Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Sexy & Hot Actress Nude

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Global Warning

BeritaHabitat.Net » Arsip » Global Warning: Akhir Dari Segala BatasBahaya dari global warning penulis pernah menyampaikannya dalam tulisan yang berjudul Hancurnya Bumi:Ujung dari Global warning. Namun, bahaya kini sudah ...
beritahabitat.net/2007/08/22/global-warning-akhir-dari-segala-batas/ - 54k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Global Warningwww.leonardodicaprio.org/whatsimportant/globalwarming_movie01.htm - 2k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

global warning - environmental gameGlobal warning - environmental game about global warming, waste, pollution and earth issues.
www.midoritech.com/globalwarning.html - 10k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Yahoo! Answers - Bagaimana masalah global warning di bumi? apa ...coba kalian lihat musim panas yang seharusnya dimu...
id.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071005155416AAUHYY5 - 49k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Global Warning « be like a beeapasich maksud dari global warning atau global warming, tolong dijelasin dengan sejelas-jelasnya donk, makasich bnayak yach ...
omietha.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/global-warning/ - 27k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Bali - Berita Bali - Global Warning Disaster Everywhere!Suka merasa cuaca panas banget akhir-akhir ini? Atau mendengar berita penyakit aneh berjangkit dimana-mana? Yup itu memang beberapa dampak dari global ...
www.balikami.com/bali-article-50-860.html - 25k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Global Warning of Global Warming - WikiMuYang saya heran pernyataan para -katanya- ilmuwan yang menyangsikan adanya Global Warning ini. Haloo.... mungkin suhu disana menjadi hangat -sesuatu yang ...
www.wikimu.com/News/DisplayNews.aspx?id=4968 - 176k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Warta,Testimonial dan Suara kita berlabel (tag) “global warning ...Tag: lingkungan, global warning, hutan. Selamatkan Hutan dengan CetakanTimbal-balik. Global warming mengancam dunia kita. Es kutub mencair membuat sebagian ...
www.wikimu.com/News/News-Tag.aspx?t=global+warning - 53k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Global Warning - homeGlobal WarningTM is a Hard Rock Heavy Metal Band from Snohomish, Washington, U.S.A. ... Global Warning with Dale Lamb: [ Windows Media ] ...
www.globalwarning.org/ - 11k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Global Warming: Early Warning SignsThe Earth is heating up. The early warning signs of global climate change are in -- heat waves and warmer weather, spreading disease, earlier spring arrival ...
www.climatehotmap.org/ - 23k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

sandra dewi foto

MIMITMAMAT!: glenn & dewi sandra ngentot di Bali...Dewi Sandra saja akhirnya pilih nyong Ambon dari pada Mas Surya Jawa. ... FOTO-FOTO DEWI & GLENN DI BLOGGER INI ADALAH HAK MILIK MAJALAH TAMASYA (PT. ...
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KapanLagi.com: Galeri Foto Dewi SandraKirimkan galeri foto ini ke teman, klik di sini. KIRIM EMAIL KE TEMAN. Informasikan ke teman-teman Anda mengenai biografi Dewi Sandra melalui email. ...
www.kapanlagi.com/selebriti/Dewi_Sandra/ - 51k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Seleb.TV :: OnLine TV Selebritis Indonesia :: - Sandra Dewi Foto ...seleb selebritis gosip gossip berita artis TV lokal indonesia.
www.seleb.tv/sandra_dewi_foto_saya_biasa_saja.html - 52k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

» SANDRA DEWI FHM PLaY yOur Mp3 » Blog ArchiveYovie & Nuno Special One, foto FHM sandra dewi, tak selamanya selingkuh itu indah mp3, sandra dewi model fhm blog, radio fm cilegon, free rini - aku bukan ...
playmp3.saktilindo.biz/2008/02/06/sandra-dewi-fhm/ - 104k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Dewi Sandra - Profil - Informasi dan Foto Artis IndonesiaInformasi dan Foto Artis Indonesia. ... Nama Lengkap: Dewi Sandra Killick Profesi: Penyanyi Musik: Pop & RnB Tempat - Tanggal Lahir: Rio de Janeiro, ...
www.info-artis.com/Dewi_Sandra/Dewi_Sandra.htm - 7k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Koleksi Foto Sandra Dewi, pemeran sinetron Cinta Indah | DuniaAnda.comSetelah Cinta Fitri season pertama tamat, SCTV kembali mengeluarkan sinetron cinta-cintaan. Namanya pun tak jauh beda, Cinta Indah dengan pemain utamanya.
duniaanda.com/koleksi-foto-sandra-dewi-pemeran-sinetron-cinta-indah.htm - 36k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Tyas Mirasih, Dewi Persik, Mulan Jameela | Foto artis Indonesia ...Sandra Dewi Sexy Photo on Magazine (4) Tags for this post: Foto Sandra Dewi, foto panas sandra dewi, foto sandra dewi di majalah, foto telanjang sandra dewi ...
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Sandra Dewi - Cinta Indah - 17th.biz - Blog Cewek Bugil , kumpulan ...Sandra Dewi - Cinta Indah foto bugil telanjang - 17th.biz - Blog Cewek Bugil , kumpulan ... Tags: foto sandra dewi, foto sandra dewi sexy, foto sandra dewi ...
17-th.net/foto-bugil-telanjang-sandra-dewi-cinta-indah.html - 30k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

KapanLagi.com: Selebriti - Sandra Dewi Foto, Berita, dan GossipSandra Dewi Gratis Dipakai Dhani, Mulan Jameela, dari Wanita Padang Pasir ke Wonder Woman, Sandra Dewi, Bra dan CD Baru di Hari Imlek.
selebriti.kapanlagi.com/today.php - 39k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Bams Samson-Tyas Mirasih Foto Artis Indonesia | Foto Bugil | Foto ...Sandra Dewi - she's originally so cuteSandra Dewi Sexy Photo on Magazine ... post: Foto Sandra Dewi, foto panas sandra dewi, foto sandra dewi di majalah, ...
topofblogs.com/celebrities/bams_samson_tyas_mirasih_foto_artis_indonesia_foto_bugil_foto_telanjang_fo - 26k - Tembolok - Halaman sejenis

Pakistan Berulah, 2/3 Netter Dunia Gagal nge-YouTube

San Francisco - Sebagian besar pengguna internet di seluruh dunia dilaporkan sempat tak bisa mengakses situs berbagi video populer, YouTube. Pihak YouTube menyalahkan adanya pemblokiran dari penyedia layanan internet di Pakistan sebagai biang keladi masalah ini.

Pemblokiran tersebut menurut YouTube, menyebabkan rute akses ke YouTube mengalami error sehingga tidak bisa diakses kurang lebih selama dua jam pada Minggu (24/2/2008) kemarin. Gangguan akses ini menimpa beberapa wilayah di seluruh dunia.

Menurut Renesys Corp, sebuah perusahaan konsultasi internet, dua pertiga populasi internet dunia tidak bisa mengakses YouTube pada saat itu. Gangguan terparah terjadi di wilayah Asia.

"Kami menyimpulkan bahwa sumber dari kekacauan itu adalah masalah network di Pakistan," demikian pernyataan dari YouTube seperti dikutip detikINET dari AFP, Selasa (26/2/2008). YouTube menambahkan, pihaknya masih menginvestigasi masalah ini untuk mengantisipasi agar tidak sampai terulang lagi.

Seperti diberitakan sebelumnya, otoritas Pakistan memerintahkan pemblokiran akses terhadap YouTube karena dianggap menyajikan konten yang menghina agama. Meski tak disebut spesifik, kuat dugaan video yang dianggap menghina ini adalah sebuah trailer film besutan sutradara Belanda, Geert Wilders. Film tersebut diindikasikan bertemakan tentang agama Islam, yang isinya dapat menyinggung umat pemeluknya.
( fyk / dbu )

Monday, February 25, 2008

Raul Castro succeeds Fidel as president



Another member of the old guard takes No. 2 position


updated 7:52 p.m. ET Feb. 24, 2008
HAVANA - Cuba's parliament named Raul Castro president on Sunday, ending nearly 50 years of rule by his brother Fidel but leaving the island's communist system unshaken.

In a surprise move, officials bypassed younger candidates to name a 77-year-old revolutionary leader, Jose Ramon Machado, to Cuba's No. 2 spot — apparently reassuring the old guard that no significant political changes will be made soon.

The retirement of the ailing 81-year-old president caps a career in which he frustrated efforts by 10 U.S. presidents to oust him, and Raul Castro stressed that his brother remains "commander in chief" even if he is not president.

He proposed to consult with Fidel on all major decisions of state — a motion approved by acclamation.

Machado, who fought alongside the Castro brothers in the Sierra Maestra during the late 1950s, is a key Communist Party ideologue. New members on the governing Council of State also include two top generals close to Raul and another aging revolutionary commander.

Cuba's young guard apparently will have to wait a little longer. Cabinet secretary Carlos Lage, 56, who is associated with the modest economic reforms of the 1990s, had been among the most visible Cuban officials since Fidel Castro fell ill and was considered a strong candidate to replace Raul as first vice president.

Stronger role for Communist Party?
In his first speech as president, Raul Castro suggested that the Communist Party as a whole would take over the role long held by Fidel Castro, who formally remains its leader.

"The Communist Party guarantees the unity of the Cuban nation," he said, calling it "the worthy heir of the confidence that the people have deposited in their leader," Fidel.

The new president said the nation's sole legal party "is the directing and superior force of society and the state."

"This conviction has particular importance when the founding and forging generation of the revolution is disappearing," Raul Castro added.

Revaluation of peso possible
While the message of no major political change was clear, Raul Castro indicated at least one economic change is being contemplated: revaluation of the Cuban peso, the national currency.

Cubans complain that government salaries averaging a little more than $19 a month do not cover basic necessities — something Raul Castro acknowledged in a major speech last year.

But he said Sunday that any change would have to be gradual to "prevent traumatic and incongruent effects."

Fidel Castro's seat in the National Assembly was empty, but as the new National Assembly's 614 members were read aloud, mention of the absent Castro drew a standing ovation.

The succession was likely to bring few major policy shifts by the communist government, but many Cubans have expressed hope it would open the door to modest economic openings and an improvement in their daily lives.

Chavez reaffirms support
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reaffirmed his economic and political support of Cuba when he took a telephone call from Raul Castro after the session. Chavez also sent a message to his ally Fidel, whom he visited numerous times during his illness.

"Fidel, comrade," Chavez said, "I send you a hug. You continue to be El Comandante."

With Sunday's vote, Castro's 49 years as head of a communist state in America's backyard came to an end. He retains his post as a lawmaker and is head of Cuba's Communist Party, but his power in the government has eroded since July 31, 2006, when he announced he had undergone emergency intestinal surgery and was provisionally ceding his powers.

The younger Castro has headed Cuba's caretaker government in the 19 months since then, and Fidel Castro has not appeared in public.

"He's a trustworthy man," Maria Martinez, a 67-year-old retiree who watched the announcement on the Chinese-made television in her dark living room in Old Havana. "He won't make mistakes."

"All we really want is peace and tranquility," she added.

Her 33-year-old neighbor, Raul Rodriguez, let out a long sigh and nodded as the announcement of Raul Castro's election was made.

"He's hard, he's tough," said Rodriguez, who wore an NYPD baseball cap sent by a relative in the U.S.

The fierce percussion of reggaeton poured from nearby homes while government street sweepers in blue smocks tidied the historic district's cobblestone streets of Old Havana without looking up as parliament session was carried live on state television.

Older men picked as vice presidents
The National Assembly, whose members were elected to five-year terms on Jan. 20, chose a new 31-member Council of State and its president, who serves as the country's head of state and government. The session closed with shouts of "Viva Fidel!"

Machado and Lage were joined by four other vice presidents: Juan Almeida Bosque, 80, a historic revolutionary leader; Interior Minister Abelardo Colome Ibarra, 68; Esteban Lazo Hernandez, 63, a longtime Communist Party leader, and Gen. Julio Casas Regueiro, 71, Raul Castro's No. 2 at the Defense Ministry.

The council secretary remained Dr. Jose M. Miyar Barrueco, 75, physician and historic revolutionary leader, and longtime aide to Fidel Castro.

Fidel Castro has held the position since the current government structure was created in 1976. For 18 years before that, he was prime minister — a post that no longer exists.

In a first round of voting Sunday, Ricardo Alarcon was re-elected as president of the National Assembly, effectively removing him as a dark horse candidate for the presidency.

‘Significant moment,’ Rice says
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued a statement shortly before parliament met, calling the developments a "significant moment in Cuba's history," but saying Cubans have a right "to choose their leaders in democratic elections."

She also urged the Cuban government to "to begin a process of peaceful, democratic change by releasing all political prisoners, respecting human rights, and creating a clear pathway towards free and fair elections."

Earlier Sunday, Chavez scoffed at the idea of a transition in Cuba, saying "the transition occurred 49 years ago," from U.S.-dominated capitalism to socialism.

"Things will remain calm, our course is clear," said a policeman who stood outside a cafe in Old Havana, watching a television carrying Raul Castro's first speech as president.

But two teenage men drinking beer on the doorstep of a bar near the Port of Havana turned their backs on the speech.

"At least we won't be frozen now, waiting, like we were since the thing with Fidel," said one. His friend was less hopeful, saying "This means nothing for us. It's just politics."

A man who gave his name as Isidro called the parliament's vote "like an insurrection" as he hefted a wide metal tray of homemade guava and coconut pies through the streets near Havana's train station.

"This country it's like jail," said the 51-year-old, who like many Cubans declined to give his last name to a foreign journalist when criticizing the government. "They close the doors and say 'the president is Peter or the president is Paul' and everyone responds "Good, it's Peter or Paul.' There's no openness."

Review: Nokia 5310 XpressMusic

By Reuben Lee
Nov 20, 2007

The thing about ultraslim phones (read: Less than 10mm thick) is that they usually come with some tradeoffs either in terms of features, functionality or in some cases, usability. However, that doesn't seem to be the issue with the 5310 XpressMusic. When we saw it showcased the first time at Nokia's GoPlay event earlier this year, it caught our attention with its slim form factor, bright colors and solid build quality. But what impressed us most was its extensive range of music features. From onboard 3.5mm audio jack and Bluetooth stereo to a memory expansion card slot and dedicated music playback buttons, you'd be hard-pressed to find a music-phone as slim and feature-packed as the 5310 XpressMusic.


Design
There's something about the 5310 that makes you want to pick it up to use. It may not be the most attractive-looking or the thinnest handset you can find in the market today. But the combination of a 9.9mm-slim profile, bright color lines (red or blue) and a rather simple yet trendy design somehow makes the phone likeable for most people on first impressions. It also helps that once you pick it up, it's got comfortable and solid feel.

Even though the exterior casing is predominantly plastic, there are no creaky parts or plasticky-feeling keys on the phone. In fact, most of the buttons are responsive except for the "+" side of the volume toggle on the left edge. Those with larger digits may also take a while to get used to the five-way navigation key. We found the dedicated music buttons on the left panel of the screen very convenient for quick access to song playback.

Many thin phones these days use a single port for charging, headset and data transfer. This usually means you cannot do more than one task at anytime. The 5310, however, comes with three individual ports onboard for each of the functions, including one for data transfer via microUSB. We were pleasantly surprised to find a port for a 3.5mm audio jack, especially on a sub-10mm slim phone. This must surely be one feature that will win the hearts of music junkies who like the freedom of using their own earphones.

On the back of the handset, you can find the 2-megapixel camera and two tiny speaker slits. The camera lens juts out slightly, so extra care will have to be taken to avoid scratches and cracks. There are no LED lights or self-portrait mirrors, so it's a pretty basic feature-set for the camera.

The microSD card slot is located under the battery cover. This means you have to remove the battery cover in order to access the card. Fortunately, the slot itself is located beside the SIM card slot and not underneath the battery, so there is no need to remove the battery as well.

Cannabis (drug)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cannabis, also known as marijuana[1] or ganja (from Hindi: गांजा gānjā),[2] is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa. The herbal form of the drug consists of dried mature flowers and subtending leaves of pistillate ("female") plants. The resinous form, known as hashish,[3] consists primarily of glandular trichomes collected from the same plant material.

Humans have been consuming cannabis since prehistory,[4] although in the 20th century there was a rise in its use for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes. It is estimated that about four percent of the world's adult population use cannabis annually and 0.6 percent daily.[5] The possession, use, or sale of psychoactive cannabis products became illegal in most parts of the world in the early 20th century. Since then, some countries have intensified the enforcement of cannabis prohibition while others have reduced the priority of enforcement.

History
Evidence of the inhalation of cannabis smoke can be found as far back as the Neolithic age, as indicated by charred cannabis seeds found in a ritual brazier at an ancient burial site in present day Romania.[4] The most famous users of cannabis were the ancient Hindus of India and Nepal, and the Hashshashins (hashish eaters) of present day Syria. The herb was called ganjika in Sanskrit (गांजा/গাঁজা ganja in modern Indic languages).[6][7] The ancient drug soma, mentioned in the Vedas as a sacred intoxicating hallucinogen, was sometimes associated with cannabis.[8]

Cannabis was also known to the Assyrians, who discovered its psychoactive properties through the Aryans.[9] Using it in some religious ceremonies, they called it qunubu (meaning "way to produce smoke"), a probable origin of the modern word 'Cannabis'.[10] Cannabis was also introduced by the Aryans to the Scythians and Thracians/Dacians, whose shamans (the kapnobatai—“those who walk on smoke/clouds”) burned cannabis flowers to induce a state of trance.[11] Members of the cult of Dionysus, believed to have originated in Thrace, are also thought to have inhaled cannabis smoke. In 2003, a leather basket filled with cannabis leaf fragments and seeds was found next to a 2,500- to 2,800-year-old mummified shaman in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.[12][13]

Cannabis has an ancient history of ritual use and is found in pharmacological cults around the world. Hemp seeds discovered by archaeologists at Pazyryk suggest early ceremonial practices like eating by the Scythians occurred during the 5th to 2nd century BCE, confirming previous historical reports by Herodotus.[14] Some historians and etymologists have claimed that cannabis was used as a religious sacrament by ancient Jews and early Christians.[15] It was also used by Muslims in various Sufi orders as early as the Mamluk period, for example by the Qalandars.[16] In India and Nepal, it has been used by some of the wandering spiritual sadhus for centuries, and in modern times the Rastafari movement has embraced it as a sacrament.[17] Elders of the modern religious movement known as the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church consider cannabis to be the Eucharist, claiming it as an oral tradition from Ethiopia dating back to the time of Christ, even though the movement was founded in the United States in 1975 and has no ties to either Ethiopia or the Coptic Church.[18] Like the Rastafari, some modern Gnostic Christian sects have asserted that cannabis is the Tree of Life.[19][20] Other organized religions founded in the past century that treat cannabis as a sacrament are the THC Ministry,[21] the Way of Infinite Harmony, Cantheism,[22] the Cannabis Assembly[23] and the Church of Cognizance.

The production of cannabis for drug use remains illegal throughout most of the world through for ex. International Opium Convention of 1925, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, while simple possession of small quantities is either legal, or treated as an addiction rather than a criminal offense in a few countries.


Medical use
Main article: Medical cannabis
A synthetic form of one chemical in marijuana, Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is a controversial treatment for medical use. The American Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-cannabis organization, claims that cannabis is an ideal therapeutic drug for cancer and AIDS patients, who often suffer from clinical depression, and from nausea and resulting weight loss due to chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments.

A recent study by scientists in Italy has also shown that cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical found in marijuana, inhibits growth of cancer cells in animals.[24]

FDA and comparable authorities in Western Europe, including the Netherlands, have not approved smoked marijuana for any condition or disease. The current view of the United States Food and Drug Administration is that if there is any future of marijuana as a medicine, it lies in its isolated components, the cannabinoids and their synthetic derivatives.[25]

A synthetic version of the cannabinoid THC named Dronabinol has been shown to relieve symptoms of anorexia and reduce agitation in elderly Alzheimer's patients.[26] Dronabinol has been approved for use with anorexia in patients with HIV/AIDS and chemotherapy-related nausea.

Glaucoma, a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball causing gradual loss of sight, can be treated with medical marijuana to decrease this intraocular pressure. There has been debate for 25 years on the subject. Some data exist, showing a reduction of IOP in glaucoma patients who smoke marijuana,[27] but the effects are short-lived, and the frequency of doses needed to sustain a decreased IOP can cause systemic toxicity. There is also some concern over its use since it can also decrease blood flow to the optic nerve. Marijuana lowers IOP by acting on a cannabinoid receptor on the ciliary body called the CB receptor.[28] Although marijuana is not a good therapeutic choice for glaucoma patients, it may lead researchers to more effective, safer treatments. A promising study shows that agents targeted to ocular CB receptors can reduce IOP in glaucoma patients who have failed other therapies.[29]

Medical marijuana is used for analgesia, or pain relief. “Marijuana is used for analgesia only in the context of a handful of illnesses (e.g., headache, dysentery, menstrual cramps, and depression) that are often cited by marijuana advocates as medical reasons to justify the drug being available as a prescription medication.”[30] It is also reported to be beneficial for treating certain neurological illnesses such as epilepsy, and bipolar disorder.[31] Case reports have found that cannabis can relieve tics in people with obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome. Patients treated with tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive chemical found in cannabis, reported a significant decrease in both motor and vocal tics, some of 50% or more.[32][33][34] Some decrease in obsessive-compulsive behavior was also found.[32] A recent study has also concluded that cannabinoids found in cannabis might have the ability to prevent Alzheimer's disease.[35] THC has been shown to reduce arterial blockages.[36]

Another use for medical marijuana is movement disorders. Marijuana is frequently reported to reduce the muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis; this has been acknowledged by the Institute Of Medicine, but it noted that these abundant anecdotal reports are not well-supported by clinical data. Evidence from animal studies suggests that there is a possible role for cannabinoids in the treatment of certain types of epileptic seizures.[37] Marijuana "numbs" the nervous system slightly, possibly preventing shock. A synthetic version of the major active compound in cannabis, THC, is available in capsule form as the prescription drug dronabinol (Marinol) in many countries. The prescription drug Sativex, an extract of cannabis administered as a sublingual spray, has been approved in Canada for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.[38] Dr. William Notcutt states that the use of MS as the disease to study “had everything to do with politics”.[39]


New breeding and cultivation techniques
Main article: Cannabis (drug) cultivation
It is often claimed by growers and breeders of herbal cannabis that advances in breeding and cultivation techniques have increased the potency of cannabis since the late 1960s and early '70s, when delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol was discovered and understood. However, potent seedless marijuana such as "Thai sticks" were already available at that time. In fact, the sinsemilla technique of producing high-potency marijuana has been practiced in India for centuries. Sinsemilla (Spanish for "without seed") is the dried, seedless inflorescences of female cannabis plants. Because THC production drops off once pollination occurs, the male plants (which produce little THC themselves) are eliminated before they shed pollen to prevent pollination. Advanced cultivation techniques such as hydroponics, cloning, high-intensity artificial lighting, and the sea of green method are frequently employed as a response (in part) to prohibition enforcement efforts that make outdoor cultivation more risky. These intensive horticultural techniques have led to fewer seeds being present in cannabis and a general increase in potency over the past 20 years. The average levels of THC in marijuana sold in United States rose from 3.5% in 1988 to 7% in 2003 and 8.5% in 2006.[40]

"Skunk" cannabis is a potent strain of cannabis, grown through selective breeding and usually hydroponics, that is a cross-breed of Cannabis sativa and C. indica. Skunk cannabis potency ranges usually from 6% to 15% and rarely as high as 20%. The average THC level in coffeehouses in the Netherlands is about 18–19%.[41]

The average THC content of Skunk #1 is 8.2%; it is a 4-way combination of the cannabis strains Afghani indica, Mexican Gold, Colombian Gold, and Thai: 75% sativa, 25% indica. This was done via extensive breeding by cultivators in California in the 1970s using the traditional outdoor cropping methods used for centuries.

In proposed revisions to cannabis rescheduling in the UK, the government is considering scheduling the more potent cannabis material as a separate, more restricted substance.

A Dutch double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of male volunteers with a self-reported history of regular cannabis use aged 18–45 years concluded that smoking of cannabis, with higher THC reflecting the content levels of netherweed (marijuana with 9–23% THC) as currently sold in coffee shops in the Netherlands, may lead to higher THC concentrations in serum (the internal dose). Smoking of cannabis with higher THC concentrations leads to an increase of the occurrence of effects, particularly among younger or inexperienced cannabis smokers, who do not adapt their smoking to the higher THC.[42] Smoking of cannabis with higher THC concentrations was associated with a dose-related increase of physical effects (such as increase of heart rate, and decrease of blood pressure) and psychomotor effects (such as reacting more slowly, being less concentrated, making more mistakes during performance testing, having less motor control, and experiencing drowsiness).

What was well observed in the Dutch study was that the effects based from a single dose—the smoking of one piece of a joint for 20–25 minutes—lasted for more than eight hours. The reaction time was still significantly slower about five hours after smoking. At that time, the THC serum concentration was low, but still present. This means that even when individuals have the impression that their state has returned to baseline and that they can smoke another piece of joint, the effect of the first joint may be still present. When subjects smoke on several occasions per day, accumulation of THC may occur.

Another study showed that 15 mg THC result in no learning whatsoever occurring over a three-trial selective reminding task at two hours. In several tasks, delta(9)-THC increased both speed and error rates, reflecting “riskier” speed–accuracy trade-offs.[43]

Criminalization and legalization

Since the beginning of the 20th century, most countries have enacted laws against the cultivation, possession, or transfer of cannabis for recreational use. These laws have impacted adversely on the cannabis plant's cultivation for non-recreational purposes, but there are many regions where, under certain circumstances, handling of cannabis is legal or licensed. Many jurisdictions have lessened the penalties for possession of small quantities of cannabis, so that it is punished by confiscation or a fine, rather than imprisonment, focusing more on those who traffic the drug on the black market. There are also changes in a more restrictive direction such as the closing of coffee shops in the Netherlands, the closing of the open drug market in Christiania, Copenhagen, the Gonzales v. Raich rule in 2005 that the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution allow the federal government to ban the use of marijuana, including medical use anywhere in the United States and the proposal for higher minimum penalties as in Canada. Although recently in Canada the use of marijuana has been decriminalized and laws in certain provinces (such as British Columbia) have been un-enforced.

Some jurisdictions use mandatory treatment programs for frequent known users with freedom from narcotic drugs as goal. Simple possession can carry long prison terms in some countries, particularly in East Asia, where the sale of cannabis may lead to a sentence of life in prison or even execution.

Effects
Main article: Health issues and effects of cannabis
Cannabis has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed, usually by smoking or ingestion. The minimum amount of THC required to have a perceptible psychoactive effect is about 10 micrograms per kilogram of body weight[44] (which, in practical terms, is a varying amount, dependent upon potency). A related compound, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin, also known as THCV, is produced in appreciable amounts by certain drug strains. This cannabinoid has been described in the popular literature as having shorter-acting, flashier effects than THC, but recent studies suggest that it may actually inhibit the effects of THC. Relatively high levels of THCV are common in African dagga (marijuana), and in hashish from the northwest Himalayas.


Health issues
Main article: Health issues and the effects of cannabis
Whilst some studies and tests have proven inconclusive,[45]a recent study by the Canadian government found cannabis contained more toxic substances than tobacco smoke. It contained 20 times more ammonia, (a carcinogen) and five times more of hydrogen cyanide (which can cause heart disease) and of nitrogen oxides, (which can cause lung damage) than tobacco smoke.[46] Cannabis use has been linked to psychosis by several peer-reviewed studies. A 1987 Swedish study claiming a link between cannabis use and schizophrenia was criticized for not differentiating between cannabis use and the use of other narcotics, and its results have not been verified by other studies. More recently, the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study published research showing an increased risk of psychosis for cannabis users with a certain genetic predisposition, held by 25% of the population.[47]

In July 2007, British medical journal The Lancet published a study that indicates that cannabis users have, on average, a 41% greater risk of developing psychosis than non-users. The risk was most pronounced in cases with an existing risk of psychotic disorder, and was said to grow up to 200% for the most-frequent users.[48][49][50]

Although long terms effects of cannabis use is polarised in the scientific community preventing any firm consensus of its effects, short term effects are well documented. Effects such as short-term memory and attention loss, loss of motor skills and dexterity, reduced reaction time, and lower abilities to perform skilled activities can be hazardous to human life if combined with potentially hazardous activities such as driving. Cannabis use can also lead to anxiety and panic reactions. There is also evidence that some of the above effect can become permanent with heavy usage [51]

Multiple studies have shown that chronic heavy cannabis smoking is associated with increased symptoms of chronic bronchitis, such as coughing, production of sputum, and wheezing. Lung function is also significantly poorer and there is a significantly greater amount of abnormalities in the large airways of marijuana smokers than in non-smokers.[52] [53][54].

All of these health issues can potentially be exacerbated by a cannabis dependence syndrome [55].

Sunday, February 24, 2008

VANTAGE POINT (2008) REVIEW


OUR REVIEW
by Dave White

Who's in It: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt
The Basics: It's a good thing I'm not the guy responsible for documenting an incident of international terrorism with my cell-phone video camera, because no crimes would ever get solved if I were. I can barely dial regular phone numbers, much less capture vital footage, then race through the streets of Spain like everyone in this movie does when someone tries to assassinate the U.S. President (Hurt). Or do they?

What's the Deal? When faced with a somewhat idiotic, manic, gimmicky whocareswhodunnit movie like this, you can get angry or you can just go, "You know what? Gimme all your twists and fake-outs and whatever you got. Just make sure there's a decent car chase, too." So that's what happens. People aren't who they seem, "rogue" operatives scamper about, plot twists that don't even live in the same universe where the word "plausible" exists are a matter of course, and then there's an amazing car chase that, while not exactly giving any of the Bourne flicks cause to be concerned, is still a lot of fun.

Digital Recording Machines of the Modern Now: You get the feeling that the big idea here was, "We do it all Rashomon-meets-YouTube!" And 20 minutes from now, it's all going to seem dated. For example, just recently, I was trying to explain this movie from 1960 called Bells Are Ringing to somebody, this dorky old musical about an answering service. Like, people would call an answering service to leave messages for other people because no one had call waiting. Same thing with Rock Hudson/Doris Day movies where people's home phones were on "party lines" and operators had to help you and cut in on calls and stuff. You have to go to Wikipedia to even understand the premise of these movies. I wonder now if someday we're going to look back at this whole wave of films about people with little digital camcorders (Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead, some elements of Be Kind Rewind, and now this) and scratch our heads. I mean, just look at The Net and how goofy that one seems now. And it's barely over 10 years old.

My Favorite Gimmick: All the fast-forwarding and rewinding that they show you over and over. It is never not fun to watch people do stuff backwards. I defy anyone to argue this point with me.

Google searches more sites more quickly, delivering the most relevant results.

Introduction

Google runs on a unique combination of advanced hardware and software. The speed you experience can be attributed in part to the efficiency of our search algorithm and partly to the thousands of low cost PC's we've networked together to create a superfast search engine.

The heart of our software is PageRank™, a system for ranking web pages developed by our founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University. And while we have dozens of engineers working to improve every aspect of Google on a daily basis, PageRank continues to play a central role in many of our web search tools.

PageRank Explained

PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at considerably more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; for example, it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important." Using these and other factors, Google provides its views on pages' relative importance.

Of course, important pages mean nothing to you if they don't match your query. So, Google combines PageRank with sophisticated text-matching techniques to find pages that are both important and relevant to your search. Google goes far beyond the number of times a term appears on a page and examines dozens of aspects of the page's content (and the content of the pages linking to it) to determine if it's a good match for your query.

Integrity
Google's complex automated methods make human tampering with our search results extremely difficult. And though we may run relevant ads above and next to our results, Google does not sell placement within the results themselves (i.e., no one can buy a particular or higher placement). A Google search provides an easy and effective way to find high-quality websites that contain information relevant to your search.

ASIA Landrush continues with new Promo for 6 Euros!

The .Asia Landrush start is a huge success (see DotASIA’s Press-release)! For those who missed the first day Landrush Promo, now is the chance to catch up with a new promotional code offered by ASIADNS/EURODNS that allows you to get the .ASIA for only 6 Euros* and this for the next 7 days.

The Promo Code is: 6ASIA21 (valid from now till only the 28th February 10AM UTC). Application for .ASIA domains can only be submitted via the new EuroDNS / AsiaDNS portal at http://v2.eurodns.com.

Not only does EuroDNS/AsiaDNS offers the best possible price for the .Asia Domain Registration, but as AsiaDNS is the registry for .asia.com domains, AsiaDNS/EuroDNS offers for every succesfully registered .asia domain also the same domain in asia.com for free (with a 1year free registration).

For any questions, please contact support@eurodns.com

For people who want to submit a high quantity of domains (more than 100), please contact and send your lists to: mmueller@eurodns.com

Here are further details about the Landrush:


The Landrush period went from 20th February to 12th March.





It is NOT a “first come first serve” Landrush. No domain will be assigned by the registry till the end of the Landrush. The registry will accept more than one application per domain.

All domains that have been applied for more than once (where at least two persons applied for the same name) will enter into an auction. The auction starts (after the landrush period) between the persons who applied for the domain (no open auction). All persons whose domain(s) enter in an auction process will be informed and will be able to see who they are bidding against. The auction will last a few days and the bidding will be done through the EuroDNs /AsiaDNS account (v2.eurodns.com).

All domain names that only got one application during the Landrush will be registered to the registrant without any auction at the end of the Landrush period.

Good Luck to all!

Xavier Buck
CEO
EuroDNS / AsiaDNS

Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Player Officially Discontinued



It was only a matter of time before Microsoft officially discontinued manufacturing the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on, but it took them a few days longer than we expected. Their statement is finally out, and it signals Microsoft's official withdraw from HD DVD on the console front.

The good news is that they'll still continue to support and repair your player based on the standard warranty, but chances are you'll get little future use out of that player now that no movies will be made for it. What's still unclear is whether there will ever be a Blu-ray add-on to the 360 that's cheap enough to sell the Xbox + Blu-ray package at a comparable price to the PS3 ($399ish). We're guessing that something along these lines will hit within the year. [Gamerscreblog]

Big Spaceship: All Fun and Games

By Elise Malmberg

At Brooklyn-based digital creative agency Big Spaceship, it really is all fun and games — and if the occasional eye gets poked out, there’s no extra charge.

The agency specializes in unique interactive campaigns for clients like Sony, Nike, Coca-Cola, and Ford. They’ve produced broadcast and motion graphics projects for Target and Krispy Kreme, and created memorable websites and online games for such films as Grindhouse, The Bourne Ultimatum, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Spider-Man 3, and Casino Royale. From first-person shooters to talking suitcases, the Big Spaceship universe is unpredictable, entertaining, and compulsively clickable.

“We’ve earned a reputation for innovation, so we get to do incredibly fun stuff for great brands,” says Big Spaceship CEO Michael Lebowitz. “We’re not a traditional graphic design company — we’re always thinking about new ways to engage with people.”

In their all-Mac studios, Big Spaceship devotes as much attention to fine-tuning the technology behind their creations as designing the interfaces that lure audiences in. Their arsenal of applications ranges from Adobe Creative Suite 3 and Final Cut Studio to custom programming environments.

But these tools always take a supporting role, Lebowitz says. “We never start with technology. When we speak to new clients, we always begin with, ‘What’s the story we’re trying to tell?’ We don’t talk about users — we talk about people. And people like to participate in conversations, and learn, and be told stories, and be entertained. That becomes the DNA of what we eventually produce.”

We Have Liftoff
When Lebowitz co-founded Big Spaceship in 2000, he knew exactly what not to do. “I worked at a mid-sized interactive agency during the bubble era,” he says. “While everybody else was jumping jobs every three months, I decided to stay in one place for three years and just watch. And eventually I said, ‘Hey, I can do this!’”

The fledgling agency set up shop in the spare bedroom of a Brooklyn apartment, and Lebowitz soon found himself bidding for a Miramax contract against his 70-person former company. After three projects with Miramax, including websites for the romantic comedies Bridget Jones’s Diary and Serendipity, the rest of the industry began to take notice. Contracts with Sony and Paramount Pictures followed, and the studio began to grow, relocating to its current headquarters in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood.
The agency now employs close to 50. “We’ve got four core disciplines: production, strategy, design, and engineering,” says Lebowitz. “Design is the largest team, because for us, design isn’t just traditional layouts and graphic design — it subsumes the entire visual side of what we do.”

Big Spaceship is known for its top-notch Flash content, but Flash has become more of a delivery platform than a development tool, Lebowitz says. “We work very, very closely with Adobe, and we have a primarily CS3 workflow. But these days we work equally in After Effects and Flash. Even the coding is done in outside applications — which is becoming more the norm, though when we started it was a unique workflow. We were one of the pioneers in the use of video as a design layer.”

In addition to essential software like CS3 and Final Cut Studio, the designers draw from an eclectic bag of tricks to achieve the effects they need — including a healthy share of digital photography and digital video. The agency also has a small green-screen studio onsite.

“Other than that, it’s pretty freeform,” Lebowitz says. “The other day I walked into the studio and there were three guys sitting on the floor with paints and mat board, painting hand-drawn letters and scanning them in. I like having a space that allows people to get dirty, where things aren’t just happening onscreen.”

30 Days of Play
Sometimes the fun and games don’t start until someone’s eye gets poked out. Case in point: Big Spaceship’s website and online multiplayer game for the 2007 vampire thriller 30 Days of Night, based on a graphic novel by writer Steve Niles and artist Ben Templesmith. The project has been nominated for a 2008 SXSW Web Award in the Film/TV category.

“One challenge with films is that there’s always something that should not be revealed,” says Lebowitz. “So we focused on giving people the sense of what the film would be like: When you’re in this town [Barrow, Alaska, where the film takes place], things can come at you at any moment, and it’s dark 24 hours a day for 30 days.”