/transvestites-mao-and-obama-decorate-white-house-christmas-tree

"For this year’s White House, he didn’t disappoint.

...
the White House have an ornament super-imposing President Obama onto Mt. Rushmore:

All around, a very Barry Christmas!"

The White House's response.

Video embedded below.