Archive for September, 2009

Juan Almeida Bosque – historical commander of the Cuban revolution

.The most popular of the ‘commanders’ dies at age 82 in Havana, Juan Almeida Bosque was just a benchmark in the Cuban revolution. Many considered him still one of the most important members of the nomenclature, with Fidel and Raúl Castro, who was faithful throughout his life and the man who served as mediator of consensus and confidence for half a century. Almeida was always an important balance within the top leadership. Along with Ramiro Valdes and Guillermo Garcia, was one of the last three historical commanders of the Sierra Maestra who remained alive. His death Friday at age 82, is a symbol of leadership and of a historical period that ends.

* Dies Cuban Vice President Juan Almeida Bosque

Almeida was the first black man who joined the insurrection of Fidel Castro and that came highest in the revolutionary government. At the time of his death he was deputy vice president of the State Council, Politburo member of Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and president of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution, to which he devoted the last years of his life.

Almeida was also the most “popular” of commanders, not in the sense of the most famous but as a representative of Creole culture. He was the author of some 300 songs, some well-known as “Lupita” or “Give me a drink” and a dozen books, most devoted to the history of the revolution.

Almeida was born in Havana on 17 February 1927. It was the second of twelve children, a simple bricklayer until after the coup of Fulgencio Batista in 1952, joined Castro’s revolutionary group.

His story of those days is the revolution. In 1953, he participated in the failed attack on Moncada Barracks, which marked the beginning of armed struggle against Batista. Along with Fidel and Raul was in prison and in 1955 went off with them into exile in Mexico. In December 1956, was among a group of 82 expeditionary yacht Granma landed in eastern Cuba.

In the battle of the Sierra Maestra soon as a guerrilla leader said. Fidel Castro was an assistant on the mountain and one of the first commanders that the Cuban leader was appointed, along with Che Guevara and Raúl Castro.

In March 1958, while Raul with 65 men founded the Second Front guerrilla, Almeida was sent to open a third battlefront northwest of Santiago de Cuba. He led his troops there until the guerrilla victory on 1 January 1959.

The triumph of the revolution Almeida held senior positions in the rebel army. He was chief of staff and chief of Aviation, and became deputy minister of the Armed Forces. As a political leader was always close to Fidel and Raúl Castro, and with them was the protagonist of the major milestones of the revolution.

At the founding of the CPC in 1965, joined the powerful Central Committee Political Bureau, which comprises twenty members. In the seventies he devoted himself to the work party, where for years the commission responsible for monitoring and review of the party organization. Since the formation of Parliament in 1975 and Almeida was elected vice president of the State Council. In 1998 he was made Hero of the Republic of Cuba.

Almeida was one of the great followers of the Castro brothers and he always stood out from their mediation skills and authority in times of internal discussions.

He was one of the visible faces of revolution and representative leadership that comes to an end: Fidel Castro is 83 years old, the president Raúl Castro and First Vice President Jose Ramon Macado Ventura, 78, Ramiro Valdes is 77.

Almeida had nine children. One-Beatrice, the elder living in the U.S. since 2005, and another, Juan Almeida Juan Garcia, who was arrested in May while trying to illegally migrate to Miami, just published in Spain a critical book about the revolution. The Cuban government today declared official mourning on the island. His remains will be interred in a mausoleum in the Sierra Maestra

Nadal: “The stark reality is that I never thought about winning here”

Rafa Nadal, who reached the second consecutive year the U.S. Open semifinal after finishing his semifinal match against Fernando Gonzalez admitted that the harsh reality is that there was no thought in New York. “I think in Federer at all. I try to make my way. I do not know if winning here would move options. I do not. The stark reality is that I have not thought at all in winning here. The only thing in the next game, coping with collateral and see what happens, “he said.

“I returned to the level where I went, though I need a recovery time of rhythm”

The Spanish tennis player complained of physical conditioning that causes the abdominal injury. “The fact again and just gave me happiness. I returned to the level where I went, though I need a recovery time of rhythm. When one goes always in doubt. Enjoy most without abdominal pain. But it is so. Otherwise is a pleasure to be here and whatever happens I have a good tournament, “he said. Nadal added that his intention is to try to do my best. “Being in the quarter it was a great tournament. In the semifinals much more. I’ve had a great comeback. I went over and then you have to pray also for you to get more guarantees could do the other day. Focussing because you have to tie service. I’ve been a tad better and I hope that tomorrow might be even better, “Nadal said.

“I expected it to be so fast. Wait a more complicated game but when you start after the rain Well, I closed the set and Fernando Gonzalez has missed more than usual and I could end soon,” said Spanish tennis player who best assimilated than Chile the situation experienced in the game. “The important thing is stay cool and get focused. So you can start losing the tiebreak and the match opened. Gonzalez made mistakes and I think the key was the first break I did. The rushed and I think there are defined party, “he said.

“Del Potro is one of the most fit players today”

Rafa Nadal will face Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals. “Del Potro is a very complete tennis player. I won in Montreal recently. That’s cool. Saca now better than before. It is very big, but it moves very well. It is one of the players fitter now,” said Spanish . “There are many ways to raise the game. Each one has to do what you do. If I play at my level the chance of winning will be there. And for Del Potro will be the same,” he said Nadal, who prefers the party system from the rest of Grand Slam, with the semifinals on Friday instead of Saturday and Sunday’s final. “I prefer Friday and Sunday as the other greats. But here it is harder to fix things and this tournament has long way,” he said.

Pioneer warns about dangers of DNA analysis

The British scientist Alec Jeffreys realized exactly 25 years ago (on Thursday marked the 25th anniversary) that the DNA of people have unique genetic information that can be used to identify a person. The discovery helped solve thousands of crimes and family situations, while generating a fierce debate over privacy and human rights.

Jeffreys himself believes there is a danger that the police use a database of DNA samples from suspects for classifying a person as a “criminal fututo.

The British database of DNA is the world’s largest and contains the genetic information of more than 5 million people. Samples are taken every person arrested in connection with any crime and saves the information even if the person is acquitted or released without being charged.

Jeffreys, 59, says there are about 800,000 innocent people in the database and you run the risk of committing “acts of discrimination, violation of genetic privacy and stigma.

“There are many things going around. There are people who should not be in this database,” said Jeffreys, a geneticist at the University of Leicester, told the BBC. “Labeled as future criminals is not an appropriate response in the fight against crime”.

British police can take DNA samples from anyone arrested and preserve it even if there were no objections. Samples of saliva, blood or other genetic material are destroyed, but the information gathered will be incorporated into one of the DNA data bank the world’s largest, established in 1995 and which contains 8% of the UK population.

By comparison, the FBI database is larger, but contains information of only 0.5% of the U.S. population.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled last year that the retention of genetic information “indiscriminately” from the British violate the right to privacy.

Britain then agreed to remove thousands of innocent people on his bench, but said it would retain for 12 years the portraits of acquitted persons who had been linked to serious crimes.

Jeffreys and his colleagues made their discovery by accident in the morning of 10 September 1984, while investigating inherited diseases. They found a way to isolate DNA segments and convert x-ray images Watching the first images from three family members, Jeffreys realized that individual patterns were different, but it was possible to detect a relationship of father and son.

He found that there are genetic codes, maps of sequences within the fibers of DNA that are unique to each individual, except for the twins.

“Within seconds it became obvious that we had a method, using DNA allows the identification not only biological but also familial relationships,” he told the BBC. “It was a really extraordinary.”

In a couple of years, the method was used to identify acquit murderers and people who had been wrongly accused, to identify victims of war and to resolve disputes over paternity.

He also proved that Dolly, the first cloned mammal, was actually a genetic copy of another sheep.

The government says the DNA were resolved more than 17,000 crimes last year in Britain, including 83 murders and 184 rapes.

Jeffreys said the discovery that made him famous and gave him a knighthood in 1994 showed that científitos should do their research motivated only by curiosity. He argued that research “driven by curiosity” are as important as they seek to solve specific problems.

He noted that curiosity can solve “things you never considered.

When asked what discovery would you like to see in the next 25 years, said:

“Undoubtedly, extraterrestrial life. I love to see before you die”.

The favorite car thieves

Although his Honda is a real scrap, not very advisable to leave it open even for a coffee.

Each year in the United States about a million stolen vehicles and of these, the 1994 Honda Accord takes the cake, according to an Aug. 24 report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Only last year reached 55 000 Accord steal across the country … and certainly was not exactly by design.

The theft of older vehicles like the Accord of 15 years ago, is so common because they are vehicles without anti-theft systems, making it easy to access and their parts (lights, tires, catalytic converters and all the pieces with copper ) are listed right on the black market. Although it is also a question of numbers, says Frank Scafidi, spokesman for the National Insurance Crime Bureau: “They sell millions of Honda and Toyota, so obviously there is more to the streets.”

“The little neighborhood thief steal a Lamborghini do not know, but more normalità car, give them equal one another,” Mr. Scafidi said. Vehicles are often stolen most often range from the tiny Honda Civic (in second place on our list) to the Dodge Ram (this pickup is in fifth place). Not even spared the minivan: Dodge Caravan 2000 also is a sought-after goal.

What’s behind the numbers

To find out which cars were most likely to be stolen, we consulted data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a nonprofit organization based in Des Plaines (Illinois) that is dedicated to preventing insurance fraud and car theft. Their study of 2009 entitled Hot Wheels collects brands, models and years of all stolen vehicles whose owners reported the theft to the National Crime Information Center, a division of the FBI.

The results are only preliminary (NCIC publish the final report on crimes later this month), but the signs are that 2008 will be the fifth consecutive year in which lower the car theft in America. If the numbers hold, the total number of robberies will be below one million vehicles (the lowest annual total in 20 years).

This is good news, in a complex economic times, because the crimes are expensive. According to FBI data are lost between 7000 and 8000 million U.S. dollars annually due to car theft. In 2007, the latest year for which full data are available, authorities recovered only 58% of stolen vehicles.

Tracking technology

It is likely that car theft rates continue to slightly down, although in difficult times tend to increase this type of theft, because theft systems technology improves with each new generation of cars. As old cars are disappearing, are being replaced by others with signs warning systems sound, baffles, fuel shutoff valves, smart keys … all these systems dramatically reduce the likelihood of theft.

They are also efficient devices that emit a signal to police or control station. Jeremy Warnik, spokesman for LoJack Corporation, LoJack says an accessory device for tracking and tracing of vehicles ($ 695) reaches a recovery rate of 90%.

Apparently, the LoJack system sales are still low this year because the new car market is at its lowest level for over 20 years (as Jeremy Warnick, most LoJack devices are installed in new vehicles). Still, the company has sold 5 million units in America since its inception in 1986 and expects to maintain regular sales in the coming months.

OnStar, a system that GM has built in 50 of its new vehicles (the Chevrolet Corvette, GMC Yukon, Hummer H2 and Cadillac CTS), has also helped reduce the number of stolen cars. The system allows the driver to communicate with an agent from a call center to discuss virtually anything from an emergency service request to see how to get somewhere or how to unlock the doors. Cristi Vasquez, a spokeswoman for OnStar, says that this service, which already has 4 million members, you receive per month about 500 calls about car theft.

Felt (recently) common?

The best defense, of course, is not an expensive vehicle location system, but simple common sense: do not allow any object in view of value (such as shopping bags, wallets and loose change) to the park is the deterrent system par excellence, like lock the car and not get the keys. No technological system that prevents the car is stolen if we left the keys in the ignition.

We must say that this happens more often than we imagine, even to people who know the risks.

So, Frank Scafidi relates: “It happened to one of our employees in the Chicago office. I was at the Speedway gas station next to our car park. She went to pay for gas and left the keys in the car. Of course, vanished. When he regained some things missing, but the worst were the cracks that had to endure in the office. “

Pastor Bolivian hijacking plot

MEXICO CITY (AP) – The federal government on Wednesday blamed the kidnapping of an Aeromexico jet with 103 passengers and of course a Bolivian pastor, who said she was motivated by a divine revelation about an earthquake that would shake to Mexico.

The federal Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, told a news conference identified Joseph Marc Flores Pereira, a 44-year-old native of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, as the author of the abduction of the Boeing 737 from the tourist resort of Cancun for more an hour kept the country in suspense and ended with the release of the passengers and crew but no one was hurt.

“The concerns that it was a revelation that led him to this action,” said the secretary.

Pereira added that Flores told police that as Wednesday was the day 9 month 9 Year 09, that accounted for 999, if the reverse was seen involving the number 666, a biblical reference to the antichrist.

The man asked to be communicated with the president to announce the revelation of the earthquake that would shake the country, the official said.

Garcia Luna said in mid-flight 576 between Cancun and Mexico City, the man noticed a flight attendant he had a bomb, which was accompanied by three accomplices and that would blow the aircraft.

Asked who his accomplices, he replied: “Father, son and holy spirit.”

Speaking later to reporters, Flores Pereira said the device with which he threatened to blow up the plane “was a can of Jumex (Mexican brand of juice), I put small lights.

He added that the revelation “announced that an earthquake came as never ever.”

The Bolivian, who lives in Mexico for 17 years and whom the authorities described as a drug addict and alcoholic, had a criminal record in Bolivia.

The man asked to fly over the capital’s airport seven times and talk with President Felipe Calderón.

The federal official said, after checking the luggage of the aircraft was discovered that the Bolivian carrying a fake bomb.

Television footage showed at least five people who were escorted by federal marshals into an armored vehicle after an operation that took control of the aircraft and which are not fired any shots.

Garcia explained that several passengers in the rear of the aircraft were escorted to the end, as part of a security protocol in an attempt to prevent any other alleged criminal trying to go unnoticed.

The aircraft departed before noon after arriving in Cancun and Mexico City, remained in a special section of the airport terminal for over an hour until the authorities controlled the situation. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated.

Public Security Secretary said that Bolivia had started five days ago to Cancun, where he said he “wanted to participate in emancipation and dissemination of religion.”

New online virus on internet in hidden email – H1N1 Flu

MADRID (AFP) – Hackers have taken advantage of worldwide interest in H1N1 influenza virus to create a giving access to the computer and confidential information that travels through an email, said Friday the Pandasecurity computer security company.

This email, from an unknown address, said that avian H1N1 is a potential economic conspiracy of pharmaceutical companies, and requests to read an attachment, which reveals “the conspiracy” as the Spanish company statement.

The opening of that document releases the virus, which then allows the sender access to confidential information.

The computer security company that discovered the virus claimed to have detected in heavy traffic late on this post.

“Its creators have used a topical subject, the influenza (H1N1) infected programs to spread,” he said in a statement a senior Pandasecurity, Luis Corrons, adding that “puts at risk the confidentiality of user data” .

Hubble telescope shows a dazzling cosmic spectacle

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Hubble Space Telescope is providing first-rate cosmic spectacle.

NASA on Wednesday unveiled the first pictures of deep space taken by Hubble since it was repaired a few months ago at a cost billionaire. The astronauts installed two new cameras will, other scientific instruments and replacing broken parts.

“Hubble has returned to action. Together, NASA and Hubble are offering new views of the universe,” said astronomer Heide Hammel.

The ten images of galaxies and nebulae _nubes of gas and dust estelar_ are sharper than those who had taken the telescope in the same places before his fifth and last update. One that looks like a huge butterfly, is a breeding ground for stars.

The image of this nebula shows details not revealed before, said one of the experts of the mission, Dave Leckrone.

The glow that emerges from this and other photos is hot gas and dust given off by the stars, he said. I likened to a light bulb filament with the star and gas as the blaze as bright.

Leckrone said the photos are a monument not only to science but can also evoke a sense of spirituality.

“What I see is the greatness of creation, any event that was created,” said Leckrone told The Associated Press.

The most striking images are those that show the most violent face of the cosmos: the birth and death stars.

One shows the Carina Nebula, about 7,500 light years away. A light year is about 10 trillion (right) of kilometers (6 trillion miles). The photo shows a cloud ocher bombarded by radiation. When the new Hubble camera uses a different light spectrum, the cloud disappears and the stars are emerging. They only have 100,000 years of life and fire do whites.

These bundles are cosmic debris “fired at breakneck speed to what is going to be a planetary system,” explained astronomer Bob O’Connell of the University of Virginia.

Another image shows a cluster of thousands of stars, a white field points tinged with blue and red stars.

All but one of Hubble pictures are inside the Milky Way galaxy. The remaining five spiral galaxies caught in one picture.

Hubble will soon focus his lens at the edge of the universe and take photos of objects created shortly after the primordial explosion.

“Our vision of the universe and our place in it will never be the same,” said Charles Bolden, NASA administrator, who as he piloted the space shuttle astronaut that put Hubble in orbit 19 years ago.

Since the repairs, Leckrone said he has not been a single glitch with the telescope.

Discover one of the oldest synagogues in the world of Second Temple era

Jerusalem, Sept. 11 .- Israeli archaeologists say they have discovered one of the oldest synagogues that are known from the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where they found a stone with an engraving of a seven-branched Jewish candelabrum.

The discovery was made in an excavation in the town of Migdal, located in the Galilee (northern Iraq) and were conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in a place where it was planned to build a hotel.

The synagogue, whose construction is estimated between 50 BC and 100 AD, has at its center a square stone adorned on all four sides by high-reliefs, one of whom can appreciate a “menorah,” the typical chandelier Jewish seven-branched, “as never before seen”, according to archaeologists.

The nave is surrounded by benches for the participants and is carpeted with a mosaic floor, while its walls are painted with frescoes.

“We talked a unique and exciting discovery. It is the first time it has been discovered the decoration of a menorah in the days when the Second Temple was still standing. This is the first discovered in a Jewish context and the beginning of period early Roman, “said the excavation’s director, Dina Avshalom-Gorni.

According to the expert, the print was probably made by an artist who saw the seven-branched menorah with his own eyes in the Temple of Jerusalem. The synagogue discovered joins only six in the world believed to date back the Second Temple. ”

The Second Temple, where sacrifices were made known as korbanot “was built seventy years after the destruction of the First Temple or Solomon by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and was destroyed by the Romans at the end of the Jewish Revolt that began in the 66 AD

The town of Migdal, where the synagogue recently discovered, performed according to Jewish sources a significant role in the era of the Great Jewish Revolt was the seat of operations Matatiyahu Ben Yosef (Flavius Josephus), commander of the rebellion in the Galilee and known Jewish-Roman historian of first century

Also included in the New Testament, as the population (Magdala, in Aramaic) where he was from Mary Magdalene.

Bush tops list of most absurd statements – according to a survey

London, Sept. 8 (EFE) .- The residence of George W. Bush at the White House is remembered for many things, among them by the incoherent and meaningless phrases uttered during his tenure and who have given former U.S. president the dubious honor of leading a “list of the most absurd statements.

The list has been conducted through a survey via the Internet by British insurer Aviva, with the participation of 4,000 people and has a seven politicians in the top ten, with two sports commentators and a footballer.

George W. Bush is the only one that appears twice.

The top ten is as follows:

1 .- George W. Bush, U.S. President on 5 August 2004: “Our enemies are innovative and have resources and we do too. Do not ever stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”

2 .- Arnold Schwarzenegger, California governor’s election campaign in 2003: “I think gay marriage should be between a man and a woman.”

3 .- Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 12 February 2002: “Reports that say that something has not happened are always interesting. There are things we know we know. There are known unknowns, ie we know there are some things we do not know. But there are things unknown unknowns, we do not know we do not know. ”

4 .- Murray Walker, motor racing commentator, “the frontrunner car is absolutely unique, except for going back, which is identical”

5 .- John Motson, football commentator, “for those who are watching the game in black and white, Spurs are in yellow.

6 .- Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister, 1 July 2009: “Total government spending will continue to increase and a 0 percent in the period 2013-2014.

7 .- Bill Clinton in 1998 during testimony before the grand jury “Lewinsky affair”: “depends on what is the meaning of the word ‘is’. If ‘is’ means ‘is and never has been,’ that is one thing if it means ‘none’, then it was a completely true statement.

8 .- Eric Cantona, footballer, in 1995: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”

9 .- George W. Bush, U.S. President on 22 July 2001: “I know what I believe. I will express what I believe and what I believe. I believe what I believe is right.”

10 .- Boris Johnson, Mayor of London in 2003: “could not disagree less with you.”

Eating an egg a day a day does not increase the risk of heart disease

Add to the daily diet of one egg a day contributes barely 1% risk of developing some form of cardiovascular disease among healthy adults, finds a study published recently in the medical journal Risk Analysis.

However, other factors related to diet and habits, contribute greatly to increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The risk of developing these types of conditions can be raised from 30 to 40% if the person includes in his daily habits as smoking, unbalanced diets, has overweight or obesity, or a person of sedentary habits.

In other words, adults can eat an egg every day without it significantly raises the risk of heart disease.

The paper also notes that other neglected factors contribute much more significant cardiac risk: among them diabetes and high blood pressure, which may increase the risk of disease in between 60 and 70%.

In the background of the study also referred to other health benefits it brings an egg on a daily basis:

* The egg helps to raise the concentration of HDL (also known as good cholesterol).

* Add eggs to a low-fat diet contributes effectively to reduce overweight and decreased body mass index in obese people.

* Finally, an egg provides a number of vitamins and minerals and other elements central to good nutrition.