Will Robots Destroy Online Poker?

Online gaming is one heck of a cash cow. But computer scientists at the University of Alberta have developed a human-crushing poker bot, that, in the wrong hands, could take over poker, and rake in all the virtual chips.

This week Search Engine introduces you to ‘Polaris’, an artificial intelligence program that could become the undisputed kingpin of poker. Join host (and low-stakes player) Jesse Brown as he asks U of A chief engineer Jonathan Schaeffer, what ‘Polaris’ will mean for the multi-billion dollar online industry.
Then it’s man vs. machine, as Jesse takes on Polaris in a heads-up game of Texas Hold Em’.

I also believe that computers (robots) will later dominate the humans in online gaming especially Poker. I think that computers will be very smart to know the possiblities and chances, in order to beat humans. I recommand the humans to not to risk their opportunities online.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/searchengine/blog/2007/12/will_robots_destroy_online_pok.html

Air Canada flight makes emergency landing in Winnipeg

At Winnipeg's James Richardson International Airport early Thursday evening, emergency crews were on standby as an Air Canada flight was forced to make an emergency landing. Christine Alongi, spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Airports Authority, said that the Air Canada flight was on its way from Toronto to Calgary and made an unscheduled stop in Winnipeg. The pilot of this plane requested a diversion to Winnipeg because he said that he is having an avionics issue. He was not sure what really was but he wanted to land in Winnipeg.

Fortunately, the plane landed safely just after 5:30 pm. Whenever the plane lands under any circumstances, the airport puts emergency vehicles such as fire departments, city police and other first responders on standby. Avionics refers to the electronic systems of aircraft. The problem could be something as simple as a light that burned out, or something more serious, Alongi said.

If the plane has a minor problem, it will be fixed and passengers will continue on their way. A more serious problem could result in them being rebooked on new flights for the remaining leg of the journey, she said.

In my opinion, Air Canada maintenance should definitely take a look at the aircraft when they land and determine what the issue is. I think that Air Canada should check every single plane (even just few minutes) before they depart to its destination. What would've happened if the pilot did not make an emergency stop in Winnipeg?

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/12/13/wpg-airport.html

Teen dead after alleged attack by father

Peel Regional Police released the name of a 16 year-old teenager on Tuesday who is living in Mississauga who died after getting beat up by her father. Paramedics revived her and took her to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, where she died late Monday night. Police said they received a call from a man who said he'd just killed his daughter.

The victim's father, Muhammad Parvez, 57, was arrested at the scene and he will soon appear in court and face murder charges. Aqsa Parvez's friends told CBC News that the teen had been having arguments with her father because he allegedly wanted her to wear a traditional hijab.

"She kinda wanted to go a different way from the way her family wanted her to go," said one friend.

They also said that she wanted to escape the family conflict by running away. On the family's quiet street, neighbours were dismayed, calling the events "a tragedy." One neighbour said she was "praying for the family."

At the teen's school, Applewood Heights Secondary School, grief counsellors have been called in and tributes are being arranged.

"Aqsa was well-known at the school," said Sylvia Link, communications manager for the Peel District School Board.
"She had a wide circle of friends and … those closest to her really are the most affected. But anyone at the school, you know our school is like a family, you know anyone at the school is really going to be shocked and saddened by this tragic news."

In my opinion, I feel very sad inside. I think that her father did a horrible job. Even though this girl did not want to wear the hijab, the father should understand why she is not willing to wear that traditional costume. Also, if I was to be her friend, I would've feel very sad, and have tears on my eyes.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/12/11/teen-attacked.html

Court orders Loto-Quebec to reveal gambling-related suicides

A Quebec court has ruled that the province's lottery commission must make public its reports on gambling-related suicides. The Quebec Court of Appeal's unanimous decision Wednesday upholds a lower court order for Loto-Québec to hand over internal documents on suicides at its casinos.

The Appeal Court justices didn't even bother hearing from Loto-Québec's lawyers before issuing their ruling. Loto-Québec has argued that making the documents public could benefit organized crime groups by leaking information about their internal investigations.

Anti-poverty activist Bill Clennett, who has spearheaded the request for the documents several years, welcomed the court's ruling. Loto-Québec has yet to announce whether it will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In my opinion, I agree with the Court that they are ordering Loto-Quebec to reveal gambling-related suicides. I agree because the citizens of Canada should be aware of the fact that many people are suiciding or hurting themselves just because of the gambling. I think that by revealing the stories, people might have a chance to quit gambling.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2007/12/05/ot-loto-suicide-071205.html

Winter storms plague many Canadian regions

Atlantic Canada is bracing Monday for heavy snowfalls from the same massive weather system that has hammered Ontario and Quebec. The official start to winter may be still three weeks away, but wintry weather is already blasting much of Canada.

"It's going to be a very messy day across a good part of the country," the CBC's Colleen Jones said early Monday.

Many Canadians were still digging themselves out after three weather systems brought snow to much of the country over the weekend, with systems moving up along the Atlantic and Pacific shorelines as well as through Central Canada.

Environment Canada's senior climatologist, David Phillips, remarked Sunday that if Monday were Dec. 25, "we'd have a white Christmas from coast to coast to coast." By Monday's end, Phillips said, snow could be everywhere.

In my opinion, I like the fact that it will snow a lot this year and the snow storms are coming a lot. I like the fact that it has been estimated that this year's Christmas will be a "White Christmas". It is too bad the fact that we have to plow a lot of snow this winter.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/12/03/winter-weather.html

No charges against coaches in kids' hockey brawl

Thursday, November 29, 2007

No criminal charges will be laid against adult hockey coaches for allegedly assaulting each other during a brawl that also involved eight-year-old players in Guelph, Ontario.

Police said Thursday that they came to the decision not to lay charges after speaking to witnesses, investigating the case and reviewing a videotape of the fracas. The officers said the incident would be better handled by the teams' hockey association.

The fight happened during the third period of a game last Friday between the Duffield Devils and Niagara Falls Thunder, two novice AAA teams. The videotape, which aired on CBC Newsworld on Thursday, shows the young players throwing punches at each other. An altercation is also visible on the players' bench that appears to involve parents and coaches. There were allegations that a Niagara Falls coach spat on a rival coach and that both sent many of their players from the bench onto the ice during the fracas.

Coaching staff, trainers and two coaches were suspended indefinitely during the investigation, said Richard Ropchan, an official with the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.

In my opinion, the coaches shouldn't be charged just because they assaulted the young kids while they are having a fight. I understand the fact that while you are playing agressive sports, you will get agressive by thinking and acting. I think that the coaches were not meant to assault them.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/11/29/hockey-fight.html

Mighty mouse engineered to fight cancer

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

The researchers have created mouses that are resistance to even highly agressive cancers. In University of Kentucky, the scientists created this mouse by introducing into the animal the tumour-killing Par-4 gene, taken from the prostate.

Par-4 gene was discovered by radiation-medicine expert Vivek Rangnekar and his team and this kills cancer cells but not normal cells. Also, it is found in every kind of cell, the researchers say.

In the study, the Par-4 gene was added to a mouse egg that was implanted in a surrogate mother. The resulting offspring's pups also expressed the gene, and they were resistant to tumour formation. "We've been able to transfer this activity to generations in the mouse," Rangnekar said. On the other hand, in mice that had the Par-4 gene removed, tumours developed in various tissues.

The researchers also discovered that mice with the special gene lived a few months longer than animals that did not carry the gene. They did not show any ill effects from possessing the gene. The researchers speculate that the gene may one day be able to be transplanted via a person's bone marrow to fight cancerous cells in the body. They believe it may act as an alternative to chemotherapy and radiation, which have highly toxic effects on healthy cells.

In my opinion, this will one day be one of the greatest invention. If this was to be improved and able to be used to humans, many and many people who is infected by cancer cells will be cured and will live a better and happier life. I wish that this medicine improves within few years so that my family members, friends or myself can be cured through this medicine.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/11/27/mouse-cancer.html

Twin blasts kill 16 in Pakistan

Two suicide blasts killed at least 16 people in the Pakistani town of Rawalpindi on the outskirts of Islamabad. Approximately 15 people were killed when a suicide car bomber rammed a vehicle into a Defence Ministry bus carrying employees of the country's intelligence service, said reports.

The other attack occurred near the army's General Headquarters (GHQ) inRawalpindi. An unknown number of people were injured in the attacks.

The violence comes as Pakistan remains under a state of emergency, a move by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf that has prompted stiff criticism of the military ruler, including from his key Western ally, the United States.

Musharraf declared the state of emergency on Nov. 3, justifying it by citing the escalating danger posed by Islamic extremists. But his critics have noted many of his moves have been against political opponents rather than militants.

In my opinion, I can't believe why everybody can't be happy. I can't understand why they are using suicide bombers in order to destroy the other side. Some may say it is a sacrifice in order to gain more benefits. But I do not agree with that point. I think that sacrificing someone's life and killing more life, is worse. So, in conclusion, I think that there shouldn't be any more of these.

Article from:http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/11/23/pakistan-blasts.html

4 found dead in Ottawa homicide

A man and three women were found dead (Wednesday) in Southeast Ottawa house which was found an obvious homicide. The Police officers found the bodies of a man and two women on Grandpark Circle, near Conroy Road right before 8 a.m. A fourth body belonging to a woman was found around 1:15 p.m.

Police added they are not ruling out a murder-suicide, and would not say if they are looking for any suspects. The owners of the home, Santbir Singh Brar, 44, and Amarjeet Brar, 46, are believed to be among the dead, as well as the couple's two daughters, who were both in their early 20s.

Police first visited the home around 2 a.m. after a call from a woman they described as a family member concerned about one of the house's occupants, police said. During the first visit, no one answered and police said they saw nothing suspicious, but when they returned to follow up later that morning, they saw something that prompted them to kick down the front door and enter the house.

Three police cruisers were parked in front of the detached brick house on a quiet residential street Wednesday afternoon as investigators and forensics experts entered and left. Neighbours told CBC reporters that a couple in their 40s or 50s and a younger female had lived in the house for about five years. They also said the family kept to themselves and few knew them, even though area residents described the street as a friendly place where neighbours speak to each other a lot, CBC Radio's Alistair Steele reported from the scene.

Land Registry Office documents show the house where the bodies were found was purchased in October 2002 by the Brars. A Santbir Brar is listed in the City of Ottawa directory as a garage supervisor with the fleet services branch. However, a city spokesman would not confirm whether he was the same man who owned the house, citing the police investigation.

In my opinion, this homicide is very cruel and killing 4 people is very hard. I hope that the police officers find the murderer and put him in a prison. I fell very sorry for this family and I think that this homicide is again, very cruel.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2007/11/21/ot-bodies-071121.html

U.S. lemons found on Canadian car lots

Hundreds of vehicles labelled lemons in the United States are turning up at Canadian dealerships where some unsuspecting customers are being offered defective cars, CBC News has learned.

In one instance, a Kia minivan that originally sold for $28,100 US in Florida was sold at auction to a Winnipeg dealer for $13,100 US after it was declared a lemon. It ended up on a Winnipeg car lot where it was recently found on sale for $24,980 and with no warnings about its history.
Unlike the U.S., Canada has no lemon laws despite attempts to establish them in British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario.

Eric Schrepel, who bought the 2006 Kia minivan brand new from a Florida dealership, said the battery died four times in less than 18 months and no mechanic could solve the problem.
"There was some sort of short that they just couldn't locate in the car. Kia makes a very good car. But I think this one is just literally — it was just a lemon," Schrepel told CBC News.
The manufacturer followed the letter of the law in Florida and bought back the van. It later resold it to the Winnipeg dealer.

A salesman at the Winnipeg car lot would only say the van had been designated a lemon in Florida after being asked several times. Even then he guaranteed the van would perform properly.

While the definition of lemon varies by state, it most often means that despite several trips to the dealer's service department, a vehicle continues to have a serious problem.
Once a vehicle is declared a lemon, the manufacturer has to buy it back. But there's nothing to stop the manufacturer from reselling it.

While all 50 states have lemon laws, only 19 require the title of a car declared a lemon to carry a warning. When a dealer sells a lemon out-of-state, the lemon designation is often not carried over.

A CBC News investigation found that between May 1, 2006, and Nov. 5, 2007, 852 American lemons were imported into Canada, with more than 110 of those crossing the border since the Canadian dollar reached parity.

In my opinion, the car dealerships are very cheap. They shouldn't sell the lemon cars at any costs. They should think about the customers who buys that car and later realizes that something is wrong. I also think that there should be a lemon car law in Canada so that it is not beneficial to the car dealerships and the US dealerships who sells lemon cars to Canada.

Article from:http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/11/13/lemons.html

Space shuttle Discovery lands in Florida

The space shuttle Discovery touched down at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1:02 p.m, Wednesday afternoon, concluding a 15-day mission to the International Space Station that saw the crew repair a ripped solar wing and complete four spacewalks.

The shuttle landed on Runway 33, making a right overhead turn as it approached the landing facility.Discovery's return to Earth was the first coast-to-coast re-entry by a space shuttle since the destruction of Columbia over Texas in 2003. The landing path started over British Columbia then cut diagonally east over the Great Plains and several southern U.S. states.

The crew had completed landing preparations earlier in the day, including changing into their orange launch-and-entry suits, testing flight control systems and thruster jets, stowing equipment and installing a special reclining seat for astronaut Clay Anderson, who is returning after five months aboard the International Space Station.The original landing plan called for a pre-dawn touchdown in Florida with a flight over Central America and the Caribbean.

However, crew fatigue after the long and busy mission, which began Oct. 23, led NASA to change plans.Astronauts undocked from the International Space Station on Monday and used Tuesday to ensure the shuttle was prepared for re-entry, using a laser-tipped boom to check the ship for any micrometeorite damage.

I am very proud of all the astronauts. They are spending months and years at space and risking their life in order to improve our lifestyle. Even though the space shuttle had a little of a delay, I understand the fact that all of the astronauts were very tired. Also, I congradulate all of them that they had a successful mission.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/11/07/shuttle-landing.html

consumer group warns about gift cards

A powerful consumer organization is taking on retailers over the issue of unredeemed gift cards.
Amid the most popular gift-card giving season of the year, Consumer Reports has taken out full page ads in the New York Times today advising shoppers to think twice before choosing a gift card.

More than a quarter of all gift cards is lost, expires or is just never spent, the consumer advocacy group warns.

That adds up to an estimated 8billion dollars (US) out of consumers' pockets, the organization says. Gift cards have become an increasingly popular choice for holiday shoppers ever since retailers began replacing paper gift certificates with plastic cards that look like credit cards.
Sales of such cards are expected to reach 100billion dollars (US) by next holiday season, the consumer group said.

In Canada, shoppers bought 1.26billion dollars worth of gift cards last year, according to market research firm NPD Group Canada Inc. As many as 40 per cent were still outstanding by the end of March, the firm also said.

Despite their popularity, there have been problems with gift cards from the beginning. Many consumers complained they expired too soon, or monthly fees gradually reduced their value to nothing.

Many lawmakers, including Ontario's provincial government, eventually banned such fees and expiry dates.

In my opinion, I also think that before buying a gift card, you should think and think. I had an experience when I did not use my gift card ($30). I was not able to use my gift card because of the expiry date. I think that when making gift cards, there shouldn't be an expiry date on it. Even though business is earning a lot of money on selling gift cards, I think that they should take care of the consumers as well.

Tied to tree, raped, woman tells MD's trial

A women told the St. John's jury on Wenesday that a physician tied her to a tree and had sexual assault on her. This women is the second person to get witness to testify against John Buckingham, a physician facing 23 charges involving with sexual abuse and drug uses. This women was addicted to cocaine since age of 13 and was addicted to OxyContin since age of 18.

Court heard she has been convicted of persuading doctors to give her prescriptions for narcotics.

Buckingham, she testified, was one of the doctors who prescribed OxyContin — a powerful painkiller often meant to be used for cancer patients — to her.
She testified she gave Buckingham sexual favours for the prescriptions, starting with oral sex at his office. Eventually, she testified, she had sexual intercourse with Buckingham at his house on a regular basis.

She testified that Buckingham once tied her to a tree and that they had anal sex. She told jurors that it hurt and that when she asked him to stop, he did not.
She said she was too ashamed to get treatment for the bleeding that ensued.
As well, she told the court, Buckingham whipped her with a branch while she was tied to a tree, leaving bruises on her back and legs.

In my opinion, John Buckingham is one of the worst kind of man that could be. I can't believe such a human can do this thing! I think that John Buckingham stays in prison for many years after seeing what he has done in the past (he deserves it)

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2007/10/18/buckingham-trial.html

Britain to begin analog shutdown

Britain is beginning the first phase of its switch-off of analog television broadcasting on Wednesday, with residents in Whitehaven the first to go all digital.

Television viewers in the town, which is in the northwestern corner of the country, who do not have digital services such as Freeview or Sky will lose BBC2 when the switch-off begins.

Digital UK, the body overseeing the switch-off, said town residents are leaving things until the last minute. About 20 per cent of households, or 5,000, have not yet purchased the digital set-top box needed for the conversion. Britain will then continue a phased switch-off, resulting in the entire country going completely digital by 2012. Britain is the latest country to begin an analog switch-off, after Finland completed it in August. The United States is scheduled to turn off its signals in 2009, with Canada following suit on Aug. 31, 2011.

In Canada, the switch-off will only apply to free, over-the-air broadcasts and not necessarily to cable television subscribers. Under rules set by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, cable companies have the option of turning off analog signals if they can show more than 85 per cent of their customers are on digital. Canada's largest cable provider, Rogers Communications Inc., now has more than 50 per cent of customers on digital and is expected to surpass that threshold in three to four years.

I think that governments around the world are turning off analog broadcasts because digital is a more efficient use of the broadcast airwaves, where several digital channels can use the same transmission space as one analog channel.
Television providers also support the move because digital television creates additional revenue through the addition of on-demand services such as pay-per-view movies.

Article from: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/10/15/tech-digital.html

Canadian troops in battle near Kandahar city

The sounds of mortars and heavy machine-gun fire were echoing through Kandahar city today as Canadian troops along with U.S. and Afghan forces confronted a show of force by the Taliban in a major battle just outside the city limits.

Intense fighting reportedly left 50 Taliban dead and 50 more wounded after the Afghan National Police and NATO soldiers surrounded two villages in the Arghandab district, about 25 kilometres north of Kandahar city.

The Taliban were believed to have massed about 300 fighters in the area, hoping to take advantage of a leadership vacuum in the district which sits on a rebel infiltration route.

Major, Eric Landry, who is a chief of planning for the Canadian military contingent in Afghanistan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Forces, or ISAF. said "The Arghandab district is very close to Kandahar city,"
"The Taliban shouldn't have arrived here. It was one of the safest districts but it's not safe any more."

Why are Talibans and US soldiers, even Canadians fighting? I can't believe how much damage is done. For example, In Kandahar city, most of the buildings are destroyed, many inocent children, citizens have been killed or wounded and many soldiers are killed. I blame both Talibans and our soliders. Talibans should stop attacking, trying to overrule the country and take advantage of a leadership.

Indigo cuts book prices

New promotion cuts price of all books 10-20 per cent

As the Canadian dollar soared early today to its highest level since 1960s and postal warehouses filled up with goods bought online from U.S. retailers, another major Canadian retailer announced price cuts aimed at luring customers into its stores.

Indigo Books and Musics Inc are lowering its book price by 10 to 20 cents off on any books. They said that there will be higher discount is rewarded for costumers who belong to its "irewards" loyalty program. The reason that they are lowering its price is because many people are buying books from U.S. online system not from Canadian book stores.

The discount does not completely close the gap between the printed prices of Canadian and U.S. books. But in a notice to customers handed out in its stores, Indigo says books in Canada will always cost up to 10 per cent more due to differences in the scale of the business here.
The Canadian dollar rose another 0.3 per cent early Wednesday to $1.0513 U.S. and is up 22.6 per cent against the U.S. greenback so far this year. Yet consumers have pointed out that prices for many goods remain as much as 30 to 40 per cent higher in Canada.

Several major retailers have responded by publicizing their efforts to lower prices for consumers, including discount retailers Zeller's and Wal-mart.
The price gap on books is particularly evident to consumers as both the U.S. and Canadian prices come pre-printed on the book cover, Huie said.

Many consumers don't understand that the price printed on the book is set by the publisher, not the retailer, often six months before the book appears on stores shelves, Indigo also explained.

In my opinion, I think that because the book's prices are going down, it will be very good for all of us in Canada. However, because my father is working in Korea, he has to send more money for the same amount of money to be received. I wish that the book prices go down as much as possible.

Article from: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/272284

Murder conviction in Nazi dagger burglary

A jury has convicted a plumber’s assistant of suffocating an 83-year-old widow during a botched burglary in search of Nazi daggers, then burning her body to hide the evidence.

Richard Mackenzie, 36, faces an automatic life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years after a jury came back Tuesday night with a verdict of guilty of first-degree murder after almost two days’ deliberations.

With its verdict, the jury apparently found that Mackenzie made a conscious decision not to remove a duct tape gag that he had placed over Ann Zeidenberg’s mouth to silence her screams, or that he stopped her from removing it herself as she panicked and threw up.

Defence lawyer Lorne Sabsay had argued that his client, who did not take the stand, was not the killer. In fact, it was likely that two other intruders had killed Zeidenberg, Sabsay said.
But Crown prosecutor Hank Goody alleged that it was Mackenzie who gagged Zeidenberg, then covered her body with debris and lit it on fire in the basement of her bungalow on March 18, 2004.

Mackenzie had been part of a crew doing drain work the previous September on Zeidengberg’s home, north of Bathurst St. and Eglinton Ave. W., when he stole a Nazi dagger from her late husband’s collection of war memorabilia, Goody alleged.

Her family, which is Jewish, had sold most of the collection, but was storing the dagger and four similar weapons in the basement for fear of them getting into the wrong hands.
The Crown alleged Mackenzie unsuccessfully tried to sell the stolen dagger to an acquaintance before eventually selling it to an antique dealer.

He came back looking to steal the other four – which the family had already disposed of – and Zeidenberg, a retired teacher, likely caught him in the act, Goody said.

Article from: http://www.thestar.com/article/272247

Speeding crackdown Sunday

Sep 28, 2007 02:35 PM

Ontario, Canada’s new street car racing rule is affecting a lot on Sunday and polices predicts many "shocks and awes" over the tough new provincial legislation.

If a driver is caught going fifty (50)km over the speed limit, the police officer has right to take away the driver’s car and license for 7days with a minimum of $2,000 fine.

The safety officials are optimistic about the new law and they think that it is a very good idea and will help drivers to drive safer.

Brian Patterson, the president of the Ontario Safety League, said “This is going to be a good day for safety driving”.

On Saturday, before the legislation was made, when a driver gets caught driving at 160km/h when the speed limit is 100km/h, you would receive a summons to appear in court and be on your way.

In my opinion, this new legislation is a great idea! By this law, many people will get affected by it. This will help people to drive safe and keep them in the speed zone. I think that over the next few years, you will see a lot of changes of the driving policies in Ontario. On the other hand, it will be very busy for polices and courts for them.

Article from http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/261595

Girls study harder than boys, says StatsCan

Sep 20, 2007 09:18 AM

Statistics Canada says that young men (teenagers) are less likely to attend universities than young women (teenagers). The new study attributes the difference in academic performances, study habits at the age of 15, and parental expectations.

StatsCan says that 1/4th (26%) of 19year-old young men only attended universities in 2003 while 2/5th (39%) of 19year-old young women are attending universities.

StatsCan found out that 77% was different in the characteristics of young men and women that were available in the study. The poorer academic performances were performed by young-men which accounted for almost half of the gap. Young men performed lower overall school average in the age of 15 years old and had performed weaker performance on a standardized reading test.

Another 11% of the gap was shown that the young men are spending far less time on their homework that girls and approximately 9% was related with the lower educational expectations placed upon boys by their parents.

The study was shown that men women have different characteristics at the age of 15. For example, only 33% of young men are receiving overall average of 80% or higher in their schools while 46% of young women are receiving the same.

Also, only 20% of the young men received in the top mark in standardized reading test when here were 30% of young women were getting top mark.

In my opinion, there are students who are willing to work and who are not willing to work in both genre (boys and girls). I don’t think that girls or boys are better than each other but I think that girls are more “passionate” about studying. I recommend boys to start study harder than before and let’s catch up to the girls!

Article from http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/258680

High loonie no shopping boon

Sep 19, 2007 04:24 PM

Canadian consumers think that it is not a big saving when buying in domestic market because of the surging loonie. They are being urged by some groups to travel to the United States of America if they want to benefit from nearly parity with the American dollars.

It is possible for Canadian dollars to be equal to US dollars any point soon, following a huge leap Tuesday after United States of America Federal Reserve surprised investors by cutting its key interest rate by half a percentage point.

Today (Wednesday), the currency is now at 98.5 cents U.S., after nudging 99 cents overnight.
new record price for oil of more than US$82 per barrel and a Lower U.S. interest rates sent the loonie rocketing upwards – taking hopes of cheaper U.S. imports along with it.

Even though the loonie is at its highest level since January 1977, after the Fed announcement, many economists say “it could be up to two years before consumers see any effect at Canadian stores, if the loonie remains at current levels.”

In my opinion, there is an advantage and disadvantage for loonie’s currency to be higher and US currency is going down. The advantage is that when traveling whether for business or tour, you will spend less money than before. Also when applying for universities in US, it will cost cheaper. By making Canadian currency higher, it will be very beneficial to Canada’s image and will be beneficial to people who work in Canada. However on the other hand, because my father is working in Korea and sending money for school’s tuition and etc…, my father will have to work harder than before and will not be benefit for me.

Article from http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/258299

Man dead after online gaming binge

Sep 17, 2007 08:48 AM

In Beijing, A man from Southern China appeared to have died of exhaustion after playing Internet games. At Saturday afternoon, the man, who is 30 year old, fainted at a cyber café in Guangzhou after playing games online for three days. After the man was found fainted, the paramedics came and tried to save his life. Unfortunately, the revival lead to failure and he was announced dead at the café. The online-game that the man was playing and the name of the man were not told in the media from Beijing news.
After the paramedics declared that the man died in the café, all of the Web surfers, feeling fear, left the café.

China has more than 140 million Internet users, second only to the United States of America. It is one of the world’s biggest markets for online games, with millions of players, many of them whom are hooked into playing online games and hunkered down for hours in front of computers in public Internet cafés. In China, many cities have clinics that treat “Internet addictions” with people and many of them are children and teenagers, playing online games or suffer of the Web for days.

In my opinion, dying from exhaustion of playing games is very ridiculous. I think that it is very stupid to play online games for 3 days in a row. Personally, if I play an online game for 3 hours, I feel really dizzy and feel like my head is going to blow up. I can’t imagine how some people play games for days. Also, I think that no one wants to die by playing games in “café”. Finally, I think that playing games for fun, to get rid of stress, etc… for few hours will be fine but too much, will just hurt you.

Article from http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/257404

Tsunamis feared after Indonesian quake

September 12th, 2007 11:27 AM

It is a picture of a residence looking at the destroyed building

after the strong earthquake.

In Jakarta, Indonesia, at least 7 people were killed and injured 100 people by a massive earthquake and it also triggered a small tsunami in Western part of Indonesia. The warnings were told across most of the Indian Ocean region.

It was the earthquake magnitude of 8.2 that badly damaged the Sumatra island buildings along the coast. This earthquake was too strong that it could be felt in at least four other countries, making the buildings sway (2,000km away). Later, it was followed by many aftershocks which the strongest was magnitude of 6.6 and it also triggered for a second tsunami alert in Indonesia.

After 20 minutes of the initial earthquake, the tsunami wave of up to 3m high struck the city of Padang. Fortunately, only few of the buildings were damaged because people in Padang have been warned before the tsunami had struck. People had evacuated faster because of the reminder of 2004 tsunami disaster. Thanks to police, they went out early to warn people to stay away from the beaches. After the quake, frightened people fled their homes and ran to inland, fearing a repeat of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

Sensitive to the 2004 tsunami disaster, governments issued alerts as far away as Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, telling people to leave beaches. People in Mombasa, Kenya, crowded into buses after hearing the warning over the radio. Also, Sri Lankans were told to move at least 660 feet inland.

In my opinion, because we all knew about the 2004 tsunami disaster, we were able to save more lives and we now know what to do. I think that the police in Indonesia, Kenya, East Africa, etc… were very calm, smart and did their job well to evacuate people. Indonesia, the world's largest group of islands, is prone to extreme disturbance due to its location on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Article from http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/255739

Minor injuries only in fiery plane crash

September 10th, 2007 - 09:17 AM

A picture of passengers in the car after the emergency landing in
Aalborg Airport, Denmark, September 9th, 2007

In Copenhagen, Denmark, during the emergency landing, a Scandinavian airlines turboprop carrying 73passengers. The plane caught on fire as it was landing on a runway in a cloud of smoke and dust. Fortunately, only 5passengers suffered minor injuries.

The plane had departed from Copenhagen’s international airport for the short flight to Aalborg airport in western Denmark. This plane, Q400 turboprop, collapsed its right landing gear during the touchdown in Sunday at the Aalborg airport. This plane was still in SAS Monday, blocking the traffic. Scandinavian airlines decided to drop all of the flights to Aalborg because the “spare” runway wasn’t big enough for its planes.

While the plane was flying up in the sky, the pilot informed the control tower because he noticed that the landing gear had a problem. He then dumped out the fuels and made the emergency landing. Ternert blamed on the airline and the aircraft maker named “Bombardier” for the problem with the landing gear.

The TV footage from public broadcasters showed the collapsing while the touchdown (the right landing gear). When the plane’s right landing gear collapsed, it tilted to the right and its wing got hit to the ground making the aircraft spinning on the runway. While this disaster, one of its propeller broke loose and cut through the cabins. Luckily, it did not hit any of the passengers.

The firefighters quickly put out a fire right after the plane landed. They put out a fire before the 69passengers evacuated form the plane and only five of the passengers got a minor injury.

Scandinavian Airlines, or also known as SAS, is the joint flag carrier of Norway, Denmark or Sweden. After this crash, fifteen of the European flights to and from Copenhagen were also cancelled because of the accident.

In my opinion, I think that the pilot tried his best to protect the passengers and that he should be awarded for this because the pilot made a smart decision on dumping out all of its fuels. If there are loads of fuels in the tank, the wires, sparks and fuels would make an explosion. I think that the airlines and the “airplane examiners” were not responsible for their work. Next time, they should concentrate more on checking what is wrong with it. Also, I think that the passengers and pilots are lucky that no one died and only few had minor injuries.

aricle from: http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/254917

Poor mothers have smaller babies, says study

Oct 02, 2007 09:56 AM

The study in Ottawa says that mothers from the poorer neighbourhoods in Toronto are more likely to have smaller babies or give birth prematurely.

The study of births in Toronto in the year 1996 to 2001 stated that mothers from the lowest-income neighbourhoods in the city were 25% more likely to have a preterm birth than mothers in the richest neighbourhoods and also 53% more likely to have an under-weight baby at full-term.

Immigrant women in the same neighbourhoods, however, were less likely to give birth prematurely, although their babies were smaller. Those smaller babies may be related more to ancestry than income, however.

The highest rates of immigration to Toronto in recent years were from China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

"Women born in southern and eastern Asia tend to be shorter and lighter and to have lower caloric intake than Canadian-born women – factors that contribute to smaller babies, and consequently, to lower birthweight," the study said.

Compared with mothers in the richest neighbourhoods, non-immigrant mothers from poor neighbourhoods were more likely to be under 20, to have had at least one illness during pregnancy and to give birth by caesarean section.

"Longer-term residents in low-income neighbourhoods were clearly the subgroup experiencing the highest risk of adverse birth outcomes, probably because of the influence of lasting socio-economic disadvantage."

The study contained a number of caveats. For example, while it looked at mothers from poor neighbourhoods, there was no way to pin down details such as individual income.

In my opinion, I don’t think that this is true. I think that it doesn’t matter how you look or how small you will be affected by how poor your parents are. For example, Many of the “most tallest person in the world” ‘s parents are not very rich. I think that it is one of your DNA gene and how tall your parents are determines your height. I heard from the internet that your height is determined by how tall your parents are. (DNA gene)

Article from http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/262647

Wounded biker sues strip club for $1.1M

Hells Angel says club should have checked employee for weapons

Carlo Verrelli, Toronto Hells Angels biker, is suing the Vaughan strip club for 1.1 million dollar saying that he has suffered permanent psychological and physical injuries from being shot several times by a club employee, who also fatally shot a fellow Hells Angel.

Verrelli's lawsuit claims that Club Pro Adult Entertainment should have checked its security consultant, Francisco Lenti, 60, for weapons the night of Dec. 2, 2006.

In December 3rd, Lenti was charged by York Region police with second-degree murder for shooting David (Dred) Buchanan of the West Toronto Hells Angels chapter, and attempted murder for wounding Verrelli and Dana Carnegie, also of the West Toronto Hells Angels.

Lenti had been employed for several years as a security consultant at the strip club near the corner of Highway 7 and Jane St.

He has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder and attempted murder charges.

In my opinion, I think that Carlo Verrelli wants too much from the club. I think that it is his fault that he got badly injured after few shots by the club employee. Also, I think that Yor Region police made a mistake that they did not charge Lenti Francisco for second-hand murder.

Article from http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/265283