You Tube & Net freedom threatened

Viacom is suing You Tube for 1 billion dollars because You Tube did not manage to rid it site of unauthorized video. These include TV programs and other stuff, like the documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth' which was viewed 1.5 billion times. But what are the ramifications of this case if Viacom wins? Will You Tube be forced to shut down? OMG!!! I hope not! I need my cooking shows and my gag shows and my 'how-to' videos!!

A one billion dollar lawsuit against YouTube threatens internet freedom, according to its owner Google. Google's claim follows Viacom's move to sue the video sharing service for its inability to keep copyrighted material off its site.

Viacom says it has identified 150,000 unauthorised clips on YouTube.

In court documents Google's lawyers say the action "threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information" over the web. The search giant's legal team also maintained that YouTube had been faithful to the requirements of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act and that they responded properly to claims of infringement. In papers submitted to a Manhattan court, Google said it and YouTube "goes far beyond its legal obligations in assisting content owners to protect their works".

Viacom disagreed that either firm had lived up to that standard and said that they had done "little or nothing" to stop infringement. (BBC)

New Bond novel to mark 100th anniversary

It is called Devil May Care and it is the newest of the Bond novel written by Sebastian Faulks in the style of Ian Fleming. And it is set in the period of the Cold War. Wonder who the Baddies are and I hope the Russian Communists do not get upset again!

A new James Bond novel is being unveiled more than 40 years after the last in the spy series was published. Entitled Devil May Care, the book, by Sebastian Faulks, is the 15th to feature suave secret agent 007. Its launch, onboard HMS Exeter at Tower Bridge in London, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bond creator Ian Fleming.

The plot of the book, said to be written in the style of Fleming, is being kept a closely guarded secret. So far all that is know is that the adventure takes place in 1967, during the Cold War, and takes 007 to Paris, London and the Middle East. But its publisher has said it marks a return to Bond's original character after many screen adaptations. (BBC)

Tag Album from scratch.

Here is a quick project with some extra photos leftover after I finished our 2007 summer travel albums. I wanted to make a gift album for my mother. She had not actually come with us so a small album with just a select few photos of the main attractions would be enough.



I wish I was in a country where I could just go out and but a small album, preferably one with chipboard covers that I could personalize. But the reality being what it is, I had no small albums with me and no possibility of buying one that would not take 3 months (surface post to save on costs!) to get here. So I had to make one from scratch. And guess what – I ended up using just three sheets of cardstock for the whole album! How’s that for economy?


I selected a ‘Tag’ design because of its simplicity. And a really heavy cardstock – Club Scrap makes some really nice thick quality cardstock. Add to the fact that I have piles of it right at my finger tips and it was the perfect choice! So go with the best you have. Measure an existing tag and make adjustments in size to get the maximum number of tags from your 12 X 12 cardstock. For example the actual tag size in the photo is 6½” X 3½“ but I cut my tags 6” X 3½” so I got 6 tags from each page. And I had a small strip left from one edge for any finishing touches to the album.



If, like me you have cardstock with some kind of design on one side, arrange the pieces so that printed sides are facing each other. This is what it should look like:



On only one side of the cardstock, lightly pencil a ½“ or 1 cm (I usually work in metric) margin.



This margin is where the hinge will be attached. You need to pencil it in only on one side of the cardstock. No need to flip and pencil on the back side.



I used two tags, glued together, for the front and back covers. Here, if you wish, you can substitute with Buckram and use a laminating glue to stiffen up the covers.

You can use the original tag as a template to pencil in the corners of all your tags. I then used a deco scissor to cut them, just to add interest.



Punch a hole in the centre of one tag. Using this as a template pencil in the place where you will punch holes on all other tags. This way even if you are slightly off centre, all pages will be the same.



Get all your supplies together. I had a small brochure from our trip. I used a lot of the titles, words and designs from this booklet in my album.



While working your pages take care that all pages on the right hand side will have the penciled margin whereas the flip side, or the left hand side, will not need any penciled margin.

If you look at the photo below you will notice that the lower 3 pages have a margin allowance. Sometimes, the photo may go all the way to the edge, but this part of the photo will be of no interest and will be covered up by the hinge.

The pages on the top are worked all the way to the edge because they will be entirely visible.



Once all your pages are ready select a piece of cardstock in contrasting colour for the hinge. The width of this piece should be the same as the width of the tag. The length will be determined by the number of pages in your album – but try to keep to about a maximum of 16 pages in your album so you can work with the standard 12X12 cardstock. I started with a 3 ½ “ X 12” long piece.



Starting with a valley fold, pencil in a dashed line at exactly 1 cm intervals. In between the valley folds, pencil in mountain folds with a straight line. You will get alternating mountain and valley folds at ½ cm intervals. The number of valley folds should be 2 less than your pages. Mountain folds should be 3 less than the number of pages. For example, for 14 pages, I had to mark 12 valley folds and 11 mountain folds.



Using a bone folder, crease & pleat, to make an accordion hinge as shown in the image. Leave one end long. This will be the top part of your hinge. Leave yourself some extra space for creativity!



The back cover, where I glue two tags together, was not glued in its entirety. I left a small opening at the edge between the two cardstocks. I slipped the end of the hinge into this opening, gluing it down. This way the end of the hinge is not visible at the reverse of the album.

Now apply bookbinding glue sparingly to the side of the page where you have penciled in your margin. Attach the page to each successive fold of the accordion and hold down till fixed.

Once all the pages except the top cover are glued, decide on a look that you prefer for your hinge finishing. I just used a decorative edge scissor and then outlined it with a pen.



Here is what your finished album should look like. I really like this sort of album when I go heavy on the embellishments because the accordion hinge can accommodate some really 3D embellies!





To see the pages up close, click here

Enjoy creating!

Jane Austen as Leader!

A Jane Austen video I simply must share. Check out too the book Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.

Pheonix probe photos

That really is the Pheonix probe landing on Mars. This photograph was taken by a Mars-Orbiter who happened to be at the right place with a lot of planning and even more of good luck. Check Reuters for more photos of the Pheonix probe.

(Link to Reuters article)

Please return our Marijuana!

Yeah ... right! I cannot wait to see if someone really gives it back!! And then this is what happens when folks do not follow the rules. The rules are made for a reason. Drugs used for testing sniffer dogs is supposed to be placed in a specific suitcase that belongs to the C&E Dept. So at the end of the day if your dog is not able to find the stuff at least the suitcase is not going anywhere.

A Japanese drug sniffing dog has failed to find £5,000 worth of marijuana packed in an unsuspecting airline passenger's luggage by his trainers, leaving the traveller an unwitting drug trafficker. Customs officials were forced into an embarrassing public announcement when the dog could not find the drugs, then his trainers could not remember in which bag they had stashed the contraband.

On Sunday, an officer at Narita International Airport stuffed five ounces of the drug into the side pocket of a randomly selected black suitcase coming off an overseas flight so that the animal could detect it. "The dog couldn't find it and the officer also forgot which bag he put it in," a customs office spokeswoman said. "If by some chance passengers find it in their suitcase, we're asking them to return it." The 38-year-old customs officer said: "I knew that using passengers' bags is prohibited, but I did it because I wanted to improve the sniffer dog's ability." (Telegraph)

Gum Disease linked to Cancer

This is getting scarier and scarier with every study they do. So brush & floss regularly, folks. And visit the dentist at least once every six months.

Gum disease indicates a higher risk of developing cancer, scientists have found. Patients with a history of gum disease have been found to have a 14 per cent higher risk of developing any form of tumour.

There are two main forms of gum disease: gingivitis – inflammation of the gums and bleeding – and the more advanced periodontal disease, which affects tissues and bone supporting the teeth and can lead them to fall out.

The more severe forms of gum disease have already been linked with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. A team at Imperial College London has found an association with cancer. (Telegraph)

A Titan for $120,000 - It's a Dog!!

But WHAT a dog!! Not only is it amazing to look at it also is the best you can get for home protection. CCTVs and burglar alarms do not hold a candle to this beautiful creature. And do click on the link to Lifestyle pets to check out the Ashera cat - I am not a cat person but I am so very tempted! I just have to buy me a house first ;-) Getting a job is also not a bad idea!

(Lifestyle Pets)

It might look like a cuddly family pet - but the highly-trained German Shepherd is the future of frontline home security. Titan wonderdogs are taught to track and trap intruders until police arrive, protecting families and their homes.

The Schutzhunds - protection dogs - spend two years being trained at specialist German camps where they are schooled in odour detection and search and rescue as well as being tested for their strength, courage and endurance. This and their impeccable pedigree means that they can fetch up to £65,000.

“You can have the most expensive CCTV cameras and alarms in the world but if someone climbs into your garden when your children are playing they can be useless,” he said. “The Titan will alert people to danger as well as acting as a deterrent.” He stressed that while the dogs are trained to scare burglars, they can also be trusted with young children. “While we train them to be aggressive, they will not attack and are therefore completely safe for families,” he said. “And, of course they are gorgeous looking dogs. I saw one the other day and it was so impressive seeing something so powerful in total control.” (Telegraph)

5 foreign tourists told to Quit India

In a land which prides itself for tolerance, this does not make much sense. And even more so considering the recent advertising campaign the Indian Government has started. But then there is a lot about the workings of Government that the normal man cannot fathom!

In a strange move, at a time when the government is promoting "Come to India — Walk with the Buddha" to attract foreign tourists to Buddhist circuit in the country, five foreigners have been given Quit India notice to leave the country within seven days "for participating in a religious activity".

James Petersen, Lex Pelger and David Huang from US, Maryla Cross from UK and Paul Christians Buntz from Norway were given the notices for "violating the visa rules" by Pithoragarh SP Puran Singh Rawat on Friday as they reached Banspatan in Uttarkhand's border district with the Tibetan marchers who have been walking towards Tibet since March 10.

While 19 Tibetans were jailed on Friday, the foreigners were detained for a while, given the notice and asked to leave the area immediately. (TOI)

Words to Live By

The most useless thing to do ....... Worry
The greatest Joy ............ ........ Giving
The greatest loss ................. Loss of self-respect
The most satisfying work ........... ... Helping others
The ugliest personality trait ................. Selfishness
The most endangered species ............. Dedicated leaders
The greatest "shot in the arm".............. Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome........ .... Fear
Most effective sleeping pill.......... ... Peace of mind
The most crippling failure .... .............. Excuses
The most powerful force in life............ ........Love
The most dangerous pariah........................A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer...... The brain
The worst thing to be without ................... Hope
The deadliest weapon ................... The tongue
The two most power-filled words..............."I Can"
The greatest asset ............... Faith
The most worthless emotion ................ Self-pity
The most prized possession ................ Integrity
The most beautiful attire ............... ... A SMILE!
The most contagious spirit ................ Enthusiasm

New Guy in Prison

This is one great insurance ad! And the New Guy sure looks like David Cook to me.

DNA testing to solve 1890s paternity case

Amazing thing the DNA! Some folks in Australia are doing a history exercise. They will dig up a philandering public official from waaaay back to check if he really is their grand daddy. Or is that Great granddaddy? I hope they get some answers. Not so nice not knowing your roots.

The body of a womanising 19th century Australian statesman has been dug up in order to resolve a paternity case. The remains of Charles Cameron Kingston, whose behaviour caused a scandal when he was the premier of South Australia in the 1890s, were exhumed from a cemetery in Adelaide and will be subjected to DNA testing.

The unusual exhumation was requested by a prominent businessman and his sister, who believe that they are descendants of an illegitimate child believed to have been fathered by the politician.

Kingston, who died in 1908, was known for his sexual indiscretions and was eventually ostracised by colonial society in Adelaide, a city which still has a reputation for moral rectitude and is known as the City of Churches. (Telegraph)

Divers to blame for predicament

And the saga goes on ... first they thought they were going to die. Then they got rescued. Then they realised they had a story they could sell (I can even see a movie here, talks with TV stations are already underway) and make money. Then they hired a publicist. Then they were asked to donate some of the money they made from their story (which their publicist has said they will). And now it appears that they had no one but themselves to blame for their near brush with death - a tad different from the story the couple sold. From another point of view it sounds like a classic case of over confidence.

Doubt has been cast over a British tourist’s account of how he and his American girlfriend were apparently abandoned by a dive boat on the Great Barrier Reef, spending a terrifying night in shark-infested waters. The couple said they surfaced just 200 yards from the boat but were unable to raise the attention of the crew or other divers, instead being pulled away by a strong current and enduring a night at sea in which they feared they would be attacked by sharks.

But a passenger on the catamaran insisted they must have drifted much further from the vessel for the 22 crew and passengers not to have spotted them. “We don’t know exactly where they came up, but there were enough eyes on that boat to have seen anyone within 1,000 metres easily. There were about 22 people standing on the roof looking for them. There were at least four pairs of binoculars and it wasn’t that rough. There’s no way they came up near the boat.”

He said the couple were “their own worst enemies” because they were told not to move out of the lagoon in which the dive boat was moored, but did so anyway. “They took it upon themselves to venture further afield and that’s how they ended up being caught in the current and that’s how they ended up being lost. Everybody else got back. Less experienced divers who were doing the same thing realised what was happening and managed to make it back. These people didn’t.”

Queensland police said they would not be pressing any charges against the diving company. (Telegraph)

Robbie smashes Evel's record!!

Watch Robbie Knievel smash his dad, Evel Knievel's record, by jumping over 24 buses on his motorcycle. (Reuters)

A 15 year leave of absence from work!

... and full pay for half that period! How lucky can you get? It must be the best thing to work for the Government in India!! Such a wonderful precedent has been set by the courts. Now everyone has an excuse to expect to get paid for not working.

Imagine remaining absent from duty for 15 years and still retaining the job. And to top it, securing a court order for payment of half the salary for the period.

This is the case of West Bengal resident S.N. Das, who was able to retain his job as assistant engineer with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) without attending office for 15 years. Besides, the Calcutta High Court also ordered the AAI to pay him salary for half the time. (TOI)

Baking helps Bonding

Nothing is so much fun like rustling up some cookies with the kids! I always have enjoyed cooking (especially sweet stuff) with my children. And I still remember when I was a kid how much I enjoyed making sweetmeats with my mother. We did not bake - no ovens in our home. I think the 'sweet' is more important than 'baking' if you look at this from a more global viewpoint, as is actually doing something with your kids where they look forward to the outcome.

Teaching children how to cook could be the recipe for family happiness, researchers claim. Baking is regarded as great family bonding time, say 59 per cent of Britons. And more than a quarter (27 per cent) say their fondest childhood memories are baking with their parents or grandparents.

A third of those questioned in the survey believe that home bakers make better parents and 85 per cent would like to see their children taught how to cook and bake more in school. (Telegraph)

Just for laughs

I always like watching these when I have a minute :-)

Now you can clone your doggie

Well ... it has well and truly started! The 'Cloning' business.

For dog-lovers whose affection for their pets is as deep as their pockets, a Californian biotech company is offering a novel way to defy the laws of nature. Unveiling a project called Best Friends Again, BioArts International says that it will clone five dogs to the highest bidders in a day of online auctions next month.

Bidding will start at $100,000 for those who want their beloved animals to live on after death or are seeking a physically identical younger "twin" for their favourite pet.

Cloning dogs has been a particular challenge for scientists as the animals have a complex reproductive system. An Afghan hound was cloned in South Korea in 2005 but this is the first time that private individuals have been offered access to the technology for their pets. (Telegraph)

Caliberate your mouse

Is your mouse calibrated?

You should do this every few days. More often if you spend a lot of time on computer. I was shocked to see that this works!

To re-calibrate your mouse, click and hold on the Y below. Then drag the Y toward the g. If it doesn't work, you might want to clean your mouse.

Y ou dumb ass. You'll believe anythin g

Aeroplane breaks in half!

This is what my nightmares are made of! Good to know that it was a cargo and there were no pax on board. I found the statement 'The plane is very seriously damaged' by the airline spokesperson quite hilarious indeed!

An aeroplane has crashed on take-off from Belgium and spectacularly split in two. Four of the cargo plane’s crew were slightly hurt and taken to hospital, according to a spokesman for Brussels Airport.

The large Boeing 747 had attempted to take off for a flight to Bahrain but suffered an unknown problem and crashed at the end of the runway, near railway tracks and some houses.

On impact it split cleanly in two around ten yards behind the cockpit. (Telegraph)