Gerald Ford - Longest Lived United States President

Gerald Ford the 38th President of United States the longest lived US President having surpassed Ronald Reagan on November 12, 2006 died yesterday at his home in Rancho Mirage, California.

Born: Omaha, Nebraska
Date: July 14th, 1913

Died: Rancho Mirage, California
Date: December 26th, 2006

Related: US Presidents on Google Maps

2006 - Year of People Power in India

Couple of criminals (Manu Sharma and Santosh Singh) related to or having connections with high ranking Government Officials, who were acquitted earlier for murdering young women, finally got what they deserved. Both Manu Sharma and Santosh Singh were convicted by the Delhi High Court. (Google Maps View of Delhi High Court)

Manu Sharma got life behind bars. He now has to get used to life from luxury cocoon to a dingy cell.

Back in October Santosh Singh got the death sentence.

Had it not been for the campaign by Indian middle class and a strong media outcry against the earlier acquitals these criminals would never have been retried.

Google Maps now adds street level mapping for India

Just found out from GoogleMapsMania that Google Maps now covers street level mapping for India.

Here are some examples:

Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, India


Golden Temple, Amritsar


Howrah Bridge, Kolkata, India

Baylor University grants a degree to 100 year old

Marvin L. "Hub" Northen left Baylor University in 1929 during the Great Depression to help his family out. At the time he was 1 chemistry credit shy of graduating.

Finally this fall Baylor University granted a degree to Marvin L. "Hub" Northern.

AP reports:

Glenn Hilburn, the retired chair of Baylor’s religion department says Northen has been participating in a class that can be substituted for the Chemistry 101 class he never took.

"He’s passed this substitute class with a grade of A-plus without even knowing it," Hilburn said. "It’s Life 101. He’s mastered that course and mastered it well."

12 year old boy refuses to get into car with mom because she is drunk

Mesa, Arizona. Mesa police arrested Rosanna Kaye Dudley, 36, on suspicion of aggravated DUI because her 12-year-old son told police he wouldn't get in the car because she had been drinking.

Quote from AZCentral.com AZCentral.Com

A witness reported the incident to police who responded to the 100 block of First Street just after 1 p.m. Wednesday, police records show. When officers arrived, Dudley stepped out of the car. She had a strong smell of alcohol, her speech was slurred, and she was mumbling and not making sense, records show. Her eyes were glassy and bloodshot, police said. Dudley was unable to perform field sobriety tests and couldn't keep her balance.

YOU are the TIME PERSON of the YEAR 2006

WELCOME TO THE GOOGLE MAPS VIEW OF YOUR WORLD
CNN reports

You were named TIME magazine's "Person of the Year" on Saturday for the explosive growth and influence of user-generated Internet sites such as YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. You were chosen over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, North Korea's Kim Jong Il and Donald Rumsfeld. Congratulations.

World's tallest man saves dolphins

In Fushun, North East China couple of Dolphins got sick after swallowing plastic shards. The authorities after numerous failed tries to extract the plastic material from the Dolphins stomach, turned to Mongolian herdsman Bao Xishun - the world's tallest man at 2.36m (7ft 8.95in) for help.

With a arm length of 1.06m Mr. Bao reached inside the Dolphins stomach and pulled out the foreign objects. Ofcourse the heads of the dolphins were held back and towels wrapped around their teeth so Mr Bao could not be bitten. (Source BBC)

Google Maps view of Fushun, North East China

US Senate Control a heartbeat away

Democratic Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota is in critical condition after a brain surgery. If the Senator were not able to perform his duties then the republican governor of South Dakota would appoint a republican to the Senate which would create a 50-50 split with the vice president casting the deciding vote. This would give the control back to the Republicans.

But...the surgery was successful and hopefully the Senator will pull thru just fine. Our prayers and best wishes are with the Senator and his family.

Senator Tim Johnson:
Born: December 28th, 1946 - Canton, South Dakota

Click on the Google Maps image of Canton, South Dakota for the latest news on Senator Tim Johnson

Canadian Logos viewable on Google Maps

Air Canada in the vicinity of London's Heathrow Airport



Windsor, Ontario



For more logos/ads to be found on Google Maps check out GoogleMapsMania

Indian school throws out a 4 year old infected with HIV

A school in southern Indian city of Alwal throws out a HIV infected 4 year old boy.

BBC reports

The boy's mother, Jayalakshmi, told the news agency Reuters: "The school teacher called me and asked me to take my son somewhere else as parents of other children in the locality were objecting."

Ms Swaroopa, who runs the Venkatesh Yuvjana Sangam nursery, says she was forced to send the child back because of pressure from other parents.

"Other parents, fearing for the safety of their children, threatened to close down the school if the HIV-positive boy continued to attend the school.

"Moreover, this boy was disturbing other students."

Jayalakshmi has now approached a non-governmental organisation for help in getting her son admitted to a special school for HIV-positive children.

She was infected with the HIV-virus by her husband, who died from Aids three years ago.

Earlier this month, in a similar incident, five HIV-positive children were asked to leave a school in the southern state of Kerala after protests from parents.

Google Maps view of Alwal, India.

UK authorities hunt for a serial killer

UK authorities are looking for a serial killer in and around Suffolk County, England. Suffolk police are investigating the murders of 5 women which have been linked to the serial killer. (More at BBC).

Google Maps view of Suffolk, England

Jeffrey Skillings new home - a converted college dorm room

Jeffrey Skilling former Enron chief starts a 25 year prison sentence in a Federal Correctional Institute in Waseca, Minnesota.

Jeffrey Skillings new home will be a converted college dorm room which he will share with 3 other inmates. Quite a change from his $4.7-million, Mediterranean-style mansion in Houston. (more)

Google Maps - Waseca, Minnesota

Climbers missing on Mt. Hood, Oregon

CNN reports that 3 climbers are missing on Mt. Hood Oregon after they set out to climb the north side of Mt. Hood. CNN further reports:

The route the climbers took is very difficult, with slopes of 50 or 60 degrees and occasional sheer walls of ice, said Steve Rollins, a rescue leader with Portland Mountain Rescue, which sent two teams up the mountain.

"There is more than 2,000 feet of that terrain," he told The Associated Press.

Google Maps Satellite view of Timberline Lodge, Mt.Hood where the climbers were to have met friends.

No Christmas Trees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

In order to avoid lawsuits the Port of Seattle has decided to remove Christmas Trees from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

A Rabbi had requested that Port of Seattle put up a giant Jewish menorah next to the Christmas Trees.

According to the airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt:(source CNN)

We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive. We're trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year.

Ohio State's Troy Smith wins Heisman Trophy

Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith won the 72nd Heisman Trophy tonight in New York.

Click on the adjacent Google Maps view of the OSU Football stadium for Heisman Trophy news via Google News RSS Feeds.

Indian American NASA Astronaut - Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams - An Indian American NASA Astronaut is one of the crew members on Space Shuttle Discovery which is set to lift off (night launch - 9.35 pm) on 12/07/2006 on a 12 day mission.

For Sunita this will not be a 12 day mission because she will be up in space for 6 months at her new home - Space Lab. (More at CNN)

Google Maps Satellite view of the Launch site:

Assassinated Russian Spy - Latest News

Former Russian Spy Alexander Litvinenko died on November 23rd of suspected poisoning from a lethal dose of radioactive polonium-210.

Click on the adjacent Google Maps view of the Itsu Sushi Restaurant in London, England where the crime allegedly was committed and also the latest News on this case via Google News RSS Feeds.

Police shoot dead a teenage boy who was accused of stealing Playstation 3

Police in Wilmington, NC (Google Maps) shoot dead a teenage boy who was accused of stealing Playstation 3's.

Police had gone to serve arrest warrants. Peyton Strickland, 18 was killed in a house he shared with roommates. Peyton's German Shepard Dog was also shot dead by the police.

AP Reports:

Roommate Mike Rhoton said Strickland was unarmed, but may have been holding a video game controller when he went to the door as it was bashed in by officers.

Authorities promised Monday to fully investigate the fatal shooting. "No one is above the law and no one is beneath its protection," District Attorney Ben David said. He declined to discuss details of the case.

Tempe, Arizona - Rap away to avoid littering ticket

AP reports:

City leaders have apologized after a program on Tempe's cable channel showed a white police officer telling two black men they could get out of a littering ticket by performing a rap.

The segment appeared on "Tempe StreetBeat," a program produced by police in the Phoenix suburb (Google Maps) that followed several officers on patrol. It shows Sgt. Chuck Schoville pulling over two men in August in a mall parking lot.

He first asks for a name and ID from the driver and then asks the two men if they know how much the fine is for littering.

The officer then tells the men that they can avoid getting a littering ticket "if the two of you just do a little rap about — what do you want to do a rap about? Littering? About the dangers of littering."

The two men agree, and each performs a short rap, laughing afterward. One says, "The dangers of littering, you will get a ticket. If you ain't wit' it, you better be experienced."

The second man raps, "Yo, I just got pulled over 'cause I threw my trash out the window when they rolled over. They got behind me and pulled me over."

Later, Schoville talks football with the men, one of whom agrees with his prediction that the Oakland Raiders will make it to the Super Bowl this year.

Schoville then says, "You know why you say I'm right? Because I got a gun and badge. I'm always right. That's the way it works, right?" The three laugh and the two men get in their car.

Students win a New Car or a Truck with good attendance record

A Casper, Wyoming High School student has won a $28,000 Chevrolet Colorado crew cab. CNN reports

Kaytie Christopherson -- who has a 4.0 average at Natrona County High(Google Maps), Dick Cheney's alma mater -- won her truck last spring, in the school system's first such drawing. But she said that was not what motivated her to keep up her attendance; she just didn't want to fall behind.

Only 98 of Natrona County's 3,200 sophomores, juniors and seniors were eligible for last year's drawing. They were allowed only one excused absence, and no unexcused ones.

Kaytie's district is giving away a blue 2007 Chevy Colorado crew cab this year. It is being displayed at football and basketball games and will be parked at the mall over the holidays.

National Calamity declared in Philippines

In wake of the devastating typhoon "Durian" which struck Philippines, the Philippines president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declared a state of "National Calamity" in Philippines.

Typhoon Durian was the 4th major storm to hit philippines in just 4 months. It is estimated that more than 1000 people might have perished in the mudslides triggered by typhoon Durian.

Click on the adjacent Google Maps for the latest news via Google News RSS Feeds on Typhoon Durian.

Sweden - Ranked No. 1 in world democracy ranking

The Economist magazine has come out with the list of world democracy rankings. Sweden (map) tops the list. The democracy index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism; civil liberties; the functioning of government; political participation and political culture.

Surprisingly United States scored low and was ranked 17th behind Germany(13), Austria(14), Malta(14), Spain (16).

Italy(34) and India(35) fall into a "flawed democracy list"

North Korea(167) tops the list in the Authoritarian regimes category.

According to the Economist:

The United States and Great Britain are near the bottom of full democracy category, but for somewhat different reasons. America falls down on some aspects of governance and civil liberties. Despite low election turnouts, political participation in the United States is comparitively high. In Britain low political participation (the lowest in the developed world) is a major problem, and to a lesser extent, for now, so are eroding civil liberties.

Bhagalpur, India - Bridge collapses on moving Train - 32 Dead

A 145 year old bridge came crashing down on a moving train killing atleast 32 people. This happened today (12/02/2006) just outside a railway station in Bhagalpur in the state of Bihar, India. (map)






Hindustan Times reports:

The deaths were caused by the debris of a brick-and-mortar structure known as 'Ulta Pul', built in 1861. De-commissioned several months ago after a new structure became operational, the archaic bridge was under demolition for the past several days. Inexplicably, trains were allowed to pass underneath even though a part of it was dangling precariously.

Excellent Resource for creating Google Maps Mashups

Right after Hurrican Katrina struck New Orleans I had wanted to create a website which could be of help to the folks in New Orleans. There were quite a few websites doing exactly the same. I was looking for ideas as to what I could do different to help.

Right then I bumped into Mike Pegg's "GoogleMapsMania" website. This was my first exposure to Google Maps Mashups. I studied what kind of mashups people were developing and from Mike Pegg's website I got the idea of creating a website showing where businesses were opening up on Google Maps, after Hurrican Katrina had departed. (Now my New Orleans website is no longer active).

Mike has featured quite a few of my Google Maps Mashups from mibazaar.com on his site.

Another excellent resource for building Google Maps Mashups is John Musser's ProgrammableWeb. Some of the ideas I got from John's site are - building Google Maps Mashup with data from Microsoft's Expo.Live.Com and AOL's Video API. John has tons of API listed on his site which you could put to variety of uses with Google Maps.

John also has featured quite a few of my mashups and some of them went on to be "Mashup of the Day". (My developer profile at Programmableweb).

And then ofcourse there is Google Maps API website. This is a must read for building Google Maps Mashups.

Finally, there are quite a few books on Google Maps Mashups which would be an excellent reference and also which would generate more mashup ideas in the developer community. Some of these books are mentioned by Mike at GoogleMapsMania (which includes a book by yours truly).

Rosa Parks arrested on this day in 1955

Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1st, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama (map) for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. This incident started the Montgomery Bus Boycott which ended on December 21st 1956 after the Supreme Court ruled that Alabama's racial segregation laws for buses was unconstitutional.

Nicole Kidman - Hollywood's top paid actress

Nicole Kidman tops the list of "Top Paid Hollywood Actress for 2006".
(Google Maps Satellite view of Hollywood sign)







Here's the Complete List (Source E! Online)
1. Nicole Kidman - $16-$17 million per movie
2. Reese Witherspoon - $15 million per movie
3. Renee Zellweger - $15 million per movie
4. Drew Barrymore - $15 million per movie
5. Cameron Diaz - $15 million per movie
6. Halle Berry - $14 million per movie
7. Charlize Theron - $10 million per movie
8. Angelina Jolie - $10 million per movie
9. Kirsten Dunst - $ 8 million per movie
10.Jennifer Aniston $ 8 million per movie