B-2 Bomber

The B-2 bomber, commonly known as the stealth bomber, was an ambitious project, to say the least. In the 1970s, the U.S. military wanted a replacement for the aging B-52 bomber. They needed a plane that could carry nuclear bombs across the globe, to the Soviet Union, in only a few hours. And they wanted it to be nearly invisible to enemy sensors.
As you might expect, hiding a giant plane is no easy task. Northrop Grumman, the defense firm that won the bomber contract, spent billions of dollars and nearly 10 years developing the top secret project. The finished product is a revolutionary machine -- a 172-foot wide flying wing that looks like an insect to radar scanners! The craft is also revolutionary from an aeronautics perspective: It doesn't have any of the standard stabilizing systems you find on a conventional airplane, but pilots say it flies as smoothly as a fighter jet.

Hachikō, the faithful dog

Hachikō (November 10, 1923–March 8, 1935), known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō ("faithful dog Hachikō" ('hachi' meaning 'eight', a number referring to the dog's birth order in the litter, and 'kō', meaning prince or duke)), was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even many years after his owner's death.
In April 1934, a bronze statue in his likeness was erected at Shibuya Station, and Hachikō himself was present at its unveiling.
Each year on April 8, Hachikō's devotion is honored with a solemn ceremony of remembrance at Tokyo's Shibuya railroad station. Hundreds of dog lovers often turn out to honor his memory and loyalty.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D

Nipper, the "HMV" dog

Nipper (1884–1895) was a dog that served as the model for a painting titled His Late Master's Voice. This image was the basis for the dog and trumpet logo used by several audio recording and associated brands: His Master's Voice, HMV, RCA, Victor Talking Machine Company, RCA Victor and JVC.
In 1898, three years after Nipper’s death, Francis painted a picture based on a photograph of Nipper listening intently to a wind-up Edison-Bell cylinder phonograph. In the painting, Francis substituted a disc gramophone for the phonograph shown in the earlier photograph.
The slogan “His Master’s Voice” along with the painting was sold to The Gramophone Company for 100 pounds sterling.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nipper

"Scream", the most expensive music video ever made

"Scream" is cited primarily as an aggressive, retaliatory song directed at the tabloid media and their coverage of the child sexual abuse accusations made against Michael Jackson in 1993. "Scream" was written, composed and produced by Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson; Michael played many of the instruments. It incorporates elements of pop, electrorock, new jack swing, dance-pop, and funk. Recording for Scream took place at the Hit Factory in New York City and at Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina, Minnesota in December 1994. The song was leaked to radio stations early, despite Epic Records' attempt to keep it off air until the official release date.

Generally well received amongst critics, it has been compared favorably to other accomplished pieces by Jackson. It went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award and an American Music Award. The corresponding music video remains one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed pieces; it won numerous MTV Video Music Awards and a Grammy. At a cost of $ 7 million, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scream/Childhood

Gigapixel image

A gigapixel image is a digital image bitmap composed of one billion (109) pixels (picture elements), 1000 times the information captured by a 1 megapixel digital camera. Current technology for creating such very high-resolution images usually involves either making mosaics of a large number of high-resolution digital photographs or using a film negative as large as 12" × 9" (30 cm × 23 cm) up to 18" × 9" (46 cm × 23 cm), which is then scanned with a high-end large-format film scanner with at least 3000 dpi resolution. As of 2011, only a few cameras are capable of creating a gigapixel image in a single sweep of a scene, such as the Pan-STARRS PS1 and the Gigapxl Camera.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigapixel_image

Rare Words from Steve Waugh

I’m inspired by ‘courage’ and ‘character’, especially in children in challenging circumstances.

I’ve always wanted to help sick children who through no fault of their own, ‘fall through the cracks’ and have nowhere to turn for help. ‘Somewhere to Turn‘ is the reason for establishing my Foundation.

“To me, being Australian is about looking after your mates, taking care of the less fortunate, supporting the underdog and enhancing the spirit that makes all Australians unique.”

source: http://www.stevewaughfoundation.com.au/

Heal the World Foundation

Michael Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to enjoy theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease.

Prior to the creation of the Heal the World Foundation, Jackson had expressed great interest in humanitarianism, equality and world peace. Songs such as "Can You Feel It", "We Are the World" and "Man in the Mirror" convey this. Jackson also donated millions of dollars to charity, including his $5 million share from the Victory Tour.

In 1984, while filming a Pepsi Cola commercial, Jackson suffered second degree burns to his scalp after pyrotechnics accidentally set his hair on fire. PepsiCo settled a lawsuit out of court, and Jackson gave his $1.5 million settlement to the "Michael Jackson Burn Center" which was a piece of new technology to help people with severe burns.

Shortly afterward, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award presented by American President Ronald Reagan. The award was given for Jackson's support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.

In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in Africa and the US. He was one of 39 music celebrities who performed on the record. The single became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 20 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief. It was also the first time Jackson was recognized for his humanitarian efforts.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heal_the_World_Foundation