Choose [ONE] .. Seriously ?!

I found this poll on one of the Lebanese websites:

Peace.

Development of the Internet ! ^_^

1958: The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) is established following an initiative by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

1961: The principle of the transmission of data in small portions, or packets, emerges. This principle further simplifies the transfer of data within a computer network.

1965: The first wide-area computer network appears. Lawrence G. Roberts and Thomas Merill connected Two Computer located in Massachusets and California with a telephone line.

1969: ARPA launches the ARPANET computer network.

1971: An electronic mail system is developed.

1974: The word Internet, an abbreviation of internetworking, is used for the first time.

1976: Ethernet, the first local area network, is developed.

1982: TCP/IP, the basic communication language or protocol of the internet, is created.

1989: I was born ! ... the world changed again, Oopz. 

1991: The technology of hypertext documents, called the World Wide Web (or WWW), is developed. The first computer viruses distributed through the Internet appear.

1993: The first Internet browser and the first search engine are created. The first radio broadcasts made over the internet.

1994: The first online shops, virtual banks and advertising banners appear.

2010: The crew of the International Space Station  receives direct access to the Internet.

2011: The total number of websites exceeds 375 million (according to Netcraft data as of July 2011)

Today: The number of websites exceeds 620 million websites (September 2012 web server survey)

Ref. Rionovosti 2012

How to properly observe the moon

Observing the moon is a fascinating form of space travel, which the observer can carry out without leaving home !!

Average distance between the Earth and the moon: 384,000 Kilometers

What can you see on the moon ?

1- Lunar seas and inland areas, large craters: 8X Magnification [BINOCULARS]

2- Small craters, faults, fractures: 100X Magnification [AMATEUR TELESCOPE]

3- Relatively small surface features: 400-600X Magnification [PROFESSIONAL TELESCOPE]

The following can interfere with observations:

Thick clouds

Precipitation, especially dew

Heat waves in the air [from boilers, heaters, etc..]

Vibration [e.g. from trains passing nearby]

It is helpful to have a map of the moon on hand in order to identify surface elements

In some cases, amateur observers can be of value to scientists: for example, by recording video of meteorites striking the moon.

G.K.G.

Gibran Khalil Gibran, one of the greatest Lebanese artists, is particularly known for his book The Prophet (1923), which has been translated into more than twenty different languages. Several contemporary Lebanese writers have also achieved international success; including Elias Khoury, Amin Maalouf, Hanan al-Shaykh, and George Schehadé.

[Beirut Waterfront] Welcoming Pope Benedict XVI

Lebanese Soldiers set up roadblocks and patrolled streets in downtown Beirut before Pope Benedict XVI arrived for an open-air Mass.

The main reason behind this public event of a three-day visit to Lebanon is to press for peace and reconciliation between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East. The Pope has been appealing for peace, tolerance and religious freedom.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims from across the region are expected to attend Today's Mass on the Lebanese capital's waterfront.

At a meeting with young people (coming from different countries) Saturday evening, the pope said he admired the courage of Syrian youth and that he did not forget their suffering.

The invention of air conditioners

There are many inventions which have very interesting history behind them. Archimedes Principle being the most famous. Air conditioners also have an interesting story about their invention.

It was in 1901 that Willis Haviland Carrier, joined a publishing company, Buffalo Forge. High temperatures in the print shop caused innumerable printing problems. Carrier was assigned the job of reducing the temperature. Carrier found the solution to keep the printing machines cool and run without interruptions.

The name air conditioner to this solution was given much later by a textile engineer, Stuart H. Cramer.
The first modern air conditioner was installed in 1924 in a departmental store. Its application in cinemas and theatres provided cool comfort to the masses. It is since 1950 that air conditioners were widely accepted for use in homes, offices and shops. It was initially considered a luxury; now it is a necessity.

Air-conditioning is one of the most important and developing product of the global commerce today. We can classify air-conditioners into two types, industrial and individual. Industrial air- conditioners are used in large buildings such as hotels and factories. Individual air conditioners are used in houses, small offices and shops.

A wide range of different models such as window air conditioners, portable air conditioners and split air conditioners are available to suit your need and wallet.

Do you imagine yourself living in the [Sahara] without AC !

[Law174] It is Okay, But we need more Laws .. Don't we ?!

Few hours separate us from lunching the new Law prohibiting smoking in closed public spaces in Lebanon. This compaign was organized by IndyACT, Tobacco Free Initiative - TFI and in collaboration with AUB -Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) at the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Smoking ban will be implemented in many public places including but not limited to: governmental buildings, schools, universities, hospitals, clinics, workplaces, banks, private businesses, malls, airport and public transport & the hospitality sector : Restaurants, Cafes, Hotels (20% of total number of rooms can be used by smokers), Bars, Clubs, theaters.

Ban selling and serving tobacco products to underage youth such as cigarettes, electronics cigarettes and hooka pipe etc… [as if it was allowed to buy and sell tobacco products for people under 18 !  #WhoCares]

The inclusion of a "No Smoking" sign:
Smoke free signs with specific specifications are to be included in highly visible locations in rooms, entrances, receptions, cafeterias, bathrooms as well as public transportation [Sure, It is easy also to include a Non-Smoking sign in your living room #NotaBigDeal]

Promotions and Advertising logos, brands and trademarks of Tobacco Products [TV/Radio, Internet, Media, ...], not to forget sponsorship ban (a complete ban on any forms of sponsorship by tobacco industries such as: cultural, sports and business events etc…). And then, we start a new war against people working in the Tobacco Industries #BroadenYourThinking

Health warning to cover 40% of tobacco packaging:
A health warning should cover 40% of both sides of cigarette packs and packaging. This also applies to all locally or imported tobacco products. Ban of all tobacco products with misleading messages (a year after bylaws) 
The removal of products from the market which include misleading messages such as: light, super light, mild, color coded etc… 

At the end, I think nobody is against any project that will improve national health system. However, many things could have been done in the past without the need of creating a new law. Also, we could have created new laws related to Drugs, Guns, Sexual abuse, Criminal Acts, Right of workers... and other laws [we really need] and that should enhance the life of every Lebanese citizen !

For more information, check out the following...

Tobacco Free Initiative

AUB Tobacco Control Research Group

Important Changes to Microsoft Services Agreement and Communication Preferences‏

We've updated the Microsoft Services Agreement, which governs many of our online services - including your Microsoft account and many of our online products and services for consumers, such as Hotmail, SkyDrive, Bing, MSN, Office.com, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Mail Desktop, and Windows Writer. Please read over the new Microsoft Services Agreement here to familiarize yourself with the changes we've made.

The updated agreement will take effect on October 19, 2012. If you continue to use our services after October 19th, you agree to the terms of the new agreement or, of course you can cancel your service at any time.

We have modified the agreement to make it easier to read and understand, including using a question and answer format that we believe makes the terms much clearer. We also clarified how Microsoft uses your content to better protect consumers and improve our products, including aligning our usage to the way we're designing our cloud services to be highly integrated across many Microsoft products. We realize you may have personal conversations and store personal files using our products, and we want you to know that we prioritize your privacy.

Finally, we have added a binding arbitration clause and class action waiver that affects how disputes with Microsoft will be resolved in the United States.

Thank you for using Microsoft products and services!

A near miss from asteroid

Earth is set for an astronomical near-miss from a passing asteroid this November – when a rock measuring almost a quarter of a mile in diameter will come closer to the Earth than the moon is. The asteroid, officially named 2005 YU 55, will approach the earth at 0.85 lunar distances – around 200,000 miles – making it the closest object to have passed by Earth since 1976.

Although the rock has been designated a “potentially hazardous asteroid” by the Minor Planet Centre in Massachusetts, David Moore of Astronomy Ireland says the asteroid should be seen as a mere reminder of how Earth is in a “shooting gallery” for asteroids. Though the distance of 200,000 miles might seem close.

In 2029, Apophis will come within 20,000 miles, which is only a couple of earth diameters away.That’s even closer to Earth than the geostationary satellites that give us satellite TV, telephones and the likes. But because Apophis still has “billions of miles to travel” before it reaches proximity with earth, trying to pin down exactly where it will travel is difficult – particularly because the gravitational fields of other objects could swerve its path.

There’s one particular sweet spot that it might pass through – and if it passes through that spot in 2029, it’s going to come back and hit us in 2036. And with Apophis being “about the size of Croke Park”, the impact would result in what could only be described as “major devastation”.

The earthquakes that would follow would devastate any larger area, while the volume of dust raised by it would block out the sun for months. Thankfully the chances of Apophis passing the gravitational ‘sweet spot’ are around 1-in-100,000.

There are comets coming from way beyond the planets, from halfway to the nearest star, and we get no warning of those because of their great distance – we might only get a few months’ warning that they’re coming.