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Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Twenty Untranslatable Words from Around the World
7. Tartle
Scottish – The act of hesitating while introducing someone because you’ve forgotten their name.Auction block for historic scotch
Some people brag about serving scotch whiskey that's 15 years old. But three bottles of Mackinlay's scotch flown to Scotland by private jet Monday date back to the late 19th Century.
Threat of California 'superstorm'
Scientists warn the state could face a disaster up to five times worse than a major earthquake.
Also: The Oronteus Fineus map of an "ice-free Antarctica"
Occasionally one encounters references to an "ice-free Antarctica" and maps depicting it, including one at Ancient Destructions -
In 1959, however, in the Library of Congress, Hapgood noticed a presumably authentic map that instantly wiped out his doubts: a map of what was almost certainly Antarctica, done in 1531 by the French cartographer Oronce Fine, also known as Oronteus Finaeus... Admittedly it is too close to the tip of South America, and it is incorrectly oriented, yet the proportions seem similar, the coastal mountains, found in the 1957 geophysical study are in roughly the right places and so are many bays and rivers. Furthermore, the shape of South America itself seems right, and the close resemblance between a modern, scientifically exact map of the Ross Sea and Finaeus' unnamed gulf is striking.The map above, is a quite striking for a document from the early 1500s. It took a bit of searching, but here is a well-written (and extensively illustrated) site that addresses these questions from a "mainstream" point-of-view.
What is different, however, is that the Oronteus Finaeus map does not seem to show the great shelves of ice that, today, surround the continent, nor the great glaciers that fringe the coastal regions. Instead there seem to be estuaries and inlets, suggesting great rivers... It also suggested to Hapgood that since the Antarctic was certainly ice-bound in 1531 - when Oronteus Finaeus made his map - Finaeus must have had access to very ancient maps indeed: maps made when Antarctica was largely free of the mile-thick ice cap that buries it today, and presumably has covered it for millennia.
So much for an ice-free Australia within recorded human history. But the Kensington Runesone and Zheng He's voyages are still intriguing possibilities ...
Artificial Reefs
In May of 2009, the missile-tracking ship General Hoyt S. Vandenberg was hauled out in the Gulf of Mexico. Planted explosives blew holes in the ship’s hull, and she sank to the bottom in just a couple of minutes. You can see the process in a time-lapse video. Deliberately sinking a ship sounds like an environmental crime on the surface, but the Vandenberg was carefully prepared: ten tons of asbestos and over 800,000 feet of electrical wiring was removed before she was sunk. The sinking was part of an environmental program to create artificial reefs where sea life -from coral and plankton to game fish- can live and reproduce.
The Vandenberg is certainly not the first ship to be deliberately sunk to create an artificial reef. The waters off the Florida Keys have become the grave site of the Coast Guard cutters Duane and Bibb and the U.S. Navy landing ship Spiegel Grove, and on the sandy bottom 20 or so miles out to sea from Pensacola lies an entire aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Oriskany—the largest ship in the world intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. Dozens of World War II cargo vessels known as Liberty ships have been submerged, or to use the proper jargon, deployed, all along the Gulf, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts.National Geographic tells us the history of artificial reef programs and how they are used to encourage marine life to flourish.
Ten Recycled Ship Houses
Old ships are far too beautiful and far too useful to send them to the junkyard. In fact, recycled ships can make for some stunning homes! Ships can be floating houses and houses sometimes can be ships. But, if you mix the two and recycle ships into houses, you can expect some unusual and beautiful results.
City considers putting DUI mug shots on Facebook
It's a Blond World
Returning home from work, a blond was shocked to find her house ransacked and burglarized. She telephoned the police at once and reported the crime. The police dispatcher broadcast the call on the radio, and a K-9 unit, patrolling nearby, was the first to respond.As the K-9 officer approached the house with his dog on a leash, the blond ran out on the porch, shuddered at the sight of the cop and his dog, then sat down on the steps.
Putting her face in her hands, she moaned, 'I come home to find all my possessions stolen. I call the police for help, and what do they do? They send me a BLIND policeman!'
Man killed wife for 'lucky' lotto fetus
A man told police he murdered his pregnant wife with an axe because he wanted the fetus to make a lucky charm which might help him win the lottery.
Tragedy proves tricky for media
The unsettling mugshot of Ariz. suspect Jared Loughner complicates tough calls.
Also: Pilot's bold act of kindness
A bold gesture for a grieving passenger bucks a trend of miserable air travel stories.
Also: Flying safely with electronics
Using phones, iPods, e-books, and tablets may be riskier on certain planes.
Also: 
For Fiscal Year 2010, teabaggers 'requested more than $1 billion in earmarks'
Change teabaggers can believe in!
Influenced largely by the tea party, repugicans in Congress this year have taken a 'firm' stance against earmarks to show their commitment to cutting back government spending.
It turns out, however, that members of the House tea party cabal requested more than $1 billion in earmarks in the 2010 fiscal year, the National Journal reports.
After reviewing data compiled by Citizens Against Government Waste, the National Journal found that several of the 52 tea party cabal cultists made requests for earmarks -- federal funds that go to specific districts for specific companies or projects. In all, tea party cabal cultists requested a total of 764 earmarks valued at $1,049,783,150.
Financial Advice from a Man Who's Been Retired Since 1969
Leonard McCracken worked for a steel company until he retired in 1969. He’s now 107 and has been living on savings, Social Security, and an annuity payment ever since. Bankrate.com’s Jennie L. Phipps asked McCracken to share his wisdom about managing personal finances that permitted him to remain retired for 41 years. Among his suggestions was to always get a job, even if it’s for much lower pay than you’re used to:McCracken was unemployed about 45 years ago after his previous employer went bankrupt. He had to take a job driving a truck that paid $5 per day. It was a low point in his life, but between that and a commission sales job that he took at night, he and his family muddled through until he got back on his feet.
How long to keep tax records
You should hold onto old tax returns, but some receipts can get tossed.
Also: Degrees that pay you back
These diplomas lead to good salaries, job satisfaction, and promotions.
Also: The good news about economy
Consumer spending is leading big firms like Target to expand in big ways.
Also: 
New report finds 129 million Americans under 65 have a 'pre-existing condition'
The insurance companies invented the whole pre-existing condition to prevent having to pay for coverage. And, a lot of Americans now fall into that category:
As many as 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that are red flags for health insurers, according to an analysis that marks the government's first attempt to quantify the number of people at risk of being rejected by insurance companies or paying more for coverage.I have to imagine that a lot of members of Congress have some kind of pre-existing condition. They're not the healthiest group of Americans. But, I doubt members of Congress get much of a run around from insurance companies.
The secretary of health and human services released the study on Tuesday, hours before the House plans to begin considering a repugican bill that would repeal the new law to overhaul the health-care system.
A vote is expected on Wednesday. But while repugicans may muscle through a repeal bill in the House, its prospects are slimmer in the Senate, where Democrats and independents will enjoy a 53-47 majority.
The insurance industry's lobbyist, of course, disparaged the report. But, as the article notes, it's based on that industry's definitions:
The study found that one-fifth to one-half of non-elderly people in the United States have ailments that trigger rejection or higher prices in the individual insurance market. They range from cancer to chronic illnesses such as heart disease, asthma and high blood pressure.So, this week, the repugicans are taking on 129 million Americans under 65 and their families. That sounds like it should be, using repugican terminology, a political job-killer.
The smaller estimate, by Health and Human Services Department researchers, is based on the number of Americans whose medical problems would make them eligible for states' high-risk pools - special coverage for people denied insurance because of their medical history. The researchers arrived at the larger figure by adding in other ailments that major insurers consider a basis to charge customers higher prices or to exclude coverage for some of the care they need.
Fear Of Dentists And Needles Needs Sympathetic Ear
Nobody enjoys going to the dentist.
But for some people their feelings of anxiety can turn into fear and even a fully-blown phobia.
Dentophobia is an extremely common affliction.
Around 12% of us suffer from extreme dental anxiety and 25% suffer from some sort of anxiety before visiting the dentist.
Fox Hunting - the New "Most Dangerous Game" ?
The title refers not to the report earlier this week of a fox shooting a hunter, but to an announcement that some hunting clubs in England have replaced the traditional quarry with… humans.
And although he started the day nursing a sore knee, 54-year-old Andy Kay and his fellow runners are putting up a fine chase, it has to be said, pausing occasionally to listen for the hounds in pursuit or to pull brambles from their hair. Despite the suction of the mud and the slight rasp that comes from inhaling frigid air, this fit crew of three men and two women, given a half-hour head start, is maintaining an exhilarating lead over the hounds….There are several advantages to hunting men rather than hunting fox:
Hunting foxes can be a dangerous pastime, and not just for the fox. That’s because foxes show so little concern for the welfare of their pursuers: They’ll dart across major roads and leap over train tracks, with unwitting members of the pack following doggedly along behind. Sometimes to their doom…The Washington Post article at the link goes on to explain how the club overcomes the problem of the humans not being sufficiently malodorous, the pleasures derived from the humans by the sensation of being hunted, and what happens when the hounds catch the humans
Men, Budd argued, can be instructed to stay away from roads and railway tracks. They also avoid disturbing farmers’ livestock. And they can choose to lead the hounds and horsemen on a challenging chase over the highest hedges and the triangular wooden fences known as tiger traps.
Female Drug Addicts in Afghanistan
Photographer Rafaela Persson has lived in Afghanistan since 2008, and spends time getting to know her subjects.I had an idea to photograph female drug addicts. Afghanistan is the world’s biggest producer of opium, from which heroin is derived. According to a study made by U.N. Drugs and Crimes Office in 2010, the rate of drug addiction in Afghanistan is twice the global average; Afghans have become the leading consumers of their own opium. Approximately one million Afghans, or eight percent of the war-shattered country’s total population is suffering from drug addiction, a 75 percent increase since 2005. What is even more alarming is that studies show that 50 percent of Afghanistan’s opium-using parents give the drug to their own children.Persson shares her photographs and stories in an essay at Camera Obscura.
Your Brain Influences Itself with Its Own Electric Field
Your brain is electric. Tiny impulses constantly race among billions of interconnected neurons, generating an electric field that surrounds the brain like an invisible cloud. A new study published online July 15 in Neuron suggests that the brain’s electric field is not a passive by-product of its neural activity, as scientists once thought. The field may actively help regulate how the brain functions, especially during deep sleep. Although scientists have long known that external sources of electricity (such as electroshock therapy) can alter brain function, this is the first direct evidence that the brain’s native electric field changes the way the brain behaves.
Stolen laptop may contain cure for cancer
Oklahoma City police officers probably never thought it would be their job to find the cure for cancer, but they're now working a case that has the potential to save millions of lives. That's because a crook in Oklahoma may have the cure for cancer, and not even know it. It's now a race against the clock to find it before it's erased forever. Sook Shin says, "I cannot eat and sleep since last Sunday."
Last Sunday, Shin was carrying a possible cure for cancer in the back of her car. Years of data stored on a small iMac computer. She says, "I'm devastated. And I feel so guilty." Shin and her husband are leading cancer researchers in an OU research lab. The two have committed their lives, working long hours, seven days a week to find a cure for prostate cancer. She says, "It has been a long journey up to now."
They stopped at a restaurant on North Western to grab a meal before heading back to the lab. When they finished, they found their car windows busted and the laptop gone. Shin says, "I just cannot eat, sleep. I feel enormous guilty feeling. Not backing up." Most of that data was never backed up, a mistake Shinn says could be a major setback in the fight against cancer. She says, "Please return the computer with the data saved. This would tremendously help us and you would do something for society."
The couple says that computer has the power to save millions of lives, but they're afraid whoever took it will wipe its memory and sell it. They're posting a flier in pawn shops hoping someone can help in time. Some of that data can never be replicated, and other parts of that research could take up to 2 years to do over. That's earth shattering, considering 30,000 men die in the U.S. every year from prostate cancer. Meaning more than 60,000 people could lose their lives, all because of a stupid crime.
Last Sunday, Shin was carrying a possible cure for cancer in the back of her car. Years of data stored on a small iMac computer. She says, "I'm devastated. And I feel so guilty." Shin and her husband are leading cancer researchers in an OU research lab. The two have committed their lives, working long hours, seven days a week to find a cure for prostate cancer. She says, "It has been a long journey up to now."
They stopped at a restaurant on North Western to grab a meal before heading back to the lab. When they finished, they found their car windows busted and the laptop gone. Shin says, "I just cannot eat, sleep. I feel enormous guilty feeling. Not backing up." Most of that data was never backed up, a mistake Shinn says could be a major setback in the fight against cancer. She says, "Please return the computer with the data saved. This would tremendously help us and you would do something for society."
The couple says that computer has the power to save millions of lives, but they're afraid whoever took it will wipe its memory and sell it. They're posting a flier in pawn shops hoping someone can help in time. Some of that data can never be replicated, and other parts of that research could take up to 2 years to do over. That's earth shattering, considering 30,000 men die in the U.S. every year from prostate cancer. Meaning more than 60,000 people could lose their lives, all because of a stupid crime.
Plan to resurrect mammoth
And how could this go wrong?
Japanese scientists will use cloning technology to resurrect the long-extinct animal.
Also: 
Australian man charged after swordfish skeleton stabbing
Police in Victoria have charged a man with attacking another man with a swordfish skeleton.
The 50-year-old man who has been charged is alleged to have attacked the other man with the bill of the fish at Colac, in Victoria's south-west, in October last year.
He has been charged with assault with a weapon, summary assault and possession of a weapon.
The victim received minor injuries.
The 50-year-old man who has been charged is alleged to have attacked the other man with the bill of the fish at Colac, in Victoria's south-west, in October last year.
He has been charged with assault with a weapon, summary assault and possession of a weapon.
The victim received minor injuries.
Solar-Powered Hornet Found; Turns Light Into Electricity
The oriental hornet has built-in “solar cells” that generate electricity from sunlight—a first in the animal kingdom, according to a new study.
Scientists already knew that the hornet species, for unknown reasons, produced electricity inside its exoskeleton, according to study leader Marian Plotkin of Tel-Aviv University.
Plotkin’s late mentor Jacob Ishay made the discovery after observing that the insect is active when the sun is most intense—unusual for hornets.
Plotkin and colleagues recently went a step further by examining the structure of the hornet’s exoskeleton to find out how the electricity is produced.
Their research revealed that pigments in the hornet’s yellow tissues trap light, while its brown tissues generate electricity. Exactly how the hornets use this electricity is still not entirely understood, Plotkin noted.
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:You're really looking forward to tonight, aren't you?
Well, you have every right to -- especially since the morning and afternoon look to be quite busy.
Do what you have to do to take care of your responsibilities to others, then be sure to save some energy to take care of your responsibility to yourself.
You know what they say about all work and no play?
It's true.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Haderslev, Sonderjylland, Denmark
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
London, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Lille, Nord-Pas-De Calais, France
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Haderslev, Sonderjylland, Denmark
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
London, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Lille, Nord-Pas-De Calais, France
as well as Malta, Bulgaria, Israel, Finland, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Sudan, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Vietnam, Norway, Finland and in cities across the United States such as Zionsville, Great Mills, San Francisco, New York and more.
Today is:
Today is Monday, January 17, the 17th day of 2011.
There are 348 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Hot Heads Chili Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Truly unique places to travel
See places unlike any other, from the Blue Lagoon's stark beauty to a dizzying underwater museum.
Also: Culinary DeLites
Refrigerated corn bread twists make it easy to whip up this version of chicken and dumplings.
Also: Mandatory menu labeling didn’t change behavior at one fast food chain
An effort in King County, Washington, to add nutrition facts labeling to fast food menus had no effect on consumer behavior in its first year.
Hamburgers in North Korea
The first hamburger franchise opened in Pyongyang, North Korea last summer. The unfamiliar hamburgers have become such a hit that customers must make reservations, and the lines are still long. Samtaesung (Food) and Cool Beverages calls their sandwiches “minced meat and bread” to avoid using the American word “hamburger”.According to rates displayed on the restaurant’s menu, the cost of a hamburger is 228 North Korean won, or more than U.S. $2 according to the official exchange rate, putting it outside of the budget of the average citizen.The restaurant is owned by Kim Jong Il’s sister.
According to the Pyongyang resident, customers can pay in North Korean won, U.S. dollars, euros, or Chinese yuan.
Initially, the resident said, Samtaesung was frequented only by people who had traveled overseas or those who wanted to try the food out of curiosity, but the hamburger joint soon became very popular.
He said that many Pyongyang residents are now fond of hamburgers, though the greasier taste of the food takes some getting used to.
“The third time you eat a hamburger, you really get to appreciate it. By the time you’ve had your fifth, you’re already addicted to the taste,” he said.
Boston Debuts Ambulance for Obese Patients
Boston’s emergency medical services department unveiled a new ambulance designed to help transport obese patients without injuring EMTs:Boston emergency services debuted a specialized ambulance designed to carry obese patients on Tuesday, and the retrofitted vehicle was promptly needed on two calls, authorities said.
The ambulance is equipped with a special stretcher that can hold 850 pounds and a hydraulic lift with a 1,000 pound capacity, said Captain Jose Archila of Boston’s Emergency Medical Services fleet.
The ambulance is likely to be needed two to four times a week, he said.
“We have seen a huge increase in the last six months,” said Archila about the number of calls by obese patients.[...]
Back injuries among crews are common due to strain from lifting extremely heavy patients, he said. The ambulance makes the patients more comfortable as well.
In appearance, the ambulance looks like any other. The hydraulic lift is folded and stowed underneath the bed, and a gas tank was repositioned to accommodate it, Archila said.
Real Americans Agree
Eric Fuller, victim of Tucson shooting, says Palin should be incarcerated for her incendiary speech.
And Real Americans agree with him.
And Real Americans agree with him.
Giffords's health improves
Officials announce that Rep. Giffords's condition is improving and she is now breathing on her own.
Also: Arizona shooting victim's gift
The father of Christina Taylor Green, 9, says her organs have been donated to a child across the country.
Also: The crock that is our healthcare system
The "world's best health care system" rolls on: emergency room waits now average six hours, an inconvenience that's occasionally fatal, but not for rich folks.
Researchers unzip MRSA and discover route for vaccine
University of Rochester Medical Center orthopedic scientists are a step closer to developing a vaccine to prevent life-threatening methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections following bone and joint surgery.
Smoking Causes Gene Damage in Minutes
New findings should serve as a "stark warning" to those considering taking up cigarette smoking, say scientists. Earth’s hot past: Prologue to future climate?
The magnitude of climate change during Earth’s deep past suggests that future temperatures may eventually rise far more than projected if society continues its pace of emitting greenhouse gases, a new analysis concludes.
Gen Y's unique taste in homes
Home builders are finding that young buyers have very different tastes from their parents.
Also: Kids trying to figure out 80′s technology
If you’ve grown up with nothing but iPods and cellphones, you’re probably not gonna know what the hell someone’s talking about if they mention ColecoVision or the A: drive.
To test that theory, reporter Jean-Christophe Laurence decided to sit some Canadian kids down and show them a few technological artifacts to see if they could figure out what they were looking at, or if we’ve actually evolved to a point where a 1989 Game Boy isn’t recognizable.
To test that theory, reporter Jean-Christophe Laurence decided to sit some Canadian kids down and show them a few technological artifacts to see if they could figure out what they were looking at, or if we’ve actually evolved to a point where a 1989 Game Boy isn’t recognizable.
Department of Labor investigation
The North Dakota Department of Labor claimed a small Bismarck farmer was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent out to investigate him.
Department of Labor employee: I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them.
Farmer: Well, there’s my farm hand who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him $200 a week plus free room and board.
Then there’s the mentally challenged worker. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally.
Department of Labor employee: That’s the guy I want to talk to… the mentally challenged one.
Farmer: That would be me.
Department of Labor employee: I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them.
Farmer: Well, there’s my farm hand who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him $200 a week plus free room and board.
Then there’s the mentally challenged worker. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally.
Department of Labor employee: That’s the guy I want to talk to… the mentally challenged one.
Farmer: That would be me.
UBS Changing Its Much-Mocked Dress Code
The bank said Monday it is whittling down its 44-page style guide to a more modest booklet that will concentrate on how to impress customers with a polished presence and sense of Swiss precision and decorum.
Social Security winners, losers
Women may get a better return than men on the taxes they pay into the system.
Also: Get a perfect credit score
Consumers who nail an 850 typically use less than 10% of their available credit.
Also: Bad Cops
Kentucky cops ruin six kids lives with terror charges over sixth-graders' doodles
Tennessee police chief is back at work after one-month paid suspension for repeatedly accessing criminal database for fun
Eight Massachusetts police officers named in police brutality lawsuit
Nashville Police Dept admits lying about rape statistics
Texas school police ticketing students as young as 6
Fired Missouri cop pleads guilty to detaining women at traffic stops for shakedowns
An 84-year-old adventurer set to launch Atlantic raft
Four English adventurers led by 84-year-old Anthony Smith are to sail 2,800 miles across the Atlantic on a raft made from plastic gas pipes. It is a journey that would test the mettle of any seafarer – a 2,800-mile Atlantic crossing powered only by sail. But when four Englishmen set off on the trip, two things will make their expedition remarkable. Their vessel will be a raft made from plastic gas pipes. And the crew will be led by an octogenarian who relies on a stick to walk. With a combined age of 259, the sailors on board the "An-Tiki" will not be lacking in experience. Anthony Smith, 84, will be joined by Don Russell, 61, David Hildred, 57, and Andrew Bainbridge, 57, for a ten-week voyage from the Canary Islands to the Bahamas. The raft is expected to begin the epic journey this week.
All the materials have been either donated or purchased by Mr Smith, who is spending compensation he received after he was run over by a van two years ago – an accident that has left the adventurer, writer and grandfather with metal pins in his leg. What would normally be regarded as a devastating setback has been turned into a positive. "I had some luck two years ago – I was run over," Mr Smith said. "That's what inspired the whole thing and that's provided the basis for the money. "The whole point it to prove that elderly people can do something interesting. Well, I am 84 and disabled, so I'm well qualified on that score." The inspiration for the unusual trip comes from a desire to show that rafts, although a primitive form of transport, are no more dangerous than hollow-hulled vessels. The crew are also raising money for WaterAid, a charity that provides clean water for the world's poorest people.
"People ask me 'Am I frightened?' But I say I don't know enough to be frightened," Mr Smith explains. "I don't know how we will get on, as we don't know each other very well. I don't know how tiring it will be, living on something that goes up and down all the time. I don't know what it will be like living on a bunk. Nobody knows what a storm will do to us, or how well we will be able to steer." But Mr Smith, of west London, insists the adventure is no foolhardy indulgence. Two of the crew – Mr Hildred and Mr Bainbridge – are experienced sailors, and the raft has been kitted out with all the necessary communications in case they get into trouble. All the pieces – including gas pipes, electronics, wood, and two telegraph poles that would became the mast – were assembled and shipped in a container from Felixstowe, Suffolk, to La Gomera in the Canary Islands. The crew will be sheltered by a wooden hut, 20ft by 7ft (6m by 2m), where they will take turns to sleep on two bunk beds. Cooking, from gas stoves, chart-reading and all-important communications will be also be carried out there.
"We've also got a small library so it won't all be hard work," says Mr Smith. The lights and electronics will be powered by four solar cells on top of the hut, a wind generator – and a pedalling machine. Meanwhile, the crew will be sustained by 16 boxes of food, containing dry stuffs like cornflakes and perishables such as eggs, oranges and bananas. A small bread maker will add homely comfort to their ordeal. "We also have a hook and line to catch fish, and a plankton net to eat plankton. Plankton is good enough for the blue whale, the biggest creature on earth, to eat, so it's good enough for us." Drinking water will be carried in five pipes, each 18ft long. "We'll have so much water I think we will be able to sell it to passing yachts." Asked what treats he's brought along to keep the crew's spirits up for the long days and nights ahead, Mr Smith's answer is short and simple. "Alcohol," he says. "Everyone's quite keen on a drink, so it's not so much beer as rum and whiskey." The crew has had to wait for the weather to calm down before launching the raft. A support vessel will tow the raft out to sea for a few miles – "in case anyone forgets their toothbrush". "We have to wait for the wind. I don't want to be released and then blown back to shore. But the current is there to do the job. It took Columbus across in 1492 so it should take us across too." The crew's destination is the small island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
All the materials have been either donated or purchased by Mr Smith, who is spending compensation he received after he was run over by a van two years ago – an accident that has left the adventurer, writer and grandfather with metal pins in his leg. What would normally be regarded as a devastating setback has been turned into a positive. "I had some luck two years ago – I was run over," Mr Smith said. "That's what inspired the whole thing and that's provided the basis for the money. "The whole point it to prove that elderly people can do something interesting. Well, I am 84 and disabled, so I'm well qualified on that score." The inspiration for the unusual trip comes from a desire to show that rafts, although a primitive form of transport, are no more dangerous than hollow-hulled vessels. The crew are also raising money for WaterAid, a charity that provides clean water for the world's poorest people.
"People ask me 'Am I frightened?' But I say I don't know enough to be frightened," Mr Smith explains. "I don't know how we will get on, as we don't know each other very well. I don't know how tiring it will be, living on something that goes up and down all the time. I don't know what it will be like living on a bunk. Nobody knows what a storm will do to us, or how well we will be able to steer." But Mr Smith, of west London, insists the adventure is no foolhardy indulgence. Two of the crew – Mr Hildred and Mr Bainbridge – are experienced sailors, and the raft has been kitted out with all the necessary communications in case they get into trouble. All the pieces – including gas pipes, electronics, wood, and two telegraph poles that would became the mast – were assembled and shipped in a container from Felixstowe, Suffolk, to La Gomera in the Canary Islands. The crew will be sheltered by a wooden hut, 20ft by 7ft (6m by 2m), where they will take turns to sleep on two bunk beds. Cooking, from gas stoves, chart-reading and all-important communications will be also be carried out there.
"We've also got a small library so it won't all be hard work," says Mr Smith. The lights and electronics will be powered by four solar cells on top of the hut, a wind generator – and a pedalling machine. Meanwhile, the crew will be sustained by 16 boxes of food, containing dry stuffs like cornflakes and perishables such as eggs, oranges and bananas. A small bread maker will add homely comfort to their ordeal. "We also have a hook and line to catch fish, and a plankton net to eat plankton. Plankton is good enough for the blue whale, the biggest creature on earth, to eat, so it's good enough for us." Drinking water will be carried in five pipes, each 18ft long. "We'll have so much water I think we will be able to sell it to passing yachts." Asked what treats he's brought along to keep the crew's spirits up for the long days and nights ahead, Mr Smith's answer is short and simple. "Alcohol," he says. "Everyone's quite keen on a drink, so it's not so much beer as rum and whiskey." The crew has had to wait for the weather to calm down before launching the raft. A support vessel will tow the raft out to sea for a few miles – "in case anyone forgets their toothbrush". "We have to wait for the wind. I don't want to be released and then blown back to shore. But the current is there to do the job. It took Columbus across in 1492 so it should take us across too." The crew's destination is the small island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
Notorious Russian prison to get tanning beds
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