Rodamin B merupakan zat pewarna sintetis bebentuk kristal tidak berbau, berwarna merah keunguan, dalam bentuk larutan berwarna merah terang berpendar ( berfluorescensi ). Nama lain dari Rodamin B adalah :
Tetra ethyl rhodamin, Rheoninine B, D & C Red No. 19, C.I. Basic Violet 10, dan C.I. No 45179. Rodamin B diperuntukan untuk bahan pewarna kertas, tekstil dan sebagai reagensia untuk pengujian Antimon, Cobalt, Bismuth dan lain lain. Rodamin B yang digunakan untuk pewarna makanan melanggar Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan No 239/Menkes/Per/V/85 tentang Zat Warna Tertentu yang dinyatakan sebagai Bahan Berbahaya. Rodamin B sering disalah gunakan untuk pewarna pangan dan kosmetik. misalnya : sirup, lipstik dll. Penyalah gunaan rodamin B sangat berbahaya bagi kesehatan.
Paparan rodamin B dalam waktu yang lama kronis) dapat menyebabkan gangguan fungsi hati / kanker hati.
Pewarna makanan / minuman untuk warna merah sebaiknya disarankan memakai pewarna alam atau pewarna Sintetik yang aman sesuai dengan permenkes No 772/Menkes/Per./I/88 tentang Bahan Tambahan Makanan. Bahan pewarna sintetis yang dianjurkan adalah Karmin,Merah allura.
Berikut tanda dan gejala akut bila terpapar rodamin B :
1. Jika terhirup akan iritasi pada saluran pernapasan.
2. Jika rekena kul;it dapat menimbulkan iritasi pada kulit.
3. Jika terkena mata akan menimbulkaniritasi pada mata, mata kemerahan,oedema pada
kelopak mata.
4. Jika tertelan dapat menimbulkan iritasi pada saluran pencernaan dan menimbulkan
gejala keracunan dan air seni berwarna merah atau merah muda.
Tindakan bila terpapar Rodamin B :
1. Bila terhirup segera pidahkan korban dari lokasi kejadian, pasang masker berkatup atau
perlatan sejenis untuk melakukan pernapasan buatan, bila perlu hubungi dokter.
2. Bila terkena kulit segera lepaskan pakaian perhiasan dan sepatu penderita yang
terkontaminasi/terkena Rodamin B Cuci kulit dengan sabun dan air mengalir sampai
bersih dari Rodamin B, selama kurang lebih 15 menit sampai 20 menit. Bila perlu
hubungi dokter.
3. Bila terkena mata, bilas dengan air mengalir atau larutan garam fisilogis, mata dikedip
kedipkan sampai dipastikan sisa Rodamin B sudah tidak ada lagi atau sudah bersih.
Bila perlu hubungi dokter.
4. Bila tertelan dan terjadi muntah, letakan posisi kepala lebih rendah dari pinggul
untuk mencegah terjadinya muntahan masuk ke saluran pernapasan. Bila korban tidak
sadar, miringkan kepala ke samping atau ke satu sisi. Segera hubungi dokter.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Boraks berbahaya bila digunakan untuk makanan
Bahaya Boraks
Boraks adalah senyawa berbentuk kristal, warna putih, tidak berbau dan stabil pada suhu tekanan normal.
Boraks merupakan senyawa kimia berbahaya untuk pangan dengan nama kimia natrium tetrabonat (NaB4O7 10H2O). Dapat dijumpai dalam bentk padat dan jika larut dalam air akan menjadi natrium hidroksida dan asam borat (H3BO3). Boraks atau asam borat biasa digunakan sebagai bahan pembuat deterjen, bersifat antiseptik dan mengurangi kesadahan air. Bahan berbahaya ini haram digunakan untuk makanan.
Bahaya boraks jika terhirup, mengenai kulit dan tertelan bisa menyebabkan iritasi saluran pernafasan, iritasi kulit, iritasi mata dan kerusakan ginjal. Jika boraks 5-10 gram tertelan oleh anak-anak bisa menyebabkan shock dan kematian.
Efek akut dari boraks bisa menyebabkan badan berasa tidak enak, mual, nyeri hebat pada perut bagian atas, perdarahan gastro-enteritis disertai muntah darah, diare, lemah, mengantuk, demam dan sakit kepala.
Penyelahgunaan boraks untuk makanan telah ditemukan pada mie basah, baso, kerupuk dan jajanan lainnya.
Untuk mengetahui makanan mengandung boraks ciri-cirinya sebagai berikut:
- Ciri-ciri mie basah mengandung boraks: Teksturnya kenal, lebih mengkilat, tidak lengket, dan tidak cepat putus.
- Ciri baso mengandung boraks: teksturnya sangat kenal, warna tidak kecokelatan seperti penggunaan daging namun lebih cenderung keputihan.
-Ciri-ciri jajanan (seperti lontong) mengandung boraks: teksturnya sangat kenyal, berasa tajam, seprti sangat gurih dan membuat lidah bergetar dan meberikan rasa getir.
- Ciri-ciri kerupuk mengandung boraks: teksturnya renyah dan bisa menimbulkan rasa getir.(Vivanews.com).
Boraks adalah senyawa berbentuk kristal, warna putih, tidak berbau dan stabil pada suhu tekanan normal.
Boraks merupakan senyawa kimia berbahaya untuk pangan dengan nama kimia natrium tetrabonat (NaB4O7 10H2O). Dapat dijumpai dalam bentk padat dan jika larut dalam air akan menjadi natrium hidroksida dan asam borat (H3BO3). Boraks atau asam borat biasa digunakan sebagai bahan pembuat deterjen, bersifat antiseptik dan mengurangi kesadahan air. Bahan berbahaya ini haram digunakan untuk makanan.
Bahaya boraks jika terhirup, mengenai kulit dan tertelan bisa menyebabkan iritasi saluran pernafasan, iritasi kulit, iritasi mata dan kerusakan ginjal. Jika boraks 5-10 gram tertelan oleh anak-anak bisa menyebabkan shock dan kematian.
Efek akut dari boraks bisa menyebabkan badan berasa tidak enak, mual, nyeri hebat pada perut bagian atas, perdarahan gastro-enteritis disertai muntah darah, diare, lemah, mengantuk, demam dan sakit kepala.
Penyelahgunaan boraks untuk makanan telah ditemukan pada mie basah, baso, kerupuk dan jajanan lainnya.
Untuk mengetahui makanan mengandung boraks ciri-cirinya sebagai berikut:
- Ciri-ciri mie basah mengandung boraks: Teksturnya kenal, lebih mengkilat, tidak lengket, dan tidak cepat putus.
- Ciri baso mengandung boraks: teksturnya sangat kenal, warna tidak kecokelatan seperti penggunaan daging namun lebih cenderung keputihan.
-Ciri-ciri jajanan (seperti lontong) mengandung boraks: teksturnya sangat kenyal, berasa tajam, seprti sangat gurih dan membuat lidah bergetar dan meberikan rasa getir.
- Ciri-ciri kerupuk mengandung boraks: teksturnya renyah dan bisa menimbulkan rasa getir.(Vivanews.com).
Monday, January 24, 2011
Snsd Profile
Girls' Generation (hangul: 소녀시대, Romanized: Sonyeo Sidae) is a nine-member South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2007.
The nine members are: Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun. They are often referred to as SoShi (소시), or SNSD (mainly outside Korea), the first of which is an abbreviation and the second an acronym of the group's Korean name Sonyeo Sidae. In China, they are known as 少女時代 (Shàonǚ Shídài; or Siu Nui Si Doi in Hong Kong) and in Japan as 少女時代 (Shōjo Jidai).
The group has released two full albums, three mini-albums, and various singles. Their 2009 hit single "Gee" holds the record for being the longest running #1 song on KBS's Music Bank, having held the #1 chart ranking for 9 consecutive weeks.2009 and 2010 also saw the group winning various awards, including consecutive Artist of the Year (Daesang) awards at the Seoul Music Awards, Golden Disk Awards, Melon Music Awards, and the Korean Cultural Entertainment Awards.
The group began a foray into the Japanese music scene in late 2010 under Nayutawave Records, a part of Universal Music, with the Japanese remakes of their 2009 Korean hits "Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)" and "Gee".2010 saw the group reach considerable success in Japan, and solidifying their title as the "National Girl Group" in Korea after winning the prestigious Disk Daesang (Album of the Year) and Artist of the Year at the Golden Disk Awards and Melon Music Awards respectively.The group was certified gold by the RIAJ twice in Japan, while their yearly album sales in Korea surpassed 300,000, a feat which was last achieved by TVXQ in 2008, earning them the tile of the best-selling artist of 2010.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Airline plot trio get life terms
Three men who plotted to blow up liquid bombs on flights from the UK to North America have been jailed for life, with minimum terms of up to 40 years.
Ringleader Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, was jailed for at least 40 years.
Plot "quartermaster" Assad Sarwar, 29, must serve at least 36 years, while Tanvir Hussain, 28, was jailed for at least 32 years at Woolwich Crown Court.
Their aim was a terrorist outrage to "stand alongside" the 9/11 attacks on the US "in history", the judge said.
Mr Justice Henriques called the plot "the most grave and wicked conspiracy ever proven within this jurisdiction".
The trial heard that at the time of his arrest, Ahmed Ali, of Walthamstow, east London, had identified seven US and Canada-bound flights that were to be attacked within a two-and-a-half-hour period.
The judge said that the plot had "reached an advanced stage in its development", with the men in possession of enough chemicals to produce 20 detonators.
"I'm satisfied that there is every likelihood that this plot would have succeeded but for the intervention of the police and the security service," he said.
"Had this conspiracy not been interrupted, a massive loss of life would almost certainly have resulted - and if the detonation was over land, the number of victims would have been even greater still."
The convicted men displayed no emotion at their sentences, although Ahmed Ali shook his head and appeared angry and frustrated at earlier sentencing remarks from the judge.
"With this plot you sought the attention of the world and now you have it," Mr Justice Henriques told him.
"You have embraced Islamic extremism and it is that burning extremism that has motivated you throughout this conspiracy and is likely to drive you again."
E-mails submitted as evidence in the trial had shown that "the ultimate control of this conspiracy lay in Pakistan", the judge said.
Ahmed Ali, Sarwar, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Hussain, from Leyton, east London, had been "high-level executives within this country".
A fourth man, Umar Islam, 31, convicted of a more general conspiracy to murder charge, has been given a life sentence and will serve a minimum of 22 years in prison.
The men's arrests in 2006 caused chaos to the global aviation industry and prompted continuing restrictions to the amount of liquids passengers can take on to aircraft.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, is seeking a retrial of three other men for conspiracy to murder, after the jury failed to reach a verdict on this charge against them.
A legal hearing on 5 October will decide whether Ibrahim Savant, 28, Arafat Khan, 28, and Waheed Zaman, 25, will face another trial.(BBC)
Monday, August 31, 2009
The Brazilian connection! Juve tame the wolf!
It is immediately a great match with a bit of tacticism in the beginning but great rivalry and determination and will to win throughout. Ferrara chose to field a 4-3-2-1 formation with Diego to act as ball feeder to strikers Iaquinta and Amauri.
On the 1st minute Felipe Melo with the help of Buffon clears a rather tricky ball in the area. Two minutes later, A Diego shot from outside the area is deviated into corner. The 4th minute sees a A Marchisio cross go straight into the arms of the keeper. On the 5th minute there is a corner for Roma but the ball goes very wide. Three minutes later Roma benefit of another corner after a run and shot by Mexes with deviation. The Juve defence brings the ball out. One minute later, there is a ball into the Juve area but Chiellini heads away.
On the 10th minute there is a good cross by Iaquinta into the area but Amauri does not manage to head the ball. One minute later Cassetti shoots from way out but the weak shot does not create any problems for Buffon. On the 20th minute, Diego puts a ball into the Roma area but De Rossi heads away.
It is the 21st minute when Iaquinta recieves a ball in the area but the ball is shot into corner by the defence. From the flag the ball is put into the area but the defence clears. One minute later there is a free-kick for Juve: Diego puts the ball into the area, Tiago heads greatly but the keeper performs a miracle putting the ball into corner.
The Brazilian champion scores his first goal in the Serie A three minutes later. Diego wins a ball in midfield, goes past two defenders, enters the area and puts the ball behind the keeper for the opener (1-0). Three minutes later, there is a corner for Juve: ball reaches Iaquinta but is put one again into corner. Tiago back on the field shoots but the defence clears.
The 32nd minute sees a free-kick for Roma: Pizzarro puts the ball very wide for a goal-kick. Three minutes later De Rossi takes Juventus by surprise and shoots from a distance equalizing before the bianconeri have time to settle down for the free-kick (1-1).
Juve react and on the 37th minute benefit of a free-kick. Diego puts the ball into the area but Riise clears. One minute later another Diego free-kick followed by an Amauri header is saved by the keeper. On the 40th minute there is a free-kick for Roma: ball into the area but Melo puts into corner. Three minutes later it is Juve who go close to scoring again: Amauri hits the post after a good exchange in attack.
The 45th minute sees Diego with a great cross into the area for Amauri but the keeper manages to punch away. In the only minute of stoppage time two Juve defenders slip and Totti is alone in front of Buffon who performs a miracle just before the half-time whistle.
The second half continues where the first left off. On the 3rd minute there is a free-kick for Roma: ball into the area cleared well by Iaquinta. One minute later, Melo tries a shot from 25 metres but the ball is cleared. On the 5th minute, the ballis put into the area towards Amauri but Julio Sergio saves. Seconds later, Diego enters the area and passes to Iaquinta but Mexes manages to anticipate.
On the 9th minute Amauri receives the ball in the area and shoots but Julio Cesar denies him the goal. From the corner, the ball reaches Amauri who heads high. On the 12th minute Iaquinta with a great run enters the area, is disturbed by Burdisso who puts the shot into corner in what was a golden opportunity. One minute later there is a free-kick for Juve: Diego puts the ball into the area, the defence clears partially but the referee stops the action because Cassetti is on the floor. Two minutes later, A Iaquinta header goes inches high.
Camoranesi comes on for an injured Marchisio on the 17th minute. Four minutes later, a great header in the area by Amauri is saved by the Roma keeper. On the 23rd minute Diego shows all his phenomenal talent. The Brazilian receives from Iaquinta, goes round Mexes and shoots beyond the keeper for the 2-1! Simply magical!
On the 25th minute Diego dribbles past the defence who finally intercept the pass. Two minutes later Menez makes Juve hearts miss a beat finally putting a dangerous ball wide. On the 29th minute Legrottaglie on for De Ceglie. Cheillini moves to a full-back position. One minute later there is a corner for Juve: Tiago receives the ball and sees his shot headed into corner.
The 32nd minute sees Tiago who receives from Iaquinta but his shot is not powerful enough. One minute later, Totti hits the post after a Cannavaro deviation. From the flag a De Rossi attempt is waved away by Buffon and then another attempt goes very high. A Roma free-kick goes straight into the arms o Buffon.
On the 36th minute, A Chiellini conclusion goes wide after some really good action by Diego, Amauri, Iaquinta and the defender. Two minutes later, a powerful Diego shot from outside the area is saved by the keeper.
The 39th minute sees Poulsen come on for Diego. The Brazilian ace is applauded as he exits the stadium. Two minutes later, Amauri stopped for a foul in attack after some really good work. Menez tries a shot but the ball goes wide on the 42nd minute. The 44th minute sees a free-kick for Roma after a dubious foul of Amauri on Pizarro: Pizarro takes it but Chiellini clears.
On the 46th minute a A Poulsen shot goes high but two minutes later Felipe Melo wins a ball in midfield, advances, shoots and scores a great goal dfixing the final result on 3-1!
Juventus played a great game against a difficult team in a tricky stadium, once again responding to Ferrara’s instructions and bringing home a very important 3 points.
Serie A 2009/10 2nd Match Day
Rome, Stadio Olimpico
Sunday 30th August, 2009
ROMA – JUVENTUS: 1-3
Scorers: Diego (25th), De Rossi (36th), Diego (68th), Felipe Melo (93rd)
ROMA: J. Sergio; Cassetti, Burdisso, Mexes, Riise (Vucinic 71st); De Rossi, Pizzarro; Taddei (Tonetto 46th), Perrotta (Cerci 80th); Menez, Totti. Reserves: Artur, Juan, Motta, Gubetti, Tonetto, Cerci, Vucinic. Coach: Spalletti.
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Grygera, Cannavaro, Chiellini, De Ceglie (Legrottaglie 74th);Tiago, Felipe Melo, Marchisio (Camoranesi 62nd); Diego (Poulsen 84th), Iaquinta, Amauri. Reserves: Manninger, Legrottaglie, Molinaro, Camoranesi, Poulsen, Del Piero, Trezeguet. Coach: Ferrara.
REFEREE: Rocchi
Yellow Cards: Tiago (15th), De Rossi (19th), Taddei (34th), Diego (36th), Perrotta (36th), Marchisio (44th), Grygera (80th), www.juventus.com
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Short History of Cigars and Tobacco
Have you ever wondered where cigars were first produced? It is widely believed that cigars were first produced in Spain. But before cigars became all the rage in Europe, tobacco was needed to make them. Tobacco is indigenous to the Americas, where native peoples have produced it for hundreds of years. It is believed that the Maya of Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and parts of Central America cultivated tobacco, and even smoked it! Tobacco use spread to other tribes, both north and south. It is believed that its first use in the United States was probably among the tribe along the Mississippi. It wasn't until Christopher Columbus sailed his famous voyage to the Americas in 1492 that the rest of the world came to know tobacco.
It is said that Columbus was not impressed by tobacco or its use among native peoples, but many sailors grew found of the strange plant. Soon it quickly caught on in Spain and Portugal. From there, it spread to France, where the French ambassador Jean Nicot lent his name to the scientific name for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The origins of the word tobacco itself are still suspect, although many believe it is simply a corruption of the word Tobago, which is the name of a Caribbean island. Still others believe it comes from the word Tabasco, a region (and now state) in Mexico.
The first tobacco plantation in the United States was established in Virginia in 1612. More tobacco plantations followed in Maryland soon after. Although tobacco became a popular crop, it was only smoked in pipes. The cigar was not introduced to the United States until the late 18th century. Israel Putnam, an army general who had served in the Revolutionary War, is credited with introducing the cigar to the United States. He had traveled to Cuba after the Revolutionary War and returned with a box of Cuban cigars. Their popularity quickly spread, and soon enough cigar factories were established in the area of Harford, Connecticut, where General Putnam resided.
In Europe, cigar production and consumption did not achieve widespread popularity until after the Peninsula War in the early 19th century. British and French veterans returned to their homelands after years of serving in Spain with their tobacco pipes in tow. Among the rich and fashionable, the favored method of taking tobacco was the cigar. Cigar smoking remains a habit associated with the rich and discriminating of upper society.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Making Money With Articles : Banner Advertisements
When you are trying to make money off of the articles on your website, it is important to effectively promote your site so that you will attract customers and they can see just what a good, quality site you have. There are several ways so market and promote your website, one of them being though banner advertisements.
What Banner Ads Can Do For You
Banner ads can help bring visitors from others sites to your own. Although monthly fees can be expensive to advertise on high traffic sites, in the end it may be cheaper and/or a faster way to start seeing significant revenue from your website efforts, rather than waiting for SEO techniques to bring your own site to the top of search engine results. Aside from paying to advertise on someone else’s site, there are also free banner exchanges to choose from. We will look at the pros and cons of each banner advertising method below.
Free Banner Exchanges
Free banner exchanges are when you and other sites exchange each others banners. Their banner will go on your site and your banner will go one their site. Although this option is free, there are two main problems with it. First, if you want your banner on a significant number of sites, it will mean cluttering your own site up with these banners. This could even shot you in the foot if you run an affiliate website because, instead of clicking on your affiliate links, your visitors may be clicking on your banner exchange links. Secondly, you have to be really careful about the types of sites that you exchange banners with. Some sites like to gather a lot of banners so that they can be a directory or portal site and not have to have any real content. These “banner farms” or “link farms” will do nothing positive for your site and, in the meantime, you will be bringing them potential traffic.
Paid Banner Ads
As we saw above, paid banner ads cost money, but they will eventually pay off if you choose the right ones. You need to ensure that the site produces the amount of traffic that they say and that they have your ad placed in a way that invites visitors to click without being too pushy. You also want to choose a site that does not house too many other banners on the same page as yours or that there are no competitor links on the same page.
All in all, banner ads can end up being profitable for you site if you go about it the right way. If you do decide to check out banner advertisement as a marketing avenue, be sure to keep the above tips in mind.
What Banner Ads Can Do For You
Banner ads can help bring visitors from others sites to your own. Although monthly fees can be expensive to advertise on high traffic sites, in the end it may be cheaper and/or a faster way to start seeing significant revenue from your website efforts, rather than waiting for SEO techniques to bring your own site to the top of search engine results. Aside from paying to advertise on someone else’s site, there are also free banner exchanges to choose from. We will look at the pros and cons of each banner advertising method below.
Free Banner Exchanges
Free banner exchanges are when you and other sites exchange each others banners. Their banner will go on your site and your banner will go one their site. Although this option is free, there are two main problems with it. First, if you want your banner on a significant number of sites, it will mean cluttering your own site up with these banners. This could even shot you in the foot if you run an affiliate website because, instead of clicking on your affiliate links, your visitors may be clicking on your banner exchange links. Secondly, you have to be really careful about the types of sites that you exchange banners with. Some sites like to gather a lot of banners so that they can be a directory or portal site and not have to have any real content. These “banner farms” or “link farms” will do nothing positive for your site and, in the meantime, you will be bringing them potential traffic.
Paid Banner Ads
As we saw above, paid banner ads cost money, but they will eventually pay off if you choose the right ones. You need to ensure that the site produces the amount of traffic that they say and that they have your ad placed in a way that invites visitors to click without being too pushy. You also want to choose a site that does not house too many other banners on the same page as yours or that there are no competitor links on the same page.
All in all, banner ads can end up being profitable for you site if you go about it the right way. If you do decide to check out banner advertisement as a marketing avenue, be sure to keep the above tips in mind.
SKorea says North fires 7 missiles off east coast
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, a violation of U.N. resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day.
The launches, which came two days after North Korea fired what were believed to be four short-range cruise missiles, will likely further escalate tensions in the region as the U.S. tries to muster support for tough enforcement of the latest U.N. Security Council resolution imposed on the communist regime for its May nuclear test.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said three missiles were fired early Saturday, a fourth around noon and three more in the afternoon. The Defense Ministry said that the missiles were ballistic and are believed to have flown more than 250 miles (400 kilometers).
"Our military is fully ready to counter any North Korean threats and provocations based on strong South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted military officials as saying the missiles appeared to be a type of Scud missile. North Korea's Scuds are considered short-range, the South's military said.
But Yonhap also said it is possible they could have been longer-range Rodong missiles fired a shorter distance.
Scud missiles have a range of up to 300 miles (500 kilometers), which could hit most of South Korea. The Rodong has a range of up to 800 miles (1,300 kilometers), putting most parts of Japan within striking distance.
North Korea is not allowed to fire Scuds, medium-range missiles or long-range missiles. They are banned under U.N. resolutions, including Resolution 1874 passed after North Korea's May 25 nuclear test, that prohibit any launch using ballistic missile technology.
Thursday's launches, on the other hand, did not violate the resolution, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. Kim Tae-woo, vice president of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said it was believed North Korea launched cruise missiles Thursday.
Ballistic missiles are guided during their ascent out of the atmosphere but fall freely when they descend. Cruise missiles fly low and straight to their target.
The North has a record of timing missile tests for the U.S. national day, which fell on Saturday.
"The missiles were seen as part of military exercises, but North Korea also appeared to have sent a message to the U.S. through the missile launches," a senior official in South Korea's presidential office said, without elaborating.
The official told The Associated Press that North Korea could fire more missiles in coming days, but said there was little possibility it could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile, as it threatened in April.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based analyst for the International Crisis Group think tank, said both political and military reasons were behind the launches.
"I think it's a demonstration of their defiance and rejection of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, for one thing, and to demonstrate their military power capabilities to any potential adversaries," Pinkston said.
He also pointed out that July 4 is not only U.S. Independence Day but also the anniversary of a 1972 joint communique in which the two Koreas agreed to work toward peacefully reunifying their divided peninsula.
During the U.S. Independence Day holiday in 2006, Pyongyang fired a barrage of missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 that broke apart and fell into the ocean less than a minute after liftoff. Those launches, which occurred on July 5 in North Korea, also came amid tensions with the U.S. over North Korea's nuclear program.
North Korea's state news agency carried no reports on the launches. But the North had warned ships to stay away from its east coast through July 10 for military exercises — an indication it was planning launches.
The chief of U.S. Naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, said Saturday the American military was ready for any North Korean missile tests.
"Our ships and forces here are prepared for the tracking of the missiles and observing the activities that are going on," Roughead said after meeting Japanese military officials in Tokyo before news of the launches.
South Korea and Japan, which are within easy range of North Korean missiles, condemned the launches as a "provocative" act that violates the U.N. resolution.
South Korea "expressed deep regret over the North's continuous behavior that escalates tensions in Northeast Asia by repeatedly defying" the resolution, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said in a statement that the launch of missiles "is a serious act of provocation against the security of neighboring countries, including Japan, and is against the resolution of the U.N Security Council." In Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment. China is the North's closest ally. (Yahoonews)
The launches, which came two days after North Korea fired what were believed to be four short-range cruise missiles, will likely further escalate tensions in the region as the U.S. tries to muster support for tough enforcement of the latest U.N. Security Council resolution imposed on the communist regime for its May nuclear test.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said three missiles were fired early Saturday, a fourth around noon and three more in the afternoon. The Defense Ministry said that the missiles were ballistic and are believed to have flown more than 250 miles (400 kilometers).
"Our military is fully ready to counter any North Korean threats and provocations based on strong South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted military officials as saying the missiles appeared to be a type of Scud missile. North Korea's Scuds are considered short-range, the South's military said.
But Yonhap also said it is possible they could have been longer-range Rodong missiles fired a shorter distance.
Scud missiles have a range of up to 300 miles (500 kilometers), which could hit most of South Korea. The Rodong has a range of up to 800 miles (1,300 kilometers), putting most parts of Japan within striking distance.
North Korea is not allowed to fire Scuds, medium-range missiles or long-range missiles. They are banned under U.N. resolutions, including Resolution 1874 passed after North Korea's May 25 nuclear test, that prohibit any launch using ballistic missile technology.
Thursday's launches, on the other hand, did not violate the resolution, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. Kim Tae-woo, vice president of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said it was believed North Korea launched cruise missiles Thursday.
Ballistic missiles are guided during their ascent out of the atmosphere but fall freely when they descend. Cruise missiles fly low and straight to their target.
The North has a record of timing missile tests for the U.S. national day, which fell on Saturday.
"The missiles were seen as part of military exercises, but North Korea also appeared to have sent a message to the U.S. through the missile launches," a senior official in South Korea's presidential office said, without elaborating.
The official told The Associated Press that North Korea could fire more missiles in coming days, but said there was little possibility it could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile, as it threatened in April.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based analyst for the International Crisis Group think tank, said both political and military reasons were behind the launches.
"I think it's a demonstration of their defiance and rejection of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, for one thing, and to demonstrate their military power capabilities to any potential adversaries," Pinkston said.
He also pointed out that July 4 is not only U.S. Independence Day but also the anniversary of a 1972 joint communique in which the two Koreas agreed to work toward peacefully reunifying their divided peninsula.
During the U.S. Independence Day holiday in 2006, Pyongyang fired a barrage of missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 that broke apart and fell into the ocean less than a minute after liftoff. Those launches, which occurred on July 5 in North Korea, also came amid tensions with the U.S. over North Korea's nuclear program.
North Korea's state news agency carried no reports on the launches. But the North had warned ships to stay away from its east coast through July 10 for military exercises — an indication it was planning launches.
The chief of U.S. Naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, said Saturday the American military was ready for any North Korean missile tests.
"Our ships and forces here are prepared for the tracking of the missiles and observing the activities that are going on," Roughead said after meeting Japanese military officials in Tokyo before news of the launches.
South Korea and Japan, which are within easy range of North Korean missiles, condemned the launches as a "provocative" act that violates the U.N. resolution.
South Korea "expressed deep regret over the North's continuous behavior that escalates tensions in Northeast Asia by repeatedly defying" the resolution, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said in a statement that the launch of missiles "is a serious act of provocation against the security of neighboring countries, including Japan, and is against the resolution of the U.N Security Council." In Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment. China is the North's closest ally. (Yahoonews)
Tool Talk: All about internet marketing tools
Who doesn't want inexpensive internet marketing tools? In this day and age when advertising your business online is the way to go, it's a must that you avail of internet marketing tools at the lowest cost possible. How can you avail of them? How can you make the most out of these low cost internet marketing tools?
These low cost internet marketing tools aim to better your website and promote them thoroughly. Read on to know more about them:
1. Software
There is software specializing in internet marketing. These programs are affordable internet marketing tools. They attract traffic, communicate your site to anyone online, harness and trim down your keywords, track your site visitors and create links to other sites. Of course, the phrase "low cost" emphasizes that you must not spend exorbitantly. Watch out for internet marketing tools that do nothing but suck your budget.
2. Website packages
Take note of low cost internet marketing tools that do the following: hosting and designing your site, getting your domain, offering technical help, configure and upload your files, campaigning for your traffic. These are available in website packages that you can avail of anytime. Choose a package caters to your site's needs.
3. Mailing lists
Notice that when you visit the Bulk Mail folder of your email, you read nothing but website promotions. That's email marketing? It boosts your business like no other. Don't worry about spamming. There's such a thing as "safe lists" that make your mails spam-free. This is so easy to obtain. Look for mailing lists for sale and let the fun of emailing begin.
4. Data Submitters
This is a money-saving internet marketing tool that works like magic. Have a data submitter of your own and amass tremendously huge hits!
5. E-books
Integrate an e-book in your site for people to download. At such a cheap price, you keep people clamoring for more and visiting your site in the process. That's one affordable internet marketing tool for you.
6. SEO tools
Internet marketing is not complete without the standard SEO tools. Search engines remain as the major powerhouse in marketing so never leave this part out. Generate traffic through this effective low cost internet marketing tool!
Here's a reminder: when you see the low cost internet marketing tool banners online, never get persuaded easily. Study the package deals; analyze the contents and benefits before deciding if you want one.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Stars Dying in Threes: What Are the Chances?
Every time celebrities die in threes, your humble media inform you that, no, actually, they don't.
If you won't listen to us, then maybe you'll listen to the celebrity death month generator.
In the wake of the passings of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, we tracked down two writers who ran the numbers on celebrities dying in threes.
And here's what they say...
The Celebrity Death Month Generator Doesn't Lie
In 2005, Rob Cockerham, the Web provocateur of Cockeyed.com, put together a timeline of celebrity deaths for that August. As to what defined a celebrity, Cockerham settled on a person who's passing warranted a front-page mention on Google News.
In the end, Cockerham charted 11 deaths, five of which occurred in a three-day span. Three times, two celebrities died on the same day. At no time did three Google-worthy names die on the same day. (Even the McMahon, Fawcett and Jackson deaths, which spurred the latest "dying in threes" talk, occurred over three days.)
Cockerham decided any triples that could be found were "convenient triples," as he wrote. Or, to put it another way, if a computer program were to spit out a bunch of dates, it too might randomly hit a trifecta.
And that's exactly what the computer program that Cockerham wrote did: In six trial runs, the so-dubbed celebrity death month generator spit out nine calendar days each. Sometimes the numbers were clustered, sometimes they were spread out.
At no time did the fates seem to have it "in" for a particular date.
"It proved that if you look at events happening randomly on a timeline you will be able to find groups of three," Cockerham said this week. "But if you really look at what you're doing, you won't be able to put all the dots in groups of three."
The Billy Mays Conundrum
In a 2004 piece for his now-defunct column, Stupid Question, John the Obscure's John Ruch broke out the World Almanac, and examined its 105 Almanac-designated notable deaths for the previous year (up through October, when the book went to press).
Amid the various death dates, some bunched together, some not, Ruch even found one, May 14, 2003, in which three celebrities died on the same day. But he still found himself unmoved by the "superstition," as he puts it, that celebrities are destined to die in threes.
"It's classic garbage-in, garbage-out," Ruch told E! News.
While 2003 produced one of those classic "celebrities die in threes" stretches that gets everybody talking—the week in which John Ritter, Johnny Cash and Warren Zevon all passed away—it also produced others that got nobody talking, Ruch observed. For instance, the aforementioned May 14 saw the passings of Dave DeBusschere, Wendy Hiller and Robert Stack.
"And anybody who can identify all three of those 'celebrities' deserves the grand prize on Jeopardy!," Ruch wrote in his column. (For the record, DeBusschere was a basketball star; Hiller, an Academy Award-winning actress; Stack, the star of TV's The Untouchables.)
How to define a celebrity, an issue Cockerham would later confront, is just one of the problems with the "celebrities dying in threes" hypothesis, Ruch said. Another is when does a sequence of three begin. Or end.
When TV pitchman Billy Mays died three days after Fawcett and Jackson, Ruch asked, "So is this starting a new series?"
The question could be asked anew with Wednesday's passing of Oscar and Emmy winner Karl Malden. Does he get grouped with Mays? Or was Mays already taken, having been grouped with 1950s TV star Gale Storm and impressionist Fred Travalina, both recently deceased, if not Fawcett and Jackson. And if Mays was grouped with Fawcett and Jackson, where did that leave McMahon? Grouped with character actor Hal Riddle, who died June 17, and 1960s rocker Sky Saxon, who died June 25, along with Fawcett and Jackson?
And then there's the matter of what to make of a celebrity the caliber of Jackson.
"My question is should Michael Jackson count for three all by himself," Ruch said. "He was pretty darn famous."
It's all enough to make your head hurt. Or your celebrity death month generator explode.
"This is why it's an irrational thing," Ruch said. "You keep defining the definitions."http://www.eonline.com/
If you won't listen to us, then maybe you'll listen to the celebrity death month generator.
In the wake of the passings of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, we tracked down two writers who ran the numbers on celebrities dying in threes.
And here's what they say...
The Celebrity Death Month Generator Doesn't Lie
In 2005, Rob Cockerham, the Web provocateur of Cockeyed.com, put together a timeline of celebrity deaths for that August. As to what defined a celebrity, Cockerham settled on a person who's passing warranted a front-page mention on Google News.
In the end, Cockerham charted 11 deaths, five of which occurred in a three-day span. Three times, two celebrities died on the same day. At no time did three Google-worthy names die on the same day. (Even the McMahon, Fawcett and Jackson deaths, which spurred the latest "dying in threes" talk, occurred over three days.)
Cockerham decided any triples that could be found were "convenient triples," as he wrote. Or, to put it another way, if a computer program were to spit out a bunch of dates, it too might randomly hit a trifecta.
And that's exactly what the computer program that Cockerham wrote did: In six trial runs, the so-dubbed celebrity death month generator spit out nine calendar days each. Sometimes the numbers were clustered, sometimes they were spread out.
At no time did the fates seem to have it "in" for a particular date.
"It proved that if you look at events happening randomly on a timeline you will be able to find groups of three," Cockerham said this week. "But if you really look at what you're doing, you won't be able to put all the dots in groups of three."
The Billy Mays Conundrum
In a 2004 piece for his now-defunct column, Stupid Question, John the Obscure's John Ruch broke out the World Almanac, and examined its 105 Almanac-designated notable deaths for the previous year (up through October, when the book went to press).
Amid the various death dates, some bunched together, some not, Ruch even found one, May 14, 2003, in which three celebrities died on the same day. But he still found himself unmoved by the "superstition," as he puts it, that celebrities are destined to die in threes.
"It's classic garbage-in, garbage-out," Ruch told E! News.
While 2003 produced one of those classic "celebrities die in threes" stretches that gets everybody talking—the week in which John Ritter, Johnny Cash and Warren Zevon all passed away—it also produced others that got nobody talking, Ruch observed. For instance, the aforementioned May 14 saw the passings of Dave DeBusschere, Wendy Hiller and Robert Stack.
"And anybody who can identify all three of those 'celebrities' deserves the grand prize on Jeopardy!," Ruch wrote in his column. (For the record, DeBusschere was a basketball star; Hiller, an Academy Award-winning actress; Stack, the star of TV's The Untouchables.)
How to define a celebrity, an issue Cockerham would later confront, is just one of the problems with the "celebrities dying in threes" hypothesis, Ruch said. Another is when does a sequence of three begin. Or end.
When TV pitchman Billy Mays died three days after Fawcett and Jackson, Ruch asked, "So is this starting a new series?"
The question could be asked anew with Wednesday's passing of Oscar and Emmy winner Karl Malden. Does he get grouped with Mays? Or was Mays already taken, having been grouped with 1950s TV star Gale Storm and impressionist Fred Travalina, both recently deceased, if not Fawcett and Jackson. And if Mays was grouped with Fawcett and Jackson, where did that leave McMahon? Grouped with character actor Hal Riddle, who died June 17, and 1960s rocker Sky Saxon, who died June 25, along with Fawcett and Jackson?
And then there's the matter of what to make of a celebrity the caliber of Jackson.
"My question is should Michael Jackson count for three all by himself," Ruch said. "He was pretty darn famous."
It's all enough to make your head hurt. Or your celebrity death month generator explode.
"This is why it's an irrational thing," Ruch said. "You keep defining the definitions."http://www.eonline.com/
A Michael Jackson-Honoring Event of Some Kind Headed to Staples?
As Neverland Ranch was crossed off the list, the question remained: Where the heck will Michael Jackson's memorial be held?
Considering thousands of fans will want in on any public event, the Jackson family appears to be zeroing in on Los Angeles' Staples Center to hold some type of tribute to the King of Pop on Tuesday morning.
A spokesman for AEG Live, which owns the venue, tells E! News, "At this time, nothing is scheduled, nothing is planned" and a LAPD spokesman says they're still waiting to hear from the family as far as mobilizing officers for peace-keeping and motorcade purposes goes.
But sources say that July 7 at Staples—for an event that will not include a viewing of the body or a traditional funeral service—is the goal.
The news comes as Neverland Ranch was officially checked off the list, both as a spot for a public viewing and as a burial site. California law requires that humans be buried in established cemeteries and it's up to local officials (and a gob of paperwork) to obtain permission to bury someone on private property.
Although a rep for the cemetery said it's impossible for them to comment on a family's burial plans, L.A.'s famed Forest Lawn is where Jackson's body is said to be now, awaiting interment.
But his family has yet to file a death certificate, which is required to bury the King of Pop anywhere, E! News learned Wednesday.
A burial permit specifying the "disposition" of a body (i.e. cremation, burial, donation to science) cannot be obtained until there's a death certificate, according to the California Department of Health.
Families have eight days from the time of a relative's death to file a death certificate, but as of Wednesday afternoon, the vital records office had not yet received the Jackson paperwork. "Maybe the family has not made final arrangements," suggested a health department official.
Considering thousands of fans will want in on any public event, the Jackson family appears to be zeroing in on Los Angeles' Staples Center to hold some type of tribute to the King of Pop on Tuesday morning.
A spokesman for AEG Live, which owns the venue, tells E! News, "At this time, nothing is scheduled, nothing is planned" and a LAPD spokesman says they're still waiting to hear from the family as far as mobilizing officers for peace-keeping and motorcade purposes goes.
But sources say that July 7 at Staples—for an event that will not include a viewing of the body or a traditional funeral service—is the goal.
The news comes as Neverland Ranch was officially checked off the list, both as a spot for a public viewing and as a burial site. California law requires that humans be buried in established cemeteries and it's up to local officials (and a gob of paperwork) to obtain permission to bury someone on private property.
Although a rep for the cemetery said it's impossible for them to comment on a family's burial plans, L.A.'s famed Forest Lawn is where Jackson's body is said to be now, awaiting interment.
But his family has yet to file a death certificate, which is required to bury the King of Pop anywhere, E! News learned Wednesday.
A burial permit specifying the "disposition" of a body (i.e. cremation, burial, donation to science) cannot be obtained until there's a death certificate, according to the California Department of Health.
Families have eight days from the time of a relative's death to file a death certificate, but as of Wednesday afternoon, the vital records office had not yet received the Jackson paperwork. "Maybe the family has not made final arrangements," suggested a health department official.
467K jobs cut in June; jobless rate at 9.5 percent
WASHINGTON – Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June, driving the unemployment rate up to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, suggesting that the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy.
The Labor Department report, released Thursday, showed that even as the recession flashes signs of easing, companies likely will want to keep a lid on costs and be wary of hiring until they feel certain the economy is on a solid ground.
June's payroll reductions were deeper than the 363,000 that economists expected.
However, the rise in the unemployment rate from 9.4 percent in May wasn't as sharp as the expected 9.6 percent. Still, many economists predict the jobless rate will hit 10 percent this year, and keep rising into next year, before falling back.
All told, 14.7 million people were unemployed in June.
If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the unemployment rate would have been 16.5 percent in June, the highest on records dating to 1994.
Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 6.5 million jobs.
As the downturn bites into sales and profits, companies have turned to layoffs and other cost-cutting measures to survive. Those include holding down workers' hours and freezing or cutting pay.
The average work week in June fell to 33 hours, the lowest on records dating to 1964.
Layoffs in May turned out to smaller, 322,000, versus the 345,000 first reported. But job cuts in April were a big deeper — 519,000 versus 504,000, according to government data.
Even with higher pace of job cuts in June, the report indicates that the worst of the layoffs have passed. The deepest job cuts of the recession came in January, when 741,000 jobs vanished, the most in any month since 1949.
And there was some other encouraging job news Thursday.
In a separate report, the department said the number of newly laid-off workers filing applications for unemployment benefits fell last week to 614,000, in line with economists' predictions. The number of people continuing to draw benefits unexpectedly dropped to 6.7 million.
Still, job losses last month were widespread.
Professional and business services slashed 118,000 jobs, more than double the 48,000 cut in May. Manufacturers cut 136,000, down from 156,000. Construction companies got rid of 79,000 jobs, up from 48,000 the previous month. Retailers eliminated 21,000, up from 17,600. Financial activities cut 27,000, following 30,000 in May. The government cut 52,000 jobs, up from 10,000 the previous month. Leisure and hospitality cut 18,000 jobs, erasing a gain of the same size in May.
One of the few industries adding jobs: education and health services.
With the weakness in the job market, workers didn't see any wage gains in June. Average hourly earnings were flat at $18.53.
The worst crises in the housing, credit and financial markets since the 1930s have plunged the country into the longest recession since World War II.
Many think the jobless rate could rise as high as 10.7 percent by the second quarter of next year before it starts to make a slow descent. Some think the rate will top out at 11 percent. The post-World War II high was 10.8 percent at the end of 1982, when the country had suffered through a severe recession.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke predicts the recession will end this year, with many economists forecasting that the economy will start to grow again as soon as the current July-September quarter.
But recoveries after financial crises tend to be slow, which is why economists predict it will take years for the job market to return to normal. Some predict the nation's unemployment rate won't drop to 5 percent until 2013.
An elevated unemployment rate could become a political liability for President Barack Obama when congressional elections are held next year. The last time the unemployment rate topped 10 percent, the party of the president — then Ronald Reagan's GOP — lost 26 House seats in midterm elections in 1982.
So far, many people are saving — rather than spending — the extra money in their paychecks from Obama's tax cut, blunting its help in bracing the economy. Much of the economic benefit of Obama's increased government spending on big public works projects won't kick in until 2010, analysts say.
The White House last week said federal money is being shoveled out of Washington quickly, but states aren't steering the cash to counties that need jobs the most.
Large job cuts have continued this week. Newspaper publisher Gannett Co. said it plans to cut 1,400 jobs in the next few weeks, about 3 percent of the work force, as it faces a prolonged slump in advertising revenue. Farm machinery company Deere & Co. said 800 salaried employees, or 3 percent of its salaried work force, took a voluntary buyout offer.(Yahoonews)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)