When it comes to Internet speed, the U.S. is still far down the ladder of industrialized nations, ranking 28th behind leaders South Korea, Japan, Sweden and Holland, according to a study by a labor union for telecommunications workers.
Using data gathered from Speed Matters, a site that promotes greater Internet speeds, the Communications Workers of America compiled a list of broadband speeds in U.S. states and territories, and came up with the average speed for the nation -- about 5 megabits per second. That's a quarter of South Korea's 20.4 Mbps, and about a third of Japan's 15.8 Mbps.
The study also pointed to the relatively slow rate at which the average U.S. broadband speed rose in recent years, gaining only about 1.6 Mpbs since May 2007. That was a much slower increase than was seen in the U.S. states with the fastest speeds.
California, perhaps the nation's most high-tech-friendly state, ranked only 11th among the 50 states, well behind the national leaders. Still, the state's 6.6 Mbps average put it ahead of where it was two years ago, when it ranked 22nd among states, with barely more than 3 Mbps.
Delaware residents now enjoy the nation's fastest broadband at 9.9 Mbs, nearly twice the national average -- and up more than 5 Mpbs since 2007. At the lower end of the speed range, sparsely inhabited states such as Idaho, Alaska and Montana were well below the national average, clocking in around 2.5 Mbps.
Among the study's conclusions is that broadband speed is not equitably distributed throughout the country. If the U.S. wants all its citizens to have access to equally high-speed Internet, the CWA argues, it will have to invest heavily in telecommunications infrastructure.
Of course, when the U.S. spends some of the $7.2 billion allocated to broadband development in the federal stimulus package, CWA workers would benefit from job creation.
“Every American should have affordable access to high-speed Internet, no matter where they live. This is essential to economic growth and will help maintain our global competitiveness,” CWA President Larry Cohen said.
The study is not scientific: Some states had far more data points to draw from than others, and in a seemingly arbitrary decision, the study included U.S. territories Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (why not Guam, American Samoa, etc.?) where slow speeds helped to bring down the average.
On the other hand, if you've ever tried to check your e-mail in Montana, you know there's some truth to the figures.
Corrected, 8:23 a.m.: An earlier version of this post stated that the CWA study gathered data from speedtest.net. In fact, the survey data was gathered from speedmatters.org; only the international comparison information was taken from speedtest.net.
Ophidiophobia or ophiophobia is a particular type of specific phobia, the abnormal fear of snakes. Fear of snakes is sometimes called by a more general term, herpetophobia, fear of reptiles. The word comes from the Greek words "ophis" (ὄφις) which refers to snakes and "phobia" (φοβία) meaning fear.
Care must also be taken to differentiate people who do not like snakes or fear them for their venom or the inherent danger involved. An ophidiophobic would not only fear them when in live contact but also dreads to think about them or even see them on TV or in pictures.
Did you know that Lawrence Fishburne's 19-year-old daughter Montana is making a serious push to break into Hollywood ?
Montana Fishburne is starring in a porno flick for Vivid Entertainment-- explaining, "I've watched how successful Kim Kardashian became and I think a lot of it was due to the release of her sex tape."
Montana says "she knows what she does and she does it well"!!!!! " She says its a "step in the right direction" Of course in August after the flick is released we will see if her prediction is true.
When she released her sixth studio album Circus, in December 2008.Circus became one of the fastest-selling albums of the year,[100] and has sold 3.5 million copies worldwide.[101]
Circus debuted at number one in Canada, Czech Republic and the United States, and inside the top in many European nations.[97][98]
Did you know that In the United States, Spears became the youngest female artist to have five albums debut at number one, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records?[99]
Did you know that she also became the only act in the Soundscan era to have four albums debut with 500,000 or more copies sold?[97]
A: Local classifieds and forums - community moderated, and largely free.
Q: What can I find there? A: Jobs, housing, goods, services, romance, local activities, advice - just about anything really.
Q: What is the origin of craigslist? A: An email list of SF events, started as a hobby by Craig Newmark in early 1995.
Q: Who runs craigslist? A:Jim Buckmaster has been CEO since late 2000.
Q: Is Craig still involved with craigslist? A: Craig works in customer service, in addition to fulfilling his iconic responsibilities.
Q: Is craigslist a nonprofit? A: No, craigslist was incorporated as a for-profit in 1999.
Q: Why does craigslist still use a ".org" domain? A: It symbolizes the relatively non-commercial nature, public service mission, and non-corporate culture of craigslist.
Q: How much traffic does craigslist get? A: More than 20 billion page views per month
Q: Is craigslist available in languages other than English? A: Yes - in French, German, Italian, Portugese, and Spanish
Q: How many classified ads does craigslist receive? A: craigslist users self-publish about 50 million new classified ads each month
Q: How many job listings does craigslist receive? A: More than 1 million new job listings each month
Q: What about craigslist discussion forums? A: More than 120 million user postings in 100 topical forums
Q: How many employees does craigslist have, and where are its offices located? A: About 30 of us work out of offices in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco
Q: How does craigslist support its operations? A: Ad fees for jobs in 18 cities, brokered NYC apartments, adult and therapeutic services.
Since first being named the starter of the Green Bay Packers before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 27, 1992, Brett Favre has never missed a game.[118] He is currently in first place for the most consecutive starts by a quarterback in the NFL and one of only five quarterbacks to have started over 100 consecutive games in NFL history. He failed to finish a game due to injury on only six occasions since taking control of the Packers as quarterback.[119] Besides Favre, there is only one other active streak of 100 or more games among quarterbacks, that of Peyton Manning. Since the beginning of Favre's consecutive start streak, 212 other quarterbacks have started in the NFL,[120][121] 12 of them being back-ups to Favre at one point.[118] Among his former backups are: Don Majkowski, Ty Detmer, Kurt Warner, Mark Brunell, Steve Bono, Doug Pederson, Matt Hasselbeck, Danny Wuerffel, Aaron Brooks, J.T. O'Sullivan, and current Packers starter Aaron Rodgers. Two veteran backups to Favre never started another NFL game: Jim McMahon, and T.J. Rubley. The consecutive starts streak is widely considered one of the most notable streaks in sports, so much so that the Pro Football Hall of Fame has as an exhibit displaying the jersey Favre wore during his record breaking 117th consecutive start as a quarterback, and a section of their website devoted to what the Hall of Fame calls an "Iron Man".[122]
In 2009, Favre surpassed Jim Marshall for starts at any position with his record-breaking 271st start as a quarterback as the Vikings played the Lions.[123][124][125]
Did you know this quarterback trivia?
Did you know that you can lean more about Brett Favre by click here
The first to achieve this feat was John Wooden, he was a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (class of 1961) and as a coach (class of 1973). He was the first person ever enshrined in both categories; although
That would be Arthur Gordon or as the world knew him as "Art" Linkletter.
Linkletter had one of the longest marriages of any celebrity in America, at over 74 years. He married Lois Foerster on November 25, 1935, and they had five children: Arthur Jack (known as Jack Linkletter, a TV host), Dawn, Robert, Sharon, and Diane. He was also a good friend of Walt Disney.
When you think about basketball players, you probably think of a taller-than-average man who is strong, fast, and able to make a slam dunk with no problem. However, this isn’t always so. Even though the average height in basketball is about 6’7, there have been players and the past, and even in today’s world, that are much shorter than 6’7. Many of these players have been recognized not only for being short, but doing moves and plays that tall players can’t do. Most of these players are able run faster, quicker, and jump even higher than those who are tall. Below is a list of the 10 shortest basketball players to ever play the game. To put it easily, short men can jump!
10. Terrell Brandon – 5’11”
After attending the University of Oregon, Terrell Brandon was picked 11th total in the 1991 NBA Draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him onto their team and he played for six years as a point guard. He was picked to play in the NBA All-Star Game in both 1996 and 1997 and was called “The Best Point Guard in the NBA” in Sports Illustrated in 1997. The same year Brandon was given the NBA Sportsmanship Award. After playing on the Cavaliers, he decided to leave and play for the Milwaukee Bucks and was then traded to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sadly, Brandon became highly susceptible to injuries and in 2002 he was placed on the injured list and never returned to playing on the court.
9. Damon “Mighty Mouse” Stoudamire – 5’10”
Damon Stoudamire was first brought into the NBA scene by the Toronto Raptors. After being picked 7th overall in the 1995 NBA Draft, he was able to set his feet on the court and start his career. In 1995 and 1996, he was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, scoring an average 19 points per game, and has since allowed his career to flourish. In February 1998, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and his stats didn’t stay as high as they were with the Grizzlies, and he was sadly usually benched during the 2001-2002 season. However, he was able to play a lot in the playoffs. Eventually his career took off again and he scored a franchise record of 54 points against the Hornets. After being traded again he went back to play for the Grizzlies in 2005 but tore his patellar tendon and had to miss the season. He was again traded off and settled a deal with the San Antonio Spurs in 2008. Today, Stoudamire is part of the coaching team for the Memphis Grizzlies.
8. Avery “Little General” Johnson – 5’10”
Johnson, after graduating in 1988, wasn’t picked to go into the NBA Draft. After playing for the USBL Palm Beach Stingrays, Johnson was signed by the Seattle SuperSonics and played a total of 16 years within the NBA. He also played for teams including the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and the Dallas Mavericks. He is most popularly known for his seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. He is best known for his help in winning the 1999 NBA Championship against the New York Knicks after scoring a last shot in Game 5. The Spurs eventually retired Johnson’s number in 2007 and was most recently inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame on February 20, 2009. Besides being an NBA player, Johnson also coached the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA finals and now is basketball analyst for ESPN.
7. Michael Adams – 5’10”
Michael Adams started his basketball career at Boston College and after a successful college career was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the 3rd round of the 1985 NBA Draft. As a rookie he only scored about 2.2 a game but once he became part of the Denver Nuggets team his career became more successful. In 1990-1991, he averaged 26.5 points and 10.5 assists per game. After this season he went back to play for the Bullets and played his first NBA All-Star Game in 1992. He then became known for his “push shot” and played a few more seasons. In 1996, while playing for the Charlotte Hornets, he retired, ending a career with 9,621 points and 4,209 assists total.
6. Calvin Murphy – 5’9”
Calvin Murphy was a guard for the Houston Rockets during 1970-1983. At 5’9”, he has been able to accomplish plenty, despite his height. In totally he played 1,022 games and scored 17,949 points throughout his entire career. In 1971 he was part of the NBA All-Rookie Team, and in 1979 he was on the NBA All-Star Team. Through 1980-1981, he held the record for the second highest free throw percentage in a season. In 1980 he was also known for having the most NBA consecutive free throws made. In 1993 he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Today, Murphy is actively involved with the Houston Rockets team.
5. Nate Robinson – 5’9″
Nate Robinson plays for the New York Knicks. After having a very successful college career by leading the Washington Huskies to two NCAA basketball tournament appearances, he was the 21st pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. The Phoenix Suns picked him up but he was soon after traded to the New York Knicks. During the 2006 All-Star Weekend, Robinson won the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest. His best dunk was when he jumped over Spud Webb and got the perfect score of 50. Nate topped that performance at the 2009 Dunk Contest by leaping over the 2008 Dunk Contest winner, Dwight Howard (6′11″).
4. Wataru “Kilo Wat” Misaka – 5’7”
Wataru Misaka is one of the very few well known Asian NBA players. Though he is now retired, he is well known as the first Asian player as well as the first non-Caucasian player to be part of the NBA, which was at the time known as the Basketball Association of America. He was born in Utah and played basketball at the University of Utah where he was able to help take his team to the 1944 NCAA and the 1947 NIT championships. Even at just 5’7”, he was a valuable player and was the first round pick by the New York Knicks. Wataru had a very short career (1947-1948), and he was able to play only three games before being cut from the team. In 1999 he was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.
3. Anthony “Spud” Webb – 5′7″
Anthony Webb stands as the third shortest player to be part of the NBA. After attending Midland College and North Carolina State University, he was the 4th round draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1985 Draft. In 1986, Webb entered the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and despite being the shortest, had the highest jump of 42 inches and went on to win the contest. He spent most of his time with the Atlanta Hawks, playing six seasons with the team. Statistically, Webb had his best seasons with the Sacramento Kings where he was a starter from 1992-1995. In 1998, Webb retired from basketball after playing just one season with the Orlando Magic. He played 814 games total and scored 8072 points throughout his entire career.
2. Earl Boykins– 5’5”
Standing only 5’5”, Earl Boykins is the second smallest player to ever be in the NBA. Though second smallest, he stands as the lightest player ever, weighing in at only 133lbs. Even though he was never officially drafted by a team, he often signed short-term contracts with teams to play as the point guard. He spent most of his career with the Denver Nuggets. He is well known for his scoring techniques after he was able to score 32 points in a game on November 11, 2004. He also played for the L.A. Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, and many others. Today, Boykins plays for the Washington Wizards.
1. Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues – 5’3”
Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Tyrone Bogues is the shortest man to ever play in the NBA. Despite being only 5’3”, he used his height to his advantage by becoming known as a player who was a great passer, ball-stealer, and definitely one of the fastest on the court. His career was set in stone on June 22, 1988 when he was signed to play for the Charlotte Hornets during an expansion draft as a point guard. After settling in, he was able to play for the Hornets for 10 years and became one of the team’s most popular players. He was definitely seen as a play-off contender.
