Google knows what Ascii Art stands for in Geek Mode

Google seems to know everything otherwise we can’t understand how the company enters geek mode when you get to search for ASCII art on it. Amazingly cool, just next to the search box there’s a colorful ASCII representation of Google’s logo. And we don’t even care that it looks like “Coogle”, for some particular reason this rather not impressive little thing has managed to actually get us.

Our take is that Google uses the “did you mean” feature in a funny way, so right now we’re on a hunt for other keywords that would have similar results. Sweet!

6.9-magnitude quake rocks Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A strong 6.9-magnitude quake struck off Indonesia's Sulawesi island Friday but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the country's geophysics agency said.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 9:51 am (0051 GMT), was located 234 kilometres (145 miles) southeast of Bau Bau island in southeast Sulawesi province.

It was measured at a depth of 670 kilometres.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said the quake was located too deep to generate a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, but tremors were felt on islands as far away as Timor.

Dozens of employees at a two-storey television building in the East Timorese capital Dili rushed outside in panic, an AFP correspondent witnessed.

"I just arrived in my office when I suddenly felt the shaking. It's quite strong. Friends screamed to tell people to go outside the building," said a man who worked in the building.

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 6.8-magnitude.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

Phillip Garrido, a religious fanatic with a dark secret neighbours never guessed

The 58-year-old lived quietly with his wife, Nancy, and what neighbours believed to be their children in an unremarkable house in Walnut Avenue in Antioch, California.

To some of those around him he was a friendly but eccentric man, with a love of opera, and strong – if unusual – religious views.

But reportedly nicknamed him "creepy Phil".

They did not know he was a convicted sex offender and rapist on lifetime federal parole.

Neighbours were vague about basic facts such as how many children he had, and even his parole officer who visited him inside the compound never guessed at the existence of a network of tents and sheds concealed behind shrubs in which Jaycee Lee Dugard spent the last 18 years, alongside her two children.

Residents remembered hearing him bursting into passages of opera from inside his house, according to reports.

He occasionally handed them hand made religious tracts and, when asked about the children, said that he traditional ideas about bringing them up.

Even those nearest to the family glimpsed the girls, whom he said were home schooled, rarely if ever.

With bars on his windows visible from the outside, he said that he forbade them to watch television or venture out.

But to most they were just kind, helpful neighbours.

"If I needed something, they would be the first I would call on," said Helen Boyer, 78.

"They were real good neighbours, real nice people."

But it was during one such apparent act of kindness that Haydee Perry, 35, who lives next door, was surprised to see him with a young girl who told her that Garrido was her father and that she had older sisters.

"She stayed close to him at all times, ' Miss Perry was quoted as saying.

"It wasn't normal behaviour. She had a blank stare on her face. Now it seems like a cry out for help."

To clients of his printing business Garrido's claims about having an unusual gift about being able to to control sound with his mind had become a familiar theme.

He toured their offices and businesses demonstrating his "gift" with the help of a sound generator device and even appears to have persuaded several of them to sign declarations confirming that they too had heard the "unearthly" voices.

Tim Allen, president of East County Glass and Window in Pittsburgh, who bought business cards and letterhead from him, said: "In the last couple years he started getting into this strange religious stuff. We kind of felt sorry for him."

He added: "He rambled. It made no sense .... We never thought anything bad about the guy. He was just kind of nutty."

N1H1 Vaccine tests - A mother's story

The idea of testing a vaccine on children makes many parents squeamish. But for Amanda Strudwick, it was a chance for the Atlanta mother and nurse to protect her children and the nation from H1N1.

“There are children in school getting sick already,” Strudwick said. “If my children are vaccinated,  it means hopefully that they won’t pass it along to somebody else who may have a lower immune system.”

Strudwick;s daughters Nina, 7, and Hannah, 9, are among 100 children participating in an H1N1 vaccine study being conducted at Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. 

Fire approaching LA suburbs - LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. — Residents of about 500 homes have been urged to evacuate in La Canada Flintridge, where a fast-moving wildfire has crested a ridge and is burning downhill towards neighborhoods.

Forest Service fire spokeswoman Diane Cahir said residents were told around 10:30 p.m. Thursday night, as the flames made their way slowly down from the San Gabriel Mountains.

Cahir says residents have been told to get their cars packed and be ready to go.

The fire kicked up late Thursday afternoon as the blaze blackened at least 500 acres of heavy brush.

Three other fires are burning in Southern California, including one that destroyed structures in the ritzy seaside city of Rancho Palos Verdes.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wildfires erupted up and down California Thursday as a late summer siege of heat and low humidity levels made conditions ripe for conflagrations.

Structures could be seen burning in the wealthy communities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula south of Los Angeles, while suburbs on the foothills to the north of the city were threatened by a slumbering fire that suddenly roared to life in the evening hours.

Dozens of homes were evacuated in Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County fire Inspector Steve Zermeno said. TV news footage showed structures on fire and at least one entirely engulfed in flames. Fire officials could not confirm if any structures or homes had been damaged or destroyed.

In Monterey County, in the central coastal region of the state, 100 homes were evacuated about four miles from the community of Soledad. The fire had consumed more than 2,000 acres of steep grasslands, or more than 3 square miles, since it was reported Thursday afternoon, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Capt. James Dellamonica said.The blaze was zero percent contained.

The other major battles in Southern California were in the San Gabriel Mountains as firefighters struggled to keep flames from topping ridges and surging into a wider area of the sprawling Angeles National Forest northeast of downtown Los Angeles, where the temperature hit 99 degrees before noon.

The largest of two fires, which spread lung-burning haze over much of metropolitan Los Angeles, was 45 percent contained after burning across 1,850 acres, or nearly 3 square miles, said Capt. Jim Wilkins of the U.S. Forest Service.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters aided by bulldozers and a fleet of water- and fire retardant-dropping aircraft were concentrating on the fire's northeastern edge.

Wilkins said the area is so steep that "it's almost to the point where you need ropes" for firefighters to reach it.

The heat and very low humidity — which saps moisture from vegetation — were not helping.

"When you have all of those factors in alignment, it just burns explosively," Wilkins said.

On Wednesday, about 70 people were ordered evacuated from a trailer park and private campground along a fork of the San Gabriel River, Wilkins said.

The fire, believed caused by human action began Tuesday near a dam and reservoir in San Gabriel Canyon, a half-dozen miles above the city of Azusa.

A second fire about 20 miles to the west surged in the dry conditions Thursday north of the foothill suburb of La Canada Flintridge and sent another massive plume of smoke above Los Angeles.

The fire grew from 30 to 500 acres and containment was reduced from 20 to just 5 percent, Forest Service spokesman Robert Brady said. Evacuations were being considered, but had not been ordered as of Thursday evening, Forest Service spokesman Bruce Quintelier said.

Another fire, in the San Bernardino National Forest in Riverside County, had blackened 600 acres by Thursday evening and prompted authorities to issue a voluntary evacuation of 12 homes in the area near Hemet, said Anabele Cornejo of the San Bernardino National Forest Fire Information. She said about five people had left and that the fire was 5 percent contained.

Weather plagued fire crews as temperatures in some areas rose toward triple digits and humidity levels headed downward. For a second day, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning of extreme fire conditions for many of California's central and southern mountain ranges.

Emory Swine flu vaccine tested on 100 kids

Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta are vaccinating 100 children against the H1N1 "swine flu" virus. The vaccinations are part of a national pediatric study that began last week.

Federal health officials approved H1N1 vaccine studies on children after similar adult trials raised no major safety concerns.

"It may be even more important to do these studies in children," said Mark Mulligan, MD, associate director for clinical trials at the Emory Vaccine Center.  "Children are infected more often, and with more serious consequences, than are healthy adults."

"We think that seniors might have seen a virus like this a long time ago and might have some residual protection or immunity," said Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. "Young people, with all (their social interactions), and never having encountered this virus before, seem to be the ones with the very high attack rates."

Emory is one of six locations around the nation conducting a "combination trial" Up to 650 children nationwide will receive both the H1N1 vaccine and seasonal flu vaccine at the same time to determine whether simultaneous vaccinations will safely protect them from infection.

Another trial, taking place at five other locations around the country, will help determine the proper dosage -- whether children require injections of 15 or 30 micrograms of vaccine to build up immunity.

Because it has been generations since Americans have been exposed to a flu virus of this type, researchers expect most people -- especially children -- will require a second H1N1 vaccination three weeks after they receive their first dose. Even then, it may take an additional two weeks for their bodies to develop full immunity.

That five week lag time would mean most Americans might not be protected until late November, at the earliest, since the vaccine is not expected to become publicly available until mid-October.

Early vaccination is one fringe benefit of participating in the trials. For one family's story, read my related blog.

Eagles Vs Jaguars on the spotlight

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Philadelphia Eagles Live Stream. If you are looking to watch how Michael Vick will play as a starting quarterback, you can watch the preseason game today.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Philadelphia Eagles live stream

NFL Preseason Week 3

Date:August 27, 2009

Time:7:00pm ET

You can watch the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Philadelphia Eagles live stream on US Stream or in Just In TV if they are streaming it. Or you can watch it in your local channel. Watch the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Philadelphia Eagles Live.

Watch live on: http://watchsportschannel.com/

Crash Course debut

Two local couples have been living in a bubble of secrecy since July as contestants on ABC's one-hour extreme driving reality show "Crash Course," which premieres tonight. "It was so hard," says Mariam Cicarella 24, of keeping quiet. "I am so close to my sister and couldn't say anything to her, my mom or my dad."

Her husband and teammate Gino says it was equally tough for him. 

"It has been really hard to avoid the subject," says Gino, 31. "Friends and family were like 'Come on, you can tell me.'"

Fellow contestants Jennifer and Ralph Bryant of Farmington Hills also struggled with keeping mum about the show.

"A few people have been trying to get it out of us," says Jennifer, 36, "but absolutely no one knows."

Filmed at Belle Isle, the show is a hybrid pinball machine and amusement park, where cars go airborne trying to knock down 15-foot-tall bowling pins, land on the flatbed of a moving truck, drive in reverse with a boat attached to the car or flip and slide on the roof in hopes of winning $50,000. Hosts Orlando Jones ("MadTV") and Dan Cortese ("Veronica's Closet") will provide humorous and pithy commentary as the five teams of two compete.

The Cicarellas say they plan on having a party when they appear on the show. But revealing that date would reveal how far they went in the competition.

Sorry, no spoilers here!

In addition to possibly being the winners of $50,000, the Royal Oak couple, who are parents of a 2-year-old son, say they are happy that a bit of Hollywood has come to Motown.

"It was such a great experience to be a part of a huge production, and it is great for the city," says Gino, who is a student at Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts and has an interest in TV production. He is so ready for the big time that he has even selected an industry name, Gino Bicci.

Like the Cicarellas, the Bryants found being on the show an opportunity for adventure.

"I wanted to take a chance and do something different," says Jennifer of auditioning for the show. "I didn't think they would call us."

Filming of the show doubled as a stay-cation because during the experience, they were put up in a hotel, only going to the set, and were totally separated from the world.

"We didn't have to look at e-mail or the stock market. We had fun," says Jennifer, a mother of an 8-year-old, 15-year-old and 18-year-old, who describes herself as a silly girl who enjoys doing silly things.

Ralph, 50, whose wife describes him as the more low-key, workaholic of the two, agrees the experience was a fun change of pace.

"We haven't had a multi-day vacation alone," says Ralph, "because we always take the kids on vacation with us."

When asked if being on a show where she executed hair-raising stunts has changed her driving habits, Jennifer Bryant says definitely.

"We found out I loved using cars as toys," she says. "If I am ever reincarnated, I want to come back as a stuntman."

Update on tropical storm Danny

As of 11:00 a.m. ET, August 27, 2009, Tropical Storm Danny continues on its path towards the New England coast. The eye of the storm, or the center of Tropical Storm Danny was approximately 320 miles northeast of Nassau and approximately 550 miles south to southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Those in the area should monitor their local weather forecasts and heed to any tropical storm warnings or advisories recommended by their local weather bureau.

Tropical Storm Danny is moving at a speed of approximately 13 miles per hour. The pat is erratic and is not expected to change until Friday. At that point, it is possible that Tropical Storm Danny will pick up more speed, and possibly strengthen to a category 1, then it would become Hurricane Danny. Currently, maximum wind speeds are 60 miles per hour, to become Hurricane Danny, those winds need to increase another 15 miles per hour that could very well happen overnight or tomorrow.

Tropical Storm Danny’s projected path has it placed along the East coast, and targeting states such as North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and Maine. Whether Tropical Storm Danny will develop into a major hurricane remains to be seen, at this point, however, it is a Tropical Storm and those who are in the area will receive storms inherent with the system.

Tropical storm force winds associated with Danny extend outwards to a radius of 205 miles from the center. Tropical Storm Danny is the fourth named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane season. The next update will be released by the National Hurricane Center at 5:00 p.m. AST.

Jaycee Lee Dugard: Kidnapper Phillip Garrido has blog ‘Voices Revealed’ watch press conference live

Jaycee Lee Dugard stunned the nation when she walked into a Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department in California and revealed her true identity. Now, two people (Phillip Garrido, alleged kidnapper of Jaycee Lee Dugard, and Phillip’s wife, Nancy) are being held in connection with her kidnapping. Full details will be released at 3:00 p.m. CT and 6:00 p.m. ET, when the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department holds a press conference, but already, information has surfaced regarding Jaycee Lee Dugard’s alleged kidnapper, and the information is frightening.

Phillip Garrido operates a blog titled “Voices Revealed” located here: Voices Revealed: Blog by Phillip Garrido his last entry was posted on Friday, August 14, 2009. In addition to his blog, Garrido operated a ‘home church’ where he espoused his ranting doctrines.

The first post from Garrido’s blog reads, “During the month of July 2009 JM's Enterprises, 1215 Willow Pass Road * Pittsburg CA,(925) 439-8118 was the host to a powerful demonstration, the Creator has given me the ability to speak in the tongue of angels in order to provide a wake-up call that will in time include the salvation of the entire world.

You too can witness what the world believe's is impossible to produce! email: godsdesire@rocketmail.com. 

Another post is titled, “The U.S. Federal Government is not the source of Mind Control.” Further on in his bible he twists Scriptures to purport his view of what he calls “Cultural Trance.”

Both Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy are being held on 1,000,000 bond in Martinez.  The couple are being held on suspicion of rape by force, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, sexual penetration, and kidnapping.  Garrido's wife faces conspiracy and kidnapping charges.  Phillip Garrido is a registered sex offender and you can see his listing here: Phillip Garrido Registered Sex Offender  

Jaycee Lee Dugard's mother stated that she remembers everything and is 100% certain that she is in fact her missing and kidnapped daughter.

Jaycee Lee Dugard Case

Two suspects, James Anthony Daveggio and Michelle Lyn Michaud, are supsected in the disappearances of Amber Jean Swartz-Garcia, Micheala Joy Garecht and Ilene Beth Mishelhoff. However, an FBI-generated timeline of their whereabouts in the 1980's and 1990's made their involvement unlikely. On the other hand, if they are indeed the suspects in Dugard's case, I hope it brings resolution in the cases of Swartz-Garcia, Garect, and Mishelhoff.

I guess this goes to show that maintaining even the faintest glimmer of hope when your loved one goes missing, no matter how long they're missing for, isn't false hope. Anything can happen.

Madonna booed as she defended Roma gypsies in Bucharest concert

Madonna was booed onstage when she defended some Roma Gypsies.

The touring singer noted some of her dancers and musicians were part of the often despised Gypsy people, and she rushed to their defense saying that no one should be discriminated against.

Romanians felt otherwise.

Access Hollywood reported that during this Romanian concert, Madonna spoke out against the discrimination of Gypsies in Eastern Europe, saying that Gypsies, also known as Roma, were still being discriminated against in the region.

Later she said that made her “sad” because no one should be discriminated against.

Roma Gypsies are believed by academics to hail from India and that the Romani language is one of the Indo-Aryan languages sharing a close tie to Hindi.

According to the books by Barna Mezey, László Pomogyi and István Tauber (Budapest, 1985) entitled A magyarországi cigánykérdés dokumentumokban, 1422-1985 (The Gypsy question in Hungary: Documents, 1422-1985) - Gypsies originally came from northern India and parts of Pakistan.

Their culture was infused with Greek, Persian, and Armenian - and the Mongol invasion of parts of Central Asia prompted their westward migration.

According to these historians, during the fourteenth century some Gypsies reached the Carpathian basin, but most of these groups (kumpanias) continued their move farther west.

It was then that incidents of western countries' distrust and dislike for the nomadic Gypsies was recorded, and soon enough, according to these historians, the authorities made it impossible for Gypsies to remain. Accoding to these accounts, Gypsies retreated en masse to medieval Hungary and Romania.

István Tauber's book claims that the Turkish occupation created a new wave of immigration coming from Eastern Romania, the areas known as Moldavia and Wallachia. Oláh Gypsies were nomadic and completely unfamiliar with the accepted norms of the Hungarian population around them. Soon enough troubles began, according to the academics. The authors contends that the differences between the Hungarian populace and the nomadic Gypsy "kumpanias" were dramatic, and the relations between the two groups went south.

The scholars cite the neighboring Romanian allegations that Gypsies would often camp close to a village, steal the villagers blind, and then move on.

Gypsies were accused of theft and even killing in Romanian villages, according to these historians.

The Romanians that Madonna played to apparently knew some of this history, and booed her, 60,000 people reportedly.

Access Hollywood claims that Madonna did not react to the crowd.

The actual number of Roma Gypsies is up for debate, but allegedly they continue to face prejudice and discrimination in Romania and other Eastern European nations, according to varied news reports.