A Jeep drives around a downed tree while another sits in a ditch on Union Valley Road, West Milford, New Jersey, 

Thousands of people were without power Monday morning in Atlantic Canada after a fierce weekend snow and rain storm with lashed New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before heading to Newfoundland and Labrador, where it was doing more of the same. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the snowstorm bedevilled transportation and killed at least eight people.

Nova Scotia’s power utility said there were more than 10,000 homes and businesses without power Monday morning in various parts of the province — down from 40,000 customers at one point during the pre-Halloween blast of winter-like weather, accompanied by high winds. “The vast majority we should hope to have back on by 11 a.m.,” Nova Scotia Power spokesman David Rodenhiser said Monday. He said it would likely take a little longer to get to some of the smaller outages around the province.

In New Brunswick, the peak of the storm left about 3,400 homes without power. Roads were slippery and though there were seven fender-benders overnight, the RCMP said no was seriously injured. Environment Canada has also issued a weather warning for Newfoundland and Labrador. The national weather service said in a warning on its website that the central part of the island could see up to 25 centimetres of snow, roughly the same amount that fell on New Brunswick on Sunday, before the system tapers off later in the morning.

The storm is expected to bring wind gusts of up to 110 kilometres an hour or more to parts of the south and east costs of the island, Environment Canada said.

U.S. storm knocks out power, wreaks havoc on roads

In the U.S., the record-breaking snow was heaviest in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, where 80 cm fell according to the National Weather Service. Northwest of New York City, in West Milford, New Jersey, 48 centimetres of snow fell.

Howling winds and heavy, wet snow snapped enormous trees like twigs, downing power lines from West Virginia to Maine. By Sunday evening, there were about 2.8 million households without electricity across the Mid-Atlantic and New England, according to Weather.com.

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said the state experienced the largest number of power outages in its history. Most cities in the state opened centers where chilled residents could stay warm.

Maine, Massachusetts and New Jersey all said they did not expect service to return to normal for several days, while in Connecticut it could be more than a week. Public school closures were announced for Monday in Connecticut and New Jersey.

Transit nightmares were reported on planes and trains throughout the storm-struck region.

JetBlue Airways was investigating reports 126 passengers were stuck for more than seven hours Saturday on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut, without food, water or working lavatories. They were aboard Flight 504 from Florida, diverted to Bradley from Newark due to the storm.

Icy roads throughout the Northeast proved deadly, and six people were killed in car accidents.

Adam Hunger / Reuters

A view of a pumpkin patch covered in snow in Portsmouth, New Hampshire October 30, 2011

Two other deaths were blamed on the storm. In Temple, Pennsylvania, an 84-year-old man was killed as he napped in his recliner when a snow-laden tree fell through his home, said a Muhlenberg Township Police Department dispatcher.

In Springfield, Massachusetts, a 20-year-old man was electrocuted when he stepped out of his vehicle and touched an electrified guard rail, a Springfield police spokesman said.

Weather emergencies because of the storm were declared in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

Source : National POST

READ MORE - thousands in Atlantic Canada, kills eight in New England

Folklore Says Devil Had Hand in Halloween Icon's Birth

Jack-o'-Lanterns, those carved up, hollowed out pumpkins, often with candles inside of them, have been the face of Halloween for centuries. But when it comes to the history of the venerable o'-Lantern, most people don't know, well, jack. Jack-o'-Lanterns first surfaced in Ireland, where Halloween originated.

The tradition came out of an Irish myth about a man called "Stingy Jack.'' The tale says that Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him, and when Jack decided he didn't want to pay for his libation, he coaxed the Devil to turn himself into a coin. Jack claimed he would use the coin to pay for the drinks. That turned out to be a falsehood, the story goes. Once the Devil became a coin, Jack elected to keep the money and put it in his pocket next to a cross, precluding the Devil from reverting to his original self.

Jack eventually freed the Devil, with the agreement that Devil would leave Jack alone for a year and that if he died, the Devil wouldn't claim his soul. However, legend has it that the Devil once again fell for Jack's chicanery the following year. Jack conned the Devil into climbing a tree for a piece of fruit, after which Jack carved a sign of the cross on the tree's back. That meant the Devil couldn't come down until the Devil promised Jack to not bother him for 10 years.

It never got that far. Jack died a short time later. The story goes that such an unseemly figure would never been allowed in heaven. But hell didn't want Jack, either. The Devil, peeved by Jack's serial trickery, wouldn't allow Jack in that hot spot. Interestingly, the Devil was keeping his word that he wouldn't claim Jack's soul. Instead, Jack was sent off into the darkness with burning coal to provide light. Jack put the lump of coal into a hollowed turnip (said to be his favorite vegetable) and went off on his merry way, apparently never to be heard from again. Jack may have been gone, but he was hardly forgotten.

The Irish started referring to wayward Jack as Jack of the Lantern, which was eventually shortened to Jack-o'-Lantern, which means night watchman or man with a lantern. The term was reportedly coined in 1837. From here, the Irish tradition of carving faces into turnips and other vegetables and placing in windows or by doors on Halloween began. The idea was to scare away evil Stingy Jack and other folks of his ilk. This also became a yearly practice in Scotland as well.

In each case, pumpkins weren't commonly used. Instead turnips were the veggie of choice, along with rutabagas, potatoes and beets. Pumpkins didn't become typical until the Jack-o'-Lantern tradition was brought to the United States by immigrants. Today, making Jack-o'-Lanterns for Halloween has become an extremely popular enterprise, for children and adults alike.

There are Web sites dedicated to giving tips on which tools to use to carve pumpkins and how to light them, along with sundry other Halloween sites. Jack-o'-Lantern buffs would probably love to know that on October 21, 2006, a world record for most "Jacks" carved and lit in one place was set. On Boston Common, a whopping 30,128 lanterns were amassed, shattering a mark previously set in Keene, New Hampshire that had stood for years. The world's largest Jack-o'-Lantern ever created was the handiwork of Scott Cully of Northern Cambria, northeast of Pittsburgh.

On October 31, 2005, Cully fashioned a Jack-o'-Lantern from a pumpkin checking in at 1,469 pounds, roughly the size of an NFL offensive line. Some people are fortunate enough to use their artistic talent to make a living at pumpkin carving. Probably the most eminent person in this craft is New Yorker Ray Villafane. He has done collectables for Warner Bros./ DC Comics, McFarlane Toys and others. In 2007, Villafane was invited to appear in the Food Network show "Outrageous Pumpkins" as one of four professional sculptors.

Not surprisingly, Villafane carved up the others to win the competition, going on to repeat the feat in subsequent shows. He has also been featured on numerous other media outlets. Villafane's work is known worldwide and has appeared at the President's Quarters in the White House, Bermuda's Sousa Gardens as well as many other spots around the globe.

When it comes to pumpkins, Villafane isn't limited to the Halloween theme. He's done carvings of Vikings, Indians, football players, even "Chucky." And if Jack ever resurfaces, Villafane would probably thank him for making all this possible by buying him a drink

Source : Sandiego News

READ MORE - History of the Halloween Jack- o'-Lantern

Steve Jobs, who passed away a few days ago is known as one of the geniuses who built the figure of a company from scratch into a company billions of dollars and inspire many. I first read his official biography was made ​​by Romain Moisescot in PDF 41 pages.

It is interesting to read the life story of Steve Jobs, starting from the beginning of its life,Apple's success in building, his failure in the form of product failure Lisa until he was kickedfrom the company he founded, until finally succeeded in recovery, returned to Apple andreap much success until the end of life.

Unofficial biography in PDF form a longer (74 pages) you can also read and download from the link below. For the record, this biography is copyrighted by Romain Moisescot, I loadthe link above considerations it is very useful.


Click Here To Download The Ebook or Click Here To Download The Ebook By Walter Isaccson

READ MORE - Steve Jobs Biography By Romain Moisescot

BANGKOK (AP) — Defenses shielding the center of Thailand's capital from the nation's worst floods in nearly 60 years mostly held at critical peak tides Saturday, as the waters began to recede after killing almost 400 people. But the threat to central Bangkok was not over, the prime minister said, and the city's northern districts remained submerged along with much of the countryside.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra urged citizens to let the crisis run its course as the floodwaters slowly drain to the sea, with Bangkok lying in their path. The floods that have besieged central Thailand for weeks submerged entire towns across the country's heartland and shuttered hundreds of factories over the last two months.

"We have the good news that the situation in the central region has improved as runoff water gradually decreased," she said. "I thank people and urge them to be more patient in case this weekend is significant because of the high tide."

Bangkok residents watched the city's dikes and sandbag barriers warily as the high tide pushing up the Chao Phraya River from the Gulf of Thailand peaked Saturday morning. It had been described as the greatest test of the capital's flood defenses since the northern deluge first approached Bangkok more than three weeks ago.

While some water doused streets and shops along the river, the tides fell short of forecast highs and there was no major breach. Higher than usual tides will continue through Monday, but are predicted to be lower than Saturday's.

City official Adisak Kantee said the city's concrete barriers "are efficiently protecting Bangkok from deluge," though he said smaller, private dikes might yet fail.

"The situation is so far under control," he said.

Yingluck said in her weekly radio address the government was trying to speed the drainage rate and water in the greater Bangkok area should recede within days.

While downtown Bangkok were bone-dry and bustling, areas along the city's outskirts saw flooding spread. Seven of Bangkok's 50 districts — all in the northern and western outskirts — are heavily inundated. Eight other districts have seen less serious flooding.

In the city's west, not far from the flooded district of Bang Phlat, workers filled sandbags and stacked them in pickup trucks for delivery to the front lines, while vendors did booming trade in life vests, plastic boats, styrofoam and anything else that floated. With many roads in the area submerged, traffic was heavy both heading in and out of the city.

Thousands of Bangkok residents used a special five-day holiday to leave town, wary at confusing warnings about the flood threat and others concerned about sparse supplies in stores due to weeks of panic buying and flood-related distribution problems.

Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra highlighted another threat: sanitation. He ordered boats to collect uncollected garbage in a flooded district where most places were inaccessible by truck.

On Saturday, the Flood Relief Operations Center moved from its base at Don Muang airport after a power transformer malfunctioned. The airport, mainly used for domestic flights, closed Tuesday because of flooding on the runways and surrounding streets.

While many in Bangkok will be breathing somewhat easier now that the highest of tides has passed, there was no complacency in the Sam Sen area, where a floodwall burst Saturday morning under the pressure from the surging water. Residents and soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder in the churning torrents trying to plug the gap and get the flow under control.

At the nearby Boonchuay boxing camp, a handful of Muay Thai fighters went through their afternoon workout, sparring in a ring surrounded by the overflow of the Chao Phraya river. The camp's well-worn heavy bags dangled inches above the murky floodwaters, while the weight machines sat submerged up to their seats, rendering them unusable.

Don Krasaein, a junior lightweight fighter from the northeastern province of Nakorn Ratchasima, is one of 10-20 boxers who for the past month have had to cut out exercises that can't be done in the ring but come for three-hour workouts every morning and afternoon.

Don, 31, said the flooding was a distraction, but he wouldn't allow it to affect his fighting, despite the water swelling and peeling the skin on his feet. But he admitted to some worry.

"I'm scared the water is going to rise even more," he said.

Source : Yahoo News

READ MORE - Bangkok flood defenses hold off peak coastal tides

Sony will soon introduce a visorlike headset, in which 3-D video can fill the visual equivalent of a movie screen. Visitors tried out the new device at an electronics show this month near Tokyo.

RelatedPEOPLE who want to enjoy the eye-popping effects of 3-D movies at home, far from the multiplex, usually do so on a 3-D television set.

Sony

Sony's headset will be priced at $799.

But for those who want an even more personal experience, Sony will soon introduce a high-definition, three-dimensional display built into the visor of a headset.

Called a Personal 3D Viewer, this pearly gray visor has two small screens that sit an inch or two in front of the eyes. Pull on the visor as you would a baseball cap, plug the headset into a cable box, game console or Blu-ray player and then watch as high-definition 3-D video fills the visual equivalent of a movie theater screen. The images on the twin screens are made of micron-size pixels that are unnoticeable even from a nose-length away.

The headsets will go on sale in the United States next month for $799, said Charles Speidel, vice president of the Sony Electronics home audio and video group in San Diego. As with other stereoscopic displays, each eye sees a different image — the brain combines them for an illusion of depth.

The headset weighs a bit less than a pound. It leaves enough room inside for eyeglasses (which I wear) and can be adjusted so that not all the weight is resting on the bridge of the nose. Still, I found wearing it a bit cumbersome — until I started watching a demonstration video. Then I was too busy to notice, as I reflexively dodged cars and projectiles hurtling toward me from the screen.

Image quality is excellent on the screens, which measure 0.7 inch diagonally, said Chris Chinnock, president of the marketing firm Insight Media, who has tried the new device at trade shows. “But you are still wearing this bulky headset,” he added.

The screens are made of organic light-emitting diodes that glow when a current passes through them, creating bright colors and deep blacks.

The Sony headset was designed with the home theater fan in mind — it does not plug into an iPad, or iPhone, although it will work with one Android tablet, said Rob Manfredo, a Sony spokesman.

If you want a more portable 3-D headset, plug the Vuzix Wrap 1200 ($499) into your iPhone, iPad, Android or portable gaming device — or even into your PC — and watch both 2-D and 3-D video, though not in high definition. (This headset is designed to look like sunglasses.)

As yet, there isn’t a vast array of 3-D entertainment to watch on headsets — a situation likely to deter many consumers, said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst based in London for the research firm Gartner. “People aren’t going to rush to buy hardware if there isn’t anything much to watch,” she said.

The number of quality 3-D movies and games is still relatively small. Owners will be able to plug the Sony headset into a cable box and watch college football in 3-D on ESPN 3D, or into a game system or 3-D Blu-ray player, Mr. Manfredo said. There are about 85 Blu-ray movies in 3-D, he said, including “The Lion King,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Avatar.”

The headset is wired to a hand-size control box that plugs into a set-top box or any other source of 3-D content via an HDMI cable, which carries data fast enough for 3-D signals. Viewers can also watch in 2-D on the headset.

Mr. Speidel of Sony says the headset isn’t meant for viewers who are 15 or younger, in part because its dimensions are better suited to adult-size heads.

In addition, it might not be good for youngsters’ eyes, he said. “At that age, children’s eyes are still developing,” he said. “It’s a new technology and kids spend a lot of time gaming.” When viewers turn on the set, Mr. Manfredo said, they will see a recommendation to spare young eyes.

Dr. David G. Hunter, ophthalmologist in chief at Children’s Hospital Boston and a professor at Harvard Medical School, said that most visual development happens before age 7 or 8.

“That’s when something could potentially go wrong if you were wearing these for all of your waking hours,” Dr. Hunter said.

He had this practical advice for people of any age who are concerned about eyestrain: “Common sense dictates that if the headset bothers your eyes, you should take it off.”

A  DIFFERENT hazard concerned Sherry Turkle, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of “Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other.”

Gadgets like 3-D headsets are seductive, she said, but the danger is that they seal people off from their environment and from others.

“People used to walk with eyes to the sand and water,” she said, using the example of people strolling at the seashore. “Now everyone walks with a device. No one is looking at the sand.”

She has reservations about the technology that has produced immersive personal devices like music players, smartphones and video headsets.

“The technology which looked so good 15 to 20 years ago,” she said, “now looks like it helps us miss out on the complexities and grittiness and ups and downs of what real life has to offer.”

Source : New York Times

READ MORE - It’s 3-D, High Definition and in Your Face

An impoverished bureaucrat is being hailed as India's real-life "Slumdog Millionaire" after racking up a pile of dough on his country's most popular quiz show.

In an instance of life imitating art, Sushil Kumar, the poor son of farm laborer, won over $1 million this week on on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

"We're happy of course but mostly we're just really stunned," Kumar, 26, told the Associated Press as he and his wife of four months shed tears of joy.

His reversal of fortune is reminiscent of the 2008 Academy Award-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" about a street kid from Mumbai slums who becomes a game-show superstar.

Kumar, who is from a tiny town in eastern India, earns about $120 a month as a government computer operator and part-time tutor.

He said growing up his family was too poor to afford a TV, so he watched the game show on a neighbor's set.

"You have created history. Your grit and determination has made you come so far in this show," game show host Amitabh Bachchan told Kumar, handing him a check for 50 million rupees.

Kumar said he entered the contest hoping to win at least $50,000 answering multiple-choice questions on subjects ranging from history to science.

He said he plans to use his windfall to pay off his parents debts and help his four brothers start small businesses. He also wants to buy a house.

The win ignited a huge celebration in Kumar's hometown, where he plans to build a library.

"We can't believe it. The whole village have come to our house. We are worried that my dad will die of happiness," said Kumar's brother, Sunil.

Kumar's big win was taped Tuesday. The winning question will not be revealed until the show airs next week.

He said he nearly decided to walk away before the 13th question with $200,000 in winnings until he decided to opt at taking at peek at the final question.

"When I looked at the question, I didn't think I knew the answer but I kept staring at it for a long time and suddenly I knew that two of the four options were definitely not correct," Kumar said.

With News Wire Services

Source : New York Daily News

READ MORE - Real-life 'Slumdog' Sushil Kumar wins $1M on India's version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’

Afghanistan's security force and NATO troops inspect the site after a suicide attack near the Darul Aman palace in Kabul on October 29, 2011. At least 14 people, including foreign forces, were killed when a Taliban car bomber struck a US-run NATO convoy travelling through the Afghan capital Kabul.

Afghanistan's security force and rescue personnel with NATO troops secure the site after a suicide attack near the Darul Aman palace (back) in Kabul on October 29, 2011. At least 14 people, including foreign forces, were killed when a Taliban car bomber struck a US-run NATO convoy travelling through the Afghan capital Kabul.

At least 12 Americans were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber rammed a NATO convoy in Afghanistan Saturday, destroying a heavily-armored bus.

The bombing - the deadliest attack in the war-torn country in months - sent flames and dark smoke shooting into the Kabul sky and turned the NATO vehicle into a crumpled, burning wreck.

U.S. officials confirmed that four American soliders and eight contractors were killed in the explosion.

A Canadian solider and four Aghans were also killed, according to officials. Several more soldiers were wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred when a NATO convoy passed the American University in a southwestern neighborhood of the capital city.

The reinforced bus, known as a Rhino, was driving amid a series of mine-resistant vehicles on a highway frequently used by NATA forces, officials said.

A Taliban spokesman said the bomber - who he identified as Abdul Rahman - was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV containing more than 1,500 pounds of explosives.

Though it was not immediately clear how the SUV penetrated the convoy's security, it slammed into the side of the Rhino - and the collision sparked a massive fireball that could be seen for more than a mile.

The bus was knocked on its side, crushing several civilians, and shrapnel exploded into the street, wounding a dozen more, officials said.

NATO and Afghan forces quickly locked down the area as fire trucks and ambulances raced to the scene. Two NATO helicopters were also used to evacuate casualties to nearby hospitals.

Witnesses said several body bags could be seen strewn across the four-lane highway.

The Taliban spokesman claimed that 25 people died in the explosion - but NATO officials were skeptical of the boast. The Pentagon did not immediately identify the soliders who were killed.

The brazen daylight assault was the largest in Kabul since the war began in 2001. The capital is largely protected by the Afghanistan military.

The bombing occurred as top NATO and Afghan officials met elsewhere in Kabul to discuss the ongoing shift of security responsibilities to Afghanistan's military.

The attack also was viewed as a setback to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's efforts to negotiate peace with the Taliban in advance of NATO's scheduled departure from the country in 2014.

"The enemies of Afghanistan carried out a dastardly and cowardly attack that caused sorrow for some Afghan families," Karzai said in a statement.

It was the deadliest strike against American forces since Aug 6, when the Taliban shot down a NATO helicopter, killing 30 U.S. soldiers, including members of the elite Navy Seal Team 6, the squad that carried out the famed raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.

The suicide bombing mirrored an attack on the same highway in May 2010 when a SUV loaded with explosives slammed into a NATO caravan, killing five Americans and one Canadian officer.

Other acts of violence also rocked Afghanistan yesterday. A man wearing a Afghan military uniformed started shooting at a joint NATO-Afghan base in the Uruzgan province, killing three people. It was not clear if the shooter was a soldier or someone who stole a military uniform, officials said.

And another suicide bomber detonated herself outside a government office in the northwest province of Kunar. It was not immediately clear how many people were injured in that attack.

Officials did not speculate if the attacks were linked. More than 1,700 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan since the war began.

Source : New York Daily News

READ MORE - At Least 12 Americans Killed In Afghanistan Suicide Bombing Targeting NATO Convoy