Politician Pulls Gun On Man During TV Show

MP Mohammad Shawabka was debating with political activist Mansour Sayf al Din Murad on the private satellite channel Jo Sat, discussing Jordanian politics.

In a video of the incident posted on YouTube, both men accused the other of various crimes.

“You’re a Mossad agent,” said the activist, to which the other replied, “You’re a big crook.”

The MP then stood up and began shouting at the activist. The host, Mohammad Habashneh, who was sitting between them, urged his guests to “calm down”.

Instead, the MP continued shouting at the activist. He then took off his right shoe and threw it, before pulling out a silver pistol from his waistband and pointing it toward the activist.

The opponents then left their seats, confronting one another, while the host tried to calm them down.

The two men continued to struggle as the programme ended and the credits ran. …

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Human Dominoes Smash Guinness World Record

The volunteers, most of whom were domino lovers, first carefully arranged and leaned against 1,001 mattresses in an empty section of a shopping mall in Shanghai.

They were careful not to fall back and ruin the attempt before it even started.

The first volunteer, who was standing in front of an upright mattress and was coordinating the event by radio, told the other volunteers: “First of all, we need good teamwork.

“All the participants, from the first to the last, must act like one person, and that is dominoes.

“Then it must be accurate. The mattresses must be evenly arranged. It’s one of the characteristics of dominoes.”

The team leader, who was gripping his mattress with both hands, then fell backwards, knocking into the second person in the chain and starting the domino effect.

It was 10 minutes before the last one came down to finish the rally.

Crowds of onlookers cheered as the last volunteer standing was finally toppled over. …

SKY NEWS STRANGE NEWS | JULY 14, 2012
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Powerful Lasers Could Be Fired Into the Clouds to Make It Rain

Laser-Induced Condensation J. Kasparian, et al.

We’re further along in using science to manually force the weather’s hand than many people suspect. In 2009, for example, the Chinese government used weather manipulation to bring a snowstorm to Beijing, and they aren’t the only nation giving it a try. But using so-called “cloud seeding” techniques as high-tech rain dances is controversial; critics say it’s both ineffective and bad for the environment. A potentially better solution — to this, as to most things! — is to fire up some lasers.

Last year, a paper published inNature Communications showed it was possible to form water particles using lasers. That’s not the same as creating rain; the particles were about 100 times too small to be rain drops. But it’s somewhat of a proof of concept, and as a recent paper in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics points out, our lasers are only getting better.

The laser technique works by using photodissociation. Photons break down atmospheric compounds, which produces ozone and nitrogen oxides. That causes nitric acid particles to form, and those bind water molecules together, creating rain. A challenge for scientists will be to unravel the details of the process, but there are major benefits compared with a chemical approach, such as sending silver iodide particles into clouds. For one, it’s easier to plan experiments with lasers, since they have an on-off switch that can be toggled and tested for effectiveness. A laser-induced approach could also be less likely to cause unintended problems in the surrounding atmosphere.

We’ll see if it’s a viable approach in the coming years. You can bet if it turns out to work effectively, a lot of governments will be waiting to invest.

[PhysOrg]

Recharged in Midair By Flying Battery-Drones, Electric Aircraft May Never Have to Land

Flying Batteries Drones serving as flying batteries could dock with an electric plane in flight, enabling the first transcontinental electric airplane journey. Flight of the Century

Instead of taking off with thunderous jet engines, future airplanes may soar into the air on battery packs, and jettison them like so much ballast once the juice has been drained. Then these batteries could be replaced in flight. Instead of refueling with flying tankers, electric planes would rendezvous with autonomous flying battery-drones.

This plan could enable an all-electric trip across the Atlantic, retracing Charles Lindbergh’s flight path. Later this month, aviation enthusiast Chip Yates – inventor of the Swigz Pro electric superbike – plans to test an electric plane at Inyokern Airport in Southern California.

Yates is the founder of Flight of the Century, an ambitious project to fly an electric plane across the Atlantic Ocean by 2014. The team bought an airplane designed by aviation god Burt Rutan, a Long-EZ (call sign N158TG), and is in the process of converting it to an all-electric test vehicle. They’ve filed for a patent on their system, which is called Infinite Range Electric Flight (IREF).

Electric airplanes remain fairly impractical because of their weight and power limitations. To carry enough power to take off, an electric plane would need lots of batteries, which are prohibitively heavy. Solar-powered aircraft are more practical at this point, as evidenced by the series of flights this summer by the Solar Impulseaircraft. But dropping drained batteries would get rid of extra weight, according to Yates’ plan. And recharging in flight – as the military has done for decades – would enable the plane to fly unlimited distances.

It would work by deploying fleets of flying battery packs – basically drones full of batteries – to various ground or ocean stations. A human-piloted electric airplane would take off using these flyable battery packs, draining most of their energy just for takeoff. Then it would jettison them in flight, and the packs would autonomously fly (using a separate battery supply) down to the ground or ocean base. Or they could parachute down for recovery. There, they would recharge for future use. Meanwhile, a freshly charged battery pack would launch from the base station and tether to the human-piloted electric airplane. During this transition period, the electric airplane would use its own internal battery supply, according to the Flight of the Century project.

The team is already performing some runway tests, and plans to take off in the electric plane later this month.

[via LiveScience]

US navy fires on boat off UAE coast

A US navy vessel fired on an approaching motor boat off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, killing one person and injuring others, reports said.

Lieutenant Greg Raelson, a spokesman for the navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said that a small boat was rapidly approaching the USNS Rappahannock on Monday.

Sailors aboard had issued a series of warnings before resorting to lethal force using a .50-caliber machine gun, he said.

The attack on the boat appeared to have been mistaken as a threat in Gulf waters not far from Iran’s maritime boundaries.

A US defence official told the Reuters news agency the boat departed after being fired upon, and it was unclear whether there were any deaths or injuries.

However, a US consular official in Dubai confirmed the incident, telling the Associated Press that one person had been killed and three others injured.

An Emirati rescue official at the scene confirmed the casualty toll. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident between the two allies.

Rescue workers were seen carrying one person in a body bag off the white-hulled boat and placing it in an ambulance as fishermen looked on, AP reported. Officials moved the boat from the harbour shortly afterward.

Civilian vessel

Dozens of police and other Emirati officials crowded around the boat, which sat docked after the incident in a small Dubai port used by fishermen and sailors.

The boat appeared to be a civilian vessel about 9 meters long and powered by three outboard motors.

Similar boats are used for fishing in the region, though Iran’s Revolutionary Guard also employs relatively small, fast-moving craft in the Gulf.

US military vessels routinely cross paths with Iranian ships in international waters in the Gulf without incident, but speed boats from the Revolutionary Guard have passed close to US ships in incidents that have raised alarm in Washington.

In early 2008, then President George Bush accused Iran of a “provocative act” after five small Iranian craft buzzed around the destroyer USS Hopper.

Tensions are elevated in the Gulf after Iran last week renewed threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz – the route for one-fifth of the world’s oil – in retaliation for tighter sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The US recently boosted its naval presence in the Gulf with additional minesweepers and other warships.

The US navy’s 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, said it was investigating the Monday shooting. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi had no immediate comment, referring all questions to the navy.

AJE TOP NEWS | JULY 16, 2012
http://pulse.me/s/bjylU