Renault driver Robert Kubica to leave hospital soon
>> Thursday, 21 April 2011
Renault driver Robert Kubica says he will leave the Italian hospital where he has been recovering from serious injuries "very soon".
Kubica suffered a partially severed right hand and fractures in his right leg and arm when he crashed during a rally in February.
"I will leave hospital very soon," Kubica, 26, said. "I don't have a precise date but I hope within 10 days.
"I am starting to feel a lot better. My strength and weight are increasing."
Kubica was injured just over 10 weeks ago when competing in the Ronde di Andorra, three days after setting the fastest time at the first pre-season F1 test in Valencia.
While Nick Heidfeld is acting as his stand-in at Renault, Kubica has been slowly recovering from his injuries, which could still prevent him from returning to F1.
Renault team doctor Dr Riccardo Ceccarelli warned last month it was impossible to predict when Kubica might resume racing but the Polish driver is remaining positive about his progress.
"My recovery is moving in the right direction," Kubica said in a message to his fans on the Renault website.
"The mobility of my hand is limited but this is pretty normal in this kind of situation, because the connected arm muscles are still very weak due to the long period of immobility.
"Things are definitely improving day by day. As soon as I leave hospital, I'll head to my home in Monaco for a short period of rest.
"Then I'll move to Dr Ceccarelli's facilities in Italy where I will start a deep rehabilitation programme."
Despite a few reliability issues, Renault have made a promising start to the season as Vitaly Petrov claimed third in the first race in Australia with Heidfeld achieving the same result in the second race in Malaysia.
Kubica says he has been watching the season from the sidelines and has been keeping in regular contact with the team.
"There's no doubt it's been a strong start to the season," said Kubica. "The potential of the car, which I already noticed in the Valencia test, seems to be confirmed.
"The guys did a great job with this car and I'm sure they'll continue to improve.
"Since the season started, I've been liaising with my engineers on what's been going on over race weekends.
"They are sending me the race reports so I can remain up to date and fully informed, as if I were at the track.
"[Renault team principal] Eric Boullier is also in constant contact, keeping up to date with my general condition.
"From my side, I'll try to use my difficult experience to come back as strong as I possibly can." Read more...
Weird 9/11 Facts - What do you think??
I just find out some fact about 9-11.
The end with the font is real, you have to try it!!!!!!!!!!!!
1) New York City has 11 letters
2) Afghanistan has 11 letters.
3) Ramsin Yuseb (The terrorist who threatened to destroy the Twin Towers in 1993) has 11 letters.
4) George W Bush has 11 letters.
5) The two twin towers make an "11"
This could be a mere coincidence, but this gets more interesting:
1) New York is the 11th state.
2) The first plane crashing against the Twin Towers was flight number 11.
3) Flight 11 was carrying 92 passengers. 9 + 2 = 11
4) Flight 77 which also hit Twin Towers, was carrying 65 passengers. 6+5 = 11
5) The tragedy was on September 11, or 9/11 as it is now known. 9 + 1+ 1 = 11
6) The date is equal to the US emergency services telephone number 911. 9 + 1 + 1 = 11.
Sheer coincidence..?! Read on and make up your own mind:
1) The total number of victims inside all the hi-jacked planes was 254. 2 + 5 + 4 = 11.
2) September 11 is day number 254 of the calendar year. Again 2 + 5 + 4 = 11.
3) The Madrid bombing took place on 3/11/2004. 3 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 4 = 11.
4) The tragedy of Madrid happened 911 days after the Twin Towers incident.
Sheer coincidence..?! Read on and make up your own mind:
Now this is where things get totally eerie:
The most recognised symbol for the US, after the Stars & Stripes, is the Eagle. The following verse is taken from the Quran.
"For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced: for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah and there was peace."
That verse is number 9.11 of the Quran.
Still uncovinced about all of this..?! Try this and see how you feel afterwards, it made my hair stand on end:
Open Microsoft Word and do the following(TRY THIS FOR REAL)
1. Type in capitals Q33 NY. This is the flight number of the first plane to hit one of the Twin Towers.
2. Highlight the Q33 N
3. Change the font size to 48.
4. Change the actual font to the WINGDINGS
try it its not a joke you will really see someting that will shock you
Scary Huh??
Japan Gov't declares 20-km no-go zone around Fukushima nuclear plant
>> Wednesday, 20 April 2011
FUKUSHIMA —
The government on Thursday declared the 20-kilometer evacuation area around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant a no-go zone.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the order, to take effect at midnight, was meant to prevent unrestricted entry into the mostly deserted area ordered evacuated after last month’s tsunami and earthquake wrecked the plant’s power and cooling systems.
He gave no details of penalties for violating the order.
“We beg the understanding of residents. We really want residents not to enter the areas,” Edano said. “Unfortunately, there are still some people in the areas.”
Officials said the order was meant to limit exposure to radiation leaking from the plant, and to control entry to prevent theft.
Edano said authorities would arrange brief visits for residents, allowing them to return for about two hours to collect necessary belongings. Residents would be required to go through radiation screening, he said.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan was also visiting the region Thursday to meet with local officials and evacuees to discuss the plans for strict enforcement of the evacuation zone.
Almost all the area’s nearly 80,000 residents left when the area was evacuated on March 12, but some have been returning and police could not legally block them.
Read more...
PROTON got it first point in IRC
>> Monday, 18 April 2011
PROTON Motorsports team principal Chris Mellors says he was delighted with the Malaysian car make’s performance on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés after it scored its first Intercontinental Rally Challenge manufacturers’ championship points of the season courtesy of drivers Giandomenico Basso and PG Andersson.
Italian Basso, making his debut for the team, took ninth with Swede Andersson 16th after dropping time with a double puncture on stage five.
“It’s a good result for the team; maybe ninth doesn’t sound so impressive but when you look at the time difference on the rally, it was so close,” said Mellors. “With the improvements we have made, we’re less than a second per kilometre off the pace now. We did virtually no testing before because of the new suspension and everything else. Now we’ll do some proper testing with the chassis and engine. We can easily find another half second and then we’re getting close to fine-tuning. At the moment we’ve made a big step forward and we’re very pleased.”
Mellors continued: “The first time Giando was in the car [in the latest specification] was on Monday morning for the pre-event test, which is quite a testimony to where we are. This points to a good future. We’ve got a good programme this year and we can carry on the development. We start now.”
Full result here : Islas Canarias Result, IRC Result Read more...
Malaysia - Asia Most Friendliest Country in the World
>> Sunday, 17 April 2011
HSBC Bank International's Expat Explorer survey in four categories: ability to befriend locals, success in learning the local language, capacity for integrating themselves into the community, and ease in which they fit into the new culture
Here is the list of The World's Friendliest Countries
1. Canada
2. Bermuda
3. South Africa
4. U.S
5. Australia
6. Spain
7. France
8. U.K
9. Malaysia
10. Germany
As citizens of Malaysia, I am proud and welcomes tourists from all over the world to my country.
There is only one place where all the colours, flavours, sounds and sights of Asia come together – Malaysia. No other country has Asia's three major races, Malay, Chinese, Indian, plus various other ethnic groups in large numbers. Nowhere is there such exciting diversity of cultures, festivals, traditions and customs, offering myriad experiences. No other county is "Truly Asia" as Malaysia.
"Malaysia, Truly Asia" captures and defines the essence of the country’s unique diversity. It sums up the distinctiveness and allure of Malaysia that make it an exceptional tourist destination.
Read more...
Top 10 Most Expensive Accidents in History
>> Friday, 15 April 2011
1. Chernobyl $200 Billion
On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the costliest accident in history. The Chernobyl disaster has been called the biggest socio-economic catastrophe in peacetime history. 50% of the area of Ukraine is in some way contaminated. Over 200,000 people had to be evacuated and resettled while 1.7 million people were directly affected by the disaster. The death toll attributed to Chernobyl, including people who died from cancer years later, is estimated at 125,000. The total costs including cleanup, resettlement, and compensation to victims has been estimated to be roughly $200 Billion. The cost of a new steel shelter for the Chernobyl nuclear plant will cost $2 billion alone. The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed.
2. Space Shuttle Columbia $13 Billion
The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space worthy shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. It was destroyed during re-entry over Texas on February 1, 2003 after a hole was punctured in one of the wings during launch 16 days earlier. The original cost of the shuttle was $2 Billion in 1978. That comes out to $6.3 Billion in today's dollars. $500 million was spent on the investigation, making it the costliest aircraft accident investigation in history. The search and recovery of debris cost $300 million.
In the end, the total cost of the accident (not including replacement of the shuttle) came out to $13 Billion according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
3. Prestige Oil Spill $12 Billion
On November 13, 2002, the Prestige oil tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its twelve tanks burst during a storm off Galicia, Spain. Fearing that the ship would sink, the captain called for help from Spanish rescue workers, expecting them to take the ship into harbour. However, pressure from local authorities forced the captain to steer the ship away from the coast. The captain tried to get help from the French and Portuguese authorities, but they too ordered the ship away from their shores. The storm eventually took its toll on the ship resulting in the tanker splitting in half and releasing 20 million gallons oil into the sea.
According to a report by the Pontevedra Economist Board, the total cleanup cost $12 billion.
4. Challenger Explosion $5.5 Billion
The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff due on January 28, 1986 due to a faulty O-ring. It failed to seal one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This in turn caused the external tank to dump its payload of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. The cost of replacing the Space Shuttle was $2 billion in 1986 ($4.5 billion in today's dollars). The cost of investigation, problem correction, and replacement of lost equipment cost $450 million from 1986-1987 ($1 Billion in today's dollars).
5. Piper Alpha Oil Rig $3.4 Billion
The world's worst off-shore oil disaster. At one time, it was the world's single largest oil producer, spewing out 317,000 barrels of oil per day. On July 6, 1988, as part of routine maintenance, technicians removed and checked safety valves which were essential in preventing dangerous build-up of liquid gas. There were 100 identical safety valves which were checked. Unfortunately, the technicians made a mistake and forgot to replace one of them. At 10 PM that same night, a technician pressed a start button for the liquid gas pumps and the world's most expensive oil rig accident was set in motion.
Within 2 hours, the 300 foot platform was engulfed in flames. It eventually collapsed, killing 167 workers and resulting in $3.4 Billion in damages.
6. Exxon Valdez $2.5 Billion
The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not a large one in relation to the world's biggest oil spills, but it was a costly one due to the remote location of Prince William Sound (accessible only by helicopter and boat). On March 24, 1989, 10.8 million gallons of oil was spilled when the ship's master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls and the ship crashed into a Reef. The cleanup cost Exxon $2.5 billion.
7. B-2 Bomber Crash $1.4 Billion
Here we have our first billion dollar accident (and we're only #7 on the list). This B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an air base in Guam on February 23, 2008. Investigators blamed distorted data in the flight control computers caused by moisture in the system. This resulted in the aircraft making a sudden nose-up move which made the B-2 stall and crash. This was 1 of only 21 ever built and was the most expensive aviation accident in history. Both pilots were able to eject to safety.
8. MetroLink Crash $500 Million
On September 12, 2008, in what was one of the worst train crashes in California history, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train in Los Angeles. It is thought that the Metrolink train may have run through a red signal while the conductor was busy text messaging. Wrongful death lawsuits are expected to cause $500 million in losses for Metrolink.
9. Tanker Truck vs Bridge $358 Million
On August 26, 2004, a car collided with a tanker truck containing 32,000 liters of fuel on the Wiehltal Bridge in Germany. The tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 90 feet off the A4 Autobahn resulting in a huge explosion and fire which destroyed the load-bearing ability of the bridge. Temporary repairs cost $40 million and the cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $318 Million.
10. Titanic $150 Million
The sinking of the Titanic is possibly the most famous accident in the world. But it barely makes our list of top 10 most expensive. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage and was considered to be the most luxurious ocean liner ever built. Over 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship ran into an iceberg and sunk in frigid waters. The ship cost $7 million to build ($150 million in today's dollars).
Drivers to evaluate experimental hard tyre at Sepang
Pirelli will supply the teams with extra sets of dry-weather tyres to use during Friday’s practice sessions at this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. The additional rubber will be an experimental version of the manufacturer’s hard compound.
“We never believe in standing still at Pirelli, which is why the teams will have two extra sets of slick tyres available to them during Friday's free practice sessions for evaluation purposes,” explained Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery. “With testing not allowed during the season, this gives us a valuable opportunity to gather more data and feedback, while it also gives the teams an interesting taste of what could be coming in the future."
After enjoying a successful opener at last month’s Australian Grand Prix, Hembery acknowledges the hotter temperatures expected in Malaysia will test Pirelli’s tyres even more and he is expecting some drivers to make four stops during the Sepang race.
"We were absolutely thrilled by our Grand Prix debut in Australia, but we're aware that Malaysia should be a very different proposition, with higher temperatures and increased degradation,” he added. “We said all along that we would be seeing two to three pit stops in Australia, but in Malaysia I think that figure is likely to increase to three to four.”
Like in Melbourne, Pirelli have nominated their hard and soft compounds as the prime and option rubber respectively for Malaysia.
Read more...
Sam Bintang Paling Popular
>> Monday, 4 April 2011
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