Saturday, October 2, 2010

In flight entertainment a hit ...

This will keep the seat backs in an upright position: Cabin crew perform in-flight safety demo... while dancing to Lady Gaga

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 4:27 PM on 2nd October 2010

We've all done it - failed to pay attention during a routine safety demonstration aboard an aeroplane.

But passengers flying to the Philippines are suddenly changing their tune.

Cabin crew on board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight had the attention of everyone on board as they danced their safety demonstration - to Lady Gaga.

Stunned passengers were unable to take their eyes off the bouncy attendants as they indicated the emergency exits to Just Dance.

See the hilarious video below

NOW you'll pay attention: Cebu Pacific Airlines cabin crew break out into a choreographed dance to Lady Gaga's Just Dance as they demonstrate airline safety

Gimmick: Not only were passengers paying attention, they were trying to capture the demo on film. It has since gone viral on the internet

They also performed to Katy Perry's California Gurls. The music competes with a voiceover that informs passengers what to do 'in the event of an emergency landing'.

One quick-thinking passenger filmed the performance on a mobile phone, posting it to YouTube.

The clip is the latest internet sensation, going viral within hours and chalking up one-and-a-half million hits in just over 36 hours.

Candice Iyog, vice President of Marketing at Cebu Pacific Airlines, told GMANewsTV: 'Cebu Pacific has always been known as a fun airline, we wanted to get the message across to our customers that flight safety doesn't have to be boring.

'This was an experiment that we hope to repeat and also a chance to showcase the talent of some of our cabin crew staff.'

She said that the airline had hired professional choreographers to compose the steps.

'We knew that the performances would be well received, but we didn't expect them to be this popular,' she added.

But just in case they were criticised for not taking safety seriously, the cabin crew preformed a normal safety demonstration before take-off.

The dance version was not performed until the plane hit cruising altitude - a special rendition for those passengers who had failed to watch the first version.

The video has already come to the attention of celebrity host Ryan Seacrest - who flagged it up to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

'gotta see this! Flight attendants dancing the entire safety demo to @ladygaga & @katyperry,' he tweeted.

As of the time of writing, neither star had yet replied.

The discount airline has also been known for in-flight games and flight attendants in hot pants.

See the video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqh8e2KYIrU&feature=player_embedded#at=120

First class account of Titanic disaster.

First class passenger's account of Titanic disaster finally published

A first class passenger's account of the sinking of the Titanic has been published for the first time nearly 100 years after the disaster.

Published: 10:24AM BST 01 Oct 2010

1 of 2 Images

First class passenger's account of Titanic disaster finally published

Laura Francatelli (second in from right) wrote of hearing an 'awful rumbling' as the famous liner went down and 'then came screams and cries' from 1,500 drowning passengers Photo: BNPS

Laura Francatelli wrote of hearing an 'awful rumbling' as the famous liner went down and 'then came screams and cries' from 1,500 drowning passengers.

Miss Francatelli worked as a secretary for baronet Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon and his wife Lady Lucy Christiana and travelled with them on Titanic.

The employee told of how the three of them boarded one of the last lifeboats containing just five passengers and seven crew - and admitted they didn't consider going back for survivors.

Wealthy baronet Sir Cosmo later paid the crew members £5 each - about £300 in today's money - and some say this was blood money for saving their lives.

She wrote her account in a signed affidavit which was presented to the official British enquiry into the 1912 disaster.

The historic document has now come to public light for the first time and is being tipped to sell for £15,000.

Miss Francatelli, who was aged 31 at the time, stated how she woke her employers when water seeped into her cabin after the liner struck an iceberg the night of April 14, 1912.

She wrote: "A man came to me and put a life preserver on me assuring me it was only taking precautions and not to be alarmed.

"When we got on the top deck...I noticed the sea seemed nearer to us than during the day, and I said to Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon 'we are sinking' and he said 'nonsense'."

The party initially refused to go into a lifeboat as Sir Cosmo was not allowed on as only women and children were permitted but they were then offered places on a smaller rowing boat.

Miss Francatelli said: "The officer saw us and ordered us in, and we said we would go if Sir Cosmo could come also.

"The officers gave orders to us to row away from the ship. We kept on rowing and stopping and rowing again. I heard some talk going on about the suction if the ship went down.

"We were a long way off when we saw the Titanic go right up at the beck and plunge down. There was an awful rumbling when she went. Then came screams and cries. I do not know how long they lasted.

"When the ship had gone all was darkness. I did not hear any discussion or proposal about going back nor did I say anything about it.

"We had hardly any talk. The men spoke about God and prayers and wives."

She recalled how Lady Duff Gordon was "deadly sick" but was unable to reach the side of the boat due to some oars that were in the way.

She also told how a crew member kept putting his hand on her knee while he was rowing for her to rub to keep it warm.

She wrote how the survivors huddled in the bottom of the boat to keep warm until they were rescued by the ship Carpathia two hours after the sinking.

China launches moon rocket....

China launches second probe to the moon

BEIJING -- China on Friday celebrated 61 years of communist rule with the launch of its second lunar probe — the next step in its ambitious program to become the second country to put a man on the moon.

A Long March 3C rocket carrying the Chang'e-2, which is due to go into orbit within 15 kilometers (nine miles) of the moon, blasted off from the launch centre in Xichang in the southwestern province of Sichuan, state media said.
China Central Television briefly showed images of the rocket blasting off into the night sky — a few seconds after lift-off — before shifting to scenes inside the launch centre and computerized models of the rocket's flight.
The lunar probe will conduct various tests over a six-month period in preparation for the expected launch in 2013 of the Chang'e-3, which China hopes will be its first unmanned landing on the moon, state media has reported.
“Chang'e-2 lays a foundation for the soft-landing on the moon and the further exploration of outer space,” the official Xinhua news agency quoted the chief designer of China's lunar orbiter project, Wu Weiren, as saying.
China launches second probe to the moon

“It travels faster and closer to the moon, and it will capture clear pictures.”
The probe successfully entered its trans-lunar orbit, Xinhua said. It will take five days for the Chang'e-2 to arrive at its lunar orbit.
It will first circle the moon at a distance of 100 kilometers, before hopefully dropping into orbit 15 kilometers from the moon's surface.
The Chang'e program, named after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon, is seen as an effort to put China's space exploration program on a par with those of the United States and Russia.
The first lunar probe, launched in October 2007, was in orbit for 16 months.
Beijing hopes to bring a moon rock sample back to earth in 2017, with a manned mission penciled in for around 2020, according to state media.
The launch day was symbolic as it is China's National Day, which marks Mao Zedong's proclamation of the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.
People arrived early to watch the take-off, an employee at the launch site's tourism department, who refused to be named, told AFP.

Live longer, sleep less.....

Only manage five hours of sleep? It's the ideal amount for women who want to live longer

By SOPHIE BORLAND
Last updated at 3:31 PM on 1st October 2010

Women who think they aren't getting enough beauty sleep shouldn't worry - resting for between five and six and a half hours a night are more likely to live longer, research claims.

Those who get slightly less than the healthy recommended amount of seven hours tend to outlive those who sleep much more.

The researchers hope their findings will help dismiss the commonly-held belief that people aren’t getting enough sleep.

Women who slept for between five and six-and-a-half hours each night had the best long-term survival rate, according to a recent study

While adults are advised to have at between seven and nine hours a night to stay healthy, many end up getting much less.

This latest study involving 459 elderly women in America found that those who slept for between five and six and a half hours a night had the longest survival rates.

Researchers from the San Diego School of Medicine have been monitoring the participants aged between 50 to 81 since 1995 to try and establish a link between sleep and mortality.

Airplane flies across the moon...

Lunar landing: Photographer captures the moment a passenger plane flies across the Moon

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:40 AM on 2nd October 2010

How's this for a moon shot? Photographer Christopher Tomas managed to snap a passenger plane as it crossed the moon.

The technically tricky image was taken on the Blackbutt range in Queensland, Australia where he lives.

He observed the airplane flying overhead for months before he managed to get his shot on September 16.

Snap shot: The technically tricky image was taken on the Blackbutt range in Queensland, Australia where the photographer has a property

'Everyday this Qantas Dash 8 Q400 flies over our country property, always at 5.30pm without fail. I have watched it fly "through" the moon a few times.

'The moon was at the "right" phase, approximately in line with the plane's flight path, so I quickly set up gear - I have done this drill quite a few times!

'I saw the plane a long way off and thought "no-its not going to hit", so I stayed beside the scope just in case.

'Then as it got closer I could see it was going to line up!

'My palms started to sweat, as I only wanted to pull the trigger when I knew the plane was in the centre of the moon. I got my wish!'

Friday, October 1, 2010

200th Oktoberfest is rowdy affair....

Beer mug brawling spikes at 200th anniversary Oktoberfest

Published: 24 Sep 10 08:28 CET

This year’s 200th anniversary Oktoberfest has proved to be rowdier than previous years, officials said this week, citing a jump in the use of the festival’s famous large beer mugs as weapons.

Remembering the Oktoberfest of yore - Lifestyle (24 Sep 10)
Munich breweries reap Oktoberfest PR bonanza - Society (21 Sep 10)
The Local's guide to Oktoberfest - Lifestyle (13 Sep 10)

Revellers at the beer festival resorted to hitting each other with the one-litre glass beer mugs, known as Maßkrüge, 15 times in the first five days alone, compared to nine in the same time period last year, Munich police reported.

The initial cause of most tankard attacks often remains unclear, police spokesperson Peter Beck said.

“One of the reasons is an excess of alcohol consumption,” he added, explaining that this often leads to conflicts.

But the suggestion to use safer plastic steins was vehemently rejected by organisers five years ago. Their argument? Drinking beer out of plastic cups is simply sacrilege and Bavarian beer requires a vessel befitting its status.

Oktoberfest in Munich.

Oktoberfest In Munich

Oktoberfest is a sixteen-day festival held each year in Munich, Germany, running fair, with some six million people attending every year, and is an important part of Bavarian culture. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the Munich event.

The Munich Oktoberfest, traditionally, takes place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October. In 1994, the schedule was modified in response to German reunification so Visitors also eat huge amounts of traditional hearty fare such as Hendl (chicken), Schweinsbraten (roast pork), Haxn (knuckle of pork), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Würstel (sausages) along with Brezeln (Pretzel), Knödeln (potato or bread dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut or Rotkraut (red cabbage) along with such Bavarian delicacies as Obatzda (a fatty, spiced cheese-butter concoction) and Weisswurst (a white sausage)…

Hair wash robot for salon.

A HAIR washing robot that uses 3D imaging to map and "remember" a person's head for the perfect rinse has been unveiled.

The hi-tech device - designed to cater for Japan's growing elderly population - was built by electronics giant Panasonic.

The machine - which resembles a dentist's chair with a wash basin - performs a 3D scan, measuring and recording the exact shape of the head, in order to apply the ideal amount of pressure when it uses its 16 rubber fingers to wash the hair.

The prototype was shown off at the 37th International Home Care and Rehabilitation exhibition in Tokyo yesterday.

Panasonic said they created the robot to meet the needs of under-pressure workers at hospitals and healthcare facilities as Japan's "silver generation" continues to grow.

The firm added: "With 16 fingers, the robot washes hair and rinses the shampoo bubbles with the dexterity of human fingers.

"The robot's two arms scan the head three dimensionally as they move and measure and remember the head shape to apply just the right amount of pressure to each person when shampooing and massaging."

Traffic warden tickets hearse at funeral - USA

Parking warden gives ticket to hearse

A US parking warden has been criticised - for issuing a ticket to a hearse parked outside a funeral service.

The woman issued £22 tickets to the hearse, another funeral director's car and the vehicles of several mourners.

The incident, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was witnessed by Jim Stingl, a journalist on the local Journal-Sentinel newspaper.

The cars were parked outside a brewery where the funeral service for local businessman Bill Penzey was being held.

Mr Stingl says that mourners told the traffic warden that the vehicles were there for a funeral.

"You are not ticketing a hearse, are you?" one asked. "It's parked illegally," the traffic warden reportedly replied.

"Never in my experience have I had a parking ticket for parking a hearse out in front of a church or anywhere we were having a service," said Marti Daniels, a manager at Church and Chapel Funeral Service.

Parking enforcement officials later agreed to cancel the tickets.

Thomas Sanders, parking enforcement manager for the city, said funerals were supposed to be given extra consideration.

"Some checkers are over zealous. They're trying to do their jobs," he said.

Police sell knickers.

1 October 2010, 11:18

Police sell off stolen knickers

Cash-squeezed police forces are selling off 'secondhand' pants and bras in a bid to boost their coffers.

Just weeks before forces expect to be hit by £2.4bn budget cuts, many have taken to punting stolen and lost items.

They are sold on the Bumblebee police auction site if the rightful owners cannot be found within three months, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Among the items currently up for grabs include 10 pairs of knickers and bras from Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

Currently attracting a bid of just £5.50 from someone calling themselves 'tara17', the ad for the items reads: "10x Items of Various Ladies Lingerie."

It says: "Most items tagged as new", but then adds: "There are a few marks on some items."

A disclaimer at the bottom of the ad reads: "These good being auctioned are second-hand, unless stated otherwise."

Earlier this week Sussex Police auctioned off a size 8 scarlet-striped Basque for £5.50, Police Review magazine revealed.

Ken Dawes, boss of evidential property at Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Clothing might seem strange but it is relatively run of the mill for us.

"It is quite easy for shop lifters to grab so we get lots of small things like clothing, jewellery and perfume."

Is it a bust?

Boob job in a bottle: The £125 gel that says it'll make you a half-cup size bigger

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:34 PM on 30th September 2010

Boob gel in a bottle: Rodial claim the £125 gel has unique ingredients which stimulate fat cell differentiation

It promises to spell the end for push-up bras, padding and expensive silicone implants.

A small tube of cream dubbed the ‘boob job in a bottle’ can increase a woman’s bust size by half a cup, if its makers’ claims are to be believed.

And at £125 for a 100ml pot, it is a far cheaper option than spending thousands of pounds on breast enlargement surgery.

Women using the gel rub it into their chest every day for less than two months, after which, manufacturers Rodial claim, their bust will be firmer and up to two-and-a-half centimetres larger while skin will be less wrinkled.

The cream, called Boob Job and already on sale in John Lewis, contains natural chemicals which supposedly increase the number of fat cells in the breast.

Celebrity devotees of this type of treatment are said to include actress Scarlett Johansson, Victoria Beckham and Kelly Brook.

But while its makers promise it will revolutionise the lives of thousands of flat-chested women, medical experts are sceptical.

Dalia Nield, a consultant plastic surgeon at the London Clinic, said it was ‘highly unlikely’ the cream would increase a woman’s bust size and questioned the amount of information provided by Rodial.

Armchair tourism...

Ancient Streetview: Now Google can take you to the historic pavements of Pompeii and Stonehenge

By NIALL FIRTH
Last updated at 1:12 PM on 1st October 2010

They are some of the most spectacular and unique places on the planet.

Now Google has taken tourism to the next level by allowing people from around the world to see monuments like Stonehenge, the streets of Pompeii and the remote landscapes of Antarctica from the comfort of their own living room.

But instead of the usual Google Streetview cars which have become a familiar sight on British streets, the new snaps were taken using a special Google tricycle.

Internet users can look at Pompeii's ancient streets from the comfort of their own homes

The Street View trike, as it is known, was sent around the world to photograph some of the hardest to reach places on the planet.

The trike carries a mounted Street View camera, and a specially decorated unit with imaging & GPS technology.

Google's Brian McClendon, head of Engineering, Google Earth and Maps, introduced the new feature by saying how thrilled he was that all seven continents could now be accessed using the technology.

He took the pictures of the penguins in the Antarctic.

More...

He said: 'We introduced Street View back in May 2007, enabling people to explore street-level imagery in five U.S. cities. We were excited to share a virtual reflection of the real world to enable armchair exploration.

'Since then, we’ve expanded our 360-degree panoramic views to many more places, allowing you to check out a restaurant before dining there, to explore a neighbourhood before moving there and to find landmarks along the route of your driving directions.'

One of the Google tricycles at the Mountain station on Mt Eggishorn in the Swiss Alps

Stonehenge is captured up close and personal as the trike was allowed to creep close to the ancient stones

Many of the image have not yet been added to the Google Streetview program - but will appear in the near future.

Mr McClendon said: 'Three years later, we’re happy to announce that you can now explore Street View imagery on all seven continents, with the addition today of Brazil, Ireland and Antarctica.

'You can now see images from around the world spanning from the beaches of Brazil, to the moors of Ireland, to the icy terrain in Antarctica.

Some of the images show a group of penguins grouped together on an island in Antarctica and the remote dusty roads of the Australian Outback.

He said: 'We often consider Street View to be the last zoom layer on the map, and a way to show you what a place looks like as if you were there in person—whether you’re checking out a coffee shop across town or planning a vacation across the globe.

'We hope this new imagery will help people in Ireland, Brazil, and even the penguins of Antarctica to navigate nearby, as well as enable people around the world to learn more about these areas.

The Quirky Globe

Pages