Nelson Mandela Died In June: Family Finally Admit

Nelson Mandela’s funeral was planned a year ago. The Nelson Mandela family has finally admitted that Nelson Mandela is dead by announcing on December 5th (2013) that the former leader of South Africa is no longer with us.

The charade began in June of 2013, and Guardian Express has maintained Mandela has been deceased since we were informed of his passing in June via one of our reporters embedded in South Africa. That reporter had received a text message from her close friend who works for the South African News which stated that Mandela had died the night prior.

Since June, The Guardian Express has come under attack; first from a “denial of service” attack which shut the site down on and off for three days right after we published the news that Mandela had died. That denial of service attack was traced back to South Africa.

The Guardian Express was also attacked by people denying that the Nelson Mandela family was carrying on a charade. However, we stood by and continue to stand by our account that Mandela was declared permanently brain dead with total organ failure in June of 2013. Now, today, the family has finally decided to give up their charade.

We sent an additional reporter to South Africa who returned with an audio recording of two top government officials confirming the fact that Mandela was totally brain dead and was declared so on June 11. However, his family refused to turn off the life support machines hooked up to his body. Thus, the family could keep him artificially “alive.” Their motive? To settle a huge lawsuit against Mandela’s estate.

It was revealed that Mandela’s family was suing him for control of his estate and since it is impossible to sue a dead person, it seems Mandela had to be kept “alive” with machines until a resolution could be found for the lawsuit. Thus far, there is no word on whether that lawsuit had been settled, but there are already many speculations in the press that this announcement today will begin the battles over the Mandela estate afresh.

The Mandela daughters and granddaughters have shown a good deal of greed when it comes to Mandela’s legacy. It has been reported that their fighting over his money got so bad that Mandela “lost faith” in his daughters and worried that their concern over money was overshadowing their concern for family harmony.

The Mandela funeral was planned a year in advance, according to reports. The funeral date is set for December 14 and there is a comprehensive schedule of events leading up to that date. The Mandela family has finally given up their charade which they have been carrying on since June and have admitted the former South African leader is dead.

Source: The Guardian Express

Kenyan Senator Caught Photoshopping Nelson Mandela Tribute Picture

A Kenyan senator who posted an image of himself with Nelson Mandela on his Facebook account has been caught out after it was exposed as a photoshopped picture.
The image was posted on Mike Sonko's Facebook page last Friday along with the caption: "A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination".  The original picture however is Mandela smiling with the boxer Muhammad Ali. The photoshopped image features Mike Sonko wearing a pair of sunglasses, looking toward the camera.  The photo has also been edited to feature an outdoor background.  He tagged 10 other people in the image, which has been shared almost 700 times on Facebook.

Members of the public mocked the photo in the comments. They pointed out that when the photo was taken, Mr Sonko would have been just a young boy.  Most of the comments thought the image was funny, which has been 'liked' more than 5,000 times.

Sam Muthwike commented below: "We have very true leaders... a talent for sure!"
Other users pointed out that Mr Sonko was not as tall as the image suggested.  Some were more offended by the image, however. Peter Ogwankwa Muma said on Facebook "It's distasteful to manipulate pictures of Nelson Mandela for self gratification at this time."

He was pictured in sunglasses, a red hat and a shirt of Kenyan colours earlier on Thursday at an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kenyan independence from Britain.  However, he was also photographed at the same event drinking from a water bottle printed with the union flag on.

Mr Sonko was elected as an MP for Nairobi in 2010, but was kicked out after he refused to take off his earrings and sunglasses in parliament. He was elected as a senator for Nairobi earlier this year.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Hilarious South Park Spoof - Zume Getting Boo'd Off Stage!!!

This is awesome, would LOVE to see a full episode on this...

Here is the link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aANJimNJLw

‘Schizophrenic’ Interpreter Goes On Defensive

Jantjie took the usual step of defending his inept performance at the memorial by questioning why, if he was so bad at his job, it hadn’t been pointed out before, which is a bit like a defendant querying a guilty verdict on the grounds that he’d committed the same crime several times in the past without being caught.

In an interview with 702’s John Robbie, Jantjie proved to be as articulate with his mouth as he is with his hands. Asked how he felt about the universal condemnation of his signing at the memorial, he responded:

“It’s very sad at this present moment, because I believe that it was the issue that had to be dealt with earlier. If Deaf South Africa have a query against my interpreting, it was supposed to be put it into clarity a long time ago and not during this crucial time in our country.”

When Robbie pointed out that people from around the world had criticised him, he repeated the argument.

“If I was interpreting not right, why it has not been pick up by that time I was busy, you must remember you are talking about an interpreter who has been interpreting throughout these years, and then if I was interpreting wrong through these years, why should it become an issue now? It’s one of these questions that I will never ever get the answer from it.”

Asked if he as happy with his signing abilities, and more specifically, his performance at the memorial, he said:

“Absolutely! Absolutely! What I’ve been doing, I think that I’ve been a champion of sign language, as I was saying that you know I have interpreted in many big events, not only the event that’s in question now."

Referencing media reports in which Jantjie was quoted as claiming he suffered from schitzophrenia, Robbie asked him if this was indeed the case. The “champion of sign language” chose to play it mum however, saying he would rather not discuss his medical status on the grounds that it would harm his children (he would later admit to using medication for the disorder).

However, Jantjie had earlier told IOL.co.za not only that he suffered from Schizophrenia, but that a bout of intense happiness or pressure experienced during the memorial had triggered an episode characterised by visual and sonic hallucinations .

“There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation. I tried to control myself and not show the world what was going on. I am very sorry, it’s the situation I found myself in.”

Jantjie claimed that despite the fact that he was suddenly plagued by visual hallucinations, and hearing loud voices in his head, he felt it best to persevere in making random signs with his hands in the hope that no one would notice anything was wrong. He went on to suggest that he was in fact the victim in this story, and not the many deaf people deprived of the chance to comprehend, in the moment, what was being said during the memorial.

“Life is unfair. This illness is unfair. Anyone who doesn’t understand this illness will think that I’m just making this up,” he said.

The 34-year-old supports himself through interpreting for the deaf, and said he would be paid R850 for the event.

Meanwhile, the SA Translator’s Institute (Sati) released a statement on Wednesday, questioning Jantjies motives and integrity.

"We suspect there was something underhand about him. How else was he working on such an important occasion when he did not seem to know what he was doing?" said chairman of Sati, Johan Blaauw.

Blaauw went on to blast the ANC for failing to intervene when the interpreter proved entirely inept.

"The ANC did not do anything," he said . "I'm afraid this thing has left the whole of South Africa with egg on its face."

"That person was not using sign language, not even signs accepted in the sign language."

To watch a clip of Jantjie plying his trade at an official ANC function, click here.

Flash Mob: In Honour of Tata Madiba

It was just a normal Saturday morning in a Woolworths store in Parkview. 

South Africans were still recovering from the sad news of Nelson Mandela’s passing on 5 December.

Then a little magic happened in the aisles of the popular food and clothing store that touched everyone's heart.   A flash mob by the Soweto Gospel Choir paid tribute to South Africa’s hero.

The results were touching and truly inspiring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHHjP7XrBq0

Source: News24

Farewell Madiba: Zuma Addresses The Nation

"When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity" - Nelson Mandela 1918-2013.

Former president Nelson Mandela, surrounded by his family, died peacefully at his home in Johannesburg last night, President Jacob Zuma said.

“Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss,” Zuma said addressing the nation on television.

“His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world.”

In Zuma's address to the nation, he said: "His humility, his compassion, and his humanity earned him their love. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family. To them we owe a debt of gratitude. They have sacrificed much and endured much so that our people could be free."

"Our thoughts are with his friends, comrades and colleagues who fought alongside Madiba over the course of a lifetime of struggle.

Our thoughts are with the South African people who today mourn the loss of the one person who, more than any other, came to embody their sense of a common nationhood.

Our thoughts are with the millions of people across the world who embraced Madiba as their own, and who saw his cause as their cause.

This is the moment of our deepest sorrow. Our nation has lost its greatest son.

Yet, what made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves. And in him we saw so much of ourselves.

Fellow South Africans, Nelson Mandela brought us together, and it is together that we will bid him farewell.

Our beloved Madiba will be accorded a State Funeral -

I have ordered that all flags of the Republic of South Africa be lowered to half-mast from tomorrow, 6 December, and to remain at half-mast until after the funeral.

As we gather to pay our last respects, let us conduct ourselves with the dignity and respect that Madiba personified.

Let us be mindful of his wishes and the wishes of his family.

As we gather, wherever we are in the country and wherever we are in the world, let us recall the values for which Madiba fought.

Let us reaffirm his vision of a society in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another.

Let us commit ourselves to strive together – sparing neither strength nor courage – to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.

Let us express, each in our own way, the deep gratitude we feel for a life spent in service of the people of this country and in the cause of humanity.

This is indeed the moment of our deepest sorrow. Yet it must also be the moment of our greatest determination -

A determination to live as Madiba has lived, to strive as Madiba has strived and to not rest until we have realised his vision of a truly united South Africa, a peaceful and prosperous Africa, and a better world.

We will always love you Madiba!

May your soul rest in peace.

God Bless Africa.

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika."

The man who changed history is no more -

And we will cherish him forever – for his dignity, his leadership, his love for people of all colours and most of all because he forgave us all.

Mandela's life: a short summary -

• Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa pronunciation: born 18 July 1918) was a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first ever president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.
• Before being elected President, Mandela was a militant anti-apartheid activist, and the leader and co-founder of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).
• In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Mandela went on to serve 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island.
• Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela led his party in the negotiations that led to the establishment of democracy in 1994.
• As President, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality in South Africa.
• In South Africa, Mandela is often known as Madiba, his Xhosa clan name; or as tata (Xhosa: father).
• Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.

Paul Walker's Family Dispute "Death By Drag-racing" Rumours

'The Fast and the Furious' star was killed alongside his friend, Roger Rodas, when the Porsche they were travelling in smashed into a post in Santa Clarita, California, but his sister strongly denies he was involved in a speeding competition with another car at the time

Ashlie Walker, 37, told the MailOnline: "They were absolutely not racing, that's a complete lie. It hurts us when we hear these lies and it makes our grief worse and more painful.

"These are irresponsible allegations and people are trying to make out speed and racing was the reason for his death when it was just a terrible accident."
The area where Paul and Roger - who was driving - crashed was known as a popular spot for drag-racing, and a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office has said authorities received a phone call on Sunday (01.12.13) suggesting another car was involved when the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT crashed

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station traffic investigators have now ruled out the involvement of a second vehicle. However, it does appear that Paul and Roger were breaking the 45 miles per hour [72 kms per hour] speed limit of the road.

A source told website RadarOnline: "Though the investigation is in its early stages, investigators from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department believe the Porsche was going over160 kms per hour."

Fast & Furious Star Paul Walker Killed In Car Crash

The actor Paul Walker, who found success starring in the popular car-racing franchise, has died in an automobile accident in Los Angeles aged 40.

The actor was travelling as a passenger in a new Porsche when his friend who was driving - who has been described as an "experienced driver" - lost control of the vehicle and collided with a street light, and then a tree.

The LA County Sheriff's department has confirmed that two people died in a collision in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, at 3:30pm on Saturday, but Walker's death was confirmed by his representatives on his official Facebook page, and then by his publicist, Ame Van Iden.

"It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organisation Reach Out Worldwide," reads the Facebook update.

"He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives. We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news. Thank you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to send condolences. - #TeamPW."

The Reach Out Worldwide event was a car show aimed at generating aid for the Philippines typhoon relief effort. It appears Walker, who was an investor in a nearby automobile shop called Always Evolving, took the Porsche GT, which was on show at Reach Out Worldwide, for a drive.

Photos released from the crash scene show both street light and tree collapsed, alongside a completely wrecked vehicle, which was evidently engulfed in flames following the accident. Antonio Holmes, a friend of Walker and of the driver, who he called "Roger", was nearby and ran to the crash site in a futile attempt to try and extinquish the blaze.

"We all ran around and jumped in cars and grabbed fire extinguishers and immediately went to the vehicle. It was engulfed in flames. There was nothing. They were trapped. Employees, friends of the shop. We tried. We tried. We went through fire extinguishers," he told the Santa Clarita Signal.

"Him and his buddy, his brother in arms at heart just decided to joyride, take a spin. Something we all do. We're all car enthusiasts … We're all here driving, enjoying each other, and God must've needed help."

Universal Pictures, the studio behind the Fast and Furious franchise, released a statement on Saturday evening. "All of us at Universal are heartbroken," it read. "Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the Fast and Furious films, and to countless fans."

The sentiment was echoed by Walker's Fast and Furious co-star Vin Diesel, who posted a photo of the pair on his Instagram account with the caption: "Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace."

Other colleagues took to Twitter to express their grief. "All my strength, love & faith to the Walker family during this heartbreaking time. We find our strength.. in his light. Love you brother," wrote Dwayne Johnson on his @TheRock account. Johnson had joined the cast of Fast and Furious for its two most recent instalments, and was due to return for the seventh, which had just begun filming.

Tyrese Gibson, who co-starred in the films, posted: "My heart is hurting so bad. No one can make me believe this is real." Director Roland Emmerich wrote that he was "extremely saddened", while James Wanposted "I am so beyond heartbroken right now. I can't process anything."

Wan was working with Walker on Fast and Furious 7; the actor had already completed work on what looks likely to be his final films, a Hurricane Katrina drama called Hours, and a thriller called Brick Mansions. In the latter he plays an undercover cop, just as in the initial The Fast and the Furious his character, Brian O'Connor, was part of an undercover LAPD operation to infiltrate a street racing circuit. The film ended with O'Connor transferring his loyalties to the apparent criminals.

The son of a model and a sewer contractor, he grew up in Los Angeles, in a working class Mormon household. Child modelling assignments helped keep the family afloat financially (he was the eldest of five) and launched a career that started on TV then moved to the big screen with 1998 comedy Meet the Deedles, then supporting roles in Pleasantville, Varsity Blues and She's All That.

It was his turn in 2000 thriller The Skulls which brought him to the attention of the Fast and Furious producer. Notable other roles included the lead in genial huskies drama Eight Below, and a part in Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima epic The Flags of our Fathers. The day before his death, he posted an update to Twitter expressing his excitement about the upcoming seventh instalment: "The boys are back. Will you be ready? - #TeamPW #FastFridays"

The actor is survived by a 15-year-old daughter, Meadow.

Source:  The Guardian

DA Reveals New Billboard

On Wednesday morning, the Democratic Alliance unveiled its latest billboard at a press rally and encouraged voters to say #No2eTolls. The billboards were unveiled by Mmusi Maimane, DA Premier Candidate for Gauteng.

"Today I launched new billboards in Gauteng with the message, ‘A vote for the DA is a vote against etolls," he said.

“As Premier of Gauteng I will do everything in my power to fight on behalf of the people of this province against a system that they do not want and cannot afford. The public must know the gantries we see on our highways are only phase one of the e-tolling project.”

The cost of e-tolls -

According to the Sanral’s website toll calculator, a return trip from Lynwood in Pretoria to Soweto without an e-tag would cost R88.77. With an e-tag it would cost R45.92.

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said tariffs had been cut from 66c/km to 30c/km for a light motor vehicles with an e-tag.

Transport Minister blames colonialism and apartheid for state of roads -

"We have learnt many lessons from this project, one of them being that it will take some time to reverse the legacy of colonialism and apartheid planning," said Peters when she announced the implementation of e-tolls would begin on 3 December.

"Apartheid spatial planning never envisaged a situation where Gauteng would be as populated as it is today, mainly due to the influx of people from different provinces for economic reasons."

Government has tried to “minimise financial burden of e-tolls” -

Peters said government had made several concessions to minimise the financial burden on the e-tolled road network.

"Sanral should be allowed to start collecting toll fees in order to begin to repay the debt incurred when the roads were upgraded," she told reporters in Pretoria.

"We cannot afford to continue to expose Sanral's portfolio to any further financial risks..."

According to Sanral CEO Nazir Alli, "Government-owned vehicles are not exempt from e-tolls."

Storm Surge - Typhoon Haiyan

Facing up to TYPHOON HAIYAN was never going to be easy. This video shows footage taken at 6am on Friday 8 November as the storm hit Hernani in Eastern Samar.  The sheer brute force of the storm surge is mind blowing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS0gv4Xbw7w

Intergalactic Storms On The Way

The solar system could experience “ripple effects” in the next few weeks when the sun’s magnetic field flips as its north and south poles change sides.

The phenomenon, which happens once every 11 years, could cause intergalactic weather fronts such as geomagnetic storms, which can interfere with satellites and cause radio blackouts.

During the 11-year solar cycle, sunspots appear as blotches near the equator of the sun’s surface where there is intense magnetic activity.

Over a month, these spots disintegrate and magnetic activity migrates from the equator to one of the sun’s poles. This erodes the existing opposite polarity.

Todd Hoeksema, a scientist at Stanford University’s Wilcox Solar Observatory, said: “It’s kind of like a tide coming in or going out. Each little wave brings a little more water in, and eventually you get to the full reversal.”

Observations show the sun technically has two south poles now as the process is in progress.

Phil Scherrer, who works with Mr Hoeksema at the observatory, said: “The north pole has already changed sign, while the south pole is racing to catch up. Soon, both poles will be reversed.”

During the swap, solar flares can interact with Earth’s magnetic field, leading to a surge in auroras or disruption to radio and satellite communication.

Source - Daily Mail

Eminem Is Coming to SA!

Showtime Management announced on their Facebook page on Monday morning that they will be bringing Eminem to South Africa.

“We are proud to announce the Eminem Rapture Tour, brought to you by Primedia in association with Dainty group and Showtime Management. South Africa, get ready to loose yourself! Tickets go on sale this Thursday, 21 November at 9am,(sic)” Showtime wrote on their Facebook page.

They also tweeted; “The @Eminem Rapture Tour hits South Africa for 2 shows ONLY! Tickets go on sale this Thursday, 21 Nov at 9am via @Computicket!”

Russell Brand SA Tour Cancelled

Comedian Russell Brand was forced to cancel the South African leg of his latest show Messiah Complex, after he was denied access to SA.

Publicist Debra de Souza said Brand was refused permission to fly to the country because his passport didn't contain the mandatory number of empty pages.

Brand tweeted on Friday evening: “Banned from South Africa. Here ready to go. Refused entry. Hope I can come soon.”

Promoter Tony Feldman of Showtime said "We are sorry for any inconvenience caused to Russell Brand’s fans and thank them for their continued support. We are hoping to reschedule the dates for mid 2014".

Source:  Channel24

Cape Markets

For those of you, like me, who enjoy all types of markets where you can buy artisanal products, like craft beer, handmade leather goods & yummy little treats, then have a look at the Cape Markets website. It has all the hip & happening markets in one place.

The site is easy to navigate, has a calendar for all the markets & some info. on each one.

Perfect weather this weekend to get out there & cozy-up at a market.  Pity I'm at work though!!!

http://capemarkets.co.za/

Best Fails of the Week

I know you all like to watch people hurt themselves or one another... 
So here is the Best Fails of The Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fawOoAR1AQ

I have no idea what's happening here, but I'm very impressed...

This is such a rad video, of mates doing some freestyle rap & sounds... 
Such an awesome beat too!!! We gotta try this boys!!!

Movember: The Hardest Thing About Having A Moustache

Another incredible video from the one & only Anton Taylor to promote Movember!!!

Swedes Develop Invisible Bike Helmet

You know what kind of sucks about riding a bike? Other than all that pedaling? Bike helmets. Sure, they keep that overrated "brain" from getting splattered, but they take a lot of the open-air-joy out of things, and they're not comfortable. A pair of Swedish women have developed a remarkable solution: the invisible bike helmet.

Tired of strapping ugly, uncomfortable styrofoam-and-plastic turtle shells to their heads, the pair came up with a pretty revolutionary solution that does manage to give you full head protection without, remarkably, wearing anything on your head.

I'd like to just come out and tell you the secret of how their Hövding helmet works, but this video does such a nice job of building suspense I kind of don't want to ruin it. So I won't post any pictures showing the operation, and don't follow that link to their site if you don't want to spoil a minor surprise.

Once you see how it works it all makes sense, and is a very clever solution that draws from a number of technologies that are well-established and familiar.

See video here

If you're so jaded that the tiny joy of a mild surprise doesn't appeal to you, click away.

Regardless of how wrong they are about discounting cars in the future, they've done a pretty impressive job with the design and engineering of this, and I wish them all sorts of luck.

Rapper Jay Z Found Dead Inside At 43

BROOKLYN – The world mourns today as Shawn Carter, AKA Jay Z, was found dead inside at the young age of 43.

While the official cause of death is still being investigated by Rap Genius editors and urban studies Ph.D.s, many have speculated that Jay Z killed himself inside.

“One minute he was doing great, producing lyrical dynamite full of incisive social commentary and witticisms,” remembers Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G, whose soul remains alive despite his death in 1997.

“The next, he was an empty suit, laying face-down in a puddle of champagne and corporate sponsorships.”

“Picasso Brooklyn Nets Rothko Barclays Bugatti Samsung,” said Jay Z in catatonia above a snare drum and Justin Timberlake accompaniment. “MoMA MoMA Upper West Side.”

Carter was born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, which has also lost its unique soul and sound. The borough is survived by low-rise condominiums, secondhand plaid shirt retailers, and beards.

Jay Z is survived by his wife Beyoncé Knowles and his daughter Blue Ivy, who will never have the opportunity to live a fulfilling and invigorating life of successful crack dealing and will ultimately end up majoring in English at NYU before dying inside at 21.

A funeral will be held at the Barclays Center next week. Jay Z will perform tracks off Magna Carta Holy Grail from his open casket, which is sponsored by Samsung.

ULTIMATE FAILS 2013 - SO FAR

Lets be honest, we all love doing stupid things and we all love watching others fail at doing them, it’s human nature! So no matter how bad your day has been, this video will be 18 minutes of joy in your life. Couple of cringe worthy ones…

Marijuana Market Poised To Grow Faster Than Smartphones

Legal marijuana is among the fastest-growing markets in the United States, and it's growing at a rate poised to outpace the expansion of the global smartphone market, according to a new report obtained exclusively by The Huffington Post.

Researchers surveyed hundreds of medical cannabis retailers, processors, dispensary owners and industry leaders over the course of six months this year, and estimated that more than $1.43 billion worth of legal marijuana will be sold in 2013. The report also predicts that figure to grow by 64 percent, to $2.34 billion next year. By comparison, recent figures show the smartphone market expanded by 46 percent from 2012 to 2013.

"Cannabis is one of the fastest-growing industries," said Steve Berg, a former managing director of Wells Fargo Bank and editor of the report, the second edition of the State of Legal Marijuana Markets. "Domestically, we weren't able to find any market that is growing as quickly."

While it's important to note that smartphones surged in popularity long before medical marijuana became a viable industry, and global sales numbers for 2012-2013 don't offer a direct comparison to 2013-2014 domestic estimates, Berg said his goal was to illustrate just how rapidly the cannabis market is expanding by offering familiar data points. The U.S. smartphone market, according to research group IDC, is growing at an annual rate of 7.3 percent.

"Entrepreneurs and private investors are flocking to cannabis markets," Berg said. "Those who really understand market dynamics will reap large rewards."

Medical marijuana is currently legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Next year, Washington and Colorado will begin implementing laws that permit the sale of pot to all adults, and Berg noted that those states will obviously play a major role in the growth of the cannabis market. Colorado alone is predicted to add $359 million to its existing market in 2014.

The marijuana industry's growth coincides with a widespread shift in the public's attitude toward the substance. A Gallup poll conducted last month found that for the first time in history, more than half of Americans think pot should be legal for both medical and recreational purposes. A CNN documentary that aired this summer explored marijuana's benefits for a mainstream audience. And individuals are increasingly using the plant's medicinal properties to treat symptoms even in children: A coalition of conservative Mormon mothers in Utah recently began lobbying for safe access to cannabis oil for their epileptic children.

"There has been a seismic shift in public attitudes towards marijuana," Berg said, explaining that as public opinion changes, laws are likely to follow. "Younger voters will become a bigger proportion of the overall voting base. It begins with shifts in attitudes and that translates to initiatives."

The report predicts that 14 more states will legalize marijuana for recreational adult use in the next five years, creating a potential $10.2 billion cannabis market by 2018.

Berg added that his research only examined the sale of cannabis itself, whether wholesale to retailers or directly to consumers. He said that the market for ancillary products, such as security equipment, grow tools, apps and paraphernalia, has the potential to drive growth still further.

"This industry is professionalizing and seeing an influx of professionals from other industries," he said. "More and more investors are coming in and financing these businesses, which have more and more markets to serve."

The federal government, however, has yet to catch up to this rapid evolution. Even in states that permit marijuana use, cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, and the Controlled Substance Act classifies marijuana as having no medical value. Federal raids against dispensaries in California over the past two years have shuttered hundreds of businesses and hindered the industry's growth.

Still, Berg remains optimistic, pointing to Attorney General Eric Holder's recent assertion that the Justice Department would not interfere with the implementation of adult use laws in Washington and Colorado.

"Federal acceptance of marijuana is not going to happen in one fell swoop," he said. "It will happen incrementally, with important steps along the way."

Broadway Bomb 2013

In an epic fail, New York Police Department try their best to stop the BROADWAY BOMB, an annual event that has nothing to do with terrorists and everything to do with thousands of skateboarders shooting down eight miles of Manhattan streets.

The cops looks like a bunch of morons running around with an oversized chevron!!!

This Town Wants to Warn You About Its People-Eating Vortex

For decades, a small city in New York has been the subject of some very bizarre rumors. Locals have long whispered that if you visit at just the right time, a certain area in their neighborhood park will disappear you into thin air. Now the town has officially acknowledged the strange anomaly.

Watertown, New York is the last place you'd expect to find a creepy, supernatural mystery. After all, they're mostly known as the birthplace of the safety pin and those air fresheners for your car that are shaped like trees - both safe, friendly things. But now, it seems that they're finally ready to admit that they're becoming more well known for their local park's nasty habit of eating people.

Last week, the city officials erected a sign in the park warning locals of the "vortex". As it turns out, the Mayor himself felt compelled to acknowledge the rumors after digging up some recently declassified information linking Watertown to the infamous Area 51 base in Nevada.

"Area 51 in Nevada when it was taken over by the CIA in the mid 50's was codenamed "Watertown," Mayor Jeff Graham told local reporters. "And that was because the then director of the CIA, Allen Dulles, was a Watertown native."

Locals say that the strange anomaly causes people to seemingly disappear, only to reappear later... usually. Some believe it's just a fun urban legend, while others give stern warnings to stay as far away from Thompson Park as possible. Either way, the new sign's dedication ceremony drew a crowd of hundreds. The Mayor has since attempted to put the rumors to the test, with admittedly little luck.  "I keep bringing people up here I'd like to disappear but it never happens so we'll keep trying," he said.

Don't worry, if you want to check out the sign for yourself, you can rest easy knowing that they placed it well out of the vortex' reach........or did they?

David Attenborough Narrates Miley Cyrus's VMA Twerk-formance

Shut it down folks – this is the best thing you'll see on the Internet today. Seriously, this here is fantastic.

I'll admit: As someone who is woefully out of touch with those spheres of pop culture that encompass Miley Cyrus, this is actually the first time I've watched the footage of her infamous performance with Robin Thicke. It had to happen sooner or later. I'm just so very glad that it happened like this.

Click here to see the video

Shark Deterrent: Western Australian Wetsuits - A World First

WA researchers have unveiled world-first wetsuits designed to protect surfers, swimmers and divers from shark attacks by using scientific discoveries about how the predators see and detect prey.

The shark deterrent wetsuits come in two different strategic designs - one that blends the wearer with background colours in the water and the other that makes the wearer highly visible but uses disruptive patterns unlike the appearance of a shark's normal prey.

The project began two years after five people were killed by sharks in two years along the WA coastline, making the State the shark attack capital of the world.

Hamish Jolly and Craig Anderson, both keen surfers and ocean lovers, were awarded a $20,000 State Government grant to work with University of WA shark scientists to design the wetsuits based on science of shark vision, neurology and behaviour.

Mr Jolly said that initial results of testing the wetsuits in the ocean with wild sharks had been extraordinary and had given them the confidence to release the wetsuits for sale.

"There's been a lot of anecdotal stuff about it and attempts at this, mostly trying to make the wearer look like a sea snake or putting stripes on the wetsuits, but what we have done is to put the science to the anecdotes," he said.

The "cryptic" wetsuit is designed to hide the wearer in the water and uses colours and shapes that, from a predatory shark's perspective, make the wearer difficult to see. Mr Jolly said the cryptic design was more geared towards divers. The "warning" wetsuit, which is more geared towards swimmers and surfers, uses bold patterns and shapes to overtly present the wearer as unlike any shark prey or even as an unpalatable or dangerous food option.

The wetsuits' designs have been patented by Mr Jolly and Mr Anderson's company Shark Mitigation Systems.

Professors Shaun Collin and Nathan Hart, from UWA's Ocean Institute, helped translate the latest scientific knowledge of shark sensory systems into specific designs that disrupt the visual perception of sharks.

Earlier this year, the research team spent more than four days testing the new wetsuit designs off the northern WA coast. Mr Jolly said in one encounter a tiger shark circled a dummy covered in the "cryptic" design, which helps make the wearer less visible to the shark, for six minutes before deciding to attack a dummy covered in traditional black neoprene."We have had a handful of engagements like that. We need to do more. All the early evidence is that it's working," he said, adding that testing would go on for many years and they could not say the wetsuits provided fail-safe protection.

Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com

Nazare - Biggest Waves Ever Ridden???

Big wave surfing by Brazilian surfers in Nazaré in Portugal has dominated the news yesterday. Hours after an epic session went down where Maya G. broke an ankle and lost consciousness, footage emerged of what looks like Carlos Burle and friends riding what could arguably be the biggest waves ever ridden in history.

Click here to see this insane video

Betty White Spoofs Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball Video

Thankfully this video is twerk-free, but 91-year old Betty White couldn't help spoofing the young singer while promoting her new show.

Betty put the 25-second video together as a promo for the launch of her “Off their Rockers” show on Lifetime Television in the US. She says she’s “Got some great ideas from recent pop culture events that really got the kids talking!”

Maya Gabeira Almost Drowned Today In Giant Nazaré, Portugal

Top Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira almost drowned today in giant Nazaré in Portugal, she took two 70 footers on the head according to reports.

Maya Gabeira, 26, who is from Rio de Janeiro, was unconscious after taking off on a giant wave at Praia do Norte in Nazaré and being held under for a long time, before getting slammed by walls of white water. She was unconscious when they got her to the beach, say reports.

Reports are sketchy, with some saying she remains unconscious in hospital, but a correspondent from http://surfeuropemag.fr says she was rescucitated on the beach before going to hospital. Authorities have apparently confirmed that she is going to be okay.

She was part of the Zon North Canyon, which sees surfers trying to beat the world record of Hawaiian Garrett McNamara, which he broke at Nazaré. Here is a news report from Portugal on the incident.

Sweden Runs Out of Garbage

Imagine a world where pollution is a non-issue, cities are pristine, healthy environments to live in, and little to no entanglements from discarded trash injures wildlife or clogs the oceans. In Sweden, this is almost a reality, yet it’s causing a paradoxical predicament for the recycle-happy country that relies on waste to heat and provide electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes.

The Scandinavian nation of more than 9.5 million citizens has run out of garbage; while this is a positive – almost enviable – predicament for a country to be facing, Sweden now has to search for rubbish outside of its borders to generate its waste-to-energy incineration program. It’s namely Norway officials who are now shipping in 80,000 tons of refuse annually to fuel the country with outside waste.

The population’s remarkable pertinacious recycling habits are inspiration for other garbage-bloated countries where the idea of empty landfills is scarce. In fact, only 4 percent of all waste in Sweden is land-filled, a big win for the future of sustainable living. By using its two million tons of waste as energy and scrapping for more outside of its borders, this country is shown in international comparisons to be the global leader in recovering energy in waste. Go Sweden.

Public Radio International has the whole story. This (albeit short-term) solution is even highly beneficial for the Scandinavian country; Norway pays Sweden to take its excess waste, Sweden burns it for heat and electricity, and the ashes remaining from the incineration process, filled with highly polluting dioxins, are returned back to Norway and land filled.

Catarina Ostland, senior advisor for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, suggests that Norway may not be the perfect partner for the trash import-export scheme, however. “I hope that instead we will get the waste from Italy or from Romania or Bulgaria, or the Baltic countries because they landfill a lot in these countries” she tells PRI. “They don’t have any incineration plants or recycling plants, so they need to find a solution for their waste”.

There’s definitely something to be said about being ‘green’. Regardless of its sourcing, hopefully Sweden’s impeccable job of reducing its carbon footprint may serve as an example to other areas of the world that have more than enough trash to utilize and put to sustainable use.

Sources: 

capaitalfm.co.ke

Sweden Waste-Energy Sustainability

Russian Scientist Photographs The Soul Leaving The Body At Death

The timing of astral disembodiment in which the spirit leaves the body has been captured by Russian scientist Konstantin Korotkov, who photographed a person at the moment of his death with a bioelectrographic camera.

The image taken using the gas discharge visualization method, an advanced technique of Kirlian photography shows in blue the life force of the person leaving the body gradually. According to Korotkov, navel and head are the parties who first lose their life force (which would be the soul) and the groin and the heart are the last areas where the spirit before surfing the phantasmagoria of the infinite.

In other cases according to Korotkov has noted that "the soul" of people who suffer a violent and unexpected death usually manifests a state of confusion in your power settings and return to the body in the days following death. This could be due to a surplus of unused energy. The technique developed by Korotkov, who is director of the Research Institute of Physical Culture, St. Petersburg, is endorsed as a medical technology by the Ministry of Health of Russia and is used by more than 300 doctors in the world for stress and monitoring progress of patients treated for diseases such as cancer. Korotkov says his energy imaging technique could be used to watch all kinds of imbalances biophysical and diagnose in real time and also to show if a person does have psychic powers or is a fraud.

This technique, which measures real-time and stimulated radiation is amplified by the electromagnetic field is a more advanced version of the technology developed for measuring Semyon Kirlian aura. Korotkov observations confirm, as proposed by Kirili, that "stimulated electro-photonic light around the tips of the fingers of the human being contains coherent and comprehensive statement of a person, both physically and psychologically."

In this video interview Korotkov speaks of the effect in the bioenergy field with food, water and even cosmetics. And emphasizes one umbrella drink, water and organic food, particularly noting that the aura of the people in the Undies suffers the negative effects of nutrients as technologization distributed in this society. Korotkov also speaks of their measurements in supposedly loaded with power and influence that people have in the bioenergy fields of others. Checking Rupert Sheldrake's experiment of the feeling of being watched : Because a person's bioenergy field changes when someone else directs his attention, even though it is backwards and not consciously perceived. Also a place fields are altered when there is a concentration of tourists. Also warns of cell phone use and their negative radiation often being carcinogenic, which several studies seem to confirm. Korotkov hosting is optimistic that this new scientific field, which is a pioneer, is taking, especially in Russia, where some schools were teaching children to recognize and use energy, and not as a suspect but as a metaphysical quantifiable fact.

'There is some staggering photographic and video evidence demonstrating some of the technologies, particularly shocking is the Oldfield Camera Filter which using a normal camera appears to show ghosts or other worldly entities clearly in photographs! Truly amazing stuff! Harry, the author of 'Harry Oldfield's Invisible Universe' goes on to demonstrate how through various technologies he is able to reveal aspects of this previously unseen universe in all their glory! Three decades of research into this area and considerable practical application enable Harry to present some very convincing evidence that there is far more to the Universe than that which we currently experience with the 5 senses.'

Source: http://www.social-consciousness.com