“If we teach them about disaster risk reduction from an early age, they will understand why it is vital to build houses, schools and hospitals in safe locations, to have early warning systems in place and reduce disasters,” he added of the game, which features in colourful panels various levels of play in guarding against or mitigating the impact of an advancing wall of flames, waves and other hazards. Drought may soon be added to the menu.

Colorful panels guarding against the impact of advancing walls of flames? Count me in! Oh, and look at that: Drought is coming soon. I hope they include the “buy bottled water from Target” feature.

The game, produced by British company Playerthree, gives players missions in which they are given a specific time frame and budget to assemble an anti-disaster infrastructure before a simulated hurricane, earthquake, flood, tsunami or wildfire strikes. Does anyone else think Michael D. Brown and FEMA should have played this game a year and a half ago?

Right now, the game is only available online and in English, but a multi-language version will be released on International Disaster Reduction Day on October 10. ISDR director Salvano Briceño said, “We are aware that not all children have easy access to Internet and we are already preparing a DVD format to reach more youngsters in remote areas in Africa, Asia and Pacific or Latin America and Caribbean,” Mr. Briceño said.

He makes a good point, but out of those children who don’t have easy access to Internet, how many do you think have access to DVD players and TVs? These areas are those that would probably benefit the most from such programs. Well, if the children can’t play, let’s hope those in power can learn a thing or two from this game.

This isn’t the UN’s first foray into the gaming world. In 2005, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) launched the game “Food Force” where players launched virtual food airdrops over crisis zones and directed emergency trucks through treacherous rebel-controlled areas. The ISDR has also previously produced a board game called Riskland, aimed at children aged 6 to 10. The game has been a very successful educational tool and has been translated into many local languages, available at www.unisdr.org.

via UN News Centre

Tagged: Natural Disasters, United Nations, Video Games, GI Joe

Tagged: saddam, hanging, freaking eerie, seals

Does this dumb, blank stare look familiar to you? Yep. It’s O.J. again. And you thought you’d never see that loveable mug of his again. In a new TV interview and book, Orenthal James Simpson discusses how he would have committed the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. You know, if he did it.

“O.J. Simpson, in his own words, tells for the first time how he would have committed the murders if he were the one responsible for the crimes,” the network said in a statement. “In the two-part event, Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade.”

Apparently, he isn’t content with just getting away with murder. He needs to profit off of it too. GG OJ. You’re our douchebag of the year.

The two-part television interview, titled “O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened,” will air November 27 and November 29 on Fox and his book, “If I Did It,” goes on sale on November 30.

via CNN via Dennis!

Tagged: O.J. Simpson, If I Did it, Douchebags

Most of the conversation was pretty harmless: she praises her husband and gives some casual love advice. However, she did say that her sister-in-law was a bit of a control freak. Oops.

Here’s the video and check after the jump for the full transcript.

via newsbusters

Tagged: CNN, Kyra Phillips, President Bush, Hurricane Katrina, Control freaks

Full Transcript:

Kyra Phillips: “”assholes.Yeah, I’m very lucky in that regard with my husband. My husband is handsome and he is genuinely a loving, you know, no ego.[unintelligible] you know what I’m saying. Just a really passionate, compassionate great, great human being. And they exist. They do exist. They’re hard to find. Yup. But they are out there.”

[unidentified woman]: “We’ll see. He’s going to come, you know, he’s set for an extended visit.[unintelligible]“

Phillips: “I mean, that’s, that’s how you figure it all out, those extended visits. [laughter]“

[unidentified woman]: “Yeah, but my mom, I think she really likes him.”

Phillips: “Mom’s got a good vibe? Good.”

[unidentified woman]: “Yeah, my brother’s the one that.[unintelligible]“

Phillips: “Brother-of course, brothers have to be, you know, protective. Except for mine. I’ve got to be protective of him.”

[unidentified woman [unintelligible]

Phillips: “Yeah. He’s married, three kids, but his wife is just a control freak.”

[unidentified woman #2]: “Kyra.”

Phillips: “Yeah, baby?”

[unidentified woman #2]: “Your mic is on. Turn it off. It’s been on the air.”

Seconds later, Daryn Kagan stumbled through this awkward transition:

Daryn Kagan: “Alright, we’ve been listening in to President Bush as he speaks in, uh, New Orleans today. This is the one year anniversary of Katrina making land shore there. President Bush saying if another natural disaster hits, our country. We must, uh, react better than that. Let’s listen in once again to President Bush.”

Tagged: National Stop on Red Week, red light, making a difference

Yes, I do understand this had probably been done in the 70’s and 80’s during those high gas price eras. But I was either, 1. Not alive, or 2. Too young to care. So it’s funny to me now. Deal with it.

Click thumbnail for full-size.

via Consumerist

Tagged: Gas prices, Consumerist

At 10:45, we ran upstairs to the press room where a crowd of UN staffers was already gathering. We quickly ran into a couple of friends. We were soon disappointed to find out that the room was getting too full and they would be closing the doors. Just as the doors closed, a security guard popped her head out and asked everyone who was there first, as she had a few more spots left. A coworker quickly noticed us, and said, “These 3 were here first, and I came right after them.” We were then ushered into the inner sanctum of the United Nations press room.

I must admit, it felt kind of cool being in a real press conference with a real celebrity. I listened, snapped some pictures, and recorded some video. I did feel a little dorkish holding my little Canon digital camera while all the journalists had their giant, professional cameras. But, what the hell, all in the name of “journalism” right? I write for We Don’t Smell!

An excerpt from the press release and some of my short videos (my camera can only take 30 second clips at a time) after the jump. Here’s my flickr photoset of the press conference. A lot of the pictures didn’t come out amazing since they banned flash from the press room, so I only posted the best ones.

Tagged: Jay-Z, United Nations, MTV, Water Crisis

At a press conference held this morning at the United Nations with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, MTV President Christina Norman and President and CEO Of Def Jam Records Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, a multi-faceted partnership and collaboration was announced. While on his international tour, Jay-Z will travel to several regions around the globe affected by the world water crisis. These visits will be documented by MTV for a special, Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life. This special program will document his personal learning journey as he meets children and families who suffer daily and count amont the more than one billion people worldwide who do not have access to safe drinking water. MTV’s cameras will also follow Jay-Z visiting locations where sustainable, environmentally-friendly solutions are in place or being developed to bring fresh water to devastated communities.

The Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life will premiere on MTV on Friday, November 24, 2006 and will be offered to MTV’S worldwide network of 50 locally programmed channels in 179 countries. MTV will also offer complementary comprehensive educational outreach and Internet resources, all designed to help educate and inspire a new generation of young people to save lives and their planet.

The conclusion of Jay-Z’s statement:

Q&A: Jay not a bureaucrat:

Q&A: Will you make a song about the crisis? Like Kanye West’s Diamonds from Sierra Leone?

Awesome soundbite:
Jay was asked “At a recent concert, you rapped, ‘I’m the UN of the rap world.’ Did you plan to have this relationship with the UN?” Jay-Z replied, “I wish I was that smart, or that prophetic, but actually….”

So i see four options:
1. The US stubbornly upholds the embargo and i become poorer
2. The US starts kissing fidel’s cigar smoking ass
3. The US invades cuba on grounds of wmd
4. The US force the Gitmo inmates to dig an underground/water tunnel to secretly tap the oil reserves

VIA MSNBC

Tagged: oil, fidel castro, cuba, commie, cuban cigars