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California Gold Rush Mining in 1849

The California Gold rush is back after 160 Years. This time it seems to be recession driven.

The number of people coming to California to pan for gold is up as the economy has gone down.

Professional gold panners say they make an average of $60 to $80 in a day, but most amateurs who do it recreationally make significantly less.

Some who have lost their jobs and become gold panners quickly learn that it takes hard labor.

Gary Mosher says he comes from Colorado, and sees the effect of new prospectors first hand.

“He’s sleeping in a tent with his son and his wife; doesn’t have a job; got a car,” said Mosher. “Taking drinking water out of the side of the mountain and hoping to find enough gold to buy groceries.”

Gold panning professionals are also seeing an influx of vacationers who are choosing to come to California to pan for gold to try to make some money while taking time away from their day jobs.

“We’ve had people from Texas, from Ohio, from Georgia, from Tennessee, from New York all come out here and use this as their vacation to get a little bit of extra money,” Dennis Robnett of Pioneer Mining Supplies said.

Some estimate there is a 15% increase in gold panners. It will cost you about $40 for basic supplies to get started.

Source : http://wbztv.com/watercooler/modern.gold.rush.2.1144903.html

Hillsdale High School

The Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California is currently being evacuated. The police have secured the school after a pipe bomb was set off after the school day.

The weird thing is even the neighbors are being evacuated, though it seems now that some of them are allowed to return back to their homes.

It looks like a student set off a pipe bomb before the school started today. And that student is already in the custody of the police. For the moment all that the police are trying to do is evacuate the school. Looks like there won’t be any school.

The students have been moved off of school property. The police are completely clearing the school and blocks around the school.

The bomb squad has just arrived at the high school. The bomb squad is on hand to make sure that there are no other bombs on the premises.
There could be one student left inside of the locked down school. A student is reported to have called her mother from within the school. Parents are lining up at Abbot Middle School to pick up their children.

This is currently a developing story, there will be more updates on this story based on what really is happening out there.

This is really weird….

Now this is called Web genius or hacking . But still he is a thief . Yep i am talking about  the recent theft identity involving Bank that rocked US.

Gonzales, 28, and two unnamed Russian co-conspirators hacked into the payment systems of retailers, including the 7-Eleven chain. and stole 130 million credit card and Debit card numbers.

Its a shame though for cops, not detecting the thieves earlier. All I can say is there is a flaw in the maintanence system that the Banks adopt. The method that the US theft used was simple “SQL Injection Attack”

The authorities should have foreseen it. Who knows how many people lost their money ????

Prosecutors say  If convicted, Mr Gonzales faces up to 20 years in jail for wire fraud and five years for conspiracy.

He would also have to pay a fine of $250,000 (£150,000) for each of the two charges

His corporate victims included Heartland Payment Systems – a card payment processor, convenience store 7-Eleven and Hannaford Brothers, a supermarket chain, the DOJ said.

According to the indictment, the group researched the credit and debit card systems used by their victims, attacked their networks and sent the data to computer servers they operated in California, Illinois, Latvia, the Netherlands and Ukraine.

The data could then be sold on, enabling others to make fraudulent purchases, it said.

Zac sunderland on his world journey

Really great talent has been shown by an 17 year old American teenager Zac Sunderland who has circled the world taking a little more than a year time and now holds the record for Youngest Sailor to conquer the world.

Zac Sunderland  who started from Marina Del Rey, California last June has gone throughout the world with his Yatch, alone. Zac says he faced tough times in the middle of the journey with his Yatch breaking up, storms and also a threat from Pirates. He calls with Confidence that He never gave up on his journey.

So young but greatness achieved, this is what  said by people throughout the world on Zac sunderland’s journey.

He said he had learned a lot about the world during his travels.

“In other countries, 13 people are living in a dirt hut and when you meet them, they’re the kindest, most generous people,” he said.

Though he was on the journey alone, he had communication with his family through satellite links and also did meet up his father on his route places.

The sea route which he took to cover up is clearly mentioned on the image below

Kelly Preston with her family

Jett Travolta, Son of Kelly Preston died last January with a sudden Seizure. He was  aged 16. The lose of their beloved son made kelly Preston and John Travolta suffer in private grief. They were not seen talking about the dead towards the media and supposedly seemed to be let down.

Finally, Shiver who is the host of California Governor’s conference for women has been successful on convincing Preston on speaking at the conference. The Show is titled as “Grief & Resilience“. It is for those who have lost their loved ones. And it gives an opportunity for the affected persons to share their grief with others.”If she can empower one other woman who feels like they can’t get out of bed, or get through the day, whatever the loss, it’ll be worthwhile sharing her story,” says Shriver.

Shiver says it was a tough job to get Preston convinced to speak. Preston finally agreed to speak on the topic. Along with her, the panel will have other two woman who have also lost their sons.

Preston gave the invite a lot of thought before making a commitment to speak. “She has been thinking about this for a couple of months,” Shriver says of Preston. “I asked her to speak and she knew about the conference and decided if she was only going to speak once, it would be here. She wants the conversation to be about more than just her.”

Michelangelo’s painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel in Rome may be the most lauded in the ceiling world, but it’s far from the only one worth straining your neck to see.

The editors and members of travel website VirtualTourist.com have compiled a list of the World’s Top 10 Greatest Ceilings, apart from the Sistine Chapel. Reuters has not endorsed this list.

1. Bellagio Hotel; Las Vegas, Nevada

The coloured disks that float on the ceiling of the Bellagio may look like multi-coloured jellyfish, but they are in fact thousands of hand-blown glass flowers. Like the town itself, it has to be seen to be believed.

2. Debre Berhan Selassie Church; Gonder, Ethiopia

You’d never guess by looking at the outside of this small, relatively simple church that such stunning artwork graces the inside. It’s said that none of the 104 winged cherubs that dot the ceiling are alike.

3. Grand Central Station; New York City, New York

Once covered in black grime, this ceiling was restored in the 1990s as part of the station’s renovation and now depicts several signs of the zodiac in beautiful sea-green and gold hues. There’s even a little patch that was left dirty just to show the difference between the “before” and “after”.

4. Galeries Lafayette Department Store; Paris, France

The glass domed ceiling at the famed department store attracts as many tourists as shoppers. Unveiled in 1912, the dome is overshadowed only by the view from the store’s terrace.

5. Khai Dinh Tomb; Hue, Vietnam

It took 11 years to complete, but the results are pretty astounding with the ceiling featuring nine hand-painted dragons in fine, fleeting clouds.

6. Sant’Ignazio Church; Rome, Italy

It’s almost impossible to believe when looking at this multi-dimensional painting that the surface is actually flat. Perhaps one of the most incredible examples of “Trick of the Eye” paintings ever completed, it’s a clear rival with its more famous nearby neighbour — the Sistine Chapel

7. Sagrada Familia; Barcelona, Spain

No one could ever say this building was constructed too hastily. Started in the 1800s and still unfinished, the imposing forest-like ceiling is as original as the rest of the Gaudi-designed church.

8. Central Rotunda, Griffith Park Observatory; Los Angeles, California

Designed by Hollywood art director turned muralist Hugo Ballin, the subtle, circular painting depicts the signs of the zodiac and other celestial objects. An interesting side note: Ballin was a sketch artist on the film The Wizard of Oz, which might explain the ceiling’s whimsical look.

9. Macy’s Department Store; Chicago, Illinois

This genuine Tiffany ceiling is so incredible it’s enough to distract even the most ardent shopaholic. Over 100 years old, it’s composed of more than 1.6 million pieces of glass and is considered by many to be one of the best examples of Tiffany craftsmanship ever constructed.

10. Opera Garnier; Paris, France

Although the primary function of the building is to provide a stage for the city’s extraordinary ballet company, Marc Chagall’s ceiling mural is a show in itself. Thought to be somewhat incongruous with the building’s architecture, it was the source of much controversy when it was added in 1964.