450 F-15s grounded by tha US Air force

According to this Yahoo! News the US Air Force grounded 450 F-15s warplanes because of "possible fleet-wide airworthiness problems". It is not clear if they will fly again or when. Meanwhile some F22 Raptors are doing the F-15s chores while some possible home security holes are now being filled by the Canadian Air Force in a time when Russian military aircrafts are flying with more frequency near the US air space. Perhaps the US Air Force wants to replace the aging F-15s with the Raptors at a fastest pace or the problem is real.

Image: AP/Yahoo! News.

Poor Rich Paris

According to Yahoo! News Paris Hilton's expected inheritance will be far less than calculated since her grandfather decide to donate just 97% of all his wealth to charities. That means she will be just a poor millionaire instead of the wealthiest billionaire she belived was to become someday. I am sorry for her.

Photo: Paris and her sister at a charities, 2007, according to Yahoo! News.

AvP Reqiem, the Web site

Something must have these creatures with Central America, since Joseph Conrad's Nostromo, a novel about a South American fictitious country, inspired in Nicaragua, christened the ship of the first Alien film. And in the first one of Predator the action takes place in Guatemala's jungles. But now, Alien vs Predator: Requiem, takes place in a US small town. Before seeing the film, visit its website, an incredible amalgam of posindustrial graphics that seems inspired in Shinya Sukamoto's, Tetsuo: The Iron Man. It contains also excellent colour combinations, sound effects and a minigame that will let you create the henious creature spawned by the crossing of both aliens. As Pinhead said, when you are in the website, "be free to explore".
This post refers to the US English site only.

Texas slaps a tax on strip clubs

"A dancer performs at a the gentleman's club in Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007. Beginning New Year's Day, Texas will require clubs to collect a $5 per head tax on customers of the state's 150 or so strip clubs. Much of the money will go to help sexual assault victims. Club owners and some of their customers say that's a noble cause, but they argue the tax is unconstitutional, will drive some bars out of business and unfairly links their industry to sex crimes".
Text: Yahoo! News. AP Photo/LM Otero.

Family adopts slain son's military dog

"While waiting for a live shot during a morning news show, Lex looks for attention from new owners Camryn Lee and other family members, from left, Rachel, Jerome and Mady on Friday, Dec. 21, 2007, at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia. The adoption of Lex, an 8-year-old German Shepherd, by the family of fallen Marine Cpl. Dustin Lee marked the first time the U.S. military has granted early retirement to a working dog so it could live with a former handler's family, officials said".

I wonder what happens to other US Mil. dogs after retirement...
(AP Photo/Walter Petruska).

Got fleas? Get the vacuum

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Vacuum cleaners kill fleas just as well as any poison, surprised researchers said on Tuesday.

They said a standard vacuum cleaner abuses the fleas so much it kills 96 percent of adult fleas and 100 percent of younger fleas.

So no need to worry that a vacuum cleaner bag may turn into a fleabag breeding ground for the pesky, biting creatures, said Glen Needham, associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University.

Needham studied the cat flea, or Ctenocephalides felis, the most common type of flea found in households.

"No matter what vacuum a flea gets sucked into, it's probably a one-way trip," Needham said in a statement.

Writing in the journal Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Needham suggested that the vacuum brushes wear away a waxy outer layer on insects called the cuticle. Without it, the fleas, larvae and pupae probably dry up and die, he said.

The findings were so surprising that the researchers ran their experiment several times.

"We didn't do a post-mortem, so we don't know for sure. But it appears that the physical abuse they took caused them to perish," Needham said.

Fleas spread diseases such as plague and can transmit worms".
Text and image: Reuters.

Maria by Cecilia Bartoli

I had never heard about Maria Malibran as the Romantic era is not of my taste. However, knowing of Cecilia Bartoli's magnificent voice as well as her keen academic researches, I bought this set as soon as I could. It delivered far more for me than I expected. Not only the performances were astounding, eight world premieres included, but the DVD was informative and the book excellent- Now, I know about Malibran, who she was and something about a fantastic era in the history of music. No music lover should be left without one. You can buy the CD alone, but you will miss the DVD and the excellent book which comes with them. Both shows Bartoli's deep interest in Malibran, her times and voice capabilities, as well as her interest in the history of music and the role of women in it. As they used to say in the old stereo magazines: it is highly recommended.
Image: Amazon.

We Can Stop HIE Death

Recently in an IR related forum a long feared peril finally took shape: Kodak decided to cease the production of its HIE film. HIE is the only infrared film capable of recording into the 900nm range. Farther than its nearer competitor, Efke's 820c. The deadline was set by Kodak by Jan. 2008. For most photographers like me, using film mostly for artistic purposes, and especially for the b/w creators, HIE has become a fundamental medium. It is impossible to attain the same results with digital imaging and the remaining films are not as good, though each one has its own strengths. Amidst all this secluded turmoil, James C. Williams, a photographer from Winston-Salem, N.C., is determined to persuade Kodak to go on with this stock. I wholeheartedly adhere to his efforts, since my main photographic emulsion is HIE. Thanks James, I hope Kodak will hear.

If you are into analog imaging and like Infrared, please write to Mr. Patrick Hamilton, of Kodak, asking politely to suggest to Kodak to reconsider its decision.
Image: Antenna, 2007. Reference: Amateur Photographer.