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Welcome to the first of potentially many weekly news summaries that will provide a handful of global news articles to help keep us up-to-date with current affairs. Girls love a worldly man...
1. What the hell is Swine Flu?
In a nutshell, it's a pig flu that has infected humans. Wikipedia Link
This week there has been a massive jump in numbers infected in Japan (over 90) and you can read this quick BBC article about it. A synoptic link would be that Muslim countries are far less likely to contract the disease as pork is against the religious laws. Take note though, that all cases of Swine Flu in Japan are not critical. Anyone got any local news about this in your own country?
2. Virtual Courts
Here's something sweet which combines tech and news - Thousands of criminal suspects to be tried in virtual courts within the UK. As per usual it's starting off small with only 14 Police stations and 15,000 cases. Seems dodgy to me though, won't blonde bombshells be more likely to swoon the judges?
3. Flexible Display Screens
I first came across this technology in 2005 at a tech show and now it's finally a reality. Imagine a screen, as thin as paper rolled up in a pen like tube. You upload newspapers, videos, magazines...The same media as those printed on paper, but now on a LCD screen called "electrophoretic" which requires little power.
The Times UK reads "thousands of criminal suspects will lose the right to appear in court and be brought instead before “virtual” courts conducted via video links under plans before Parliament next week."
4. British Parliament Shamed
The old fogies have finally been busted. British MPs have been caught using public tax payers money to buy trivial things such as dog food, toilet brushes,second homes and holidays using the new freedom of information act. Several MPs have resigned or been sacked, with all parties involved. And it comes at an interesting time too for election are about to begin, so who would you vote for if you knew all parties were corrupt in this form?
A big thank you to The Telegraph newspaper for revealing this scandal, and again check out The Economist article here to read a detailed report.
5. Who Won The Eurovision Song Contest?
Norway. The Eurovision is Europe's biggest song contest, and a bit of a rivalry between countries - although as any Western European countryman will tell you, it's a piss take. Block Voting means that some countries will never win (England - or is that an excuse?) Anyway, Norway won and here is the song - vote for yourself. Introducing Alexander Rybak:
6. Star Trek or Angels & Demons?
Angels & Demons won the box office from Star Trek by earning $48 Million in it's first week of release. Here's an interesting fact, did you know it was made by Sony? Thank you to MSN Movies for this information that is sure to give you the upper hand at any Cinema date. Read the article
7. The C-String
Daniel first introduced me to this strange phenomenon a few months ago and I've been watching it take storm...Keep the letters O,M,G and W,T,F in mind. Awesome.
8. Australia Builds 'Worlds Largest' Solar Project
Just a quick one here, because after this one is built there is sure to be yet another bigger Solar Field. It's a step towards the right direction and whole heartedly welcomed in my opinion. Read the short news brief here
That concludes the first PUA Lifestyle news thread, and in the 10 minutes it took to read, you've become a worldlier man. More importantly though, what do you think? Is it worth keeping up in the future? What type of news do you think would be of greatest benefit, and what should we try to avoid? All feedback would be sweet. Hope you enjoyed it!
Does anyone read www.indiadaily.com, it's the news from the biggest english speaking country in the world, and the government doesn't try and hide anything from the public. Some interesting stuff, take it or leave it.
Starting the second ever PUA Lifestyle news thread off with a bang, I though you'd enjoy seeing something you have never seen before: Introducing a Roll Cloud -
What's Going On In Iran?
President Ahmadinejad has been re-elected into office, but there are mass protests arguing election rigging. 8 people have been shot dead in an effort to disperse the chaos, and accused ringleaders of the resistance have been arrested.
The government has barred all international journalists from reporting in public, and have refused to renew any 10 day visas. A deliberate effort to thwart the growing global concern. Read more
Telephone Tax To Fund Britain's Digital Future
Keen to keep up with it's digitally forward status, Britain has declared a telephone landline tax (a global first) that will make up 2% of the phone bill. This money will be used to subsidise the laying of fibre optic cables in areas where the costs outweigh the benefits - the goal being that every house in the UK will have access to 2Mbps internet by 2012.
U.S. Industrial Production Falls 1.1% in May
"U.S. industrial production slid a steeper-than-expected 1.1% in May from the prior month with output off sharply at factories, utilities and mines, a Federal Reserve report showed Tuesday." - O.K. so this isn't very surprising, but my question is this: In a country where personal value is decided by how much a man can produce, what cultural effects is this decrease in production going to have?
This reduction of supply is caused by both a contraction in demand and a rise in average costs (note - labour costs have decreased). Will we see a rise in advertising to boost demand again? Or are we blind to 'SALE' ads now as they are all too common?
German Army Gone Soft
Did you know that a German infantry man has a beer ration of 1litre a day?
Did you know that the German army collect their rubbish and send it home for recycling?
Now Germany’s most senior officer has berated his troops for going soft. “We cannot guarantee soldiers that they will have an all-round feel-good experience,” said General Wolfgang Schneiderhan.
In 2007 German forces in Afghanistan consumed about 90,000 bottles of wine in addition to 1.7 million pints of beer; that figure has stayed constant. British and US bases by contrast have an alcohol ban. Sounds more like a scouts camp to me.
Green Back Currency Fluctuations - Surprised?
The US Dollar did rise, and then fell after Russia persisted that a new global reserve currency should be created. At the moment the Green Back is the global currency, so when the dollar goes up, crude oil prices for other currencies increase. Thankfully though, we haven't heard much about oil prices recently because they're staying relatively low. Demand for safer currencies such as the Australian dollar has risen steadily, increasing it's value. We're still very much in the boom and bust stages.
Yet good news on the horizon - Obama is set to detail his new financial objectives this week, which will involve a new Watch Dog agency to help people weed out dodgy loans and mortgages. There's a lot more stuff in there though, such as combining the Federal Reserve's powers with other Government organisations. Ask Jeeves.
PUA Lifestyle Gets A New Toy
This Hawker 4000 is the latest toy that the Knights of the Round Table have purchased together. At $21 Million it's a reasonable priced private jet, Hawker Beechcraft is also the first manufacturer to certify a composite-body jet with the FAA. "It was six steps back to do composite," says chairman and CEO Jim Schuster of the 20-year, $1 billion development process. But the resulting body is 70% stronger than aluminum, doesn't corrode, is easier to repair, and has no life limit.
Alright, so maybe we haven't bought it...but one day...you watch.
Boys of 12 Are Taking Steroids
Although great physiques are a very attractive attribute to have, starting weight lifting at a young age is dangerous. This Times Article explains that boys as young as 12 are starting to take steroids, believing that muscular bodies as seen in films (such as Terminator - see below) are a must. Furthermore, by taking Steroids you are classified as a drug user.
Terminator Salvation
I watched this film last night and thought it to be brilliant. Graphics and explosions are huge, but the story line doesn't quite fit the last film. There's little emotion, just pure action (and deep voices). A computer graphic imitation of Arnold appears briefly which is humorous but some annoying girls in the cinema ruined that part for me. Anyway, John Connor needs to shut up at times, his rallying speeches are hardly inspiring but hey it's definitely a must see. Afterwards, I was saying the line "there's no such thing as fate, but what we make" constantly for two hours.
One Last Thing
Read about the family who do stunts for James Bond
The end of June brings a few radical changes to the world, including the loss of Micheal Jackson and the great revival in oil prices. Sports, technology, the economy, film and more - this current affairs post is the greatest so far.
Micheal Jackson is Dead
The King of Pop (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he made his debut on the professional music scene in 1968 as a member of The Jackson 5.
A battle for MJ's millions have taken an unexpected turn as Sky News reported that his father was not included within his will. Fans showed their fury for his Father Joe used the press hype as an opportunity to promote his own business. Now his family are squabbling over the Neverlands ranch as they argue there is no will at all - yet lawyers are claiming there is one from 2002. This worldwide superstar shall never be forgotten, but don't be surprised if over the coming months lots of dirt is digged up.
Already it has been revealed that some of his kids aren't actually his, and that he never adopted them either. Just keep in mind that he was a musical genius, and that he gave us so much. Oh and to prove it, 31 of his tracks have reached the top 100 this week.
Oil Prices Are Going Up, Up and Up
After the great economic crash, oil prices have been on the rise. I won't give statistics because you'll just forget them, but know this: They've got up too far. Normally what happens is that demand outstrips supply, so the price goes up to decrease demand. However this time demand hasn't gone up, in fact there's a huge surplus in supply from OPEC (OPEC is an acronym for the oil cartel which keeps prices fixed, allowing them to maximise their profits). So what's the culprit of this increase in prices?
Speculators. These are the people that hope to profit from an increase in price. They hope that oil prices will rise, so they buy oil shares. An increase in oil shares is interpreted by others as an increase in oil demand, thus oil prices go up. Yet we are in a 'boom & bust' period. After the depression people are lacking financial confidence, they do not trust the rising prices and fear that they will come crashing down. Which, they will.
At the moment, oil prices are artificially high. Once other firms realise this and decide what to do, they will lower prices once more. Who will profit? Risk taking stock traders that decide to 'go short'. This means that there are many stock traders who realise everything I have just told you. They've borrowed shares and sold them at this current high price, in the knowledge that they will crash at a later date. Once the oil share prices do go lower, they buy them back at a lower price (then return the shares to whoever they borrowed them from) and keep the difference.
What does this mean for you and me?
For now, petrol prices are higher, but they'll be coming down. I hope.
Short Snappy News
- Girl survives Yemeni plane crash
Teenager plucked from ocean as search teams find three bodies from Airbus carrying 150 people
- Jackson fans offered souvenir ticket
O2 gig promoters say fans can choose between refund and specially created ticket 'inspired by' singer
- China delays launch of internet filter Green Dam
Pressure from bloggers and governments sees climbdown on censorship software
- Joy in Iraq as US forces withdraw
Parades of soldiers and euphoric crowds mark transfer of security responsibilities to Iraqi forces
Sport
With so much going on, let's start with the Wimbledon Tennis. Venus and Serena Williams are looking like they are going to face each other in the finals yet again and Andy Murray is kicking arse.
YouTube Spotlight
Notice anything about this Air NewZealand safety video?
Lego Arcade
Gadgets & Technology
Toyota's Mind Controlled Wheelchair!
It’s always good to know some big companies don’t forget to come up with technological innovations that aren’t aimed at a large or wealthy group of consumers. In this case, Toyota has announced the development of a system that makes it possible for drivers to control wheelchairs with their thoughts alone. And it supposedly works excellent.
The system is able to analyze brain wave controls in as little as 125ms (similar products require a few seconds to work), which makes Toyota speak of control in real-time. It even can “learn” by analyzing the behavior of the driver, meaning that the driver can improve the performance of the system over time.
The wheelchair will move forward, for example, when the driver thinks of walking. Very cool, even though drivers are required to wear an EEG scanner cap. According to Toyota (and the other organizations involved in the development), the wheelchair is able to understand a record 95% of all commands coming from the drivers.
Watch the video to see the wheelchair in action.
Transformers 2
Despite bad reviews - in fact they were all bad, Transformers 2 has trumped the Box Office past records and has made over $200 Million in it's first 5 days of showing. I haven't seen it myself, but until now I thought it's success was due to the gorgeous Megan Fox. Turns out 46% of viewers were women.
Current Affairs This Week
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