Mark Zuckerberg Thank you, Facebook Thank you

In a letter to his daughter, Max, born December 1, Zuckerberg publicized he will offer away 99 per cent of the value of  his Facebook shares worth over $45 billion to charitable causes, targeted at decreasing diseases and endorsing learning and novelty.  The announcement is in keeping with the Giving Pledge, a campaign started in 2011 by Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates to get the wealthiest people in the world to donate at least half of their wealth to charity. As of August 2015, 137 billionaires or former billionaires have signed the pledge.  At 31, Zuckerberg is the youngest. I was one of nearly two million people who liked his post and 270,000 who shared it.

“Our hopes for your generation focus on two ideas,” he wrote, “advancing human potential and promoting equality. Advancing human potential is about pushing the boundaries on how great a human life can be... Promoting equality is about making sure everyone has access to these opportunities, regardless of the nation, families or circumstances they are born into. Our society must do this not only for justice and charity but for the greatness of human progress.”

While many people applaud the move, Zuckerberg is facing criticism from some who feel that by establishing a limited liability company, rather than a traditional non-profit, to  manage his philanthropy he is avoiding scrutiny and benefiting from tax loopholes. Zuckerberg denies the criticisms.  The US tax laws are mostly a mystery to me, but it seems counter-intuitive that the same person who wants to give away his money is simultaneously looking for ways to avoid paying his taxes.

Furthermore, when I look at  Zuckerberg gazing down at the baby with just a twitch of a smile, it looked like right behind his eyelids were tears of joy, and hope for a better world that most new parents immediately want for their newborn. I experienced it, most profoundly, with my first daughter. I wrote her a note too, promising her caring, the love of her family, and the best life I can give her, and stuck it beside her first photos inside her album. On the opposite page, I pasted in its entirety, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child, the second of which states:  “The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities by law and other means to enable him (or her) to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually, and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interest of the child shall be paramount consideration.”

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US releases boat to China after illegal fishing

A 191-foot fishing boat suspected of using an illegal high seas drift net to catch a half-ton of salmon in the North Pacific was detained by the U.S. Coast Guard last week and turned over Tuesday to Chinese authorities.

The Yin Yuan was spotted by a Canadian aircraft hosting Japanese observers. It was seized by the Honolulu-based U.S. cutter Morgenthau, which was carrying two Chinese law enforcement officials.
"All these countries are affected by illegal activities," said a Coast Guard spokesman, Petty Officer 2nd Class Grant DeVuyst.

High seas drift net fishing kills huge amounts of fish, birds and marine mammals with nets suspended for miles. The practice is universally condemned, according to the Coast Guard, and is a significant threat to ecosystems.

A Canadian CP-140 maritime patrol aircraft May 22 spotted the Yin Yuan in the North Pacific on May 22. The vessel was carrying equipment associated with large-scale illegal drift net fishing, including net, net buoys and net spreader on deck.

The Morgenthau, a 378-foot Honolulu-based, high-endurance cutter, was patrolling the North Pacific in support of fisheries law enforcement and was carrying two officials from the China coast guard's Fisheries Law Enforcement Command.

The Morgenthau intercepted the Yin Yuan on May 27 about 625 miles east of Tokyo, near where it was first spotted from the air, DeVuyst said. The vessel's captain told a boarding team that the Yin Yuan was registered in China.

The captain acknowledged carrying 3.3 kilometers (2.05 miles) of nets onboard. He also said the crew had dumped drift nets and other gear overboard before the cutter approached.

The vessel, according to the Coast Guard, used prohibited fishing gear, failed to maintain sufficient catch records and fished with no authorization by a sanctioned authority. The Coast Guard also noted pollution problems.

The Morgenthau escorted the Yin Yuan more than 1,400 miles to a China coast guard vessel in the East China Sea.

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“Angel” which saved British troops in WW1 “may have been UFO”

An ‘Angel’ which many British soldiers credited with saving their lives in one of the first, brutal battles of World War I may not have been sent from heaven after all - but from the stars.

An ‘Angel’ which many British soldiers credited with saving their lives in one of the first, brutal battles of World War I may not have been sent from heaven after all - but from the stars.

UFO authors suspect that the famous “Angel of Mons” - described as either St George, St Michael, angels, or crowds of angelic warriors, may in fact have been extraterrestrial.

Many soldiers credited the strange apparitions with saving their lives - and it became a staple of parish magazines. The battle had been one of the first in which the British faced the Germans - and despite retreating, only 1,600 lives were lost.

Decades later, the story is still “swathed in controversy” according to Nigel Watson, author of the Haynes Manual for UFO Investigations, with some attributing the ‘Angel’ to a short story from the Evening Standard, others to British intelligence.

Kevin Goodman, a UFO expert and author of books of mysterious encounters in the UK, says
“The UFO enigma was unknown during the First World War conflict; the troops would relate to an event such as this in the only way they could, by thinking that they had a sign from God.”

Cas Lake, the radio presenter of the Unexplained Show says that both answers might be true, in a way - what the culture of 1914 would have described as ‘angels’, we would describe as extraterrestrials.

"My belief would be,” she says, that “If these angels did appear it was to protect and alter the future, and maybe also to help the belief in Angels. I certainly believe spiritual beings can intervene when needed."

Among UFO enthusiasts, many believe that UFOs and angels are the same thing - or that sightings of angels have been of extraterrestrials, or even vice versa. A quick trawl of the web finds dozens of sites devotes to the topic.

Goodman, a writer based in Warminster, says that it is a case of cultural change: “The phenomenon has taken many guises throughout history. In times of stress, fear and possible imminent death one finds solace in something that we can relate to.”

Albert S Rosales says that there may have been several forces at work - many of them human. Rosales runs a website devoted to sightings of humanoid aliens and angels, and says, “Were
supernatural entities seen specifically at Mons? Perhaps. In every war there are such stories which remain between the realm of folklore and truth. Perhaps they are  later exaggerated by religiousauthorities and maybe even the Government possibly to boost morale among the troops.

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Floyd Mayweather ‘involved in brawl with rapper T.I.'

Rappers often like to think of themselves as tough guys but at least when it comes to T.I. it seems he is willing to back it up.

According to TMZ, the singer, who has had Top 10 hits in America with cheerful ditties such as 'Bring Em Out', 'Big S**t Poppin' (Do It)' and 'Swagga Like Us' , took the incredibly brave (and stupid) decision to start a brawl with Floyd Mayweather – you know the guy who just so happens to be the best boxer in the world.

The gossip website reports, with accompanying video evidence, that the fight happened at a Fatburger restaurant in Las Vegas, when T.I "walked up and started jawing at Floyd."
The report continues: "It's unclear what caused the beef, but we're told T.I. swung at Floyd ... their giant bodyguards jumped in to separate them ... and then the all out melee began.

However, reports have emerged the brawl started over a photo shared by T.I.'s wife, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle with Mayweather's daughter on Instagram, calling the young girl her "new boo".

"Police confirm a Fatburger employee was slashed during the fight, but he refused treatment and did not want to cooperate with investigating officers. In other words ... no snitching," TMZ reported.

An Instagram photo of T.I.'s wife, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle with Mayweather's daughter.

Pity the two men couldn't just sit down over a malt shake and get on with each other, as they might have found they have lots in common, such as time spent in prison.

T.I. has served two terms in county jail, twice for probation violations, and a federal prison bid for a US federal weapons charge.

Meanwhile, Mayweather served 90 days in jail for battery upon his ex-girlfriend in September 2010.

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Pacquaio vs. Mayweather will happen, says Arum

The prospect of a long awaited mega-bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao may have receded in recent years but promoter Bob Arum believes the fight will take place, most likely before the end of 2016.

A duel between the defence-minded Mayweather and the aggressive Pacquiao, the biggest drawcards of their generation, has long been savoured by boxing fans, if only to decide the mythical title of the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.

Filipino Pacquiao lost much of his appeal after successive defeats to American Timothy Bradley and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, prompting talk of his possible retirement, though he has since bounced back with two impressive wins.

"I think that fight will eventually happen," Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, told Reuters on Thursday in a telephone interview. "We are certainly open to the fight happening and we are prepared to sit down with (the Mayweather team) at any time and work out terms."

Five-division world champion Mayweather, who is known for his shrewd business acumen, had been expected to meet Pacquiao in 2010 until negotiations collapsed over the American's demand for random drug testing.

Mayweather, who has hinted at illegal methods by often questioning how Pacquiao could have won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight classes, has since said he would not fight the Filipino as long as Arum is his promoter.

Veteran Arum, however, has his own theory about that.

"Frankly, it's the same as it always was," said the 82-year-old promoter, who has worked with giants of the ring such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.

"The idea that Mayweather says, 'Well, I'm not going to fight Pacquiao because Bob Arum is involved,' is the latest is in a whole line of excuses.

"If you look at it from Mayweather's standpoint, he has this unbelievable deal with Showtime (satellite television network), paying him all this money ... so he would probably figure, 'I have three more fights under the Showtime contract'."

STRONG FEELING

Assuming that Mayweather wins those next three fights to improve his perfect record to 49-0 and conclude his Showtime deal, Arum has a strong feeling that the flamboyant American would then agree to a mega-fight with Pacquiao (56-5-2).

"He (Mayweather) would figure, 'Why don't I do those (three) fights for the easy money and then in 2016, with my 50th fight, I could beat the (49-0) record of (Rocky) Marciano by fighting Pacquiao'," said Arum.

"That would be a huge fight, and I believe it will happen."

Should that bout take place, it could well be the last fight of Pacquiao's career as the Filipino agreed earlier this week to extend his promotional agreement with Arum's Top Rank company until the end of 2016.

Between now and then, Pacquiao is likely to fight twice each year and he will next step into the ring on Nov. 8, in all likelihood in Macau and probably against his old foe, Mexican Marquez, a four-division world champion.

"Marquez has not, as of yet, committed to the fight so we will be talking to him in the days ahead," said Arum. "I am going to be over in Macau next week (for a fight) and I have invited Juan Manuel and his wife to come. I believe they will."

Marquez, who knocked out Pacquiao the last time they met in December 2012, beat welterweight Mike Alvarado by unanimous decision in his most recent fight, last week.

Should Marquez decline the opportunity to take on Pacquiao for a fifth time, Arum said he would probably then target Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia as the Filipino's opponent in November.

When Pacquiao's promotional agreement with Top Rank ends at the end of 2016, the Filipino southpaw will be 38 years old, the perfect time for him to end his glittering boxing career.

"That's what we figured and that's why we made it to the end of 2016," said Arum. "Hopefully by that point he would have been elected to the Philippine senate and that's very time consuming. That would be the signal for him to hang up his gloves."

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How to stop Google Ads from using your photo & name

One month ago, Google announced that it would start using information from your Google account in its advertisements across the Web. Under a program it dubbed “Shared endorsements,” your photo, name, and other personal information can be used to promote Google services within your network of friends. Now the day has arrived. Unless you change your preferences, Google will begin using your info in its ads. Here’s how to stop that: 1. Make sure you’re logged into your Google account. 2. Visit this page and uncheck the box at the bottom of the page. Don’t forget to click Save.

 Here’s a graphic with some helpful guiding arrows. For good measure.

 How to stop Google Ads from using your name and photo Google, can you not?

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Underwater archaeologist thinks he's discovered Christopher Columbus's Santa Maria

More than 500 years after Christopher Columbus abandoned his Santa Maria on a Caribbean reef, an underwater archaeologist believes he may have discovered the ship's remains off Haiti's north coast. “All the geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that this wreck is Columbus’s famous flagship, the Santa Maria,” Barry Clifford, who led a recent expedition to the site, told London's Independent. The possible discovery of the Santa Maria comes more than a decade after an expedition led by Clifford in 2003 located the wreckage and photographed it, but did not know what it was. Since then, the team has investigated more than 400 "seabed anomalies" off the north coast of Haiti, narrowing the search area.

 “The Haitian government has been extremely helpful," Clifford said. "And we now need to continue working with them to carry out a detailed archaeological excavation of the wreck." In 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain, captaining the Santa Maria in search of a new western route to Asia.

The expedition reached the Bahamas, but Columbus was forced to abandon the ship after it accidentally ran aground. In January 1493, Columbus returned to Spain with the two remaining ships, the Nina and the Pinta, to inform King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of the wreck and his discovery.

 Clifford and his dive team used marine magnetometers, side-scan sonar equipment, and information in Columbus's diary to help locate what they think is the lost vessel, sitting 10 to 15 feet below the surface. Several factors indicate that it may be the lost ship.

The wreck is near a Fort Columbus, described in his diary. The site matches what is known about the wreck in relation to underwater topography and ocean currents. And "the footprint of the wreck, represented by the pile of ship’s ballast, is also exactly what one would expect from a vessel the size of the Santa Maria," the Independent said. So far, Clifford's expedition, funded by the History Channel, has made noninvasive reconnaissance dives to the wreck. The next step is to excavate.

 “I am confident that a full excavation of the wreck will yield the first-ever detailed marine archaeological evidence of Columbus’s discovery of America," Clifford said. "Ideally, if excavations go well, and depending on the state of preservation of any buried timber, it may ultimately be possible to lift any surviving remains of the vessel, fully conserve them, and then put them on permanent public exhibition in a museum in Haiti." And Clifford, 68, has the pedigree to pull it off.

 In 1984, he discovered and successfully excavated the world’s first fully verified pirate shipwreck, the Whydah, off Cape Cod. And he recently discovered Captain Kidd’s flagship off the coast of Madagascar. But this discovery is different. "It is the Mount Everest of shipwrecks for me," Clifford told CNN.

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Maidana may have blueprint to beat Mayweather

Marcos Maidana didn't get the victory he had hoped for over Floyd Mayweather, but he did establish a blueprint for future challengers to try and upset boxing's pound-for-pound champ.

The Argentine boxer gave Mayweather all he could handle late Saturday at the MGM Hotel, turning their world title fight into a street brawl and causing some to wonder if Mayweather is more vulnerable to defeat than any other time in his 18-year professional career.

"Floyd looks beatable," said British boxer star Amir Khan, who is hoping that his impressive showing on the Mayweather-Maidana undercard lands him a fight with Mayweather in the fall.

"He is getting older and showing a lot of mistakes that he didn't used to do. It is a great time to catch him."
Maidana, who came into the fight a 11-1 underdog, lost the majority decision but he won the respect of Mayweather. He did it by swarming the American every chance he could.

- Mayweather undefeated -
The 37-year-old Mayweather remained undefeated in 46 pro fights by outpointing Maidana to unify the welterweight division.

Mayweather retained his World Boxing Council crown and took the World Boxing Association belt away from the 30-year-old Maidana.

Maidana's game plan was to show Mayweather no respect, keep him off balance and do whatever he could to win even if that meant breaking the rules at bit.

Maidana landed 221 punches out of a total of 858 he threw. He landed more punches than any of the 38 previous Mayweather opponents tracked by Compubox.

Miguel Cotto also threw a lot of punches in his 2012 fight, but his mistake was trying to outbox the clever Mayweather instead of smothering him with rights and lefts.

Maidana's trainer Robert Garcia said during the build up to the fight they would model their game plan after the way Victor Ortiz fought Mayweather in September 2011.

Ortiz was hitting a visibly frustrated Mayweather with some solid punches before he dropped his guard to say something to the referee.

Mayweather seized that moment to hit Ortiz when he wasn't looking, knocking him out in the fourth round.
Mayweather tried the same move against Maidana in the eighth round Saturday as the Argentinian was trying to get the attention of the referee Tony Weeks. But Maidana had done his homework, so was ready for it and dodged the punch.

- 'I won this fight' -
"Floyd did not fight like the man I expected him to," Maidana said. "I definitely think I won this fight."
Asked in the ring immediately after the fight if he would give Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) a rematch Mayweather replied, "Let's do it again." Then during the post-fight news conference, Mayweather shook the hand of Garcia on the podium and reiterated there would be a rematch.

But judging by his comments in the build up to the fight, Mayweather's word might not be worth much.
One moment he was talking about this being his last fight and the next day he would be discussing fighting more so he could cement his legacy.

Once the fight was over -- and there were no more pay-per-view tickets to sell -- he dismissed any talk of retirement.

One also has to wonder if all the distractions in Mayweather's personal life didn't have an affect on his preparation for this fight.

Mayweather, who earned $32 million for Saturday's fight, is at the halfway stage of his six-fight contract with Showtime sports channel. If he keeps on winning and finishes the contract he would be 49-0, the same record as the legendary Rocky Marciano.

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Stampede after Mayweather-Maidana was 'an accident ready to happen'

Boxing promoter Bob Arum says the main exit from the MGM Grand Garden Arena was "an accident ready to happen" in the aftermath of a crowd stampede that injured approximately 60 fans following Saturday's championship bout between Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana.

Arum, who has promoted many high-profile fights at the venue, spoke out in the wake of what witnesses described as a "terrifying" situation that left many fearing for their lives and 24 being sent to hospital – including a six-year-old boy and several elderly women.

 "When you jam thousands of people into a building and have, in effect, one real exit which is relatively narrow space you are looking for trouble," Arum said in a telephone interview with Yahoo Sports. "While nothing really happened over the years it was inevitable to me that something would happen. Not to be naïve but the egress from that arena was always an accident ready to happen.

" Boxing fans and members of the media have long been frustrated by the packed and slow-moving conditions in the section that leads from the MGM Grand Garden Arena's upper concourse, past its media center and out into the Garden Walk section of the casino. Arum described the scene after fights as "oppressive" and said the area could quickly turn hostile.

 The 82-year-old claimed he was caught in a "very dicey situation" following the controversy surrounding Manny Pacquiao's defeat to Timothy Bradley in June 2012, as supporters reacted angrily to the judging decision. On Saturday, fire department chiefs reported that a loud bang caused by a temporary wall falling over led to panic, with many believing the noise to be gunfire.

 The crowd shifted suddenly in response, causing a number of fans to be pushed over and trampled underfoot. The MGM Grand released a full statement on Sunday and a spokesperson said management was still conducting an investigation into the matter. "Following Saturday's boxing event at the MGM Grand Garden, guests exiting the arena were apparently startled by a loud noise, sending many rushing to clear the area," read the statement. "The source of the noise remains undetermined. Investigators have found no evidence of gunfire, as reported by some media outlets.

"MGM Grand security and Metro police who were already on the scene responded quickly to assist. Twenty-four injured guests were transported to local hospitals for assessment.
"Our staff continues to assist guests and take reports regarding the incident. Safety is always a priority at our resort. We are investigating the situation thoroughly to understand more completely what occurred, to assist those affected, and to ensure further safety precautions."

Following the events of this weekend, it is clear that steps must be taken to avoid further highly dangerous, and potentially deadly, scrums of people in the packed minutes when the arena clears.
The MGM has no shortage of reliable witnesses to call upon to further understand the extent of the disturbing situation, with referee Kenny Bayless, former fighters, members of Mayweather's family and several media personnel having been caught in the packed foyer.

But even if the property takes strong and swift action, Arum said the layout of the area outside the arena makes quick dispersion of people very difficult.

"I am sure they will try to take steps now to prevent that happening in the future," Arum added. "But the real problem is the egress…when you have that many people trying to get out of that small a space."

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Pacquiao has lost his 'pop', Mayweather

loyd Mayweather says Manny Pacquiao has lost a step and that the Filipino's superstar slide has coincided with his decision to split from former strength trainer Alex Ariza.

The 37-year-old undefeated welterweight champ Mayweather weighed in Wednesday on the latest performance by Pacquiao who beat Timothy Bradley on April 12 in Las Vegas in a rematch of their first bout in June 2012.

"Actually, I did watch the fight," said Mayweather who is training to fight Argentina's Marcos Maidana in a 147-pound title bout on May 3 in Las Vegas.

"You know, I haven't seen Pacquiao fight in years. I've seen highlights, but I haven't seen Pacquiao fight since he fought Miguel Cotto."

Mayweather said he wasn't impressed and fired a couple of verbals jabs of his own at Pacquiao. He said Pacquiao looked like an "amateur" and that in his opinion the World Boxing Organization welterweight champ has less power and stamina than he did five years ago.

"I thought Pacquiao fought like an amateur and I wasn't pleased with his performance," Mayweather said. "He got the victory the best way he knew how. I'm seeing something totally different in Pacquiao."

Pacquiao worked with Ariza for five years before splitting with him last year. Ariza had a key role in helping Pacquiao win titles in several different weight classes, including 147 and 154 pounds.

Mayweather said it was the first time since 2009 that he has watched a full fight of Pacquiao's.

Mayweather couldn't have watched Pacquiao's first fight against Bradley on June 9, 2012 even if he wanted to. Just eight days earlier, Mayweather had been sentenced to three months in a Las Vegas jail for hitting his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris, in front of his children.

'Total change in Pacquiao's power'

"I noticed since Ariza is not with Pacquiao, a total change in Pacquiao's power," he said. "I don't see the same pop in Pacquiao's shots, the same snap. He is getting tired."

Pacquiao and Mayweather were once considered the world's top pound-for-pound fighters and record profits were expected from a showdown.

But a disagreement over the splitting of the purse, pre-fight blood testing and a bad blood between Mayweather and Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum scuttled negotiations for a mega-fight.

Mayweather, who has been accused by some people of dodging Pacquiao, said even though he feels the Filipino southpaw isn't the dominating boxer he once was, he is in no hurry to step in the ring with him.

"I'm seeing something totally different in Pacquiao, but still, that don't make me say, 'Yeah, I am going out there and fight him,' because he's with Bob Arum and I'm with Mayweather Promotions," he said on Wednesday.

Arum recently blasted the Mayweather-Maidana matchup calling it "nonsense".

Despite their differences, Mayweather applauded Pacquiao for the victory over Bradley.

"You know, congratulations, he was the better man," Mayweather said.

Mayweather, who is 45-0 with 26 knockouts, defended the decision to fight Maidana, who will have a hard time trying to out box the clever American.

"You can't say it is going to be an easy fight for me," said Mayweather. "Everyone thinks he is just going to be a pushover but I don't see it that way."

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