Ben Duskin, 9 is in remission from leukemia, has helped turn fighting cancer into a game.
When the 9-year-old former leukemia patient was asked if he had an unrequited wish by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ben requested a video game be made that fellow cancer sufferers could play to take their mind off the painful side effects of chemotherapy.
"I really like video games," Duskin said Tuesday. "And I wanted to do something special, something more than going on a Disney cruise and stuff like that."
Enter Eric Johnston, a software engineer for LucasArts who helped create such games as "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "Loom" and "The Secret of Monkey Island."
Johnston agreed to volunteer his time to help Ben achieve his wish. Johnston persuaded his bosses to donate LucasArts facilities after hours and met with Ben once a week for six months as they developed "Ben's Game."
The game's central character, modeled after Ben, zooms around the screen on a skateboard, zapping mutated cells and collecting seven shields to protect against common side effects of chemotherapy, which include nausea, hair loss and fevers.
"We spent a long time discussing what he wanted this game to look like," Johnston said at the game's unveiling at the University of California, San Francisco Pediatric Treatment Center. "This is his game."
Duskin's leukemia is in remission and he is on summer break between fourth and fifth grades. UCSF officials said "Ben's Game" is now a staple in the children's chemotherapy ward.
"I feel really good in my heart that lots of people are playing it," Ben said.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Monday, June 28, 2004
Which floor sir? 13,600,000th please
Elevator to the stars?
Scientist sees elevator reaching into space
Scientist Bradley C. Edwards has an idea that's really out of this world: an elevator that climbs 62,000 miles into space.
Edwards thinks an initial version could be operating in 15 years, a year earlier than Bush's 2020 timetable for a return to the moon. He pegs the cost at $10 billion, a pittance compared with other space endeavors.
"It's not new physics -- nothing new has to be discovered, nothing new has to be invented from scratch," he says. "If there are delays in budget or delays in whatever, it could stretch, but 15 years is a realistic estimate for when we could have one up."
Edwards is not just some guy with an idea. He's head of the space elevator project at the Institute for Scientific Research in Fairmont, West Virginia. NASA already has given it more than $500,000 to study the idea, and Congress has earmarked $2.5 million more.
"A lot of people at NASA are excited about the idea," said Robert Casanova, director of the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts in Atlanta.
Edwards believes a space elevator offers a cheaper, safer form of space travel that eventually could be used to carry explorers to the planets.
Edwards' elevator would climb on a cable made of nanotubes _ tiny bundles of carbon atoms many times stronger than steel. The cable would be about three feet wide and thinner than a piece of paper, but capable of supporting a payload up to 13 tons.
The cable would be attached to a platform on the equator, off the Pacific coast of South America where winds are calm, weather is good and commercial airplane flights are few. The platform would be mobile so the cable could be moved to get out of the path of orbiting satellites.
David Brin, a science-fiction writer who formerly taught physics at San Diego State University, believes the concept is solid but doubts such an elevator could be operating by 2019.
"I have no doubt that our great-grandchildren will routinely use space elevators," he said. "But it will take another generation to gather the technologies needed."
Edwards' institute is holding a third annual conference on space elevators in Washington starting Monday. A keynote speaker at the three-day meeting will be John Mankins, NASA's manager of human and robotics technology. Organizers say it will discuss technical challenges and solutions and the economic feasibility of the elevator proposal.
The space elevator is not a new idea. A Russian scientist, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, envisioned it a century ago. And Arthur C. Clarke's novel "The Fountains of Paradise," published in 1979, talks of a space elevator 24,000 miles high, and permanent colonies on the moon, Mercury and Mars.
The difference now, Edwards said, is "we have a material that we can use to actually build it."
He envisions launching sections of cable into space on rockets. A "climber" -- his version of an elevator car -- would then be attached to the cable and used to add more lengths of cable until eventually it stretches down to the Earth. A counterweight would be attached to the end in space.
Edwards likens the design to "spinning a ball on a string around your head." The string is the cable and the ball on the end is a counterweight. The Earth's rotation would keep the cable taut.
The elevator would be powered by photo cells that convert light into electricity. A laser attached to the platform could be aimed at the elevator to deliver the light, Edwards said.
Edwards said he probably needs about two more years of development on the carbon nanotubes to obtain the strength needed. After that, he believes work on the project can begin.
"The major obstacle is probably just politics or funding and those two are the same thing," he said. "The technical, I don't think that's really an issue anymore."
Scientist sees elevator reaching into space
Scientist Bradley C. Edwards has an idea that's really out of this world: an elevator that climbs 62,000 miles into space.
Edwards thinks an initial version could be operating in 15 years, a year earlier than Bush's 2020 timetable for a return to the moon. He pegs the cost at $10 billion, a pittance compared with other space endeavors.
"It's not new physics -- nothing new has to be discovered, nothing new has to be invented from scratch," he says. "If there are delays in budget or delays in whatever, it could stretch, but 15 years is a realistic estimate for when we could have one up."
Edwards is not just some guy with an idea. He's head of the space elevator project at the Institute for Scientific Research in Fairmont, West Virginia. NASA already has given it more than $500,000 to study the idea, and Congress has earmarked $2.5 million more.
"A lot of people at NASA are excited about the idea," said Robert Casanova, director of the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts in Atlanta.
Edwards believes a space elevator offers a cheaper, safer form of space travel that eventually could be used to carry explorers to the planets.
Edwards' elevator would climb on a cable made of nanotubes _ tiny bundles of carbon atoms many times stronger than steel. The cable would be about three feet wide and thinner than a piece of paper, but capable of supporting a payload up to 13 tons.
The cable would be attached to a platform on the equator, off the Pacific coast of South America where winds are calm, weather is good and commercial airplane flights are few. The platform would be mobile so the cable could be moved to get out of the path of orbiting satellites.
David Brin, a science-fiction writer who formerly taught physics at San Diego State University, believes the concept is solid but doubts such an elevator could be operating by 2019.
"I have no doubt that our great-grandchildren will routinely use space elevators," he said. "But it will take another generation to gather the technologies needed."
Edwards' institute is holding a third annual conference on space elevators in Washington starting Monday. A keynote speaker at the three-day meeting will be John Mankins, NASA's manager of human and robotics technology. Organizers say it will discuss technical challenges and solutions and the economic feasibility of the elevator proposal.
The space elevator is not a new idea. A Russian scientist, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, envisioned it a century ago. And Arthur C. Clarke's novel "The Fountains of Paradise," published in 1979, talks of a space elevator 24,000 miles high, and permanent colonies on the moon, Mercury and Mars.
The difference now, Edwards said, is "we have a material that we can use to actually build it."
He envisions launching sections of cable into space on rockets. A "climber" -- his version of an elevator car -- would then be attached to the cable and used to add more lengths of cable until eventually it stretches down to the Earth. A counterweight would be attached to the end in space.
Edwards likens the design to "spinning a ball on a string around your head." The string is the cable and the ball on the end is a counterweight. The Earth's rotation would keep the cable taut.
The elevator would be powered by photo cells that convert light into electricity. A laser attached to the platform could be aimed at the elevator to deliver the light, Edwards said.
Edwards said he probably needs about two more years of development on the carbon nanotubes to obtain the strength needed. After that, he believes work on the project can begin.
"The major obstacle is probably just politics or funding and those two are the same thing," he said. "The technical, I don't think that's really an issue anymore."
The Lost Art Of Overtaking
Overtaking: A Lost Art?
As only one driver can ever sit on pole position for a race, and the entire grid wants to finish on the top step of the podium, overtaking is of vital importance to the business of racing. Simplified to its most basic form overtaking is nothing more than gaining track position to get past an opponent. This can be done at the very start of the grand prix, during the dash towards the first corner – or during the race itself. Although you will often hear talk of cars ‘overtaking in the pitlane’ (meaning a car gaining track position through a better pit stop compared to a rival) this is a matter of race strategy. Most people regard overtaking as meaning cars passing each other on the track, during the race.
This sort of overtaking is brought about by a speed difference: the car behind going sufficiently faster than the car in front to make a pass. The higher the speed difference, the easier the overtake. As Formula One cars are typically very closely matched on performance, certainly those likely to be in direct competition with each other, overtaking must be carried out with a very small difference in speed – requiring skill, commitment and courage.
One of the most important factors in Formula One overtaking is that of aerodynamic efficiency. As a car gets progressively closer to the rear of an opponent's car it moves into the 'bubble' of turbulent air being created. This has two effects, one positive and one negative. On straights this bubble gives what is known as a 'tow', slightly reducing the air resistance of the car behind and (all else being even) allowing it a slight performance advantage - hence the reason cars are often seen very close together just before an overtaking attempt.
The problem comes with the second aerodynamic effect, found in corners, where the reduced airflow acting on the wings of the second car will dramatically decrease aerodynamic downforce, and hence grip - meaning that the car behind will typically be forced to drop back, or to pick a different cornering line in 'clean air'.
Overtaking is not just about power, though. Often successful passing moves are made under braking - either at the culmination of a 'tow' into a corner, or simply because the car and driver behind have more braking power to call on. Similarly, if a driver has more grip to call on (or more confidence, in low-grip situations) then he may be able to overtake mid-corner by taking a radically different line to the car in front - often heading 'around the outside'.
In overtaking battles the driver in front's best defence is his ability to pick braking points and cornering lines. A skilful driver can hold off an opponent by adopting a 'defensive' driving style, typically this means reducing the angle available for the car behind to use going into corners where there is a substantial risk of being passed. Providing that the driver ahead only changes his line once going into a corner (not deliberately attempting to block the car behind) this is a perfectly justifiable form of racing, and with it a driver in an inferior car can successfully hold off a faster rival. Narrowing the car behind's angle through corners can also force it to take a later apex and even run wide, even if it has successfully made the pass - and this can result in the slower car getting back in front again! A side-effect of this defensive driving is that it tends to slow both drivers down, which is why you often see these close battles dropping away from cars ahead.
A great overtaking move represents Formula One at its very best - a poor one can bring the sport into disrepute. It is a tribute to the incredible skill of modern drivers that they are normally able to race extremely closely and fairly without making contact, but event officials are always monitoring overtaking attempts, and any dangerous driving, whether attacking or defensive, will see the driver called before the stewards and penalised.
As only one driver can ever sit on pole position for a race, and the entire grid wants to finish on the top step of the podium, overtaking is of vital importance to the business of racing. Simplified to its most basic form overtaking is nothing more than gaining track position to get past an opponent. This can be done at the very start of the grand prix, during the dash towards the first corner – or during the race itself. Although you will often hear talk of cars ‘overtaking in the pitlane’ (meaning a car gaining track position through a better pit stop compared to a rival) this is a matter of race strategy. Most people regard overtaking as meaning cars passing each other on the track, during the race.
This sort of overtaking is brought about by a speed difference: the car behind going sufficiently faster than the car in front to make a pass. The higher the speed difference, the easier the overtake. As Formula One cars are typically very closely matched on performance, certainly those likely to be in direct competition with each other, overtaking must be carried out with a very small difference in speed – requiring skill, commitment and courage.
One of the most important factors in Formula One overtaking is that of aerodynamic efficiency. As a car gets progressively closer to the rear of an opponent's car it moves into the 'bubble' of turbulent air being created. This has two effects, one positive and one negative. On straights this bubble gives what is known as a 'tow', slightly reducing the air resistance of the car behind and (all else being even) allowing it a slight performance advantage - hence the reason cars are often seen very close together just before an overtaking attempt.
The problem comes with the second aerodynamic effect, found in corners, where the reduced airflow acting on the wings of the second car will dramatically decrease aerodynamic downforce, and hence grip - meaning that the car behind will typically be forced to drop back, or to pick a different cornering line in 'clean air'.
Overtaking is not just about power, though. Often successful passing moves are made under braking - either at the culmination of a 'tow' into a corner, or simply because the car and driver behind have more braking power to call on. Similarly, if a driver has more grip to call on (or more confidence, in low-grip situations) then he may be able to overtake mid-corner by taking a radically different line to the car in front - often heading 'around the outside'.
In overtaking battles the driver in front's best defence is his ability to pick braking points and cornering lines. A skilful driver can hold off an opponent by adopting a 'defensive' driving style, typically this means reducing the angle available for the car behind to use going into corners where there is a substantial risk of being passed. Providing that the driver ahead only changes his line once going into a corner (not deliberately attempting to block the car behind) this is a perfectly justifiable form of racing, and with it a driver in an inferior car can successfully hold off a faster rival. Narrowing the car behind's angle through corners can also force it to take a later apex and even run wide, even if it has successfully made the pass - and this can result in the slower car getting back in front again! A side-effect of this defensive driving is that it tends to slow both drivers down, which is why you often see these close battles dropping away from cars ahead.
A great overtaking move represents Formula One at its very best - a poor one can bring the sport into disrepute. It is a tribute to the incredible skill of modern drivers that they are normally able to race extremely closely and fairly without making contact, but event officials are always monitoring overtaking attempts, and any dangerous driving, whether attacking or defensive, will see the driver called before the stewards and penalised.
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Ayrton Senna vs Michael Schumacher
Clash of the Titans - Senna versus Schumacher
This story was originally published by BBC Sport's Andrew Benson for BBC's online Motorsport page. Because it's of such a relevant topic to our clients, it had to be shared here. It's rare that I agree so wholeheartedly with a journalist. This is one occasion.
Here, BBC Sport Online's motorsport editor, Andrew Benson, assesses Michael Schumacher's ability compared with that of the man considered by many to be the best Grand Prix driver ever in history - Ayrton Senna.
There is no doubt that Schumacher is the fastest driver of the current age in F1, but Senna has a better claim to be the quicker of the two.
His record of 65 pole positions in 162 races is evidence enough - Schumacher has "only" 39 from 153. For all Schumacher's ability, he is not as good at putting together the best possible lap on a Saturday afternoon as was Senna.
When the two men raced together, from 1992-94, Senna undoubtedly had the upper hand, even if Schumacher was emerging as his biggest rival.
Senna scored 65 poles - and this one at Monaco in 1988 was extra-special
And on top of that, the opposition against which the Brazilian achieved his success was of a higher level.
Senna had Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell to compete against, all of whom have a claim to be all-time greats. The depth of competition at the top is not as strong any more.
Senna 10- 9 Schumacher
Senna and Schumacher - both masters of crushing their opponents into submission in a race with a relentless series of laps close to the limit. And both adept in any conditions.
However, Schumacher gets the nod because of the flexibility his brilliance has allowed his Ferrari team in race tactics.
These have netted them many unlikely victories, most memorably at Hungary in 1998, when he had to make up 25 seconds in 19 laps in the middle of the race.
Schumacher and technician Brawn have established a formidable tactical partnership
This may be unfair on Senna, as the tactical side of F1 racing has changed enormously with the introduction of fuel stops in 1994, just three races before Senna's death.
That means there is less of a context in which to judge the Brazilian.
Nevertheless, while Senna was the racing master of his era, Schumacher's improvisational skills put him narrowly ahead.
Senna 9-10 Schumacher
Both Senna and Schumacher can claim to have produced a number of races that will go down among the list of the greatest individual drives of all time.
But it is qualifying that again separates the two. Senna was regularly brilliant, but sometimes he surpassed even himself.
Most famously, there was Monaco in 1988, when he put his car on pole position, 1.5 seconds quicker than Prost in the same car.
He later said he felt as if he was driving on instinct, watching himself from above.
Senna 10-9 Schumacher
Senna again has the slight advantage.
Schumacher works hard and is better technically than most, but Senna and Prost have a reputation as the best there have ever been on this front.
Senna drove Prost off the track to win the 1990 world title
They both had an other-worldly ability to pick up the tiniest of details about the car's performance.
For example, at one race in 1993, Senna told his engineers that he felt there was some kind of problem with the engine and he asked them to change it.
The engine men could find nothing wrong, but team boss Ron Dennis asked them to put a new engine in anyway, just for Senna's peace of mind.
When they took it apart, they found a tiny crack in the crankshaft that had not even been picked up by computer telemetry. Had Senna used it, the engine would have failed.
Senna 9-8 Schumacher
A strong point of both. Their advantage came not only for being able to drive faster than anyone else, but to do so for longer.
Senna raised fitness and preparation to new levels when he was making his name, but Schumacher took the bar even higher.
Both men made more mistakes than Prost - who set the standards for an error-free career - but the difference is that Schumacher makes them when it really matters and Senna did not.
The German has made crucial errors in three title showdowns. He got away with it in 1994 by driving Damon Hill off the track at the next corner. He was not so lucky in 1997 and 98.
Senna would never have lost a championship in such circumstances.
Senna 9-8 Schumacher
There is no doubting the unbelievable levels of commitment and desire shown by both - each causing controversy by being prepared to put their opponents in positions where they risked an accident if they did not back off.
But Senna was willing to take even more risks than Schumacher, to the point that he put his own life in danger as well.
This was demonstrated when Senna barged Prost off the track at 150mph on the first lap of the 1990 Japanese GP.
Senna was driven by a raging internal anger, which made a frightening combination when combined with his desire. Schumacher only has the desire.
Senna 10-9 Schumacher
They are probably the best wet-weather drivers of all time, for their consistent level of excellence in such conditions, and their total superiority over their peers. Impossible to separate them.
Senna 10-10 Schumacher
Senna and Schumacher both showed a total commitment to success, unmatched by anyone else bar Prost. All three worked long into the night to ensure they were as prepared as they could be.
Senna 10-10 Schumacher
It is well-nigh impossible to compare drivers of different eras, but Senna and Schumacher make the job slightly easier because they raced against each other - albeit for a very brief time.
Senna combined all the qualities a racing driver could need - amazing skill, total commitment and a brilliant intellect.
And that was quite apart from a gleaming charisma that has established him as one of the all-time great sporting icons.
Schumacher is sensationally gifted, too, and it is clear that Senna's death robbed Formula One of what would have been one of the greatest on-track rivalries of all time.
At 34, Senna was at his peak, but probably did not have much longer there; Schumacher still had to reach his.
Schumacher has done more than enough to establish himself as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. But the assessment, subjective though it might be, suggests that Senna was even better.
Total: Senna 77-73 Schumacher
This story was originally published by BBC Sport's Andrew Benson for BBC's online Motorsport page. Because it's of such a relevant topic to our clients, it had to be shared here. It's rare that I agree so wholeheartedly with a journalist. This is one occasion.
Here, BBC Sport Online's motorsport editor, Andrew Benson, assesses Michael Schumacher's ability compared with that of the man considered by many to be the best Grand Prix driver ever in history - Ayrton Senna.
Ultimate speed
There is no doubt that Schumacher is the fastest driver of the current age in F1, but Senna has a better claim to be the quicker of the two.
His record of 65 pole positions in 162 races is evidence enough - Schumacher has "only" 39 from 153. For all Schumacher's ability, he is not as good at putting together the best possible lap on a Saturday afternoon as was Senna.
When the two men raced together, from 1992-94, Senna undoubtedly had the upper hand, even if Schumacher was emerging as his biggest rival.
Senna scored 65 poles - and this one at Monaco in 1988 was extra-special
And on top of that, the opposition against which the Brazilian achieved his success was of a higher level.
Senna had Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell to compete against, all of whom have a claim to be all-time greats. The depth of competition at the top is not as strong any more.
Senna 10- 9 Schumacher
Race-craft
Senna and Schumacher - both masters of crushing their opponents into submission in a race with a relentless series of laps close to the limit. And both adept in any conditions.
However, Schumacher gets the nod because of the flexibility his brilliance has allowed his Ferrari team in race tactics.
These have netted them many unlikely victories, most memorably at Hungary in 1998, when he had to make up 25 seconds in 19 laps in the middle of the race.
Schumacher and technician Brawn have established a formidable tactical partnership
This may be unfair on Senna, as the tactical side of F1 racing has changed enormously with the introduction of fuel stops in 1994, just three races before Senna's death.
That means there is less of a context in which to judge the Brazilian.
Nevertheless, while Senna was the racing master of his era, Schumacher's improvisational skills put him narrowly ahead.
Senna 9-10 Schumacher
Genius
Both Senna and Schumacher can claim to have produced a number of races that will go down among the list of the greatest individual drives of all time.
But it is qualifying that again separates the two. Senna was regularly brilliant, but sometimes he surpassed even himself.
Most famously, there was Monaco in 1988, when he put his car on pole position, 1.5 seconds quicker than Prost in the same car.
He later said he felt as if he was driving on instinct, watching himself from above.
Senna 10-9 Schumacher
Technical
Senna again has the slight advantage.
Schumacher works hard and is better technically than most, but Senna and Prost have a reputation as the best there have ever been on this front.
Senna drove Prost off the track to win the 1990 world title
They both had an other-worldly ability to pick up the tiniest of details about the car's performance.
For example, at one race in 1993, Senna told his engineers that he felt there was some kind of problem with the engine and he asked them to change it.
The engine men could find nothing wrong, but team boss Ron Dennis asked them to put a new engine in anyway, just for Senna's peace of mind.
When they took it apart, they found a tiny crack in the crankshaft that had not even been picked up by computer telemetry. Had Senna used it, the engine would have failed.
Senna 9-8 Schumacher
Consistency
A strong point of both. Their advantage came not only for being able to drive faster than anyone else, but to do so for longer.
Senna raised fitness and preparation to new levels when he was making his name, but Schumacher took the bar even higher.
Both men made more mistakes than Prost - who set the standards for an error-free career - but the difference is that Schumacher makes them when it really matters and Senna did not.
The German has made crucial errors in three title showdowns. He got away with it in 1994 by driving Damon Hill off the track at the next corner. He was not so lucky in 1997 and 98.
Senna would never have lost a championship in such circumstances.
Senna 9-8 Schumacher
Will to win
There is no doubting the unbelievable levels of commitment and desire shown by both - each causing controversy by being prepared to put their opponents in positions where they risked an accident if they did not back off.
But Senna was willing to take even more risks than Schumacher, to the point that he put his own life in danger as well.
This was demonstrated when Senna barged Prost off the track at 150mph on the first lap of the 1990 Japanese GP.
Senna was driven by a raging internal anger, which made a frightening combination when combined with his desire. Schumacher only has the desire.
Senna 10-9 Schumacher
Wet-weather ability
They are probably the best wet-weather drivers of all time, for their consistent level of excellence in such conditions, and their total superiority over their peers. Impossible to separate them.
Senna 10-10 Schumacher
Work ethic
Senna and Schumacher both showed a total commitment to success, unmatched by anyone else bar Prost. All three worked long into the night to ensure they were as prepared as they could be.
Senna 10-10 Schumacher
Summary
It is well-nigh impossible to compare drivers of different eras, but Senna and Schumacher make the job slightly easier because they raced against each other - albeit for a very brief time.
Senna combined all the qualities a racing driver could need - amazing skill, total commitment and a brilliant intellect.
And that was quite apart from a gleaming charisma that has established him as one of the all-time great sporting icons.
Schumacher is sensationally gifted, too, and it is clear that Senna's death robbed Formula One of what would have been one of the greatest on-track rivalries of all time.
At 34, Senna was at his peak, but probably did not have much longer there; Schumacher still had to reach his.
Schumacher has done more than enough to establish himself as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. But the assessment, subjective though it might be, suggests that Senna was even better.
Total: Senna 77-73 Schumacher
Another Consiracy Theory?
Why wasn't Michael Schumacher penalised?
It is, of course, forbidden to overtake until the race-leader has crossed the start-line after a Safety Car - but the German appeared to do that on Sunday.
Indianapolis' timing screens captured Schumacher as 'P1' on Lap six.
But the computer data was quickly updated, showing Rubens Barrichello in the lead by a mere 0.013 seconds. So which information are we to believe?
An FIA spokesman agrees the timing page 'did briefly display Michael ahead of Rubens. But then [it] automatically corrected itself to the accurate timing.'
He said the timekeepers 'contacted Race Control' to confirm.
If Schu had put his Ferrari's nose ahead of team-mate Barrichello at the re-start, he would have been handed a race-affecting drive- through penalty
It is, of course, forbidden to overtake until the race-leader has crossed the start-line after a Safety Car - but the German appeared to do that on Sunday.
Indianapolis' timing screens captured Schumacher as 'P1' on Lap six.
But the computer data was quickly updated, showing Rubens Barrichello in the lead by a mere 0.013 seconds. So which information are we to believe?
An FIA spokesman agrees the timing page 'did briefly display Michael ahead of Rubens. But then [it] automatically corrected itself to the accurate timing.'
He said the timekeepers 'contacted Race Control' to confirm.
If Schu had put his Ferrari's nose ahead of team-mate Barrichello at the re-start, he would have been handed a race-affecting drive- through penalty
Some Good Ones !
******** The Three bears *******
The three bears came back home from a stroll in the forrest only to find their front door open. Cautiously they entered their house.
Pappa bear immediately said "Grrrr! Someone's been eating my porridge!"
Momma bear gruffed "Someone's been eating MY porridge!"
Suddenly Baby bear shouted, "Screw the porridge! Someone's stolen my iPod!
Electricity can be dangerous. My nephew tried to stick a penny into a plug. Whoever said a penny doesn't go far didn't see him shoot across that floor. I told him he was grounded.
-Tim Allen
Americans are getting stronger. Twenty years ago, it took two people to carry ten dollars worth of groceries. Today, a five-year-old can do it.
-Henry Youngman
The three bears came back home from a stroll in the forrest only to find their front door open. Cautiously they entered their house.
Pappa bear immediately said "Grrrr! Someone's been eating my porridge!"
Momma bear gruffed "Someone's been eating MY porridge!"
Suddenly Baby bear shouted, "Screw the porridge! Someone's stolen my iPod!
Electricity can be dangerous. My nephew tried to stick a penny into a plug. Whoever said a penny doesn't go far didn't see him shoot across that floor. I told him he was grounded.
-Tim Allen
Americans are getting stronger. Twenty years ago, it took two people to carry ten dollars worth of groceries. Today, a five-year-old can do it.
-Henry Youngman
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Monday, June 21, 2004
Mumbai Dope
Mumbai single-handedly handles about 25% of the domestic and 38% of the international air passenger traffic in the country.
Mumbai's suburban rail systems carry a total of 2.2 billion passengers every year. Incidentally, the world's population is 6 billion.
Mumbai's literacy rate is 85.6% (female: 82.7%, male: 90%) compared with India's overall literacy of 65.4%.
Mumbai's per capita income is Rs 48,954. This is almost three times the national average!
At the end of financial year 2002-03, Mumbai paid Rs 28,000 crore in taxes, 35% of India's collection of Rs 82,000 crore!
Mumbai city and its suburbs get, on an average, 2160 mm (85 inches) of rainfall every year.
As of June 2003, there are an incredible 982 villages in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The original Walkeshwar Temple was destroyed by the Portuguese, but was rebuilt by Rama Kamath in 1715.
Bombay University was founded in 1857 at the Town Hall, and was shifted to the new complex near Oval Maidan in 1874.
The Elphinstone College was originally built for the Government Central Press at a cost of Rs 7.5 lakh.
The city's first church - the St Thomas Cathedral - was built at Horniman Circle in 1718.
The first post office in Bombay was opened in 1832 at the residence of the junior magistrate of police at Byculla.
The Stearns & Kittredge company was given permission in 1874 to start Bombay's first tram service with a fleet of 900 horses.
The East India Company appointed Sir George Oxenden the first governor of Bombay in 1668.
Until 1864, the city's highest ranking police officer was called Police Chief. Post 1864, the title was changed to Police Commissioner.
Mumbai's first Indian police commissioner was J S Bharucha who took over from A E Caffin on August 15, 1947.
Sir Frank Souter was Mumbai's first Police Commissioner. He remained in office for a record 24 years between 1664 and 1688.
Mumbai's first policemen employed by the British were called the Bhandari Militia. They were set up in 1669.
Mumbai's police out-post was set up in 1661.
The famous architect George Wittet designed several landmark buildings in Mumbai, including the Prince of Wales Museum and the Gateway of India.
The General Post Office, completed in 1909, has its impressive dome modelled after the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur.
The last British troops to leave India, the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the Gateway of India in a ceremony on February 28, 1948.
The Gateway of India, with a maximum height of 83 feet, was completed in 1924 with a cost of Rs 21 lakh.
The Flora Fountain was built in 1864 by the Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India from a donation by Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh.
The Hanging Gardens at Malabar Hill was built over three reservoirs which can store up to 300 lakh gallons of water.
Bombay's population in 1891 was 8.21 lakh. By 1901, it had reduced to 7.76 lakh due to a massive plague epidemic.
The first English newspaper in Bombay was printed by Rustomji Keshaspathi in 1777.
Bombay's first regional language newspaper was Mumbai Samachar, published in Gujarati in 1822 by Fardoonjee Marzban.
Sir Henry Bartle Frere became the first Governor of Bombay under the rule of the Queen in 1862.
The first trams in Bombay started in 1874, between Parel and Colaba, and were drawn by teams of six to eight horses.
The first inter-city railway was built between Bombay and Surat, and was completed in 1864.
The Great Indian Peninsular Railway laid the first rail tracks in India between Thane and Bombay.
It took 60 years to merge the seven islands of Bombay into one landmass between 1784 and 1845.
Bombay's highest population growth rate was between 1661 and 1675 when it rose six times from 10,000 to 60,000.
The 2nd governor of Bombay, Gerald Aungier, was behind its development into a major centre of commerce.
The name Bombay was derived from Bom Bahia (The Good Bay), a name given by Portuguese sailor Francis Almeida, in 1508.
When a person travel towards Mumbai,one can see milestone stating Mumbai 35 Kms, but where is Mumbai Zero Kms, it is at Flora Fountain
The railway tracks of the Churchgate Station originally extended beyond Azad Maidan in the direction of Afghan Church, which was later changed to a tar road.
Former English cricket captain Douglas Jardine of Bodyline fame was born in Malabar Hill, Mumbai, in 1900.
India’s first cricket club, Orient, was founded in Bombay in 1848.
Mumbai orginally was a cluster of seven separate islands, and the southernmost island was called Old Woman’s Island.
Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling who wrote Kim and The Jungle Book was born in Mumbai.
There are 14 platforms inside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, earlier called Victoria Terminus.
Mumbai’s first ever meteorological observatory was built in Colaba in 1826.
The wooden pole in the centre of the Banganga Tank in Mumbai signifies the centre of the earth. Legend has it that Lord Ram created the tank by piercing the earth with his arrow.
The Lumiere brothers introduced Motion Pictures to India with six soundless short films at Bombay’s Watson’s Hotel in 1896.
There is an original portrait of former US President Abraham Lincoln at the Prince of Wales Museum.
Lord Elphinstone performed the opening ceremony after railway tracks were laid between Bombay and Thane in 1853.
The railway line from Mumbai to Pune through Bhor Ghat was built by a woman named Alice Tredwell in 1863.
The Quit India Movement was launched by Gandhiji in Mumbai in 1942 from Gowalia Tank. It is now called August Kranti Maidan.
The Taj Mahal Hotel was built in 1903 on the ‘pleasure basin’ of the Yacht Club.
The first bus in Mumbai ran from Afghan Church to Crawford Market on July 15, 1926.
Mahatma Gandhi began his political career in Mumbai in 1915 after returning from South Africa.
The Portuguese, in 1508, named this island city Bom Bahia (the Good Bay). This was later modified to Bombay.
Mumbai industrialist Jamshetji Tata was the first Indian to own a car.
Motorised taxis first appeared first on Mumbai roads in 1911.
Mumbai's suburban rail systems carry a total of 2.2 billion passengers every year. Incidentally, the world's population is 6 billion.
Mumbai's literacy rate is 85.6% (female: 82.7%, male: 90%) compared with India's overall literacy of 65.4%.
Mumbai's per capita income is Rs 48,954. This is almost three times the national average!
At the end of financial year 2002-03, Mumbai paid Rs 28,000 crore in taxes, 35% of India's collection of Rs 82,000 crore!
Mumbai city and its suburbs get, on an average, 2160 mm (85 inches) of rainfall every year.
As of June 2003, there are an incredible 982 villages in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The original Walkeshwar Temple was destroyed by the Portuguese, but was rebuilt by Rama Kamath in 1715.
Bombay University was founded in 1857 at the Town Hall, and was shifted to the new complex near Oval Maidan in 1874.
The Elphinstone College was originally built for the Government Central Press at a cost of Rs 7.5 lakh.
The city's first church - the St Thomas Cathedral - was built at Horniman Circle in 1718.
The first post office in Bombay was opened in 1832 at the residence of the junior magistrate of police at Byculla.
The Stearns & Kittredge company was given permission in 1874 to start Bombay's first tram service with a fleet of 900 horses.
The East India Company appointed Sir George Oxenden the first governor of Bombay in 1668.
Until 1864, the city's highest ranking police officer was called Police Chief. Post 1864, the title was changed to Police Commissioner.
Mumbai's first Indian police commissioner was J S Bharucha who took over from A E Caffin on August 15, 1947.
Sir Frank Souter was Mumbai's first Police Commissioner. He remained in office for a record 24 years between 1664 and 1688.
Mumbai's first policemen employed by the British were called the Bhandari Militia. They were set up in 1669.
Mumbai's police out-post was set up in 1661.
The famous architect George Wittet designed several landmark buildings in Mumbai, including the Prince of Wales Museum and the Gateway of India.
The General Post Office, completed in 1909, has its impressive dome modelled after the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur.
The last British troops to leave India, the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the Gateway of India in a ceremony on February 28, 1948.
The Gateway of India, with a maximum height of 83 feet, was completed in 1924 with a cost of Rs 21 lakh.
The Flora Fountain was built in 1864 by the Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India from a donation by Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh.
The Hanging Gardens at Malabar Hill was built over three reservoirs which can store up to 300 lakh gallons of water.
Bombay's population in 1891 was 8.21 lakh. By 1901, it had reduced to 7.76 lakh due to a massive plague epidemic.
The first English newspaper in Bombay was printed by Rustomji Keshaspathi in 1777.
Bombay's first regional language newspaper was Mumbai Samachar, published in Gujarati in 1822 by Fardoonjee Marzban.
Sir Henry Bartle Frere became the first Governor of Bombay under the rule of the Queen in 1862.
The first trams in Bombay started in 1874, between Parel and Colaba, and were drawn by teams of six to eight horses.
The first inter-city railway was built between Bombay and Surat, and was completed in 1864.
The Great Indian Peninsular Railway laid the first rail tracks in India between Thane and Bombay.
It took 60 years to merge the seven islands of Bombay into one landmass between 1784 and 1845.
Bombay's highest population growth rate was between 1661 and 1675 when it rose six times from 10,000 to 60,000.
The 2nd governor of Bombay, Gerald Aungier, was behind its development into a major centre of commerce.
The name Bombay was derived from Bom Bahia (The Good Bay), a name given by Portuguese sailor Francis Almeida, in 1508.
When a person travel towards Mumbai,one can see milestone stating Mumbai 35 Kms, but where is Mumbai Zero Kms, it is at Flora Fountain
The railway tracks of the Churchgate Station originally extended beyond Azad Maidan in the direction of Afghan Church, which was later changed to a tar road.
Former English cricket captain Douglas Jardine of Bodyline fame was born in Malabar Hill, Mumbai, in 1900.
India’s first cricket club, Orient, was founded in Bombay in 1848.
Mumbai orginally was a cluster of seven separate islands, and the southernmost island was called Old Woman’s Island.
Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling who wrote Kim and The Jungle Book was born in Mumbai.
There are 14 platforms inside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, earlier called Victoria Terminus.
Mumbai’s first ever meteorological observatory was built in Colaba in 1826.
The wooden pole in the centre of the Banganga Tank in Mumbai signifies the centre of the earth. Legend has it that Lord Ram created the tank by piercing the earth with his arrow.
The Lumiere brothers introduced Motion Pictures to India with six soundless short films at Bombay’s Watson’s Hotel in 1896.
There is an original portrait of former US President Abraham Lincoln at the Prince of Wales Museum.
Lord Elphinstone performed the opening ceremony after railway tracks were laid between Bombay and Thane in 1853.
The railway line from Mumbai to Pune through Bhor Ghat was built by a woman named Alice Tredwell in 1863.
The Quit India Movement was launched by Gandhiji in Mumbai in 1942 from Gowalia Tank. It is now called August Kranti Maidan.
The Taj Mahal Hotel was built in 1903 on the ‘pleasure basin’ of the Yacht Club.
The first bus in Mumbai ran from Afghan Church to Crawford Market on July 15, 1926.
Mahatma Gandhi began his political career in Mumbai in 1915 after returning from South Africa.
The Portuguese, in 1508, named this island city Bom Bahia (the Good Bay). This was later modified to Bombay.
Mumbai industrialist Jamshetji Tata was the first Indian to own a car.
Motorised taxis first appeared first on Mumbai roads in 1911.
Baking a cake.. hic
How to bake a cake!
3 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup nuts
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup butter
1 gal. whiskey
2 eggs
butter or margarine to grease tin
Directions: Arrange ingredients on level working area
before starting.
Sample the whiskey to check for quality.
Take a large bowl.
Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest
quality. Pour one level cup and drink. Repeat...
Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 cup butter and flour
in a large, fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again.
Make sure the whiskey is still OK. Try another tup. Turn
off mixer.
Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of
dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets
stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticaty.
Next, sift 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares?
Whisk the checkey.
Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever
you can find. Grease the oven.
Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off
the turner.
Throw the bowl out of the window.
Check the whiskey again. Go to bed.
3 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup nuts
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup butter
1 gal. whiskey
2 eggs
butter or margarine to grease tin
Directions: Arrange ingredients on level working area
before starting.
Sample the whiskey to check for quality.
Take a large bowl.
Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest
quality. Pour one level cup and drink. Repeat...
Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 cup butter and flour
in a large, fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again.
Make sure the whiskey is still OK. Try another tup. Turn
off mixer.
Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of
dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets
stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticaty.
Next, sift 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares?
Whisk the checkey.
Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever
you can find. Grease the oven.
Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off
the turner.
Throw the bowl out of the window.
Check the whiskey again. Go to bed.
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