Wednesday, November 6, 2013

This week, Wikinews interviewed Spanish Paralympic sport shooter Paulo Fontán Torreiro. Late last month, Galician Fontán competed at the Alicante hosted 2013 IPC European Shooting Championship, where he finished twenty-third in the R4 10-meter air rifle standing event, and fortieth in the R5 10-meter air rifle prone event.

((Wikinews)) : So you competed at the IPC European Shooting Championships last month? How did you do? Are you happy with the result? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Compitió en el pasado Campeonato de Europa de Tiro? ¿Qué tal le fue? ¿Satisfecho por el resultado?}

Paulo Fontán Torreiro: Yes, I competed in the European Championship in Alicante. It was my first important event and I felt very nervous, I wanted to perform well. Despite improving my previous scores and achieving the minimum qualifying score for next year’s World Championship, I think I could have done better. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Si he competido en el cto de Europa de Alicante. Era mi primer campeonato de tanta importancia y me noté bastante nervioso, con ganas de hacerlo bien. Aunque he mejorado mis marcas anteriores y he conseguido las marcas mínimas para tener la posibilidad de participar en el campeonato del mundo del año que viene, si es cierto que considero que lo debí haber hecho algo mejor.}

((WN)) : What do you think you need to improve to possibly compete at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and get a medal? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Qué cree que necesita mejorar para poder competir en los Juegos Paralímpicos de Rio en 2016 y ganar una medalla?}

Paulo Fontán: Basically I would need to be able to train more constantly, obtain financial resources to participate in international events, and have a bit of luck on the day of the competition. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Fundamentalmente necesitaría poder entrenar con más constancia, conseguir recursos económicos para poder participar en competiciones internacionales y despues tener algo de suerte el día de la competición.}

((WN)) : What are the biggest challenges you face on the road to the Rio Games? Money? Good competition? The support network to travel and compete at the highest level? Disability access at training venues? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Cuáles son los mayores desafíos a los que se enfrenta en el camino a los Juegos de Rio? ¿Presupuesto? ¿Buenos rivales para aumentar su nivel? ¿Una red de apoyo para viajar y competir al máximo nivel? ¿Acceso para discapacitados en lugares de entrenamiento?}

Paulo Fontán: All that are included in the questions. In order to train effectively, you need adequate facilities, and that’s not the norm here. And to increase my level, I would need to compete against good rivals, basically at international events. For that, I require money and support, something that’s not too available. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Pues todos los que aparecen en las preguntas. Para entrenar con garantías hace falta contar con instalaciones adecuadas, y no es lo habitual. Y para mejorar mi nivel necesitaría competir con buenos rivales (basicamente en competiciones internacionales) y para ello hace falta dinero y apoyos, algo que escasea.}

((WN)) : Why did you chose to compete in shooting? Why not compete in another sport? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Por qué eligió competir en tiro? ¿Por qué no otro deporte?}

Paulo Fontán: I first tried other sports but finally focused on shooting because it fits my capabilities better, I’m not bad at it, and there is a very agreeable atmosphere at the competitions. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Probé primero otros deportes pero finalmente me he centrado en el tiro porque se ajusta mejor a mis capacidades, no se me da mal y he respirado un ambiente muy agradable en las competiciones.}

((WN)) : Who are your role models in shooting? Are there any shooters you particularly admire? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Quién es su modelo a seguir en tiro? ¿Existen tiradores/as a los que particularmente admire?}

Paulo Fontán: I must thank the support Juan Saavedra has given me since I started, and which he keeps giving me when I need it. I would like to mention Marciano Vázquez, the Spanish national team coach, too for his advice and trust in me when he called me up for the European Championship: I hope to return his trust with some future triumph. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Tengo que agradecer el apoyo que siempre me ha brindado Juan Saavedra desde que empecé, y que me sigue brindando cuando lo necesito. Citar también a Marciano Vázquez, seleccionador nacional de Tiro Olímpico, por sus consejos y por su confianza en mi persona a la hora de convocarme para el cto de Europa; espero poder devolverle la confianza con algún éxito futuro.}

((WN)) : What is the sport shooting culture like in Spain? Are people generally supportive when you tell them what sport you compete in? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Cómo es recibido este deporte culturalmente en España? ¿La gente le apoya cuando dice que es tirador?}

Paulo Fontán: I don’t think it’s very well known, and there could be some rejection because of the “pegar tiros” part, but that’s out of ignorance since it is mainly a mental sport, a sport requiring focus. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Creo que no es muy conocido y quizá pueda haber cierto rechazo por eso de “pegar tiros” pero es fruto del desconocimiento ya que fundamentaolmente es un deporte mental, de concentración.}

((WN)) : Do you think the classification system in shooting is fair? Do you think it should be changed? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Piensa que el sistema de clasificación en tiro es justo? ¿Piensa que se debería cambiar?}

Paulo Fontán: I’ve only been doing this for three years and haven’t had time to analyze it deeply so as to have an opinion about it. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Llevo sólo tres años y no he tenido tiempo de analizarlo en profundidad como para tener una opinión al respecto.}

((WN)) : Would you recommend the sport to other people with disabilities? What are reasons they should or should not take up the sport? ^{((es))Spanish language: ?¿Recomendaría este deporte a otras personas con discapacidad? ¿Cuáles son las razones por las que deberían -o no deberían- practicar este deporte?}

Paulo Fontán: Yes, I would recommend it, and I would because it is a sport which can be practiced by a wide array of different disabilities, and for a long time. The biggest problem is the high initial investment, the lack of adequate facilities or the cost of travelling to competitions since there are not many places that allow people with disabilities to participate. ^{((es))Spanish language: ?Si lo recomendaría, y lo recomiendo porque es un deporte que se pude practicas por una gran diversidad de discapacidades diferentes, y durante mucho tiempo. El mayor problema es la elevada inversión inical, la ausencia de infraestructuras adecuadas o el coste de los desplazamientos a las competiciones (ya que no hay muchas en las que permitan participar a personas con discapacidad).}

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Buffalo, New York —A woman in Buffalo, New York in the United States is in critical condition tonight at Sisters Of Charity Hospital after she accidentally set herself on fire.

The unnamed elderly woman was receiving oxygen for medical problems in her home and lit a cigarette, and the oxygen coming from her mask facilitated the ignition of her clothing, setting her on fire.

Despite her “severe” burns as described by firefighters on radio communications, she was still able to dial the emergency line in the U.S., 911.

In the U.S. only 4% of all residential fires were reportedly caused by smoking materials in 2002. These fires, however, were responsible for 19% of residential fire fatalities and 9% of injuries. The fatality rate due to smoking is nearly four times higher than the overall residential fire rate; injuries are more than twice as likely. Forty percent of all smoking fires start in the bedroom or living room/family room; in 35% of these fires, bedding or upholstered furniture are the items first ignited.

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Mohamed Mohsen Mohamed Elhusseini In Arabic (???? ???? ???? ???????) Is An Egyptian Programmer.“Elhusseini” Invents A New Software To Simulate Live Musical Instruments Like Violin, Viola, Cello, Sax And Clarinet With Live Musical Instruments Articulation

Mohamed Elhusseini A Student at the Faculty Of Computers And Information At Mansoura University.Born On Temmai El-Amdeed Center In Dakahlia Governorate He is 25 Years Old.

Husseini says:

I worked as a programmer for more than five years. I love the keyboard, and I found the desire to learn to play it. But I can’t buy it, because it costs more than I can handle. Hence, I thought of using my programming experience to design a program that simulates the sound of the keyboard. The first “Virgin software” worked, but it was the same as the programs in the machines without any difference. I decided to re-experiment. I even had the idea of making a live machine. Especially that all the musicians love it so much, Moreover, it is not available in the devices they work with. And I began the journey of reading and collecting all the information about the live instruments, and I began to simulate them through alternatives found in the keyboard. Thankfully, I was able to produce exactly the same sound quality with live instrument controls. The first person who encouraged me was the old musician Hamada, who tried the first version, and was happy with it, which encouraged me and pushed me to develop the subject.After that, I worked almost all the live instruments, and I contacted the musician Mohamed Abdel Salam and he listened to the program, and he liked the work very much and began to encourage me as well. So much so that he was sent to a private car and I went to him and tried the live machines and liked him very much. And his support for me reached that he made a live broadcast from his private page on social media, and I received 500 thousand, and it was the reason for my introduction and the knowledge of many people about my program.

“Al-Hussaini” continues his talk about his program, saying: Not only is the quality what distinguishes this “software” program, but it provides sums of money for the musicians of the bands and provides them with all the possibilities of the keyboard, in addition to the live instruments, ease of handling, and a very pure sound quality under the name of waves music. It contains eastern, western and Turkish rhythms, the ability to control the speed of the tempo and the possibility of dividing the keyboard into two different sounds. This program provides several services to its users, including,It is cheap, has all the capabilities of the keyboard on the market, and is easy to control. As well as multi-use as it can run the software on the keyboard to increase its capabilities or play it separately with midi-orches (keyboard keyboard does not contain any sounds). It is also easy for musicians to use the oriental scale.

[edit]

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

According to outgoing Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, an explosion that was “equivalent to a 2,000 lb. bomb” and registered 0.5 on the Richter scale decimated an area of Danvers and is also a “Thanksgiving miracle.”

The explosion occurred around 2:45 am EST, this morning in the Danversport area of Danvers, Massachusetts at the plant for solvent and ink manufacturer, CAI Inc. The explosion, which was caught on security camera and was heard up to over 25-50 miles away in southern Maine and New Hampshire.

The explosion damaged over 90 homes, blowing out windows and knocking some houses off their foundations. Officials believe that some of the more extensively damaged houses will have to be leveled and rebuilt. Some of the buildings damaged included a bakery, boats at a close by marina and the New England Home for the Deaf, an assisted-living facility for people who are deaf or deafblind and elderly residents requiring constant care. “These people are extremely fragile,” said state Rep. Ted Speliotis, D-Danvers, whose district includes the affected area. “Many of them have Alzheimer’s and other illnesses. It’s clear they can’t stay here long, but it’s clear they won’t be able to return for quite a while.”

Danvers Fire Chief James P. Tutko toured the area by helicopter and said many residents would be kept from their homes for the foreseeable future. “It looks like a war zone, that’s the only thing I can say,” Tutko said. When asked about the loss of no life at all, he responded “Somebody out there likes us.” Finally, he said that finding out the cause of the explosion would take days.

Outgoing governor Mitt Romney toured the area and said the explosion was a “Thanksgiving miracle” as the explosion was “equivalent to a 2,000 lb bomb going off in a residential neighborhood,” and that no one was killed and only about 10 people suffered only minor injuries in area that included over 300 residents. Residents of the area have been evacuated to the Danvers High School where temporary shelter has been set up by the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay. Donations are being taken for residents affected by the explosion. Residents are also being told to start filing insurance claims right away and to keep track of their expenses for items bought.

There were minor environmental concerns due to water runoff of chemicals. According the Environmental Protection Agency‘s on-scene coordinator Mike Nalipinski, preliminary tests showed low levels of toluene, a solvent, but said it was nothing of significance. Water runoff from the water used by firefighters left a purple sheen on the river and tests were being conducted. However, the water is not a local drinking water supply and the chemical evaporates quickly. Chief Tutko said there was no risk of toxic fumes getting into the air.

An Eastern Propane facility was also located near the area, however, it was not the source of the explosion. A spokesman for the company said that although the property suffered some minor damage, their tanks are secure.

According to WHDH television, a person who answered the telephone at CAI’s Georgetown, Massachusetts headquarters refused comment, and a telephone message left at the company president’s home was not immediately returned.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

A man missing from a camping ground in southern Utah in the Western US since July 30 was found in Australia. His automobile was found in a campground of Dixie National Forest with a note that he would be back in a few hours. An extensive search and rescue operation was conducted to try to locate this hiker by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Utah.

Investigators in the Sheriff’s Office were able to track him down to Cairns, Queensland. Apparently before he was “missing”, he bought a one-way ticket to Australia. Bryan Butas, the missing hiker, apparently had been under a great deal of stress and “got sick of it all”, according to a telephone interview by the Associated Press.

Butas has been charged with insurance fraud, a second-degree felony, by Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap. This was because Butas plotted to obtain a $250,000 life insurance policy before faking his own disappearance. He has also been given a bill for $20,000 by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their search and rescue operations on his behalf.

His wife and children have since his disappearance moved to the wife’s parent’s home in Ohio. Butas’s parents came to Southern Utah to help in the search and were “embarrassed and shocked” to learn their son had merely run away from marital and financial difficulties, Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith said.

Washington County Sheriff Sgt. Jake Adams said his investigation included tracing an application Butas made for a passport, his purchase of a one-way airline ticket to Australia, and the life insurance policy that names his wife and children as beneficiaries. On August 18, Adams said Butas’s mother called him to say her son had called home the evening of August 11, several days after the search was officially called off for the missing man. Butas asked his mother for money and an airline ticket home, which she sent.

Butas has since been checked into the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Brecksville, Ohio, according to Adams, but will shortly return to Utah.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

European finance ministers at the G-20 meeting which opened Saturday, November 20th, are expected to discuss the current exchange rate of the euro vs. the dollar. The euro is currently trading high against the dollar, so that it takes around $1.34 (as of December 4, 2004) to buy one euro. This has the effect of making exports from Europe to the USA more expensive, increasing the likelihood that US consumers will buy from a non-EU country. The exchange rate is set by the currency markets, although it is heavily influenced by the current account status (ie. the balance of trade between countries).

Some European leaders want the United States to take action to increase the value of its exchange rate. The US though is seen as not wanting to do this, for two reasons:

1. A low dollar relative the euro means that all exports from the US to Europe are cheaper for Europeans to buy, increasing the likelihood that Europeans will buy US items and thus helping the US economy
2. Many actions which governments have done in the past to bolster unnaturally their currency have been fought by the market, and the market won. The most famous example is George Soros’ “breaking of the Bank of England”

One side-issue that this discussion might evoke is that of the exchange rate between the dollar and the Chinese yuan, which is fixed by China. Studies of this exchange rate using the concept of purchasing power parity (ensuring that a dollar traded to Chinese yuan will still buy roughly the same amount in China) show that the Chinese yuan has been around 50% undervalued for the past two years. This makes things from China on average 50% cheaper for a US consumer than they should be. US officials have throughout 2004 repeatedly called for China to end this practice. Normally it would end itself, i.e. even with a fixed exchange rate this process could only go on for so long before the entire Chinese market becomes valued differently. But since the Chinese central bank has been constantly lending money to the United States government (via the purchasing of US treasury bonds), that effect is mitigated.

A compilation of brief news reports for Wednesday, March 28, 2007.

The United States will reportedly seek a jail sentence of less than 20 years for Australian David Hicks. He pleaded guilty to providing material support for terrorism, but not an act of terrorism. Hicks may be sentenced by the end of the week. He could be returned to Australia to serve out his sentence, with credit for the years at Guantanamo Bay.

Related news

• “Guantanamo detainee David Hicks pleads guilty to providing “material support”” — Wikinews, March 27, 2007
• “US charges Australian David Hicks” — Wikinews, March 26, 2007

Sources

• Gemma Daley. “U.S. to Seek Hicks Jail Term of Less Than 20 Years” — Bloomberg L.P., March 28, 2007
• “Australian’s Gitmo confession likely to get him home” — CNN, March 28, 2007

US stocks fell on Tuesday starting another round of global selling, as worries about the US housing market and weaker consumer confidence. Lennar Corp., one of the largest US home builders reported that profits fell 73%. Wednesday, Asia markets opened steady to higher, but fell as rising oil prices and the geopolitcal standoff between Britain and Iran made investors seek the safety of government bonds. European and North American markets are trading lower in the Wednesday trading session.

Sources

• Madlen Read, AP. “Wall Street slides on economy worries” — Yahoo! News, March 28, 2007
• Chen Shiyin and Makiko Suzuki. “Asian Stocks Fall on U.S. Economy Concern; Toyota, Samsung Drop” — Bloomberg L.P., March 28, 2007
• “European stocks — Factors to watch on March 28” — Reuters, March 28, 2007
• Chris Burns. “Markets lower on Iran, US data” — Reuters, March 28, 2007

In an apparent reprisal for bombings in Shi’ite areas, gunmen went on a rampage in a Sunni in Tal Afar, Iraq, killing about 50 people. There have been reports that the gunmen included police.

Sources

• “Gunmen kill 50 in Iraqi town” — Reuters, March 28, 2007
• “Gunmen kill dozens in Iraqi town” — BBC News Online, March 28, 2007

The United Kingdom has made public GPS data that it says proves that the 15 navy personnel were well inside Iraqi waters when they were seized by Iran. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the dispute would be solved “based on rules and regulations” and that the female sailor would be released soon.

Related news

• “UK prepared to go ‘into different phase’ if sailors and marines not released by Iran within days” — Wikinews, March 27, 2007
• “British sailors detained by Iran “to be tried for espionage”” — Wikinews, March 25, 2007
• “15 Royal Navy sailors captured at gunpoint by Iranian guards” — Wikinews, March 23, 2007

Sources

• “UK reveals Iran dispute evidence” — BBC News Online, March 28, 2007
• Peter Graff and Sophie Walker. “Britain turns up heat on Iran, woman to be freed” — Reuters, March 28, 2007

Surviving members of the 332d Air Expeditionary Group and 99th Pursuit Squadron, widely known as the Tuskegee Airmen, will be honored on Thursday by President Bush at a ceremony at the US Capitol. They will receive the Congressional Gold Medal for fighting both the Nazis abroad and racial segregation at home.

Sources

• Matthew Bigg. “Black airmen honored for fighting Nazis, racism” — Reuters, March 28, 2007
• Annie Bergman, AP. “Tuskegee Airmen Being Honored” — ABC News, March 28, 2007