allvoices -

Coming in from abroad? Watch your laptop.

newsenthused — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:46:54 -0500

Recent public attention has brought light to legislation that allows the Department of Homeland Security to confiscate the laptop of any traveler entering the United States from abroad and keep it indefinitely without any probably cause for suspicion. Additionally, the device may be subject to investigation and data retrieved from it can be analyzed by other agencies for data decryption, translation, or reasons at the DHS' discretion.

According to the DHS, these measures have long been in place, but have garnered public attention only recently due to inquiries made by civil liberties groups. The DHS may "detain" devices "for a reasonable period of time [...]absent individualized suspicion." All passengers coming into the country, including US citizens, are included in this legislation.

The policy also applies to "any device capable of storing information in digital or analog form," which would include cell phones, pagers, beepers, iPods, cameras, and flash drives, in addition to "all papers and other written documentation [and] written materials commonly referred to as 'pocket trash' or 'pocket litter.' "

Any copies made of seized material must be destroyed once the passenger has been cleared, but any reports or descriptions on the information will remain documented. And though the policy does include a clause for protecting sensitive information such as business trade secrets and attorney-client privileged information, no such clause exists for personal files such as medical or financial records.

The full policy can be viewed here.

Australian doctors warn against "designer vaginas"

newsenthused — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:09:11 -0500

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has issued warnings against a trend of cosmetic surgical procedures that offer women "designer vaginas." These procedures include "vaginal rejuvenation, G-spot amplification, revirgination, and designer vaginoplasty," all of which the college warns are costly and unecessary at best and medically and psychologically harmful at worst.

These procedures have become popular among women who feel they are not anatomically correct, which concerns doctors who fear that vulnerable and insecure women who are actually in need of psychological help will seek these surgeries to their detriment.

"The real risks of potential complications such as scarring, permanent disfigurement, infection, dyspareunia and altered sexual sensations should be discussed in detail with women seeking such treatments," said a position paper released by the institution.

Additionally, these procedures generally cost at least $10,000, which the college finds troubling because they are not based on any medical necessity and "have the potential to cause serious harm."

What will airlines do next to cut costs?

newsenthused — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:31:12 -0500

The answer: charge for beverages. In the midst of skyrocketing fuel costs, airlines are desperate for ways to keep revenue up, and so far, it seems most airlines have bumped the extra expense to the consumer. Many airlines now charge for checked luggage and meals, but it wasn't until today that major ariline US Airways made the jump to charging for what used to be complimentary beverage service. Bottled water will not cost $2 and other drinks will be $1. Only first class passengers will be exempt.

Other major airlines, including Delta, American, and Northwest, have announced that they will not implement this measure. Even smaller carriers such as Jet Blue and Southwest will continue serving beverages for free.

Still, US Airways spokesperson Morgan Durrant assures that passengers in desperate need of a sip of water will not be denied. He claims that flight attendants will likely “err on the side of the customer” in cases of medical emergency or severe delays.

5 Famous Cases of Gender Issues at the Olympics

newsenthused — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:31:36 -0500

Officials in Beijing have spent over a year developing the sex determination lab that will be used to test female athletes during the 2008 Olympic Games. Sex determination testing is not new in the Games. It was first implemented in 1968 at the Mexico City Games after the I.O.C. found the gender of some athletes competing as women to be questionable. It has been a topic of controversy, causing humiliation in the past to athletes who are "intersex," meaning their chromosomal gender is ambiguous, or to transgender athletes who have gone gender reassignment. Here are the 5 most famous cases of gender determination in Olympic history:

1. Shanthi Soundarajan
Soundarajan's silver medal for the 800m at the Asian games in 2006 was revoked after she failed a chromosomal gender test. She was inspected by a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, and geneticist, and though the exact results of the test have not been revealed publicly, it is suspected that Soundarajan suffers from Androgen insensitivity syndrome, in which an individual expresses female body parts but has a male chromosome in her genome. Extreme public humiliation led her to attempt suicide, underscoring the problematic nature of this type of testing.

2. Edinanci Silva
Silva is a Brazilian judo fighter who was born with both male and female sex organs. The I.O.C.'s official rule is that athletes who undergo sex changes may only compete two years after surgery. Therefore, Silva, who had had surgery in the mid-90s to become fully a woman, was eligible to compete. Problems arose when she won the gold medal in the 2004 Sydney Games. Opponent Natalie Jenkins referred to Silva as "he" in a statement about the match, after which Silva provided a cheek swab to scientists who proved she was in fact female.

3. Heidi Krieger
Kreiger's unfortunate struggle with gender identity began when her shot-put coach began her on an intense regiment of steroids and and contraceptive pills so that she would gain muscle and become stronger. The drugs interfered with her sexual development, and she began to suffer from medical problems and depression, leading her to attempt suicide. In 1986, her huge physique indeed led her to become a shot-put champion, but she was irrevocably damaged. She later underwent gender reassignment surgery and changed her name to Andreas. couldn't find out for myself which sex I wanted to be," Krieger said. "They just used me like a machine."

4. Dora Ratjen
Notorious for never changing or showering in front of women, Ratjen, Germany's high jump competitor in the 1936 Games, quickly roused suspicion among her opponents. "I had competed against Dora and I knew she was a man. You could tell by the voice and the build. But 'she' was far from the only athlete. You could tell because they would always go into the toilet to get changed. We'd go and stand on the seat of the next-door cubicle or look under the door to see if we could catch them," said Dorothy Tyler, the British competitor. As it turned out, Ratjen was indeed a man who had been recruited by Adolf Hitler in a scheme to prove Aryan dominance in the Games.

5. Stella Walsh
Walsh was a Polish-American sprinter who was discovered to have mosaicism, a condition in which an individual has both male and female sex chromosomes. She competed in the 1932 and 1936 Games, winning gold and silver medals respectively in the 100m sprint. During her very successful lifetime, her gender was never questioned, and her condition only became public knowledge after a post-mortem demonstrated both female and male genitalia.

Italian woman sues after attack by tics on ferry

newsenthused — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:54:35 -0500

Aboard a La Tirrenia ferry this week, Christina Sassudelli awoke to a rather unpleasant surprise: her first class-cabin had been infested with ticks. She awoke in the middle of the night during a trip from Genoa to the port of Olbia on Italian island Sardinia to find herself covered in the parasites. She quickly alerted the ferry staff, who provided her with fresh clothes, and upon landing at the port, escorted her to buy new clothes.

However, Sassudelli is furious that her ticket was not re-imbursed, adn is now suing the ferry company so that no one else would suffer the same "nightmare."

"I have always had dogs and I saw immediately that these weren't any kind of insect. There were hundreds of them," she said.

In response to the lawsuit, the a spokesperson for the company said this:

"This episode happened at a period of heavy traffic and hot, humid conditions. It is the first time, after many years of navigation, that it has happened."

'Heart Robot' emotes just like a human child

newsenthused — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:45:47 -0500

A human-like robot that mimics human emotion was revealed this week at the 'Emotibot' event at London's Science Museum. The robot is actually closer to a puppet-robot hybrid, with a mechanical face and cloth arms and legs.

Heart Robot is unique because it exhibits the same "physiological" responses to its treatment as a human child. Its heart beats and it breathes like a human, its belly expanding and contracting with each breath. When it is coddled, it relaxes its limbs, closes its eyes, and becomes mellow, but when agitated or harassed, it becomes tense, clenching its fists as its heart beat increases.

According to Holly Cave, an event organizer, the response to the Heart Robot was particularly intriguing. "Different children react to him very differently. They either want to hug and cuddle him, and look after him like a doll or baby, or they just want to scare him."

Humans aren't the only ones getting drunk

newsenthused — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:24:44 -0500

The pentailed tree shrew, a species native to Malaysia, spends its nights sucking on the naturally fermented nectar from palms, which in human terms, effectively should render them drunk. However, it seems tree shrews metabolize food differently than humans, so while they consume a large quantity of alcohol, they do not become intoxicated, as far as researchers can tell.

If they shared humans' metabolic pathway, says researcher Frank Weins, this level of consumption would be equivalent to an average European woman drinking a glass of wine every hour for 12 hours. But upon studying the behavior of the shrews, scientists were unable to observe giddiness, lack of coordination, or other signs of drunkenness.

Read more here.

'Sound of Music' Home Opens for Tourism

newsenthused — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:06:14 -0500

The 19th-century house featured in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music" has finally opened its gates fo visitors. The Austrian villa has been under the care of missionaries ever since the von Trapp family fled Austria for the United States in 1938 after Nazi occupation of the country. Before that, the Baron Georg von Trapp and his seven children and governess Maria had lived in the villa for 15 years. Their story eventually became the basis for the Broadway musical, and later, Oscar-winning film adaptation.

The villa was built in the late 19th century by Italian architect Valentin Ceconi. It was not featured in the "Sound of Music" movie because at the time of filming, access was restricted by the missionaries, who inhabited it after Heinrich Himmler during the Occupation.

Google Being Charged Over Privacy Issue

newsenthused — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:29:39 -0500

A video that surfaced on the search engine's video feature in September of 2000 that featured a group of teenagers taunting a peer with Down syndrome has become the basis for a lawsuit against Google in Italy. The video shows 4 boys teasing an affected classmate before hitting him over the head with a box of tissues. Now, 4 Google executives are being charged, as the video has been deemed defamtory and breaching of privacy.

A spokesperson for Google commented, "We believe that this proceeding is not about Google Video and what happened, but about the internet as we know it - an open and free environment."

The web giant doesn't fear prosecution because in accordance with EU law, Google is not required to monitor third-party content on its sites.

Olympic Ticket Sales Cause Frenzy in Beijing

newsenthused — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:35:13 -0500

Thousands of hopeful spectators who had waited in line for as long as two days became unruly Friday in a panic to seize some of the remaining tickets to this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. People were thrown to the ground, shoved up against barriers, and any semblance of order disintegrated when ticket windows unexpectedly re-opened on Friday. Fans and media reporters tangled with local law enforcement, who were forced to resort to minimal violence to restrain the frenzied crowds.

One reporter for Hong Kong Cable TV was assaulted by a police officer, who put him in a headlock and threw him out of a secure area after the journalist snuck inside and refused to leave. Many reporters attempted to gain access to areas blocked off by police, and were dealt with in a less-than-friendly manner. The restricted access prompted some to question the government's promise of open coverage of the Games. ''We hope the authorities will live up to their earlier promise to allow full freedom of the press during the Olympic Games,'' said Shum Siu-wah, a spokesperson for Hong Kong Cable TV.

Read more about ticket sales in Beijing here.

Photogs caught on Jolie-Pitt estate

newsenthused — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:44:45 -0500

Papparazzi photographers and security guards at the Jolie-Pitt Miraval estate engaged in a skirmish that forced police to intervene, when guards discovered the photographers snapping shots from inside the estate. The two photographers had dressed in camoflauge to avoid being caught, but once discovered, got into a physical conflict with the guards. Both parties were then hauled to a police station in Carces where they were questioned. Each side is pressing charges of battery and injury.

Police spokeswoman Capt. Olivia Poupot made no secret about her indifference to the situation, however, when asked.

"I won't hide for you that this kind of thing is really not the type of problem that interests us," she said. "There are, in my opinion, far more important things than paparazzi taking photos of a glamor couple."

She did say that it was the first time the Hollywood couple had needed police assistance at the estate in the past year. No information has been released regarding the photographers.

Man Arrested for Stealing 42 cents

newsenthused — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:24:47 -0500

A man in Bonita Springs was arrested yesterday for fishing money out of the fountain of a shopping mall. A passer-by spotted Laszio Mujzer reaching into the fountain, whose sign reads "All coins donated to Habitat for Humanity of Collier County.” The woman reported the incident to a nearby security guard of the Coastland Center mall, who reported him to police and readily filed an official complaint.

Mujzer was arrested and is currently in custody with a $500 bail, being charged with a misdemeanor of petty theft under $100. He managed to scoop out 42 cents before being arrested.

McCain Fumbles with Geography Yet Again

newsenthused — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:21:57 -0500

As Senator John McCain continues to stumble over simple geography, one has to wonder: can America truly elect a leader who cannot find Iraq, a country in which we are fully embroiled in warfare, on a map? The senator's repeated references to Czechoslovakia last week were embarrassing enough. The country hasn't existed since 1993. This week, however, he took his geographical ignorance to a new level when, after being asked about the situation in Afghanistan, he responded:

"I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border."

Iraq and Pakistan are not neighboring countries. There is no Iraq/Pakistan border. There is, however, an Afghanistan/Pakistan border. Perhaps that's the border McCain was referring to. But for a presidential candidate to be ignorant of the geography of two nations we have invaded is nothing short of unacceptable.

We are Siamese if you please!

newsenthused — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:31:04 -0500

The incidence of Siamese twins is rare among humans, and even more so among other mammals. But the biological marvel achieved a new level when a pair of conjoined birds literally fell out of the sky into the backyard of one Searcy, Arkansas resident. The birds were joined at the hip, and appeared to have only three legs, though upon further examination, a fourth was found tucked under their bodies.

According to ornithologist Karen Rowe, this pair of barn swallows is truly remarkable. "I can't even say it's one in a million -- it's probably more than that," said Rowe in regards to the likelihood of such an occurrence. Little to no record of it appears in any ornithology source, mostly because conjoined birds would have huge difficulty surviving long enough to be discovered. Learning to fly would be the first challenge, and particularly for barn swallows, who feed on insects mid-flight, a handicap in that capacity would be deadly.

This eventually was the case for these twins. After one stopped eating, the pair was compromised, and the other was quickly euthanized. They have been sent to the Smithsonian for further investigation.

Watch out for the kangaroos!

newsenthused — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:12:27 -0500

The town of of Mugdee is facing a problem that has just become serious: overpopulation of kangaroos. 65 year old Rosemary Neal was nearly mauled to death by a rogue kangaroo who attacked her as she was checking the paddock on her horse stable yesterday evening. According to her son Darren, the attack came on suddenly. The male kangaroo, weighing over 100kg, launched himself at Rosemary, instantly knocking her to the ground, and proceeded to maul her. She was saved only when her dog, hearing her screams, bounded out onto the property and menaced the kangaroo into retreat.

Neal suffered a concussion, several facial lacerations, and other body injuries, but is expected to recover. The attack has raised concerns among the residents of the town, who fear kangaroos may threaten their children.

"A lot of kangaroos have just bolted, but the males don't care, they just stay laying down, they're not scared," said Darren Neal about the situation.

It remains to be seen what measures, if any, will be taken to prevent further attacks. In the meantime, Rosemary Neal is at home resting and recovering.

Need to clear your head? Try this one instead.

newsenthused — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:59:36 -0500

Designed by Dutch artist Atlier van Lieshout, the Wellness Skull offers the perfect solution to unwinding for the morbid. The skull features a sauna in the cranial area and a bath in the neck, allowing the consumer to get out of their own head and into someone else's to relax.

What Isn't Google Maps Telling Us?

newsenthused — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:49:47 -0500

For obvious reasons, Google Maps obscures information about certain places. The White House, for example, can be seen using the technology, but has been digitally altered to hide the security measures in place there. Similarly, Dick Cheney's residence at Number One Observatory Circle have been pixelated out of view on the US Government's request. Take a look at some of the other sites that are blocked from view:

1. Sudan
Limited viewing of Sudan is reportedly the result of US economic-sanction regulations and restricted exporting.

2. Singapore
Due to alleged copyright issues betwen the SLA (Singapore Land Association) and Google Earth, the images have been pulled.

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory
Home to only federally funded research regarding national security, this lab has understandably been blurred.

4. New York's Playland Amusement Park
Maybe the park is a cover for a secret nuclear facility. Why else would Google block this theme park?

5. McGuire Nuclear Station
With two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors and the capacity to generate 2,200 megawatts of power, this facility provides about 50% of North Carolina's nuclear power.

Read more here.

China Bans Performers

newsenthused — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:15:30 -0500

After a performance by Bjork in China, in which the artist articulated her support for a free Tibet, the Chinese government has announced that it will no longer permit such agendas to enter the country. According to the Ministry of Culture, "Any artistic group or individual who have ever engaged in activities which threaten our national sovereignty will not be allowed in." The statement can be viewed in Chinese on the Ministry's website.

From this point forward, the government will be screening any and all performances to take place within the country, including encore routines.

Bjork says she stands by her "outburst," and speaks on behalf of humanity.

Read more here.

Need to steal wi-fi? Try this.

newsenthused — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:34:47 -0500

The machine to the left that resembles a bazooka actually does something completely different. Entitled the "Predator," it detects wi-fi signals in whatever direction you turn it and will allow you to connect via your own router.

Read more here.

Impaled shark saved by divers

newsenthused — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:32:18 -0500

An injured grey nurse shark was in luck when she was discovered with a gaff stuck in her throat by local divers. She appeared to otherwise be in good health, reported the divers, but they contacted authorities, thinking that the gaff must be obstructing the shark's food consumption. Government divers secured the shark yesterday, and using a crane, hoisted her into a temporary tank aboard a rescue boat.

"This was an extraordinarily difficult and dangerous operation and I congratulate everyone involved for their professionalism and speedy response," said Ian MacDonald of the State Primaries Industry. Luckily, the procedure proceeded without complication, and the shark did not bleed during removal of the gaff. She was tagged with a tracer so that scientists may follow her recovery. Upon release, she quickly returned to her pack.