Termite exterminators find 200-year-old mummy

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Exterminators looking for termites in a monastery in Brazil's biggest city of Sao Paulo found a mummy and a skeleton believed to be at least 200 years old, the head of the monastery said on Tuesday.

"There were some mounds of termite dust and the exterminators broke into the walls to see what was in there," Father Armenio Rodrigues Nogueira, who is in charge of the monastery, one of the city's oldest, told Reuters.

"It was a huge surprise."

The bodies, believed to be two nuns, were found weeks ago, but officials at the Mosteiro da Luz (Monastery of Light) decided to keep them secret while the Institute for National Artistic and Historical Heritage did further research.

The Catholic monastery was founded in 1774 by Brazil's first saint, Antonio Galvao, about 50 years before the nation's independence from colonial power Portugal.

Balloons and Clones

Benoît Lambert, A Belgian Star Wars fan conceptualized this Darth vader shaped hot air balloon which flew at the Tours and Taxis site as part of the Star Wars exhibition in Brussels.

LucasFilms gave permission to Lambert, who used his own funding, to use the popular Star Wars chararacter as long as the balloon won't be used for commercial pursuits.

The balloon measures 26 meters (86 feet) high with the basket included, 21 meters (69 feet) wide and with a depth of 24 meters (78 feet). The estimated hot air volume 3.000 m³ (106,000 cubic feet) and estimated weight 320 kilos (705 lbs). The balloon can carry two passengers and a pilot.

By the way, a seventh Star Wars movie is coming this August 15(America, International release to be announced) only it's in CGI. Before its premiere on Cartoon Network, Star Wars: The Clone Wars will debut in theaters. Produced by Lucasfilm Animation and distributed by Warner, the 90 minute movie will showcase an entirely new look and feel to the galaxy far, far, away.


"I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell," said George Lucas, executive producer of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward."

Fans like myself will be able to see animated versions of much-loved characters such as Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme with brand new heroes like Anakin's padawan, Ahsoka. Of course R2D2 and C-3P0 will be around together with a multitude of clones.
A new sinister villain will also be featured, the ruthless Asajj Ventress.

Star Wars: Clone Wars Sneak Peek

14 Million dollar plate

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP)-A license plate with nothing but the number "1" on it went for a record $14 million at a charity auction Saturday.

Saeed Khouri, a member of a wealthy Abu Dhabi family, wouldn't say how many automobiles he owned or which of them might carry the record-breaking single-digit plate.

"I bought it because it's the best number," said Khouri, whose family made its fortune in real estate. "I bought it because I want to be the best in the world."

Great Seal myths debunked

The familiar emblem of the United States which can also be found on the back of the $1 bill will be disrobed of its myths and symbolisms made popular by novels, conspiracy theorists and films such as the National Treasure franchise. From the all-seeing eye, to the pyramid and Latin phrases, the seal's keepers will inaugarate a new exhibition to commemorate its 225th anniversary and hope to dispel rumors and educate Americans about the real meaning of the symbols.

Among the exhibit's highlights will be the discussion of such myths and legends:

-That known Masons like the first U.S. president, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin had no role in designing the final seal, which uses elements of traditional heraldry, such as the unfinished pyramid to symbolize a work in progress, arrows for war and an olive branch for peace. Masons share some of those symbols, but they have never been exclusively the domain of the order.

-That the phrase "Novus Ordo Seculorum" below the Roman numerals for 1776 at the base of the pyramid translates as "A New Order of the Ages" that began with independence and does not imply the United States will be the lynchpin of a sinister "New World Order."

-That the words "Annuit Coeptis" ("Providence favors") and the eye of providence that hovers over the pyramid refer to unexpected interventions of fate that assisted the colonists in creating a new country.

-That the references to 13 refer to the number of colonies that formed the original United States.

-That the Seal proves the domination of the United States by a powerful, quasi-religious cult. The Ancient Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a perennial favorite of conspiracy theorists as some Founding Fathers were Masons and the Seal uses several Masonic symbols.

-That the Seal draws on Satanism or polytheistic ritual to promote a universal new world order under which Earth would be ruled by a single omnipotent government.

-That repeated references to 13 — the number of steps in the unfinished pyramid, stars in the constellation over the eagle's head, arrows in the eagle's claw, stripes on the eagle's shield, letters in the phrase "Annuit Coeptis" — demonstrate the power of 13 American families.

-That there are two seals: one in which the eagle's head faces the arrows for times of war and another in which the eagle's head faces the olive branch for times of peace.

Dogs give up lives to save family

WINONA, Minn. -(AP) Bella, a 3-year-old golden retriever/collie mix who was once rescued as an abused puppy, returned the favor to her owners by alerting them to a house fire. With help from Maddie, a 6-month-old golden retriever, Bella helped get Sue Feuling and her 9-year-old daughter, Mckenzie, out of the house last week. The dogs didn't make it.

"Those dogs were without a doubt the heroes," said Winona Assistant Fire Chief Jim Multhaup.

Bella had jumped on Feuling's bed early Friday morning and started barking, and Feuling then smelled smoke, grabbed her daughter and rushed out of the house.

But Feuling couldn't coax the dogs out of the house, even when she tried to run back in to yell for them.

"Bella must have thought Mckenzie was still in the house," Feuling said.

A firefighter who arrived at the scene tried to save the dogs, but it was too late. The Feulings were taken to an area hospital for smoke inhalation monitoring, but were OK, Multhaup said.

The fire, which was caused by an overloaded electrical outlet, gutted the home, Multhaup said.

While an assistance fund was set up, Sue Feuling said she was only thinking about her dogs. "Everything I lost is nothing compared to them," she said.

HP recycles 1 billion pounds of IT hardware

It's wonderful to know that a giant company like HP is very much aware of its responsibility to protect and conserve the environment. Recently, HP announced that it has recycled more than a billion pounds of hardware and printer ink cartridges, and is targeting to double that by 2010.

Started in 1987, HP’s recycling program now operates in more than 50 countries. The program seeks to reduce the environmental impact of IT products, minimize waste going to landfills and help customers manage products at their end of life.

According to HP, plastics and metals recovered from products recycled by HP have been used to make a range of new products, including auto body parts, clothes hangers, plastic toys, fence posts, serving trays and roof tiles.

Super Bowl!!!

The cost of a 30-second commercial on average is $2.7 million. The first famous Super Bowl commercial was a 1974 ad for Noxzema featuring Super Bowl legend Joe Namath.

During halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, Justin Timberlake removed a piece of Janet Jackson's top, exposing her right breast with a star-shaped ring around the nipple. Timberlake and Jackson have maintained that the incident was accidental, calling it a "wardrobe malfunction."

Jerry Rice has scored the most touchdowns (7) in three Super Bowls.

Mike Lodish has played the most Super Bowls (6), four with Buffalo and two with Denver.

No network footage exists of Super Bowl I. It was taped over, supposedly for a soap opera.

No NFL team has ever played the Super Bowl on its own home field.

Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest U.S. food consumption day, following Thanksgiving.

Super Bowls are held in an American city that is chosen years in advance.

The Dallas Cowboys have scored the most points (221); the Denver Broncos have allowed the most (206).

The Dolphins are the only team that failed to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl game. Miami scored just three points in a 21-point loss to Dallas in Super Bowl VI in New Orleans.

The first Super Bowl was played in 1967. The Green Bay Packers of the National Football League defeated the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League, 35-to-10.

The longest field goal in Super Bowl history was by Steve Christie. Christie hit a 54-yarder in the first quarter of Super Bowl XXVIII vs. Dallas. Jason Elam has the second-longest field goal of 51 yards.

The NFL pays for up to 150 rings for the winning Super Bowl team at $5,000 apiece (plus adjustments for extra gold or diamonds) and 150 pieces of jewelry for the losing Super Bowl team, each to cost up to half the price of the Super Bowl ring

The only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls under different head coaches are the San Francisco 49ers. They won Super Bowl XXIII under legendary coach Bill Walsh and the next year returned to victory under George Seifert.

The winning Super Bowl team gets the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for the coach of the Green Bay Packers, who won the first two Super Bowl games. Following his death in September 1970, the trophy was named the Vince Lombardi Trophy, first awarded at Super Bowl V in Miami. The Vince Lombardi Trophy is made by Tiffany, takes 72 man hours to produce, and it costs $12,500.