Organ Donor

Just wondering,

What's your guy's opinion on donating your organs when you die?

I mean, I'm dead. I don't need them anymore.

I know it sounds scary, but think about it for a moment ... it could save a child's life.

Did The Atomic Bomb Win WW II in Asia?

Apparently the atomic bomb was NOT militarily necessary. Japan was on its way to surrender, but they dropped the bomb anyway.

Some of the U.S. military officers who disagreed with the necessity of the bombing:

• General Dwight D. Eisenhower
• General Douglas MacArthur (the highest-ranking officer in the Pacific Theater)
• Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy (the Chief of Staff to the President)
• General Carl Spaatz (commander of the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific)
• Brigadier General Carter Clarke (the military intelligence officer who prepared intercepted Japanese cables for U.S. officials)
• Major General Curtis LeMay
• Admiral Ernest King, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Undersecretary of the Navy Ralph A. Bard
• Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet

Some really important military people there.

Eisenhower:

"In 1945 Secretary of War Stimson, visiting my headquarters in Germany, informed me that our government was preparing to drop an atomic bomb on Japan. I was one of those who felt that there were a number of cogent reasons to question the wisdom of such an act. During his recitation of the relevant facts, I had been conscious of a feeling of depression and so I voiced to him my grave misgivings, first on the basis of my belief that Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary, and secondly because I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives."

Nimitz:

"The Japanese had, in fact, already sued for peace the atomic bomb played no decisive part, from a purely military point of view, in the defeat of Japan."

Leahy:

"The use of [the atomic bombs] at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender."

Sure begs the question ... WHY?

more ...

Quote of the Day

Polygamy is having one too many.

Monogamy is the same.

Live Search

It's here!

This is Microsoft's answer to Google search.

http://www.live.com/

Let's compare it with Google, shall we? Let's say we're searching for "New York Yankees":

• Google result
• Live result

The main difference lies at the top of the page, and also at the top-right.

Search result for "speciation":

• Google
• Live
• Ask
  

Again, the top-right corner is where the main difference is for me. Live gives you related searches which is lacking with Google. But Teoma (now ask.com) still beats Live in this regard imho.

But for sheer amount of information, Google still rules. Here's a search result for "yamaha plg-150ap review":

• Google
• Live
• Ask

Live actually returned 0 hit!!
Google on the other hand returned 90 hits.

Also Google search supports more comprehensive calculator, "define" searches, measurement conversion, currency conversion, and other stuffs that I use a lot. But I think it's just a matter of time before Live catches up.

Here's more detail from Microsoft Watch and TG Daily.

Windows Vista RC1

It's open to public. Want to download?

Here it is

Life Expectancy

Here's another partial list for you (est. 2006):

1. Andorra (83.51 yr)
2. Macau (82.19)
3. San Marino (81.71)
4. Singapore (81.71)
5. Hong Kong (81.59)
6. Japan (81.25)
7. Sweden (80.51)
8. Switzerland (80.51)
9. Australia (80.50)
10. Guernsey (UK) (80.42)
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.
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48. United States (77.85)
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.
80. Brunei (74.80)
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99. West Bank (73.08)
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.
102. Lebanon (72.63)
108. Malaysia (72.24)
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.
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111. Thailand (71.95)
114. Gaza Strip (71.79)
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127. Vietnam (70.61)
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134. Philippines (69.91)
138. Indonesia (69.57)
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220. Liberia (38.89)
221. Angola (38.43)
222. Zimbabwe (37.82)
223. Lesotho (34.47)
224. Botswana (33.87)
225. Swaziland (33.22)


33.22 years ... think about that ...


Complete list (Wikipedia)

Human Development Index

Definition:

The UN Human Development Index (HDI) is a comparative measure of poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy, childbirth, and other factors for countries worldwide. It is a standard means of measuring well-being, especially child welfare.

And here's a partial list (2003):

1. Norway
2. Iceland
3. Australia
4. Luxembourg
5. Canada
6. Sweden
7. Switzerland
8. Ireland
9. Belgium
10. United States
.
.
.
23. Israel
25. Singapore
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.
.
33. Brunei
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.
.
61. Malaysia
68. Bosnia and Herzegovina
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.
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73. Thailand
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81. Lebanon
84. Philippines
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102. Palestinian Territories
108. Vietnam
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.
110. Indonesia
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170. Ethiopia
171. Central African Republic
172. Guinea-Bissau
173. Chad
174. Mali
175. Burkina Faso
176. Sierra Leone
177. Niger


Wikipedia link

Darfur

In western Sudan, 400,000 people are dead; millions more have been violently displaced and are at risk of losing all humanitarian aid; scores of women and young girls have been and continue to be brutally raped.

Genocide.

Yet the attention given to Darfur is disproportionate when compared to Middle East.

Why?

Wiki link