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| A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page | |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, May 20, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 98
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Agents grab six
persons
in hijacking investigation By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Agents arrested six persons who are suspected of impersonating police officers and robbing truck drivers and delivery men along Ruta 27. Monday, officers from the Judicial Investigating Organization in Alajuela responded to an anonymous tip that reported seeing two cars full of men who then robbed a truck. According to a report from the judicial organization, when agents arrived they said they found a car had crossed before a truck transporting kitchen appliances. There two men dressed in official police uniforms held guns up to the driver to force him out of the driver's seat as another man got into the truck. Investigators detained the two men dressed as cops before following the truck. The driver of the truck kept driving, the report said, once he saw police in pursuit. He then got out of the truck to run, leaving the other individuals abandoned, before he too was detained. Investigators said they seized four guns, the police uniforms, and two cars in all. Similar complaints have been made across the country in places like Quepos, Jacó, and San José, so investigators are not ruling out possible connections. The report said that officers had been in pursuit of the subjects for approximately one month. Scamsters targeting users of mobile banking system By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Authorities are warning Banco Nacional customers to not give out their pin number over the phone to possible scammers. A release issued by the bank said to be on the look out for fraudsters who are calling people and telling them they've won awards from well-known television shows. Customers are then told to give the caller their mobile banking pin number, as the callers say they will immediately transfer the winnings into their account. A group of suspects have already been apprehended, according to police. Banco Nacional officials say that the bank's security system functions for mobile banking and reiterated the advice for customers to not hand out security information to third parties. The bank's security director, Roberto Méndez, gave a list of recommendations for anyone who receives a suspicious call. He said to not trust those calling over the phone who are promising economic rewards in exchange for banking information. He also advised that customers consult a registered number with the bank when they want to verify information or feel they received a scam call. Operator of downtown bar dies of apparent heart attack By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Bob Dempsey, owner of Papi's Sports Bar, died early Monday morning of an apparent heart attack. A New Jersey native, Dempsey worked for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. During the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy he was instrumental in helping those directly affected by the attacks. He came down to live in Costa Rica soon after and owned a tourism business downtown before opening up Papi's, said friends. The sports bar is on the corner of Avenida Primera and Calle 7 in San Jose. He was an avid golfer who hit the courses every week and often played poker with his local group of expat friends. Those hoping to pay their respects to Dempsey can do so at Bar Poás Thursday night, when owner Larry Wharton said a toast will be given to honor Dempsey, who is survived by his daughter and granddaughter who live in the United States.  Ministerio de Gobernación,
Policía y Seguridad
Pública
Police officer checks over the
confiscated crack cocaine.Large haul of
crack cocaine
made at Cartago checkpoint By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Fuerza Pública officers at a checkpoint set up on a secondary road into Cartago Centro nabbed a driver Monday who was accused of transporting 10,000 individual doses of crack cocaine. The crack, wrapped in aluminum foil, were in sealed, individual bags that appears to be destined to retail outlets in the central canton. The arrest was made after a brief vehicle chase at El Alto de Coris. Police officials said they set up checkpoints in this location because they believed the route was being used by those who wanted to avoid the major highways. The arrest suggests that crack is being manufactured locally and that the appetite for the drug in a community like Cartago is ample. Liberación lawmaker gives list of legislative priorities By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Partido Liberación Nacional, which now is in the minority in the legislature, has identified 14 bills that its lawmaker, Silvia Sánchez Venegas, said should be approved. Top spot goes to a change in the Costa Rica Constitution that would characterize drinking water as a human right. The second priority is a bill to create a Ministerio del Deporte y la Recreación. Although there is now and has been in the Laura Chinchilla administration, such a ministry, it was not official. The ministry would take on the role that has been vested in the culture ministry. No. 3 is a law against labor and educational harassment, and No. 4 is a bill to prevent sexual violence against children and adolescents. Agent detained in bribe case By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Judicial Investigating Organization detained one of its own Monday and said the agent was suspected of offering money to a sexual abuse victim in 2009 on the condition that she drop her complaint. The man works out of the Turrialba office where he was detained.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, May 20, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 98 | |
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| Filmmaker with Coco credits sees virtual reality as Tico
teaching tool |
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By
Michael Krumholtz
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff Filmmaker DJ Roller says that when people first see virtual reality productions up close their consensus review is always contained to one word: Wow. And though the futuristic industry gets typecast as an expensive and cool video game accessory, Roller said virtual reality has promising educational value in a place like Costa Rica. Specializing in 3D and IMAX films, Roller and his team at Next3D have begun working on filming projects for the virtual reality company Oculus Rift. The company's headset in which people are meant to feel as if they're in a chosen setting holds obvious entertainment value, especially for the gaming and sports industries. Whether it be filming the country's many ecological beauties or transporting users to faraway lands and events, Roller said Costa Rican students could easily benefit from the technology. “You've got kids in Costa Rica who could go to Yellowstone or Yosemite on a trip that they maybe never could have gone on because its just not practical,” Roller said. “On the same note, kids from the U.S. could see underwater or rainforest films from Costa Rica.” Roller is familiar with the country since his father lives here and he has visited multiple times for film work. As a cinematographer and producer, Roller works primarily underwater. One of his first major productions was shot at Isla del Coco when he filmed a program about hammerhead sharks for the Discovery Channel. Costa Rica's photogenic island that supports hundreds of marine animal and fauna species is a national park that remains protected and preserved by the government, drawing respect from the artist. “I think the work that is being done by the Costa Rican government and private industries – even the park rangers that work out there – its pretty amazing what they do to regulate this gem they have,” he said. No plans to film have been set out, but Roller mentioned the island as a place where virtual reality camera crews could find a wealth of footage. |
 Undersea Hunter Group photo
DJ Roller is flanked by crew
member Avi Klapfer and filmmaker Shaun MacGillivray on the DeepSee sub
on the way to Isla del Coco.Virtual reality combines the ability to wow the senses with an unprecedented way of accessing and experiencing a setting that he said makes the U.N. World Heritage site a perfect place to film. “Although people can go out there and do a dive, not everyone is ever going to be able to do that,” he said. “If we took these virtual reality camera systems down, it would allow any number of people to be there.” Roller also expressed interest in coordinating with an IMAX theater in the country to screen some nature-themed movies intended for students. Roller lives in Laguna Beach, California, and has filmed and produced numerous IMAX and 3D movies, including recent big picture productions "Great White Shark" and "The Last Reef." He has garnered two Emmy nominations over his career, including one for his work with James Cameron called "Expedition: Bismarck." |
| An A.M.
Costa Rica guest editorial New Costa Rican father makes a plea for road safety and enforcement |
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By
José Ruiz*
Special to A.M. Costa Rica Dear President Luis Guillermo Solís, I'm a Costa Rican, but I spent most of my teenage and early adult years living in Canada. I returned a few years ago because I missed my home country and family. Now, I'm a father of my own young son. It is with great sadness and concern that I have to watch the nightly news and see the horrifying loss of life by children on our roads. I always read about foreigners complaining about some aspect of life in Costa Rica. Some of the complaints are reality, but most are mere inconveniences. This complaint is as important as your fight against corruption, the escalating national debt, the assault on nature or the impending bankruptcy of the Caja. It is the dangerous crisis on Costa Rican roads (no lines, reflectors, potholes or a lack of traffic lights), terrible drivers (motorcyclists, buses, taxis, trucks and regular cars), near non-existent enforcement of traffic laws and a general lack of courtesy and respect for other drivers and pedestrians. I've been fortunate to be able to travel to many countries, and I've driven in North America, Central America, Europe and Asia. I've encountered fast, crazy driving in many places but never have I seen the dangerous conditions like on the roads of Costa Rica. I'm always embarrassed when family or friends from other countries visit and |
observe the
conditions on the roads. One of the hallmarks of a modern, civilized
society is the safety of the streets. Using this measure, Costa Rica
would be seen as the lowest of Third World countries. I was reading the
annual list produced by The Economist magazine a couple of years back
to see if Costa Rica ranked near the top at anything. Only in one
category did it rank: 2nd highest rate of traffic deaths per capita in
the world (the Ivory Coast in Africa was #1) . Tourists that I talk to are afraid to drive here. Almost every Costa Rican driver that I've met has been in some kind of a traffic collision. Most Costa Rican families that I know have been devastated by the loss of a loved one on our roads. Drivers talk on cell phones, they constantly text, parents drive without car seats, drunk drivers, motorcyclists weave with abandon, youthful drivers speed at such high rates of velocity it would be considered criminal in another country. It's a national embarrassment and stain. I've been aware of the lousy drivers and bad roads in Costa Rica for years. But now that I'm a father, I can see the urgency of the situation. Everyday that I drive in Costa Rica, I feel lucky to make it to my destination in one piece. I never see a cop handing out tickets for dangerous driving practices. Mostly, I have witnessed the police themselves driving in a haphazard fashion. You could solve some of the debt, Caja and infrastructure problems if the police started handing out fines for traffic violations. You could train and employ many more traffic police and pay for the program by issuing tickets. More importantly, you might save some children's lives. * Mr. Ruiz is from Heredia |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, May 20, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 98 | |||||
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| Researchers try to find out what really happens when someone
meditates |
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By
the Norwegian University of Science
and Technology news service Mindfulness. Zen. Acem. Meditation drumming. Chakra. Buddhist and transcendental meditation. There are countless ways of meditating, but the purpose behind them all remains basically the same: more peace, less stress, better concentration, greater self-awareness and better processing of thoughts and feelings. But which of these techniques should a poor, stressed-out wretch choose? What does the research say? Very little – at least until now. A team of researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the University of Oslo and the University of Sydney is now trying to determine how the brain works during different kinds of meditation. Different meditation techniques can actually be divided into two main groups. One type is concentrative meditation, where the meditating person focuses attention on his or her breathing or on specific thoughts, and in doing so, suppresses other thoughts. The other type may be called nondirective meditation, where the person who is meditating effortlessly focuses on his or her breathing or on a meditation sound, but beyond that the mind is allowed to wander as it pleases. Some modern meditation methods are of this nondirective kind. “No one knows how the brain works when you meditate. That is why I’d like to study it,” says Jian Xu, who is a physician at St. Olavs Hospital and a researcher at the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging at the university. Fourteen people who had extensive experience with the Norwegian technique Acem meditation were tested in an MRI machine. In addition to simple resting, they undertook two different mental meditation activities, nondirective meditation and a more concentrative meditation task. The research team wanted to test people who were used to meditation because it meant fewer misunderstandings about what the subjects should actually be doing while they lay in the MRI machine. The results were recently published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Nondirective meditation led to higher activity than during rest in the part of the brain dedicated to processing self-related thoughts and feelings. When test subjects performed concentrative meditation, the activity in this part of the brain was almost the same as when they were just resting. |
 Norwegian University of Science and
Technology photo
The left images show the brain
during concentrative meditation, while images to the right show the
brain during nondirective meditation. “I was surprised that the activity of the brain was greatest when the person’s thoughts wandered freely on their own, rather than when the brain worked to be more strongly focused,” said Xu. “When the subjects stopped doing a specific task and were not really doing anything special, there was an increase in activity in the area of the brain where we process thoughts and feelings. It is described as a kind of resting network. And it was this area that was most active during nondirective meditation.” “The study indicates that nondirective meditation allows for more room to process memories and emotions than during concentrated meditation,” says Svend Davanger, a neuroscientist at the University of Oslo, and co-author of the study. “This area of the brain has its highest activity when we rest. It represents a kind of basic operating system, a resting network that takes over when external tasks do not require our attention. It is remarkable that a mental task like nondirective meditation results in even higher activity in this network than regular rest,” says Davanger. Acem meditation is a technique that falls under the category of nondirective meditation. Davanger believes that good research depends on having a team that can combine personal experience with meditation with a critical attitude towards results. “Meditation is an activity that is practiced by millions of people. It is important that we find out how this really works. In recent years there has been a sharp increase in international research on meditation. Several prestigious universities in the U.S. spend a great deal of money to research in the field. So I think it is important that we are also active,” says Davanger. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, May 20, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 98 | |||||
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| World forced labor generates $150 billion, study says By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A new report finds traffickers, employers and organized crime rake in $150 billion a year from commercial sexual exploitation and forced economic exploitation. State-sanctioned forced labor still occurs, but the International Labor Organization said its report focuses on the private sector. The data for the first report on the economics of forced labor has been collected during a 10-year period. It includes more than 7,000 cases of forced labor and testimony from victims. The report said commercial sexual exploitation accounts for two-thirds of the estimated $150 billion in illegal profits. It said the other one-third results from forced economic exploitation, including domestic work, agriculture, manufacturing, construction, mining and utilities. Annual profits from this illegal trade are highest in the Asian-Pacific region, because of the high number of victims from there, according to Beate Andrees, who heads the International Labor Organization's Special Action Program to Combat Forced Labor. “The second highest estimates are in the developed economies. This includes EU member states, and this can be explained by the value-added per labor in those countries. The annual profits per victim . . . are highest in the developed economies, followed by the Middle East and lowest in the Asia-Pacific region and in Africa,” Ms. Andrees said. The report estimated that 21 million men, women and children are involved in forced labor, most in the private sector. It said 5.5 million are children and 2.2 million are victims of state-authorized forced labor. The study found more than half the people in forced labor are women and girls, primarily in commercial sexual exploitation and domestic work, while men and boys are mainly forced to work in agriculture, construction, and mining. "The findings are that households that are extremely poor and that find it very difficult to deal with sudden income shocks and therefore need to borrow money to smooth consumption, are at a higher risk of forced labor than others. And, it is very often the case that then the entire family is bonded," Ms. Andrees said. The report said other factors pushing individuals into forced labor include lack of education, illiteracy, gender, and migration. The International Labor Organization, which carried out pilot surveys in eight countries, found traditional forms of forced labor, including bonded labor, slavery-like practices and debt bondage are common in Nepal, Niger, and Guatemala. The group also surveyed Bolivia, Ivory Coast, Armenia, Moldova and Georgia, where the more modern forms of slavery prevail. The International Labor Organization annual conference later this month is to begin drawing up new standards to tackle forced labor. The organization is calling for the extension of social protection measures to poor people, investing in education and skills training, and promoting the rights of migrant workers. China brands as fabricated military cyberspying cases By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
China has summoned the U.S. ambassador after Washington charged five Chinese military officers with conducting economic espionage against American companies. The official Xinhua news agency said Tuesday that China's foreign ministry lodged a solemn representation to Ambassador Max Baucus. China has rejected the criminal allegations, the first ever leveled by the U.S. against a foreign power for cybercrimes targeting American businesses. U.S. officials have accused a unit of China's People's Liberation Army of hacking into the computers of U.S. companies working in nuclear technology, solar power and the steel industry. The top U.S. prosecutor, Attorney General Eric Holder, said Monday that all nations engage in intelligence gathering. But he said the United States categorically denounces the military espionage that provided significant information for Chinese companies, including state-owned enterprises. "When a foreign nation uses military or intelligence resources and tools against an American executive or corporation to obtain trade secrets or sensitive business information for the benefit of state-owned companies, we must say, enough is enough," said Holder. China's foreign ministry denounced the charges as fabricated and said they would undermine trust between the two governments. In protest, Beijing said it is suspending the activities of a Sino-U.S. Internet working group. Jen Psaki, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, said the United States regrets the action taken. "We regret China’s decision on the suspension of activities of the working group. We continue to believe that dialogue is an essential part of resolving these and other cyber security concerns," said Psaki. Whether the five Chinese military officers ever stand trial in the U.S. is an open question. Holder said the U.S. is hopeful that Beijing "will respect our criminal justice system" and allow the accused military officers to be brought to trial. "It is our hope to have these people stand before an American jury and face justice," said Holder. Holder said the spying targeted five U.S. companies, including such well-known businesses as Alcoa World Alumina, U.S. Steel and Westinghouse Electric, as well as Allegheny Technologies and SolarWorld, along with the country's key steel workers' union. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the indictments reflect U.S. concern that China continues to engage in cybercrimes despite protests by the United States. "We have consistently and candidly raised these concerns with the Chinese government, and today's announcement reflects our growing concerns that this Chinese behavior has continued,” said Carney. The U.S. identified the five military officers as Wang Dong, Sun Kailiang, Wen Xinyu, Huang Zhenyu and Gu Chunhui, all of whom face 31 charges, each of which carries a 15-year prison term. Wen Yunchao, a China Internet expert based in New York, said that he thinks the indictments are part of a bigger picture. “I think the criminal charges against Chinese officials can be considered as part of U.S. pivot to Asia policy. And of course, it could have something to do with the upcoming U.S. congressional midterm elections as well. It’s not an isolated case,” said Yunchao. The charges pit the world's two biggest economies against each other. The United States has an overall economic output that is twice the size of China's, about $16 trillion to $8 trillion annually. But some analysts say that by other measures, China could within the year surpass the United States as the world's biggest economy. Computer extortion scheme results in one hundred arrests By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Police in 16 countries have arrested nearly 100 people in a massive computer hacking scheme that allowed the suspects to take control of victims' computers and demand ransom. Arrests were made in the United States and Europe. U.S. attorneys say a company called BlackShades sold software that let users hack into private computers, steal passwords, credit card information and private photographs. It could also give some users access to webcams to spy into homes. Suspects extorted money and bank information from their victims when software sent out notes saying the computers had been hacked, demanding a ransom to get it back. Authorities arrested BlackShades' owner Alex Yucel last year in Moldova. The United States is seeking his extradition. FBI agent in Pakistan freed of weapons charge By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A Pakistani court has dismissed the case against an FBI agent accused of trying to carry ammunition onto a flight. The American, identified as Joel Cox, was arrested May 5 after airport authorities in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi found during routine checks that he was carrying 15 rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition and three knives. He was bound for the capital Islamabad. A judge in Karachi on Monday quashed the case saying police failed to present any evidence against the agent. Police Superintendent Rao Anwar said the case was dismissed after a letter from the U.S. Embassy said the FBI agent was carrying the ammunition unintentionally and that he was authorized to carry a weapon while in Pakistan. The FBI agent was released on bail a few days after his arrest. The State Department had confirmed that the American was on a temporary duty assignment to provide routine assistance to the legal attache at the U.S. mission. The incident occurred at a time of relative calm in the sometimes strained relationship between the United States and Pakistan, which have conducted joint efforts against terrorism. The 2011 fatal shooting of two Pakistani men by CIA contractor Raymond Davis in the eastern city of Lahore sparked a diplomatic crisis between the countries. A Pakistani court eventually freed Davis following a payment of $2 million to the families of those killed. Credit Suisse reported ready to pay massive fine By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse has agreed to plead guilty and pay a massive fine for helping U.S. citizens evade taxes. Holder on Monday said an extensive investigation shows the bank and its subsidiaries engaged in a wide-ranging conspiracy as far back as 100 years ago. He said hundreds of Credit Suisse bank employees and managers deceived the U.S. government and American taxpayers by hiding assets in undeclared illegal bank accounts. Holder said the bank went to elaborate lengths to shield itself and its clients. Credit Suisse will pay $1.8 billion in fines and reimburse the Internal Revenue Service $670 million. Holder said this case shows that no company can use its profitability as a shield against prosecution. Pope's visit to Holy Land to begin at the River Jordan By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Pope Francis visits the Holy Land beginning this Saturday on his second trip since becoming the head of the Roman Catholic Church last year. His first stop is in Jordan where he will visit the place at the Jordan River many Catholics believe Jesus was baptized and began his ministry. Pilgrims come from both sides of the river to renew their vows of faith. This is an important stop during the pope’s upcoming visit to Jordan, according to local guide Baker al-Ziadat. “This is holy land. And the people come here to be baptized in the river and to visit the churches,” said al-Ziadat. Lew and Leanne Kenah, from New Zealand, are on a week-long trip to Jordan. “It’s something very special for us, very special. It’s a lot of historical and religious history. And we’re very surprised. I couldn’t believe that it was so small, the river.” Archeologists have uncovered 1,500-year-old foundations of ancient churches. They believe this to be the actual site of Jesus’ baptism before time changed the river’s course. The pope also is to meet with refugees from the conflicts in neighboring Syria and Iraq. Jordan has accepted hundreds of thousands of people displaced by war, notes the counselor at the Vatican Embassy in Amman, Monsignor Mauricio Rueda. “I think with this visit, his Holiness wishes to say, ‘Thank you, Jordan.’ Because this country has been very open for this humanitarian crisis," said Rueda. "Jordan has opened its doors to receive all our brothers. It’s a sign of peace because the pope will meet all these refugees.” Pope Francis also will say Mass at Amman’s main stadium. Simon Shomali, who runs a souvenir shop near the baptism site, said he hopes the pontiff will bring inspiration to the region. "We are Christians who are praying for the peace. We think people should respect the footsteps of Jesus, where he was living. Wherever he went, we can watch his footsteps,” he said. The Vatican said Francis will carry his message of peace across the river when he visits the West Bank and Israel, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, later in this trip.  Voice of America photo
B. J. Winslow prepares to select
a fake cadaver.Hollywood firm
makes mark
in providing fake body parts By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Skulls, skeletons and severed body parts - they are staples of horror movies. A Los Angeles company has found success making and marketing ghastly props for Hollywood studios and lovers of ghost stories. Workers pour liquid foam rubber into molds to create the grisly products, including hands, heads and bloodied legs, says B. J. Winslow of the Hollywood business called Dapper Cadaver. “You can come right in and grab body parts right off the shelf. Or we can do custom projects, custom fabrication for you," said Winslow. Major movies, including the sequel to the adventure film "X-Men," used these props. So did the original and the sequel of the fantasy film "300." Dapper Cadaver also works with TV shows about crime, medicine and forensic science. It rents skulls and skeletons and scientific specimens in jars. But it specializes in rubber body parts. “We work with pretty much anybody who needs a dead body. It doesn't really matter. We do a lot of stuff for film and television shows, stunt bodies, victims, stuff like that. We also work with Halloween parties and events, haunted houses," said Winslow. It takes about three days to produce a full body, after the cast is made. “A lot of times, we'll be working with a crime show where they'll send us very specific causes of death and we've got to do our gruesome research. And some stuff is more just for fun," he said. A rough - cut arm or leg, hacked off by a chain saw. That could cost $40 or $50. A more realistic head with a grimacing mouth will cost $100. One popular version is cast from the face of a real-life customer. Rubber hatchets and hammers provide a grisly arsenal for Hollywood's on-screen perpetrators, and police crime tape to cordon off the scene of an imaginary murder. Headstones and caskets are also for rent or sale, and orders are sent around the United States, Europe and Asia. It's all Hollywood illusion, and Winslow says it fills a narrow but bloody important niche in the entertainment business.  Carnegie Museum of Art/Hillman Photography
Initiative
Modified digital art by Andy
Warhol recovered from a 1985 computer.Forgotten Warhol
images
resurrected from old Amiga By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Long-lost modified digital images by pop culture artist Andy Warhol have been rediscovered, thanks to a collaboration among Carnegie Mellon University, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The images are being retrieved from a 1985 Commodore Amiga computer. Stepping into Pittsburgh software engineer Keith Bare’s basement is like stepping into a computing time machine. His bulky screen and noisy disk drives have spent the last several decades on most other people’s shelves collecting dust. “They had a level of simplicity often times that we don’t see in modern computers anymore,” Bare said. His fellow members of the Carnegie Mellon University Computer Club call Bare the “Amiga Guru.” Back to 1985, the Commodore Amiga was the newest and greatest computer. To create buzz at the Amiga launch party, Commodore enlisted Warhol ‒ best known for his paintings of a Campbell’s Soup Can and actress Marilyn Monroe ‒ to demonstrate its capabilities, which incorporated a drawing tablet and another revolutionary device: a digital camera. “He took some digital pictures and modified them before most people had been thinking about digital photography at all,” Bare said. And that’s about all the public got to see of Warhol’s digital artwork. After his death in 1987, the computer and floppy discs were stored in the archives at The Warhol Museum, and the story about Warhol’s experimentation with the Amiga almost ended there. “Those drawings would have been lost,” said Divya Heffley, of the Carnegie Museum of Art’s Hillman Photography Initiative, who is producing the documentary series "The Invisible Photograph." Stumbling across the YouTube video of the 1985 Amiga launch sparked an idea that brought the Carnegie Museum of Art together with the Warhol Museum and Bare’s CMU computer club in an attempt to recover the contents of Warhol’s Amiga computer. As cameras rolled, they logged in to the unknown. “Nobody knew what we were going to find on those disks,” Bare said, adding that it took time for the team to understand the software used to create the images. “Not only is it relying on the digital media surviving, another thing that we don’t really think about is you also need to be able to have software that's able to understand that digital data.” After some reverse software engineering, they hit pay dirt: the Warhol digital art few had seen before. The iconic images of a digital Campbell’s soup can and Warhol’s self-portrait are just a few of some 20 images recovered from floppy disks. Heffley says the search for Warhol’s art is both a history lesson and a cautionary tale. “If we’re not careful technology will become obsolete," she said, "and we will no longer have the ability to see the photographs, to see the images we hold so dear and so precious.” The Warhol images, now restored and archived, can be viewed by watching the Carnegie Museum of Art’s latest installment of "The Invisible Photograph" online documentary series, entitled “Trapped.” Former top U.S. officials seek loosening Cuba ban By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A group of 44 former high-ranking U.S. officials, business executives and academics is asking President Barack Obama to loosen the five-decade embargo on Cuba. In an open letter released Monday, the signatories ask Obama to take several actions, including legalizing travel to Cuba by experts who can train Cuban entrepreneurs in law, real estate and financial services and easing currency sanctions to support independent economic activity. The letter said reducing restrictions would help give "greater freedom to private organizations and individuals to directly and indirectly serve as catalysts for meaningful change in Cuba." It said there is a window of opportunity created by reforms underway in Cuba to reduce state control in some economic areas. Supporters of tough sanctions against Cuba quickly rejected the proposals. The director of the influential U.S.-Cuba Democracy group, Mauricio Claver-Carone, said history has proven Cuban leaders only ease economic measures when they are forced to, not as a good-will measure. The letter follows a February public opinion poll in which a majority of Americans said they favor loosening the five-decade punitive policy of Cuba sanctions. The letter was signed by former National Intelligence director John Negroponte, retired Admiral James Stavridis, and several former senior State Department officials and prominent Cuban Americans. It urges the White House to hold serious discussions with Cuban counterparts on issues such as national security, migration, drugs and the environment. Any talks with Cuba, the letter said, should be used as leverage to help secure the release of jailed U.S. government contractor Alan Gross, who is serving a 15-year jail sentence in Cuba for trying to set up illegal Internet connections there. In 2009, Obama allowed Cuban-Americans unlimited travel to Cuba to visit relatives. In 2011, he allowed U.S. citizens to participate in tourism dedicated to contact with ordinary Cubans.  Egidio Feruglio Museum of Palaeontology
photo
Pablo Puerta of Argentina's
Egidio Feruglio Museum of Palaeontology lies next to the femur bone of
the newly discovered titanosaur.New Argentine
dino species
might be the world's biggest By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The new species of dinosaur doesn’t have a name yet, but scientists think it was the largest dinosaur that ever lived. The fossilized remains belong to a type of titanosaur that roamed what is now southern Argentina some 95 million years ago. The giant reptile was 40 meters long and weighed up to 80 tons, scientists said. “It’s like two semi trucks, one after another, and the equivalent of more than 14 African elephants together in weight,” said José Luis Carballido, who led a team of researchers from Argentina’s Egidio Freuglio Museum of Palaeontology in a statement. “It’s a real paleontological treasure. There were many and they were intact, which does not happen often.” Since the site contains the remains of seven adults titanosaurs, scientists think they may have congregated at a watering hole during a period of drought, dying, perhaps, of dehydration. So far, researchers have found part of the neck and much of the back, most of the vertebrae of the tail and fore and hind legs, among other bones. Moreover, there were 60 large teeth of large carnivorous dinosaurs mixed in. Carballido said it might have been a feast for scavengers like the Tyrannotitan But the feast came at a high price, he said, adding that the carnivores would have probably lost teeth biting through the hard skin and flesh of the giants. The lost teeth would have grown back. As with any newly discovered species of dinosaur, there could be revisions about the giant’s size. For example, the previous largest dinosaur, the Argentinosaurus, was estimated to weigh 100 tons, but that was later reduced to 70 upon further study. ‘‘Based on what is known of the animal, it was certainly very, very large,’’ paleontologist John Whitlock of Mount Aloysius College in Pennsylvania said. ‘‘Just how large may have to wait for more fossils and will probably depend on the method used to estimate its total size — we've seen how much estimates of mass can change for fragmentary animals like Argentinosaurus — but right now it would certainly seem to be a strong contender for largest known sauropod,’’ Whitlock said. More discoveries could be in the offing as researchers said they’ve only uncovered about 20 percent of the site. Reports from both poles show faster sea level rise By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
There were two worrying new reports about sea level rise. First, scientists in Europe said that Antarctica is losing up to 176 billion tons of ice every year, based on data collected by the Cryosat spacecraft. The rate of loss during 2010 to 2013 was double that from the last time a survey was done from 2005 to 2010. The resulting water, scientists said, could raise sea levels up to .43 millimeter every year. The findings were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. In another development, NASA and scientists at the University of California, Irvine said canyons buried under Greenland’s ice are deeper and longer than previously thought, which could mean more sea level rise as the ice in them melts. "The glaciers of Greenland are likely to retreat faster and farther inland than anticipated, and for much longer, according to this very different topography we have discovered,” said Mathieu Morlighem, a university associate project scientist who is lead author of the new research paper in a statement. While ice melt in Greenland has accelerated in recent decades, older models predicted that the ice would retreat to higher, more stable ground, slowing the melt. Morlighem's discovery shows that because of the unexpected depth and length of the canyons, it will be longer before the ice melt slows. Using radar penetrating radar, Morlighem and his team showed that Greenland’s southern coastline is serrated with more than 100 canyons beneath glaciers that empty into the ocean. Some of the canyons are below sea level up to 100 kilometers inland. Co-author Eric Rignot of the university and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in a statement that studies like this “illustrate clearly the globe’s ice sheets will contribute far more to sea level rise than current projections show.” Rignot and his team also released a study last week that said ice melt in western Antarctica was unstoppable. The results were published Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, May 20, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 98 | |||||||||
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 Ministerio de Gobernación,
Policía y Seguridad Pública photo
One suspect is handcuffed in the
heavy brush in which he tried to hide himselfSuspects doffed
clothing
in effort to hide from police By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Two robbers held up a bank customers in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí Monday and sparked a police chase by more than 20 officers, the Fuerza Pública reported. The loot was about six million colons, a bit less than $12,000. Police quickly caught up with two suspects, and both began throwing off their clothes so they could hide in the mountainous terrain. They got rid of the motorcycle helmets and eventually got down to their boxer shorts. Police located one in heavy bush, and the second threw himself into the Río Sarapiquí in an effort to evade officers. More were waiting on the other side of the river. More illegal cigarettes located in San José stores By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
More illegal cigarettes are turning up. Police confiscated 539 packs from two stores on calles 6 and 8 in western San José Monday. Police officers seem to have been directed to the two locations by workers from the Ministerio de Salud. The cigarettes had been imported without taxes being paid. The cigarettes will be destroyed, police said. |
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| From Page 7: Worker's insurance has no limit, INS says By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Instituto Nacional de Seguros said Monday that the worker's compensation policy that it issues does not have a limit. It made the comment as it announced the placement of two modern wheelchairs for two patients who had been injured in labor accidents. The cost of the two chairs totaled $44,000, the state insurance firm, known as INS, said. The policy is called riesgos del trabajo in Spanish. Employers are charged based on the size of the payroll and the type of business. A.M. Costa Rica has pointed out the need for expats who even have just a part time domestic employee to obtain a form of this policy. The coverage sometimes can be found in a comprehensive homeowner policy. Absent the policy, the expat is liable for the medical bills of workers. These can be substantial. The two recipients of the wheelchairs are at least 67 percent disabled. The wheelchairs were adapted and adjusted for each patient, the insurance firm said. The company characterized them as rentistas, meaning they will be compensated for their injuries for life. |
