In Japan, its no longer purple rain but black rain.
Heavy downpours during early summer rainy season are normal, but in recent days the proverbial "cats and dogs" have been joined by tadpoles, fish and the occasional frog.
Meteorologists are bewildered as people around the country report witnessing the phenomenon since the first sightings of stranded tadpoles were made in Ishikawa prefecture last week.
From Hiroshima in the south-west and Iwate in the north-east people say they have stumbled on the dead creatures near their homes, in fields, school grounds, and on car roofs and windscreens.
In Ishikawa prefecture, on the Japan Sea coast, a resident found 13 crucian carp on and around his truck, each about 3cm long.
The suspected culprits so far are waterspouts or bigger birds, but meteorologists say no strong winds have been reported in the areas where tadpoles were found.
But the question as to why now, and the "flying" tadpoles have never been noticed before?
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
David Carradine Found Dead-Sex Act Gone Wrong
THE death of actor David Carradine appears to have been caused by a sex act gone wrong, with police saying he was found hanged with a rope tied around his neck and genitals.
The US actor was found dead in the closet of his luxury Bangkok hotel room overnight. He was 72.
The actor was found naked, in a closet with a curtain rope tied around his neck and genitals.
They would neither confirm nor deny suggestions that Carradine was attempting auto-erotic asphyxiation, a practice designed to boost sexual pleasure.
Police said they were alerted to the death of the actor, who won fame as the wandering monk in the Kung Fu television series, yesterday.
A representative for Carradine said the actor would not have commited suicide.
Lori Binder, a representative for Carradine's Los Angeles-based talent manager, said the actor was in Thailand to shoot a film called Stretch. She declined to give further details of his death while it was under investigation.
Carradine, from a family of performers and the eldest son of well-known character actor John Carradine, enjoyed a long career on Broadway, US television and in movies such as director Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2.
His role as Caine in Kung Fu earned him a nomination for an Emmy, and his turn as the villainous Bill in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 led to his fourth Golden Globe nomination.
He also won critical acclaim for portraying folk singing legend Woody Guthrie in the Oscar-nominated 1976 film Bound for Glory.
Carradine was married five times and had two daughters from previous marriages. His latest wife was Annie Bierman, whom he married in 2004. His brothers include the actor Keith Carradine.
The US actor was found dead in the closet of his luxury Bangkok hotel room overnight. He was 72.
The actor was found naked, in a closet with a curtain rope tied around his neck and genitals.
They would neither confirm nor deny suggestions that Carradine was attempting auto-erotic asphyxiation, a practice designed to boost sexual pleasure.
Police said they were alerted to the death of the actor, who won fame as the wandering monk in the Kung Fu television series, yesterday.
A representative for Carradine said the actor would not have commited suicide.
Lori Binder, a representative for Carradine's Los Angeles-based talent manager, said the actor was in Thailand to shoot a film called Stretch. She declined to give further details of his death while it was under investigation.
Carradine, from a family of performers and the eldest son of well-known character actor John Carradine, enjoyed a long career on Broadway, US television and in movies such as director Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2.
His role as Caine in Kung Fu earned him a nomination for an Emmy, and his turn as the villainous Bill in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 led to his fourth Golden Globe nomination.
He also won critical acclaim for portraying folk singing legend Woody Guthrie in the Oscar-nominated 1976 film Bound for Glory.
Carradine was married five times and had two daughters from previous marriages. His latest wife was Annie Bierman, whom he married in 2004. His brothers include the actor Keith Carradine.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Spielberg Introduces Motion Control For Xbox 360
Steven Spielberg was on hand to introduce a prototype camera Monday that can be used as a controller for the Xbox 360. Codenamed "Project Natal," the camera can track a player's full body movement while responding to commands, directions and a shift of emotion in voice without the need for a controller.
The announcement was made at Microsoft's flashy Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference at University of Southern California's Galen Center.
Microsoft also debuted 10 exclusive new games Among them: the open-world action sequel "Crackdown 2," New Orleans-set zombie-killer "Left 4 Dead 2," third-person shooter "Splinter Cell Conviction," sleek racer "Forza Motorsport 3" and the psychological thriller "Alan Wake."
The announcement was made at Microsoft's flashy Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference at University of Southern California's Galen Center.
Microsoft also debuted 10 exclusive new games Among them: the open-world action sequel "Crackdown 2," New Orleans-set zombie-killer "Left 4 Dead 2," third-person shooter "Splinter Cell Conviction," sleek racer "Forza Motorsport 3" and the psychological thriller "Alan Wake."
Apple Releases iTunes 8.2, iPhone 3.0 Coming Soon
Apple on Monday released iTunes 8.2, an update to its music jukebox software and online store interface for the Mac and Windows. It’s available for download through the Software Update system preference.
Apple notes that iTunes 8.2 now supports iPhones and iPod touches equipped with the iPhone 3.0 software update. Other accessibility improvements and bug fixes have also been made.
Apple also improved security in iTunes 8.2. According to a notice, Apple has improved bounds checking in 8.2 to prevent a stack buffer overflow problem that could lead to unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution.
Apple notes that iTunes 8.2 now supports iPhones and iPod touches equipped with the iPhone 3.0 software update. Other accessibility improvements and bug fixes have also been made.
Apple also improved security in iTunes 8.2. According to a notice, Apple has improved bounds checking in 8.2 to prevent a stack buffer overflow problem that could lead to unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution.
Air France Plane With 228 People On Board Missing!!
AN Air France passenger jet with 228 (216 passengers,12 crew members) people on board is missing after dropping off the radar over the Atlantic off the Brazilian coast. "We are very worried," a Paris airport official said.
"The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected."
Air traffic control lost contact with the Airbus A330 at 0600 GMT (1600 AEST) after it took off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, where it had been due to land at 0910 GMT (1910 AEST).
Airport authorities have set up a crisis cell at Charles de Gaulle.
Meanwhile the Brazilian Air force is conducting a search.
Article credit Reuters
"The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago. It could be a transponder problem, but this kind of fault is very rare and the plane did not land when expected."
Air traffic control lost contact with the Airbus A330 at 0600 GMT (1600 AEST) after it took off from Rio de Janeiro bound for Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, where it had been due to land at 0910 GMT (1910 AEST).
Airport authorities have set up a crisis cell at Charles de Gaulle.
Meanwhile the Brazilian Air force is conducting a search.
Article credit Reuters
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Nissan & Europcar To Sell & Lease Electric Cars From 2010
Kyodo News reported that Nissan Motor Co. and Europcar Groupe, a European leader in the passenger car and utility vehicle rental business, have agreed to form a partnership to sell and lease electric vehicles starting next year in a bid to promote zero emission mobility worldwide, officials from the two companies said Tuesday.
Nissan Altra EV, 4-seater, 75-mph maximum,lithium-ion battery with 5-hour recharge time
Nissan will sell electric vehicles to Europcar, which will then lease the cars to its clients, thus serving a broader reach of customers, a Nissan official said. It has yet to be determined whether the vehicles will carry the Nissan brand.
The vehicles will be introduced in various parts of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, including France, Germany, Spain and Australia, and eventually spread to more countries, the companies said.
Nissan has said it plans to introduce the zero-emission vehicle in Japan, the United States and Europe next year, and that it will begin mass-marketing electric vehicles worldwide in 2012.
Nissan Altra EV, 4-seater, 75-mph maximum,lithium-ion battery with 5-hour recharge time
Nissan will sell electric vehicles to Europcar, which will then lease the cars to its clients, thus serving a broader reach of customers, a Nissan official said. It has yet to be determined whether the vehicles will carry the Nissan brand.
The vehicles will be introduced in various parts of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, including France, Germany, Spain and Australia, and eventually spread to more countries, the companies said.
Nissan has said it plans to introduce the zero-emission vehicle in Japan, the United States and Europe next year, and that it will begin mass-marketing electric vehicles worldwide in 2012.
Monday, May 25, 2009
More MOX Fuel Offloads In Japan Nuclear Reactors.
A second shipment of controversial mixed uranium-plutonium oxide nuclear fuel has arrived in Japan amid tight security and protests from anti-nuclear activists. The MOX shipment arrived early Saturday at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai No. 3 reactor in northern Saga Prefecture on a ship escorted by a small flotilla of Japan Coast Guard vessels.
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