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Posted in: videoThursday, February 24, 2011
New Seven Wonders of the World
New Seven Wonders of the World
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the New 7 Wonders Foundation list. For other uses, see Wonders of the World .
New Seven Wonders of the World was a project that attempted to update the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a modern list of wonders. A popularity poll was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber[1] and organized by the Swiss-based, government-controlled New7Wonders Foundation,[2] with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon.[3]The New7Wonders Foundation claimed that more than 100 million votes were cast through the Internet or by telephone. Nothing prevented multiple votes, so the poll was considered "decidedly unscientific".[4] According to John Zogby, founder and current President/CEO of the Utica, New York-based polling organization Zogby International, New7Wonders Foundation drove “the largest poll on record”.[3]
The program drew a wide range of official reaction. Some countries touted their finalist and tried to get more votes cast for it, while others downplayed or criticized the contest.[3][3][4] After supporting the New7Wonders Foundation at the beginning of the campaign, by providing advice on nominee selection, The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) distanced itself from the undertaking in 2007.[5][6]
The New7Wonders Foundation, established in 2001, relied on private donations and the sale of broadcast rights and received no public funding or taxpayers' money.[7] After the final announcement, New7Wonders said it didn't earn anything from the exercise and barely recovered its investment.[8]
In 2007 the foundation launched a similar contest, called New7Wonders of Nature, which will be the subject of voting until mid-2011.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Winners
| Wonder | Location | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Chichen Itza Chi'ch'èen Ìitsha' | Yucatán, Mexico |  |
| Christ the Redeemer O Cristo Redentor | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |  |
| Colosseum Colosseo | Rome, Italy |  |
| Great Wall of China 万里长城 萬里長城 Wànlǐ Chángchéng | People's Republic of China |  |
| Machu Picchu Machu Pikchu | Cuzco Region, Peru |  |
| Petra البتراء al-Batrāʾ | Ma'an Governorate, Jordan |  |
| Taj Mahal ताज महल تاج محل | Agra, India |  |
| Wonder | Location | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Giza Pyramid Complex أهرام الجيزة | Giza, Egypt |  |
| “ | The New7Wonders campaigns aim to contribute to the process of uplifting the well being and mutual respect of citizens around the world, through encouraging interaction, expression of opinion and direct participation by voting and polling on popular themes and global issues which are understandable to everyone.[9] | ” |
[edit] Reactions
[edit] UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in a press release on June 20, 2007, reaffirmed that it has no link with the "private initiative", which it says would reflect "only the opinions of those with access to the Internet". The press release concluded:| “ | There is no comparison between Mr. Weber’s mediatised campaign and the scientific and educational work resulting from the inscription of sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The list of the 7 New Wonders of the World will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the Internet and not the entire world. This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public.[6] | ” |
[edit] Egypt
Egyptian commentators viewed it as competition to the status of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving monument of the original Ancient Wonders. "This is probably a conspiracy against Egypt, its civilization and monuments", wrote editorialist Al-Sayed al-Naggar in a leading state-owned daily. Egyptian Culture Minister Farouq Hosni said the project was "absurd" and described its creator, Weber, as a man "concerned primarily with self-promotion". Nagib Amin, an Egyptian expert on World Heritage Sites, has pointed out that "in addition to the commercial aspect, the vote has no scientific basis."After the complaints from Egypt, the New7Wonders Foundation designated the Pyramids of Giza — the only remaining of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World — as an Honorary New7Wonders Candidate, and removed them from the voting. However the Great Pyramid of Giza is not featured in their official results web site.[10]
[edit] Brazil
In Brazil there was a campaign Vote no Cristo (Vote for the Christ) which had the support of private companies, namely telecommunications operators that stopped charging voters to make telephone calls and SMS messages to vote.[11] Additionally, leading corporate sponsors including Banco Bradesco and Rede Globo spent millions of reais in the effort to have the statue voted into the top seven.[3] Newsweek reports the campaign was so pervasive that:| “ | One morning in June, Rio de Janeiro residents awoke to a beeping text message on their cell phones: “Press 4916 and vote for Christ. It’s free!” The same pitch had been popping up all over the city since late January—flashing across an electronic screen every time city-dwellers swiped their transit cards on city buses and echoing on TV infomercials that featured a reality-show celebrity posing next to the city’s trademark Christ the Redeemer statue.[3] | ” |
[edit] Peru
An intensive campaign led by the Peruvian Ministry of Commerce and Tourism in Peru had a great impact in the media and consequently Peruvian people voted massively for its national wonder. The announcement of the new World Wonders generated great expectation and the election of Machu Picchu was celebrated nationwide, especially in Cusco's main square and in Lima where President Alan Garcia hosted a ceremony.[edit] Chile
The Chilean representative for Easter Island's Moais, Alberto Hotus, said that the organizer Bernard Weber gave him a letter saying that the Moais had finished eighth and were morally one of the New Seven Wonders. Hotus said he was the only participant to receive such an apology.[12][edit] India
A campaign to publicize the campaign in India gathered speed and it reached a climax in July 2007 with news channels, radio stations, and many celebrities asking people to vote for the Taj Mahal.[edit] Jordan
Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan joined the campaign to back Petra, Jordan's national treasure.[3] Despite Jordan only having a population of under 7 million people, it has been claimed that over 14 million votes were made from the country.[3] This number is estimated as the New7Wonders Foundation never released such details about the campaign.[edit] Mexico
There was a campaign on the news programs to encourage people to vote for Chichen Itzá.[edit] Other finalists
The other 13 finalists,[13] listed alphabetically, were:
Posted in: sciencePolice search for Wisconsin Democrats
Police search for Wisconsin Democrats
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Protestors demonstrate in the rotunda of the state capitol on February 24, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Republicans sent police on Thursday on an unsuccessful search for the 14 runaway Senate Democrats who fled the state to block a vote on a spending bill that would curtail public union bargaining rights.
Republicans dispatched state patrol officers to the Democrats’ homes in an attempt to end a standoff over Republican Governor Scott Walker’s proposal to strip most collective bargaining rights from public union workers.
All 14 Democrats in the Senate fled to Illinois last week to deny Republicans a quorum and a vote on the bill, which has become a flashpoint in a growing national battle over labor union power.
Republicans hold a 19-14 Senate majority but need a quorum of 20 to vote on spending bills. The Democrats fled the state because they feared they could be compelled to attend the Senate if they remained.
Some Republicans suspected the Democrats have been sleeping in their own beds at night. Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said he had hoped the Democrats could be convinced to return, although he acknowledged the officers cannot arrest them.
“It’s a gesture that shows we’re still serious and a call of the house should be honored,” Fitzgerald told the website Wispolitics.com.
The move came as Democrats and Republicans in the lower house of the state legislature, the Assembly, agreed to limit debate and vote later on Thursday on the bill, which Walker says is necessary to close a budget deficit of $137 million for this fiscal year and $3.6 billion in the next two years.
The agreement came after a second straight all-night session in the state Capitol, about 43 hours after the Assembly took up the proposal on Tuesday.
But approval in the assembly, where Republicans hold a 57-38 majority, will not ease the Senate standoff over a plan that has generated widespread protests among Wisconsin teachers and other union members.
More than 50,000 demonstrators poured into the state capital of Madison over the weekend to protest against the plan. Hundreds continued to protest inside the Capitol on Thursday, turning the building into an indoor campground.
The Assembly debate on Walker’s proposal was broadcast over loudspeakers.
OTHER STATES CONSIDER UNION CURBS
If Republicans prevail in Wisconsin, several other states could be inspired to take on powerful public unions. Wisconsin-inspired curbs on union rights have been debated in the legislatures of other states including Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Kansas.
In Indiana, Democrats boycotting the state legislature appeared to score a victory on Wednesday when a “right to work” law that would restrict unions was put aside until next year.
But Republicans proposed a rule change to extend a reading deadline on the bills from this Friday until next Friday, March 4, to keep the bills alive, said John Schorg, media relations director for the Indiana house Democrats.
U.S. state and local governments are struggling to balance budgets after the recession decimated their finances. Other states like Texas, Arizona and Ohio are relying mainly on cuts in spending, while Minnesota and Illinois are raising taxes.
The Wisconsin changes sought by Walker would make state workers contribute more to health insurance and pensions, end government collection of union dues, let workers opt out of unions and require unions to hold recertification votes every year.
Collective bargaining would be allowed only on wage increases up to the rate of inflation.
Democratic lawmakers and unionized public employees said the measure is an attempt to bust the unions and choke off funding to organized labor, the largest source of funding to the Democratic Party.
A majority of Wisconsin voters think Walker’s bid to make public sector union members pay more for benefits is fair but also believe those workers should have collective bargaining rights, according to a new poll.
Wisconsin voters are split evenly in their views of Walker’s proposal and of the protesters demonstrating against his plans, said the poll sponsored by WisconsinReporter.com, a news organization operated by the nonprofit Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity based in Alexandria, Virginia.
Walker wants the bill passed by Friday as part of a plan to push principal payments on general obligation bonds into future years to save $165 million. Under that plan, the bill must be passed by Friday to allow time to sell the debt.
© 2011 Thomson Reuters
Republicans dispatched state patrol officers to the Democrats’ homes in an attempt to end a standoff over Republican Governor Scott Walker’s proposal to strip most collective bargaining rights from public union workers.
All 14 Democrats in the Senate fled to Illinois last week to deny Republicans a quorum and a vote on the bill, which has become a flashpoint in a growing national battle over labor union power.
Republicans hold a 19-14 Senate majority but need a quorum of 20 to vote on spending bills. The Democrats fled the state because they feared they could be compelled to attend the Senate if they remained.
Some Republicans suspected the Democrats have been sleeping in their own beds at night. Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said he had hoped the Democrats could be convinced to return, although he acknowledged the officers cannot arrest them.
“It’s a gesture that shows we’re still serious and a call of the house should be honored,” Fitzgerald told the website Wispolitics.com.
The move came as Democrats and Republicans in the lower house of the state legislature, the Assembly, agreed to limit debate and vote later on Thursday on the bill, which Walker says is necessary to close a budget deficit of $137 million for this fiscal year and $3.6 billion in the next two years.
The agreement came after a second straight all-night session in the state Capitol, about 43 hours after the Assembly took up the proposal on Tuesday.
But approval in the assembly, where Republicans hold a 57-38 majority, will not ease the Senate standoff over a plan that has generated widespread protests among Wisconsin teachers and other union members.
More than 50,000 demonstrators poured into the state capital of Madison over the weekend to protest against the plan. Hundreds continued to protest inside the Capitol on Thursday, turning the building into an indoor campground.
The Assembly debate on Walker’s proposal was broadcast over loudspeakers.
OTHER STATES CONSIDER UNION CURBS
If Republicans prevail in Wisconsin, several other states could be inspired to take on powerful public unions. Wisconsin-inspired curbs on union rights have been debated in the legislatures of other states including Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Kansas.
In Indiana, Democrats boycotting the state legislature appeared to score a victory on Wednesday when a “right to work” law that would restrict unions was put aside until next year.
But Republicans proposed a rule change to extend a reading deadline on the bills from this Friday until next Friday, March 4, to keep the bills alive, said John Schorg, media relations director for the Indiana house Democrats.
U.S. state and local governments are struggling to balance budgets after the recession decimated their finances. Other states like Texas, Arizona and Ohio are relying mainly on cuts in spending, while Minnesota and Illinois are raising taxes.
The Wisconsin changes sought by Walker would make state workers contribute more to health insurance and pensions, end government collection of union dues, let workers opt out of unions and require unions to hold recertification votes every year.
Collective bargaining would be allowed only on wage increases up to the rate of inflation.
Democratic lawmakers and unionized public employees said the measure is an attempt to bust the unions and choke off funding to organized labor, the largest source of funding to the Democratic Party.
A majority of Wisconsin voters think Walker’s bid to make public sector union members pay more for benefits is fair but also believe those workers should have collective bargaining rights, according to a new poll.
Wisconsin voters are split evenly in their views of Walker’s proposal and of the protesters demonstrating against his plans, said the poll sponsored by WisconsinReporter.com, a news organization operated by the nonprofit Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity based in Alexandria, Virginia.
Walker wants the bill passed by Friday as part of a plan to push principal payments on general obligation bonds into future years to save $165 million. Under that plan, the bill must be passed by Friday to allow time to sell the debt.
© 2011 Thomson Reuters
Posted in: worldU.K. court agrees to extradite WikiLeaks' Assange to Sweden
U.K. court agrees to extradite WikiLeaks' Assange to Sweden
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court on February 24, 2011 in London, England.
LONDON — A British court agreed on Thursday to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over sex crimes, dismissing claims the move would breach his human rights.
Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange about allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies, made by two WikiLeaks volunteers during his time in Sweden last August.
“I have specifically considered whether the physical or mental condition of the defendant is such that it would be unjust or oppressive to extradite him,” Judge Howard Riddle told London’s top-security Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court.
“I am satisfied that extradition is compatible with the defendant’s (European) Convention rights, I must order Mr Assange be extradited to Sweden.”
Lawyers for Mr. Assange, who has angered the U.S. government by releasing thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables on his website, said they would appeal against the decision at London’s High Court, putting the extradition on hold.
Mark Stephens, a lawyer for Mr. Assange, said the case showed that extraditions under the fast-track European arrest warrant were a form of “tick-box justice”.
“We are still hopeful that the matter will be resolved in this country. We still remain very optimistic about our opportunities on appeal,” he told reporters outside court.
One of the alleged victims accuses Mr. Assange of sexually molesting her by ignoring her request for him to use a condom during sex. The second woman has said Assange had sex with her while she was asleep and that he was not wearing a condom.
Prosecutors say the second allegation falls into the least severe of three categories of rape in Sweden, carrying a maximum of four years in jail.
Assange is a controversial and flamboyant character who inspires strong loyalties among his supporters, but his former right-hand man described him in a recent book as an irresponsible, autocratic bully.
Scores of reporters from around the world have covered the court case and celebrities including British film director Ken Loach and Australian journalist John Pilger offered sureties in December to persuade the British court he would not abscond.
During three days of legal argument earlier this month, lawyers for Assange argued he would not get a fair trial in Sweden and said Swedish prosecutors had mishandled the case against the 39-year-old Australian computer expert.
They argued that he might wind up being sent to the United States where he could face execution for leaking secrets.
Assange’s lawyers also accused Sweden’s Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of creating a “toxic atmosphere” in Sweden and damaging his chances of a fair trial by portraying him as “public enemy number one”.
However, Judge Riddle dismissed each of the defence’s arguments in turn, even describing Assange’s Swedish defence lawyer as an “unreliable witness”.
The judge said Swedish prosecutors had tried to interview Assange before he left the country but had been unable to do so.
He said the European arrest warrant, under which the fast-track extradition request as made, was valid and the alleged crimes were serious. Publicity surrounding the case was also not a reason to refuse extradition.
“I think it is highly unlikely that any comment has been made with a view to interfere with the course of public justice,” Riddle said.
The Swedish prosecution authority had no immediate comment.
(http://www.nationalpost.com)
Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange about allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies, made by two WikiLeaks volunteers during his time in Sweden last August.
“I have specifically considered whether the physical or mental condition of the defendant is such that it would be unjust or oppressive to extradite him,” Judge Howard Riddle told London’s top-security Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court.
“I am satisfied that extradition is compatible with the defendant’s (European) Convention rights, I must order Mr Assange be extradited to Sweden.”
Lawyers for Mr. Assange, who has angered the U.S. government by releasing thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables on his website, said they would appeal against the decision at London’s High Court, putting the extradition on hold.
Mark Stephens, a lawyer for Mr. Assange, said the case showed that extraditions under the fast-track European arrest warrant were a form of “tick-box justice”.
“We are still hopeful that the matter will be resolved in this country. We still remain very optimistic about our opportunities on appeal,” he told reporters outside court.
One of the alleged victims accuses Mr. Assange of sexually molesting her by ignoring her request for him to use a condom during sex. The second woman has said Assange had sex with her while she was asleep and that he was not wearing a condom.
Prosecutors say the second allegation falls into the least severe of three categories of rape in Sweden, carrying a maximum of four years in jail.
Assange is a controversial and flamboyant character who inspires strong loyalties among his supporters, but his former right-hand man described him in a recent book as an irresponsible, autocratic bully.
Scores of reporters from around the world have covered the court case and celebrities including British film director Ken Loach and Australian journalist John Pilger offered sureties in December to persuade the British court he would not abscond.
During three days of legal argument earlier this month, lawyers for Assange argued he would not get a fair trial in Sweden and said Swedish prosecutors had mishandled the case against the 39-year-old Australian computer expert.
They argued that he might wind up being sent to the United States where he could face execution for leaking secrets.
Assange’s lawyers also accused Sweden’s Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of creating a “toxic atmosphere” in Sweden and damaging his chances of a fair trial by portraying him as “public enemy number one”.
However, Judge Riddle dismissed each of the defence’s arguments in turn, even describing Assange’s Swedish defence lawyer as an “unreliable witness”.
The judge said Swedish prosecutors had tried to interview Assange before he left the country but had been unable to do so.
He said the European arrest warrant, under which the fast-track extradition request as made, was valid and the alleged crimes were serious. Publicity surrounding the case was also not a reason to refuse extradition.
“I think it is highly unlikely that any comment has been made with a view to interfere with the course of public justice,” Riddle said.
The Swedish prosecution authority had no immediate comment.
(http://www.nationalpost.com)
Posted in: worldVolcanic 'wagging' could be key to predicting eruptions
Volcanic 'wagging' could be key to predicting eruptions
Postmedia News files
Volcanoes such as Mount Baker shake and vibrate in distinct and predictable ways when they are going to blow because giant columns of magma “wag” back and forth inside them, researchers say
VANCOUVER — Cloaked in snow and visible across the U.S. border from Vancouver, Mount Baker looks like a gentle giant.
But UBC volcanologist Mark Jellinek says Mount Baker, located in Washington state, is probably overdue for an eruption — an explosion he and his colleagues hope to predict well in advance based on the how much “wagging” goes on inside the volcano as magma rises up from the deep.
According to their research, to be published Thursday in the journal Nature, volcanoes shake and vibrate in distinct and predictable ways when they are going to blow because giant columns of magma “wag” back and forth inside them.
“It’s basically like a dog wagging its tail,” says Mr. Jellinek, except that the magma columns are up to a kilometre high.
They are so powerful they shake mountains and when they blow they can hurl hot ash up to 40 kilometres into the atmosphere, with sometimes devastating impact as the ash spreads across surrounding areas. (Vancouver is far enough from Mount Baker it will be spared the worst effect, though Mr. Jellinek says he expects the city could be covered in a thick layer of fine ash. “It would make a huge mess,” he says.)
It has long been known that volcanoes vibrate at pretty much the same frequency before they explode, whether there are in B.C., Alaska, the Caribbean or the Philippines. But until now no one has been able to explain why volcanoes that are so different in size and character behave in the same way.
“Magma wagging” is the most plausible explanation yet, and may help forecast deadly eruptions, say Mr. Jellinek and David Bercovici from Yale University and co-author of the new study.
Their model of the “magma wagging” explains why tremors in nearly all explosive volcanoes stay in a narrow band of frequencies that can be felt but are so low humans can’t hear them. Just before and during eruptions, the frequency climbs to a higher pitch, and the range spreads out.
It provides “a fundamental mechanism for tremor that is generic to nearly all volcanically explosive systems,” the researchers report.
As Mr. Bercovici put it, the shaking is both a warning “and a vital clue about what is going on in the belly of the beast.”
Mr. Jellinek said the magma columns have the consistency of toffee, can be up to a kilometre high and 50 metres across, and sway or wag several metres back and forth inside the volcano.
“It’s like a Greek column, surrounded by a layer of gas bubbles that act like springs,” he said. “Every time one of these ginormous columns wags in one direction, the bubbles push it back.” Eventually, so much pressure builds up the volcano blows its top.
Mr. Jellinek is keen to test the predictive power of magma wagging in the real world and does not expect to have to wait long, given the volcanic activity in the Caribbean, Indonesia and Alaska. There are also plenty of volcanoes along the Pacific coast including Mount Meager in B.C. and Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier and Mount Baker in Washington state.
There can be weeks to months of warning before volcanoes erupt but some come to life quickly.
“The most recent eruption in the Aleutians in Alaska had five hours notice,” says Mr. Jellinek. “But in general we do better than that.”
Postmedia News
(http://www.nationalpost.com)
But UBC volcanologist Mark Jellinek says Mount Baker, located in Washington state, is probably overdue for an eruption — an explosion he and his colleagues hope to predict well in advance based on the how much “wagging” goes on inside the volcano as magma rises up from the deep.
According to their research, to be published Thursday in the journal Nature, volcanoes shake and vibrate in distinct and predictable ways when they are going to blow because giant columns of magma “wag” back and forth inside them.
“It’s basically like a dog wagging its tail,” says Mr. Jellinek, except that the magma columns are up to a kilometre high.
They are so powerful they shake mountains and when they blow they can hurl hot ash up to 40 kilometres into the atmosphere, with sometimes devastating impact as the ash spreads across surrounding areas. (Vancouver is far enough from Mount Baker it will be spared the worst effect, though Mr. Jellinek says he expects the city could be covered in a thick layer of fine ash. “It would make a huge mess,” he says.)
It has long been known that volcanoes vibrate at pretty much the same frequency before they explode, whether there are in B.C., Alaska, the Caribbean or the Philippines. But until now no one has been able to explain why volcanoes that are so different in size and character behave in the same way.
“Magma wagging” is the most plausible explanation yet, and may help forecast deadly eruptions, say Mr. Jellinek and David Bercovici from Yale University and co-author of the new study.
Their model of the “magma wagging” explains why tremors in nearly all explosive volcanoes stay in a narrow band of frequencies that can be felt but are so low humans can’t hear them. Just before and during eruptions, the frequency climbs to a higher pitch, and the range spreads out.
It provides “a fundamental mechanism for tremor that is generic to nearly all volcanically explosive systems,” the researchers report.
As Mr. Bercovici put it, the shaking is both a warning “and a vital clue about what is going on in the belly of the beast.”
Mr. Jellinek said the magma columns have the consistency of toffee, can be up to a kilometre high and 50 metres across, and sway or wag several metres back and forth inside the volcano.
“It’s like a Greek column, surrounded by a layer of gas bubbles that act like springs,” he said. “Every time one of these ginormous columns wags in one direction, the bubbles push it back.” Eventually, so much pressure builds up the volcano blows its top.
Mr. Jellinek is keen to test the predictive power of magma wagging in the real world and does not expect to have to wait long, given the volcanic activity in the Caribbean, Indonesia and Alaska. There are also plenty of volcanoes along the Pacific coast including Mount Meager in B.C. and Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier and Mount Baker in Washington state.
There can be weeks to months of warning before volcanoes erupt but some come to life quickly.
“The most recent eruption in the Aleutians in Alaska had five hours notice,” says Mr. Jellinek. “But in general we do better than that.”
Postmedia News
(http://www.nationalpost.com)
Posted in: world
