Call of Duty 4

As you might or might not have known, Activision and Infinity Ward's newest masterpiece Call of Duty 4 has been released for the PC, PS3, XBOX360, and the Nintendo DS. I decided to go pick up a copy of this game last weekend for my PS3, and all I can say is get it!!! The graphics are awesome (actually more than awesome) and the story of the game really grabs onto your attention. Even though the single player campaign mode only gives 5-6 hours of gameplay, the online multiplayer is where this game really excels. This game is really a must-have if you're a fan of first-person shooters, and if you have a PS3.

Former pilots and officials call for new UFO investigations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich may have been ridiculed for saying he had seen a UFO, but for some former military pilots and other observers, unidentified flying objects are no laughing matter.

An international panel of two dozen former pilots and government officials called on the U.S. government on Monday to reopen its generation-old UFO investigation as a matter of safety and security given continuing reports about flying discs, glowing spheres and other strange sightings.

Scientists successful at cloning monkeys

A technical breakthrough has enabled scientists to create for the first time dozens of cloned embryos from adult monkeys, raising the prospect of the same procedure being used to make cloned human embryos.

The work was led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a Russian-born scientist at the Oregon National Primate Research Centre in Beaverton. Dr Mitalipov helped to pioneer a new way of handling primate eggs during the cloning process, which involved fusing each egg with a nucleus taken from a skin cell of an adult primate.

GAO: Investigators pass security at 19 airports with bomb parts

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Investigators with bomb-making components in their luggage and on their person were able to pass through security checkpoints at 19 U.S. airports without detection, according to the Government Accountability Office.

GAO officials are expected to testify about the investigation Thursday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The investigators reported that most of the time security officers followed TSA policies and procedures, but investigators were able to take advantage of "weaknesses in TSA [Transportation Security Administration] procedures and other vulnerabilities."

"These weaknesses were identified based on a review of public information," the planned GAO testimony says .

Investigators concluded that if they had attempted the same test at other airports, they would have evaded detection.

Retired engineer invents alternative treatment for cancer

John Kanziusa, a retired engineer and former radio station owner, has invented a machine that could possibly be a better treatment for cancer than traditional chemotherapy.

Mr. Kanzius' remarkable device emits radio waves instead of radiation and consists of jury rigged-parts from old pie pans, old ham radios and what not. Drawing on inspiration from his own personal battle with cancer, and determined to find a better alternative, Mr. Kanzius used his engineering know-how to design a machine that scientists are now testing on animals.

Oil prices hit a new record

NEW YORK -- Oil futures jumped to a new record above $90 a barrel Thursday on news that OPEC production increases aren't coming as fast as expected and that the cartel won't announce new output quotas when it meets next month. Light, sweet crude for December delivery rose $2.74 to $89.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after rising as high as $90.10 earlier, a trading record just above the previous mark of $90.07. Source: abcnews.com

Greenland's ice sheet melts as temperatures rise

But below the surface, the ice sheet is in constant motion, as ice built up in the interior pushes toward the coast in the form of massive glaciers. During warmer months, ice from these glaciers melts into the ocean.

It's an age-old process that scientists say has sped up in recent decades because of global warming.

The fear is that melting ice from Greenland and other Arctic areas could cause sea levels to rise enough to flood low-lying cities, such as Shanghai, China, and New York City, displacing millions of people in the process.

A recent report from the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, made up of scientists from around the world, estimates the sea level rise by 2100 could be as much as 1½ feet. Source: www.cnn.com

This would be very scary if it really flooded the cities mentioned in the article. Global Warming.

Investigators say that King Tutankhamen died while hunting

One of the oldest and most puzzling mysteries in human history is the sudden death of Egypt's boy king Tutankhamen. His tomb was exhumed by archaeologist Howard Cater back in 1922 and experiments done on 1968 showed swelling at the base of the king's skull.

This gives the impression that he received a massive blow to the head. More recent studies, however, have revealed that King Tut also suffered a badly broken leg. Egypt Supreme Council of Antiquities General Secretary Zahi Hawass commented, "He was not murdered as many people thought. He had an accident when he was hunting in the desert."

Further investigation has shown that the chariots in his grave are not merely ceremonial ones but were actually used by the king while he was still alive. Cairo Museum Nadia Lokma argued that "these chariots are hunting chariots, not war chariots. You can see from the wear on them that they were actually used in life."

Aside from that, a garland of flowers consisting of cornflowers and mayweed were also found in the grave. According to botanists, these flowers were in bloom during the months of March and April. Since the mummification takes around 70 days, it can be assumed that he died around December which is the middle of the winter hunting season. Source: Independent News U.K.

Pretty interesting.

Wildfire in California Exceeds $1 Billion in Damages

The devastating wildfires in Southern California have caused at least $1 billion in damage in San Diego County alone, officials said Wednesday. The fires have destroyed at least 1,500 homes and over half a million people were forced to evacuate.

Physics student in Nigeria makes a home-made chopper

Mubarak Abdullahi, a physics student in Nigeria has created a home-made helicopter out of parts that are commonly found lying around in used parts shops. It's powered by a Honda Civic engine and uses the frame of an old Toyota. The body is fashioned with parts from a Boeing 747 from a nearby crash site. The four seater helicopter measuring 29 ft. in, 22 ft. tall, and 16 ft. wide. Abdullahi is currently trying to convince the Nigerian government to sponsor him to continue his home-made project. Sadly, no response has been received so far by Mubarak. All this helicopter talk makes me want to try to build one of these in my garage. Maybe it could be my summer project this year.

An Interview with my Grandfather

Alright, so my grandfather got back from Hong Kong on the 17th and I decided to interview him to post on here. Here's how it went..... (the parts worth mentioning). This is translated from Cantonese to English, so it might be a bit weird.

Me: How was your stay in Hong Kong?
Grandfather: The plane ride was very long and tiring, but I had a good time there.
Me: How has Hong Kong changed since the last time you visited two years ago?
Grandfather: The air quality in Hong Kong is getting worse and worse each time I go there. There's just too many people living in such a small area.
Me:What were some interesting places you visited on your vacation?
Grandfather: I took a one day trip to Macau by boat for one week. That was very relaxing.

The rest of the interview just goes on about how he mostly enjoyed his vacation in Hong Kong. He mentions that he loved the REAL Chinese food there. Also, he says that he would like to visit Hong Kong again soon.

Hong Kong raid nets 10,000 game copying devices, mod chips for Nintendo consoles

Nintendo has circulated a press release chronicling the latest news in its ongoing battle against piracy. According to the press release, the Hong Kong High Court ordered the raid of facilities owned by Supreme Factory Limited earlier this month at Nintendo's request.

The raid turned up more than 10,000 game copying devices and mod chips used to play pirated Nintendo software. The seized copying devices were used mostly for pirating Nintendo DS games. The mod chips were mostly for use in Nintendo's Wii home video game console.

Documents found at the raid site connected Supreme Factory Limited to French company Divineo SARL. Divineo SARL and its principal, Max Louarn, have also been named in the legal action initiated by Nintendo.

Samsung to launch 40-inch, 1-centimeter-thin LCD TV panel

Samsung has just manufactured an impressive 40-inch full high definition LCD television panel. And the best part? it's only 1 centimeter thick. Or make that thin.
The more conventional 30mm bezel is thinned out into only 14.6mm, making for a sleek and slim display. This display also uses an LED backlight. Those who don't want to use power-hogging displays may want to take a look at this new LCD monitor, since this panel has a low power consumption of 90 watts or less.
Not yet released for public consumption, Samsung will first launch this impressive LCD monitor in the FPD International 2007 event in Yokohama, Japan, on October 24 to 26..

40GB PS3s pushing 60GB PS3 sales upwards as holiday season approaches

It looks like everything is according to plan for Sony at the moment, at least in the UK. Jeremy Gerkin, the MD for online UK game retailer Gamestation said that the release of 40GB PlayStation 3 SKUs in the UK have greatly boosted the sales of the 60GB PS3 units, in conjunction to the UK-only 60GB price cut. Said Gerkin:

"If anything it's demonstrated what good value the 60GB version is. What we expected initially was that we were going to sell a boat load of 40GB models but that's not what has happened. By bringing out a cheaper model it's improved the sales of the higher-priced model. It's great for the industry because it's another format for people to get behind."

With the new 40GB PS3 units shipping in the UK now and shortly in the future in the US, the PS3 will certainly be one of the top items on consumers' lists this Christmas. This is definitely good news for Sony since the PS3 has been falling behind in sales compared to the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft XBOX 360.

Nasal spray helps people overcome social fears

Each of us dreads something - it could be speaking in public, attending parties, or even performing in front of an audience. There's got to be that something that sends chills down our bones and paralyzes us. Psychologists, however, have discovered that a simple solution to these lie in nasal sprays.
According to a recent study, D-Cycloserine or DCS, usually found in nasal sprays significantly reduced the symptoms of chronic social phobias. This specific type of apprehension concerns the fear of being evaluated by others. In America alone, the rate of people who have this disorder is 13 in 100.
University of New South Wales' Dr. Dr Adam Guastella commented, "These people were so shy they could not enter a crowded room or speak in public. However, those who received DCS showed a great reduction in fear and also reported lasting improvements in work and social relationships".
Scientists added that DCS doesn't directly remove fears from people. However, it changes the neurotransmitters in the brain associated with learning to overcome fear.

Writer Spotlight: Brian Li

Name: Brian Li
Grade: Sophomore (Class of 2010)
Age: 15
Writing Style: Unknown
Writing Topics: General News, International News, Science/Technology
Political Leanings: I'm not sure.
Fun Fact #1: Came to America from Hong Kong when he was five years old.
Fun Fact #2: He's been playing piano for many years.
Fun Fact #3: He can speak Cantonese fluently.
Fun Fact #4: Enjoys playing Playstation 3 because it's cool.
Fun Fact #5: Takes 5 Honors and Wind Ensemble.
Fun Fact #6: His Playstation Network name is bb714.

See Brian's posts!

The appendix does have a function, according to Duke University

The appendix debate has gone on for a long time. And now, it might finally be over according to surgeons from Duke University Medical School. Many people have thought that the appendix is just a vestigial or useless organ, but apparently it is a "good" bacteria factory.

Imagine this, you get cholera or amoebic dysentery, all the useful bacteria dies off as a result. Then what? You need to get some good bacteria back. In modern society, you can pick those up from other people but imagine what it would have been like in the past when the entire region gets infected and the population wasn't so dense? According to the study, that's when the appendix kicks in; it "reboots" the digestive system's good germs.