The Utopia Forum

Sky map

debu — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:51:41 GMT

Sky map

Code:

http://www.sky-map.org/

Just stumbled across it, worth a look if you're into deep space images.

Movie:Weekend May18/12...3 new Films

Webscout — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:10:08 GMT

IN THEATERS THIS WEEKEND

:floweram:What to Expect When You're Expecting - Adapted from Heidi Murkoff's celebrated 1984 pregnancy bible, What to Expect takes six lightly sketched couples and weaves them into the impending-motherhood equivalent of a synthetic ensemble rom-com. B -Owen Gleiberman
***************************************
:floweram:Battleship - Under the direction of Peter Berg � the talented, ever-maturing filmmaker behind Friday Night Lights and The Kingdom � Battleship is a sound vessel floating in Hollywood's oil-slick sea of Transformers sequels and vampire riffs. B+ -Lisa Schwarzbaum
***************************************

:floweram:The Dictator - Director Larry Charles, meanwhile, brings the same slapdash style to The Dictator that he did to Borat and Br�no, always happy to linger longer than necessary on the gross, the insulting, and the politically or sexually ''shocking.''. C- -LS

Free Slurpee....7-Eleven..May 23/12

Webscout — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:03:12 GMT

On Wednesday, May 23, from 11 am to 7 pm local time, participating 7-Eleven stores will offer a free 7.11-oz. Slurpee.

Having Fun in The South....

Webscout — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:09:33 GMT

Georgia

The owner of a golf course in Georgia was confused about paying an invoice, so he decided to ask his secretary for some mathematical help.

He called her into his office and said, "Y'all graduated from the University of Georgia and I need some help. If I wuz to give yew $20,000 minus 14%, how much would you take off?"

The secretary thought a moment, and then replied, "Everthang but my earrings."

Louisiana

A senior citizen in Louisiana was overheard saying ... "When the end of the world comes, I hope to be in Louisiana ."

When asked why, he replied, "I'd rather be in Louisiana 'cause everythang happens in Louisiana 20 years later than in the rest of the world."

Mississippi

The young man from Mississippi came running into the store and said to his buddy, "Bubba, somebody just stole your pickup truck from the parking lot!"

Bubba replied, "Did y'all see who it was?"

The young man answered, "I couldn't tell, but I got the license number."

North Carolina

A man in North Carolina had a flat tire, pulled off on the side of the road, and proceeded to put a bouquet of flowers in front of the car and one behind it. Then he got back in the car to wait.

A passerby studied the scene as he drove by, and was so curious he turned around and went back.

He asked the fellow what the problem was.

The man replied, "I got a flat tahr."

The passerby asked, "But what's with the flowers?"

The man responded, "When you break down they tell you to put flares in the front and flares in the back.

I never did understand it neither."

Tennessee

A TennesseeState trooper pulled over a pickup on I-65. The trooper asked, "Got any ID?"

The driver replied, "Bout whut?"

Texas

The Sheriff pulled up next to the guy unloading garbage out of his pick-up into the ditch. The Sheriff asked, "Why are you dumping garbage in the ditch? Don't you see that sign right over your head."

"Yep," he replied. "That's why I'm dumpin' it here, 'cause it says: 'Fine For Dumping Garbage.' "

Y'all kin say whut y'all want 'about the South, but y'all never heard o' nobody retirin' an' movin' North.

Update: Bin Laden

Webscout — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:41:43 GMT

Osama Bin Laden was living with 3 wives in one compound and didn't leave the house for 5 years.

It is now believed he called the Navy Seals himself.

Deaf Wife Problem

Webscout — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:25:35 GMT

Deaf Wife Problem

Bert feared his wife Peg wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he
thought she might need a hearing aid.

Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss
the problem.

The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could
perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

'Here's what you do,' said the Doctor, 'stand about 40 feet away from her,
and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not,
go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.'

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was In the
den. He says to himself, 'I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.'
Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'

No response.

So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and
repeats, 'Peg, what's for dinner?'

Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his Wife
and asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'

Again he gets no response.

So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. 'Honey, what's for
dinner?'

Again there is no response..

So he walks right up behind her. 'Peg, what's for dinner?'

(I just love this):-):D

'For **** sake, Bert, for the FIFTH time, CHICKEN!'

Mrs. Brown and The Mormans

Webscout — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:21:06 GMT

YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

Tom Cruise Speaks ...Playboy June 2012

Webscout — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:28:36 GMT

Despite being one of the biggest stars on the planet, Tom Cruise has always done everything he can to keep his private life... private.

But now, in a candid new interview with Playboy magazine, nothing is off limits, as Tom opens up about his belief in Scientology, his love for wife Katie Holmes and taking on the rumors that target him in the media.

"If I don't talk about my religion, if I say I'm not discussing it or different humanitarian things I'm working on, they're like, 'He's avoiding it.' If I do talk about it, it becomes, 'Oh, he's proselytizing,'" Tom told Playboy of his faith in Scientology. "I have respect for what other people believe. What I believe in my own life is that it's a search for how I can do things better, whether it's being a better man or a better father or finding ways for myself to improve. Individuals have to decide what is true and real for them. I'm fortunate in the life I have."

So how does the "Rock of Ages" star deal with rumors that have targeted him and his family over the years?

"Does refuting things help? Not really. There comes a point when you just have to go, 'You know what? Here's how I've lived my life: I've never been late to a set. I make films I believe in. I feel privileged to be able to do what I love.' You just have to keep going and remember that. The other stuff? I hear it, I read it, I get it. But life is not a matter of trying to prove anything to anybody," Tom explained.

But don't think that Tom will just sit idly by if things cross the line.

"If I have to, I will sue. You start with a letter saying, 'Okay, you know it's not true. Apologize.' But with certain ones you have to go, 'Okay, you crossed a line, and now you have the attention of my lawyers. [laughs] When it involves your kids, you have to go, 'Here's the line, and anytime you cross it...,'" he added.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Tom Cruise - Hollywood�s Original �Maverick�

One rumor Tom - who will turn 50 later this summer (July 3) - has no problem confronting is the question of plastic surgery.

"I haven't, and I never would," he told the mag.

Even with all of his box office successes, in the end, Tom understands what's important in his life - his family. And, as he explained, when the lines of personal and professional cross, it's even better.

"I've always had the same values. Family for me has always been important. When I shoot, everybody comes. When Kate's shooting, I'm there with her and the kids. We're always together," Tom said. "I'm always around my mother and sisters. I always wanted to be a father, a husband. And I've always had a work ethic."

And when it comes to Katie, Tom is happy to boast about his better half.

"She is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you'd see it. Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity. She's funny and charming, and when she walks into the room, I just feel better. I'm a romantic. I like doing things like creating romantic dinners, and she enjoys that," Tom said.

"I don't know what to say -- I'm just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special," he added.

For more with Tom, check out the June issue of Playboy, on newsstands May 18 or visit playboy.com/cruise.

Teletubbies

penny — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:15:31 GMT

Years of musical study has culminated in this video :D

YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

First aid for wine lovers

johnisasmith — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:00:48 GMT

15 Current Technologies A Child Born Today Will Never Use

Webscout — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:18:12 GMT

15 Current Technologies A Child Born Today Will Never Use

By Avram Piltch, � Sun, 13 May, 2012

From the moment that I found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, a son, I�ve thought of his development in terms of tech. When pregnancy sites described our six-week-old fetus as the size of a �lentil,� I referred to him as the length of an RFID chip. When the doctor said he had reached 1.3 pounds, I told all my friends that my son was the size of an iPad. When he was born this week, he was about the size of an HP Envy 15, though unfortunately his cries did not use Beats Audio.

As my newborn son grows to match the size of a mid-tower desktop, a large-screen TV and eventually a server rack, I can�t help but think about all the gadgets he won�t even remember using that were so important to his dad. I�m not talking about long dead-and-buried technologies such as the VHS recorder or the 35mm camera. Rather, I�m thinking about devices and concepts most of us use today that will fall out of mainstream use so soon that he either won�t remember them, or will only have very hazy memories of having lived with them.

Wired Home Internet

I was surprised when a 23-year-old co-worker told me she didn't remember a time before broadband Internet. At some point, her parents must have had dial-up, but she was so young that she doesn't even remember back that far. Wireless broadband won't dominate the home market until he's 8 to 10, but my son won't remember a world where consumers pay for wired Internet connections.

Even today, 4G LTE provides comparable download speeds and better upload speeds than cable Internet, but the cost of using mobile broadband all the time is prohibitive. At some point in the next few years, broadband providers are going to realize that giving everyone home antennas is more scalable than wiring and maintaining each street's network of fiber-optic cables. At that point, the paradigm will shift and it will be cheaper to purchase wireless than wired Internet. Clear already offers a 4G WiMax home Internet hub with unlimited service, though it's not fast enough to compete with cable Internet.

Read more: Nationwide 4G Showdown

Dedicated Cameras and Camcorders

Smartphone cameras are already killing the consumer point-and-shoot and the family camcorder. Unlike cameras, which most of us carry only when we think we might need to take pictures, smartphones are always with us. They offer all kinds of apps and filters for adjusting pictures on the fly and they allow us to share our photos and videos online as soon as we take them. DSLRs and micro four-thirds cameras will remain with us, but within a few years, the average consumer won't own a dedicated camera at all.

Read more: Top 10 Camera Apps: Do More With Your Smartphone Cam

Landline Phones

As of 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 26 percent of U.S. homes had wireless phones only. By the time my son turns 5 in 2017, only a handful of old people and Luddites will continue to own house phones while everyone will likely use cellphones exclusively. By the time my son is 10, most businesses will have done away with their desk phones and saved a lot of money and hassle in the process.

Read more: Top 10 Smartphones Available Now

Slow-Booting Computers

Waiting for one's computer to boot is one of the great tech frustrations of the PC era, but my son will never know that pain. With the move toward always-on computing, future users will almost never turn their computers off, instead waking them from sleep in a second or less. New operating systems will be able to install updates and patches without requiring a reboot. However, if for some reason, you do need to restart the computer, boots will take only a couple of seconds because of SSDs and fast-starting operating systems like Windows 8. "When I was your age, we had to wait up to two minutes for a computer to power on, and we liked it," I'll tell him.

Read more: Top 10 Ultrabooks

Windowed Operating Systems

When my son is ready for his own computer, the windows will be gone from Windows. Microsoft 's PC operating system will still exist, as will Mac OS X. But, in the next few years, we'll say good bye to the window metaphor where each application you run is displayed in a draggable box that has a title bar and widgets.

Microsoft has already signaled its intent to kill the window metaphor by making the tile-based Metro UI the default screen for Windows 8. How long before Mac OS and even Ubuntu also default to touch-friendly UIs that don't have tiny widgets?

Read more: Windows 8's Competing Interfaces Will Double Your Effort, Halve Your Fun

Hard Drives

My first computer, a TI 99, used cassette tapes to store data. My second computer used 5.25-inch floppy disks, and the third system had a combination of a 3.5-inch floppy drive and a small IDE hard drive. The next PC had a zip drive and a tape backup unit. However, as different as these disks were, they all used the same magnetic platter technology that's been popular since reel-to-reel tapes ruled the earth.

Today, solid state drives finally allow us to end the ancient practice of storing our data on spinning magnetic platters. Because they have no moving parts, SSDs are infinitely faster than hard drives and more durable, too. Today, the cost of solid-state storage is significantly higher than magnetic media, but expect that delta to shrink significantly over the years while users come to expect SSD speeds from even low-end computers. By the time my son gets his first new laptop, you won't be able to buy one without an SSD. Hard drives and their cheap storage will only remain useful for servers, where space is more important than speed.

Read more: SATA III SSD Showdown: Which Solid State Drive is Fastest?

Movie Theaters

Pundits have been predicting the death of the movie theater since the first televisions hit the market, but this time, it's really going to happen for a number of reasons. First, with large HD televisions going mainstream and 3D sets becoming more affordable, the average home theater is almost as good as the average multiplex theater. Second, studios and their cable partners have begun releasing some movies for on-demand viewing on the same day they debut in theaters, a trend which is likely to continue.

Finally, the cost of going to a movie theater is so out of control � movie tickets in New York cost around $13 each � that nobody is going to keep paying it. In a world where an on-demand film that's still in theaters costs $7 to rent and one that just left the theater streams for $2.99 from Amazon, who will spend more than $50 for a family of four to go see the same movie surrounded by annoying patrons, dirty seats and overpriced popcorn? Art house theaters that offer specialized films and a sense of community may remain, but the average multiplex will be gone before my son notices it was ever there.

The Mouse

Within five years, the cost of adding capacitive touch capability to screens will be so small that every display, from large-screen TVs to laptops, will have it. More precise pointing devices such as the mouse and touchpad won't disappear overnight, but they'll likely fade away or become secondary input methods within the next several years. Already with Windows 8, the user interface will support touch even if you don't necessarily need to use it all the time.

Read more: What to Look for in a Touchpad

3D Glasses

Ever since the first 3D films hit theaters in the 1950s, viewers have been forced to wear some kind of glasses in order to experience three-dimensional effects. However, in the past year or so, we've started seeing a number of glasses-free solutions hit the market.

In 2011, Toshiba released the Qosmio F755 notebook, which uses its webcam to track your eye movements and serve up really compelling 3D images, though these are only optimized for a single viewer. Last year, phone vendors HTC and LG both launched handsets with glasses-free, stereoscopic 3D screens that weren't home theater quality, but were good enough for some three-dimensional fun. By the time my son is 10, large-screened devices like TVs will be able to offer a compelling glasses-free 3D experience to many viewers at the same time.

Read more: Will 3D Smartphones Fall Flat?

Remote Controls

When I was a child, the family TV didn't even have a remote control. We had to actually get up and walk across the room to change the channel. By the time my son enters grade school, most of us will have moved on to either using our smartphones or a combination of gestures and voice commands to change channels.

Desktops

By the time my son is in elementary school, PC vendors will have stopped producing most desktop computers, though all-in-ones with large screens, high-end workstations for people who do industrial-strength computations, and servers (probably in blade form) will remain. As someone who loves to build desktops from parts, I hope the market for PC components remains intact so my son and I will still be able to custom build a computer together, but I fear that option may disappear too.

Read more: Top 10 Tablets Available Now

Phone Numbers

I still remember my parents' phone number, which hasn't changed in more than 30 years, but how many of us dial numbers rather than just tapping a name in our contacts menu? With the advent of VoIP chat services like Skype, Google Talk and even Facebook audio chat, you can just dial someone by username. When my son is in high school, he'll be asking the pretty girl on the bus for her user ID, not her phone number.

Read more: Hands on with Skype for Windows Phone

Prime-time Television

In ancient times, people had to gather around their TVs at a set time each week to watch "Starsky and Hutch." Then VCRs arrived and you could find out whether the Duke boys outsmarted Boss Hogg any time you wanted. DVRs now let us tape shows without using tapes, but because most TV networks make their shows available for free either via Web streaming or cable on-demand, we don't even have to record shows.

Fax Machines

In the age of email, instant messaging and 4G connections, there's only one lame excuse for the continued existence of the fax machine, a gadget that had its heyday in the 1970s, and that excuse has to do with signatures. Some companies and their lawyers will only accept a scribbled signature as valid on contracts and forms, so if you want to file that loan application or send in your insurance claim form with your signature on it, fax may still be your best option.

However, three things will finally slay the fax. First, more companies will start accepting online forms with electronic signatures as valid, so someone's illegible signature on a hard copy isn't needed. Second, for those who just can't let go of the signature requirement, touch devices will allow people to scribble their John Hancocks into digital forms. Finally, the death of landlines will also mean death for fax machines.

Optical Discs

I still remember the first DVD I bought, because it was a copy of "Hard Boiled" that I ordered from a now-defunct website called Urban Fetch. It may take until my son turns 10 for the major entertainment companies to stop publishing in DVD and Blu-ray format, but make no mistake, discs aren�t long for this world.

Optical discs will last another decade or so because consumers aren't eager to repurchase films they already own on disc and because there are still a number of old or rare titles you can't find on cloud services like iTunes or Amazon. Yet with the growth in downloadable and streaming video services, all physical media is on the fast track to extinction.

Pedal Powered Ferrari

johnisasmith — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:22:18 GMT

Fahrradi Farfalla FFX is the epitome of supercar parody.

From the people that once gave us the world�s slowest Porsche 911 GT3 RS comes another masterpiece of a creation.
We appreciate a funny parody when we see one; this particular creation, called the Fahrradi Farfalla FFX certainly ranks among the funniest we�ve seen in a while. From afar, the vehicle looks every bit like a Ferrari FXX supercar, but once you take a closer look, you discover that the only thing "super" about it is its design.
What lies underneath the specially constructed aluminum frame is, for lack of a better term, a bicycle that runs on the leg strength of the one riding it. For good hilarious measure, folks behind this piece of work decided to turn the skit to a whole new level by producing a video that mocks Michael Schumacher�s SLS "tunnel" commercial, complete with a ridiculous visual effect of the Farfalla FFX driving on the walls and ceiling of the tunnel.
Check out the video (after the jump) and a few photos of a true one-of-a-kind vehicle...err...bicycle. Let the hilarity ensue!

YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

If you are looking for a great looking 100% eco-friendly vehicle here it comes. :D

No Longer in Kansas Toto....Islamic Law

Webscout — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:19:08 GMT

Kansas lawmakers pass effective ban on Islamic law

By Kevin Murphy | Reuters �KANSAS CITY, Kansas (Reuters)
- Kansas lawmakers have passed legislation intended to prevent the state courts or agencies from using Islamic or other non-U.S. laws in making decisions, a measure critics have blasted as an embarrassment to the state.

The legislation, which passed 33-3 in the state Senate on Friday and 120-0 previously in the House, is widely known in Kansas as the "Sharia bill," because the perceived goal of supporters is to keep Islamic code from being recognized in Kansas.

The bill was sent to Republican Governor Sam Brownback, who has not indicated whether he will sign it.

In interviews on Saturday, a supporter of the bill said it reassured foreigners in Kansas that state laws and the U.S. Constitution will protect them. But an opponent said the bill's real purpose is to hold Islam out for ridicule.

Kansas Representative Peggy Mast, a lead sponsor of the bill for the past two years, said the goal was to make sure there was no confusion that American laws prevailed on American soil.

Mast said research showed more than 50 cases around the United States where courts or government agencies took laws from Sharia or other legal systems into account in decision-making.

Commonly, they involved divorce, child custody, property division or other cases where the woman was treated unfairly, Mast said.

"I want people of other cultures, when they come to the United States, to know the freedoms they have in regard to women's and children's rights," said Mast, a Republican. "An important part of this bill would be to educate them."

State Senator Tim Owens, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said there was no need for legislation reaffirming American laws that already exist. All the proposed legislation does, he said, was target one particular group - Muslims - for discrimination.

'UTTER NONSENSE'

"It's based on fear, it's based on intolerance and it is not based on understanding of the Constitution," said Owens, a Republican, who said the measure is an embarrassment to Kansas.

"People will ask, 'How narrow has that state become?'" Owens said. "How unwelcoming is this state?"

He said non-U.S. companies may be unwilling to do business in a state whose residents object to "anything different than what they think is appropriate."

Roughly 20 states have considered legislation similar to what has passed in Kansas, said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington. Some state legislatures, including Kansas, have passed laws that do not mention Sharia by name, he said.

Hooper said there was a movement by conservative-leaning state legislatures to introduce anti-Islam bills that have no legal foundation.

"Really, the goal seems to be (to demonize) Islam and (to marginalize) American Muslims," Hooper said. "Some (states) have passed these watered-down bills and declared a great victory. It's utter nonsense, but if your goal is to promote intolerance, I guess you won."

After Oklahoma voters approved a law in 2010 barring state judges from considering Sharia law specifically in making decisions, federal courts granted an injunction preventing the law from taking effect.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld the injunction, ruling the law unfairly discriminated against a particular religion.

Sharia, or Islamic law, covers all aspects of Muslim life including religious obligations and financial dealings, and opponents of state bans say they could nullify wills or legal contracts between Muslims.

A report earlier this year showed that nearly a third of Americans believed American Muslims want to establish Sharia law in the United States.

The same report, by the Brookings Institution and the Public Religion Research Institute, showed 88 percent of Americans acknowledged knowing little about Muslim beliefs.

Today in History - May 13

Bolan — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:47:54 GMT

Today is May 13:

In 1110, Crusaders captured Beirut, causing a bloodbath.

In 1607, the English colony at Jamestown, Va., was settled.

In 1881, a revised New Testament went on sale. By day's end, 800,000 copies had been sold.

In 1898, the Yukon Territory was organized with Dawson City as its capital.

In 1917, three children near Fatima, Portugal reported seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary.

In 1918, the first U.S. airmail stamps, featuring a picture of an airplane, were introduced. On some of the stamps, the airplane was printed upside-down, making them collector's items.

In 1940, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her daughter Juliana fled the Nazis from The Hague to London during the Second World War. Princess Juliana brought her children to Canada for safety. Every spring, Ottawa receives a gift of 15,000 tulips from the Netherlands.

In 1940, in his first speech as British prime minister, Winston Churchill told the Commons, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."

In 1954, Canada and the U.S. agreed to build the St. Lawrence Seaway. The project included building seven locks, deepening navigation channels and constructing a power facility near Cornwall, Ont. As well, bridges and tunnels were built and parts of two Ontario communities were relocated.

In 1972, Virginia O'Hanlan died. In 1897, at the age of eight, she wrote to the "New York Sun," asking if there was a Santa Claus. It prompted the editorial reply that began, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus..."

In 1977, the Roman Catholic Church approved a decree which allowed it to recognize marriages of men who had undergone vasectomies.

In 1981, Pope John Paul was shot in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca. The pontiff recovered from serious abdominal wounds and resumed his duties. Agca, an escaped convict, was sentenced to life in prison. He was released on Jan. 18, 2010.

In 1985, a police helicopter dropped a bomb on a Philadelphia rowhouse, ending a 24-hour armed confrontation with the radical group MOVE. The explosion sparked a fire that destroyed 61 homes. Eleven people -- six adult MOVE members and five children -- were killed.

In 1991, South African activist Winnie Mandela and two co-defendants were convicted of abducting four young black men and keeping them at her Soweto home.

In 1992, three astronauts from the space shuttle "Endeavour" captured a wayward satellite during the first-ever three-person spacewalk.

In 1998, Dr. Maurice Generoux, the first Canadian doctor convicted of assisted suicide, was sentenced to two years in jail and three years probation. Generoux, a Toronto AIDS specialist, prescribed lethal doses of sleeping pills to two healthy but depressed HIV-infected men. One man killed himself with an overdose; the other patient overdosed but survived.

In 1999, Gene Sarazen, one of only five men to win all four major pro golf titles, died at age 97.

In 2002, Stephen Harper, then the new leader of the Canadian Alliance, won a byelection in Calgary Southwest.

In 2003, insolvent Air Canada cut routes and grounded 40 planes as a result of a steep drop in traffic due to the SARS outbreak that came on the heels of war in Iraq.

In 2003, John Savage, the former Nova Scotia premier who rose from running a free clinic to holding Nova Scotia's highest office, died at age 70.

In 2004, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resigned after his governing coalition lost the parliamentary election, ending his nearly six years in power.

In 2005, discount airline Jetsgo announced formal bankruptcy, setting the stage for the sale of the carrier's remaining aircraft to help pay creditors an estimated $108 million.

In 2007, Canada wrapped up an undefeated run at the World Hockey Championship with a 4-2 win over Finland in the gold medal game.

In 2008, the Conservative government earmarked $29 million for its "historical recognition programs" to atone for Canada's past wrongdoings and commemorate shameful acts in Canadian history.

In 2009, Pittsburgh Pirates' Adam LaRoche became the first player to have a home run taken away following a video replay review. He had to settle for a double. A few hours later in Milwaukee, Florida Marlins' Ross Gload lost one the same way when umpires reversed their call, ruling the ball was foul.

In 2009, Jeremy Hansen, an award-winning fighter pilot, and David Saint-Jacques a medical doctor with a PhD in astrophysics, were chosen as Canada�s newest astronauts.

In 2009, Quebec Premier Jean Charest launched the Romaine River hydroelectric project, calling it the biggest construction initiative in Canada. Four dams will be built on the Romaine River on Quebec's Lower North Shore by 2020.

In 2010, the moratorium on oil and gas exploration on the East Coast's Georges Bank, set to expire in 2012, was extended for another three years to Dec. 31, 2015, to allow for more study.

In 2010, Pte. Kevin McKay, 24, of 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was killed by an improvised explosive device about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.

In 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that daily agendas produced by the prime minister and his cabinet are not subject to the access-to-information law.

In 2011, a pair of Taliban suicide bombers attacked recruits leaving a paramilitary training centre in Shabqadar, Pakistan, killing 80 people in the first retaliation for the killing of Osama bin Laden by American commandos. The Taliban blamed the Pakistani military for failing to stop the U.S. raid.

In 2011, Wallace McCain, the mogul and philanthropist who helped turn a small New Brunswick french fry plant into the McCain Foods multi-billion-dollar frozen foods empire and later went on to control meat processor Maple Leaf Foods, died after a 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81.

Mexican Crumb Cake

Webscout — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:16:26 GMT

A Mexican crumb cake or coffeecake is swirled with cinnamon and chocolate. With the right cinnamon and chocolate combination and a good, fairly dense cake, it can be luscious.
You can use your favorite coffeecake or crumb cake recipe as long as it is not too light and airy. If the batter is too light, the sugar in the filling, as it heats, will turn to liquid and drop through the batter. Most coffeecake recipes will be dense enough.

Dutch Sour Cream Coffeecake***:floweram:

2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups filling (recipe follows)
Directions
Prepare an 9 by 13-inch baking pan by greasing well. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until frothy.
Add the sugar, melted butter, and vanilla and continue beating until smooth and light. Beat in the sour cream.
In another bowl, mix the flour, leavenings, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients and mix with a spatula until combined.
Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the filling over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the layer of filling. Sprinkle the remaining half of the filling over the top of the battier. You will have a layer of batter, a layer of filing, a layer of batter, and a final layer of filling on the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake tests done.

The Chocolate Cinnamon Filling***:floweram:

Mix together:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
The Cinnamon Dessert Sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Combine the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a medium saucepan.

Stir in about a fourth of the evaporated milk until smooth.Add the remaining evaporated milk.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and slightly thickens. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Whipped Cream***:floweram:

2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon brown sugar flavor
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar, cinnamon, and flavor and continuing whipping until it reaches the desired consistency.