Odd News

26th of April 1986 is a tragic day for the mankind. Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant in Ukraine suffered from power increase which led to core explosion. This dispersed large quantities of radioactive fuel and core materials into the atmosphere. The radiation levels in the worst-hit areas of the reactor building have been estimated to be 5.6 roentgens per second and considered that lethal doses are around 500 roentgens over 5 hours in some areas unprotected workers received fatal doses within several minutes. Radioactive materials have been released even 400 times more than in atomic bombing of Hiroshima. People feared for their lives. Not only the people in U! kraine and the other counties in The Soviet Union, the whole world was in fear because all this radioactive materials were traveling in a cloud all over Greece, Turkey, Sweden, Germany, Canada and United States of America. Mothers feared for their unborn children, they knew that the risk of having a child with Down syndrome and neural tube defects are much higher after that disaster. Thyroid cancer appeared much more often, lung cancer, people died from acute radiation. It was a stroke that the humanity will remember like one of the most severs. And these days I’m reading an article in a newspaper that says that “Beginning next year, Ukraine plans to open up the sealed zone around the Chernobyl reactor to visitors who wish to learn more about the tragedy that occurred nearly a quarter of a century ago”. Definitely strange but nothing tells the story better than the place itself.

by Zivka Deleva for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

Cantell TV is the fastest growing provider of digital broadcasting coupled with telecommunications, allowing people to easily control, view, upload and share digital content through proprietary interface coupled with free phone calls. Cantell TV is committed to delivering infinite choices to your world of entertainment at the tip of your fingers.

To, že vianoce prestali byť len o kresťanskom sviatku narodenia božieho syna, Ježiša už dávno, vieme všetci. Dnes sú skôr časom, kedy by si mali byť ľudia k sebe „bližší“. Nuž neviem, každopádne mám s vianocami spojenú predstavu dobrého jedla a toho darčekového chaosu, ktorý sa spúšťa niekedy v októbri. No niekedy to je o darčekoch a peniazoch, niekedy je to o ich hľadaní, dlhých prechádzkach po meste a obzeraní si výkladov (pre tých, ktorí neholdujú efektívne! mu, ale stále trochu nudnému eBay nákupu) a v neposlednom rade opäť ten ruch vianočného mestečka. Mestské doplnky, zeleno-červeno-žlté gule, stromčeky, svetielka, punče, ľudia na vianočných trhoch, rozhovory a opäť – komercia. Ja viem, ja viem, je to vlastne celé nejaké komerčné, ale azda je načase položiť si ruku na srdce a povedať si – áno, Vianoce dávno nie sú kresťanské, ani sociálne, ba dokonca ani nie také, aké boli v čase vašeho detstva. Vianočná atmosféra je vďaka výzdobe viditeľná po celom meste, ale na hlavnom námestí je predsa len o niečo hmotnejšia. Je to kruh vianočných stánkov, punčovej a slaninovej arómy pod patronátom obrovského ihličnatého stromu. Ide opäť! o tradičný koncept (mysli, nie historický, ale! skô ;r dobre známy). Každopádne sú na tejto zemi miesta, kde sa veci dejú inak, ako by sme predpokladali. Nejde o to ísť vpred, či vzad, smery sú rôzne a ľudská vynaliezavosť nenachádza hraníc. Je to azda prípad troch amerických miest, ktoré už tradične súťažia o nejlepší vianočný strom. Na tom teda nič nového nie je. Mestá Gloucester, Beals a Rockland majú spoločné jedno – silnú väzbu na rybolov, špeciálne homárov. Voda a rybárstvo sú pre nich tak dôležité, že sa rozhodli túto väzbu priznať aj vo vianočnom čase. Na námestiach týchto miest preto nájdete vianočné stromy, poskladané z pascí na homárov a rybárskych sietí...Gloucester dokonca vianočnú hviezdu nahradila umelou ! figurínou rybára, ktorý hľadí na more. V poriadku... Reakcie nechám na Vás a zaželám Vám ak nie tradičné, tak aspoň pokojné vianoce. V ničom inom som si neni istá..

related story (sgx18729): http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101205/ap_on_re_us/us_lobster_t...

by Milota Sidorova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

Cantell TV is the fastest growing provider of digital broadcasting coupled with telecommunications, allowing people to easily control, vi! ew, upload and share digital content through proprietary inter! face cou pled with free phone calls. Cantell TV is committed to delivering infinite choices to your world of entertainment at the tip of your fingers.

Christmas stopped being just about Christians and phenomenal story of Jesus, long, long time ago. Now it is the time when most of people come closer, have good food and of course spend a lot of time and money on gifts and presents. Well, sometimes it is about presents, sometimes it is about seeking and walking though the city (in better, but still more old fashioned way, not using boring and effective eBay), feeling the buzz of Christmas city, all those small and nice green and red trees, stars and urban accessories. It is about Christmas tree standing somewhere around the main square, it is about people visiting Christmas markets, drinking hot vine and chatting. I know, I! know there is a lot of commerce having nothing in common with the original concept, but come on, we have to accept it! We are miles and miles away from Jerusalem, Betlehem and even the way we have perceived Christmas as children. So now, when I pass the city I see Christmas everywhere, but the atmosphere is more visible on the main square in the circle of Christmas market under the protection of dominant, green Christmas tree. That is the original concept (means well known, not historical). But there are places in this world where everything goes in unpredictible directions. Everything can be abnormal, everything can be different although not beautiful or right. That leads my steps into three U.S. cities that take part in strange Christmas race – they fight for the best Christmas tree. Nothing interesting. But if we come closer to public spaces in Gloucester, Beals and Rockland, we will find the most surprising trees. All three cities are located in lobster fishing z! one with a strong attachment to this traditional way of living! . So pe ople have decided to make it visible even during Christmas. They made trees from lobster traps and nets and in Gloucester they even put artificial figurine of a fisherman looking at the sea instead of a top star. Sounds interesting? Oh, course. I let you to form your own opinions, but in case you would like to know more about these fishing trees go to the main websites of these New England cities, or better, go there and see them by yourself. Happy fishing Chrismtas!

related story (sgx18725): http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101205/ap_on_re_us/us_lobster_t...

by Milota Sidorova for Ca! ntell TV (http://cantell.tv)

Cantell TV is the fastest growing provider of digital broadcasting coupled with telecommunications, allowing people to easily control, view, upload and share digital content through proprietary interface coupled with free phone calls. Cantell TV is committed to delivering infinite choices to your world of entertainment at the tip of your fingers.