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Tuesday 15 November 2011

Safe Ways to Save Money on Sunscreen

If you've heard that you can save money on sunscreen -- cheap is chic these days -- by using a body lotion with SPF 15, we've got some bargains that give your skin more burn, wrinkle, and cancer protection. First, think generic. Unless you have supersensitive skin or you're buying sunscreen for a baby, drugstores have plenty of good generic SPF 30s (the minimum you should use). Most generics now offer solid UVA/UVB protection, just like boutique-priced designer brands. Next, check your health plan: Some flexible spending accounts cover sunscreens of SPF 30 or more.
We like formulas that use physical sunscreens, like nanoparticled zinc oxide. Why? Not only does zinc work instantly and stay put well, but also, unlike chemical sunscreens, it isn't absorbed -- there's been some recent safety concern about absorbable chemical sunscreens. Until the research is clear, we're sticking with zinc.
Alternatively, if you hate sunscreen more than mosquitoes detest DEET, invest in some UV-protective clothing for the beach. Because summer's half over, you'll find sales. Now, be smart about buying and wearing it:
  • Look for the UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) number. A top-of-the-line UPF 40–50 label means only about 2% of the sun's rays will get through.
  • Choose a loose, comfy fit. Tight UPF clothes deliver less protection than their number promises.
  • Don't swim in it. Wet clothes won't protect you, regardless of the UPF number.
That should keep your skin, wallet, and dermatologist happy this summer, and next.

Daily Health Tips

Saturday 12 November 2011

Mallya questions duty to fly unprofitable routes

Mallya questions duty to fly unprofitable routes


MUMBAI, (Reuters) - Vijay Mallya, whose cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines cancelled scores of flights this week, drawing the ire of the government and travellers and spooking investors, questioned on Saturday whether it was the carrier's duty to fly loss-making routes.
Shares in Kingfisher, the country's second-largest airline by market share, fell as much as 18 percent to an all-time low on Friday as investors fretted about the viability of the carrier, which acknowledged it had been late in paying salaries in recent months.
On Saturday, the Mint newspaper, citing an unidentified source, reported that the government had decided in principle to allow foreign airlines to own up to 24 percent of Indian carriers, a move that could throw a lifeline to Kingfisher and its struggling rivals.
It said the matter would be put before the cabinet of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the next four weeks.
Mallya, the flamboyant liquor tycoon who owns a cricket team and a Formula One racing team, asked on the social networking site Twitter whether it was Kingfisher's duty to fly loss-making routes while it was being heavily taxed by state governments.
Or should the airline be financially prudent and fly profitably, he asked.
Late on Friday, Kingfisher said it was dropping unprofitable routes and speeding up a fleet reconfiguration, which would see its daily schedule of flights drop to 300 from 340. It recently said it was exiting the low-fare segment of the business.
The carrier, whose share price has dropped 70 percent in 2011, bringing its market capitalisation below $200 million, also said on Friday it "does not see any risk to its future or long-term viability".
Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said he would approach the finance minister to seek emergency bank assistance for troubled airlines.
Kingfisher said it had not sought a government bailout.
India's mostly loss-making airlines are struggling amid fierce competition and high sales taxes on aviation fuel despite passenger growth of about 19 percent this year.
The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has forecast a record $2.5 billion to $3 billion loss for Indian airlines for the year ending March 2012, with state-run Air India alone likely to account for more than half of it.
On Friday, private carrier Jet Airways and budget airline SpiceJet reported losses for the September quarter, compared with profits in the year-earlier period. Kingfisher has never made a profit.

Police investigate after shots fired near White House

The White House is seen at dusk prior to U.S. President Bush's address on his Iraq policy in Washington


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Police were investigating a shooting incident near the White House on Friday night, but it was not believed to have anything to do with the presidential residence.
President Barack Obama was in San Diego, California, at the time of the incident on his way to the APEC summit in Honolulu.
U.S. Secret Service officers heard shots fired on Constitution Avenue, several hundred yards (meters) south of the White House, and saw two vehicles race off, said spokesman Ed Donovan. One car was abandoned a short distance away and officers recovered an AK-47 assault rifle from the vehicle.

12 die in attacks in northwest Pakistan: officials

Pakistani Security officials and local resident gather amongst the debris of destroyed houses

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Two separate militant attacks left at least 12 people dead, including children, in Pakistan's troubled Khyber tribal district on Saturday, officials said.
Some 18,000 people last month fled their homes in Khyber, near the Afghan border, amid fears of a fresh onslaught of fighting between the army and Islamist militants tied to the Pakistani Taliban.
"At least six people including two children and a woman were killed when a mortar fired by militants fell on a house in Tirah valley," a senior local administration official, Saeed Ahmad Jan, told AFP.
He said that the militants apparently wanted to target a nearby checkpost of security forces but missed.
And in Bara town a group of 20-25 militants from the Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) group attacked a checkpost of the paramilitary Frontier Corps, triggering a gunfight.
"The exchange of fire left six militants dead and 10 others wounded," Jan said, adding that troops arrested all the injured rebels.
Pakistan's army has previously launched a series of offensives targeting the LI, a Taliban-allied militant group waging a local insurgency.
Pakistan's seven tribal districts on the Afghan border are rife with a homegrown insurgency and are strongholds of Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives.
Pakistan has launched operations along parts of the lawless belt but has withstood US pressure to wage battle with the Haqqani network, which is blamed for some of the worst attacks in Afghanistan.

UK military denies cuts to be speeded up

 Following a defence review the Ministry of Defence said it would reduce the number of personnel from the armed forces


Ministry of Defence on Saturday denied claims in a leaked memo that up to 16,500 soldiers -- thousands more than originally proposed -- faced the axe of budget cuts.
The internal memo seen by the Daily Telegraph also reportedly showed that 2,500 wounded soldiers, including 350 who have lost limbs, would not be spared in an ongoing programme of defence cuts.
The MoD dismissed the memo as the "factually incorrect" work of a junior officer and said there were no plans to change the level of cuts to the armed forces set out this year.
It also insisted there had been no change in the way it handled injured personnel, saying they were protected from the cuts until they "reached a point in their recovery where leaving the armed forces is the right decision".
The memo emerged as Britain's new defence minister, Philip Hammond, flew back from his first visit to troops in Afghanistan and amid preparations for Sunday's annual national ceremony in honour of the war dead.
An MoD spokesman said: "The information in this leaked army memo from a junior officer is incorrect.
"Beyond those already announced, there are no further army reductions planned. There is absolutely no plan to change our treatment of service personnel who are wounded, injured or sick.
"Personnel injured on operations will not be included in the redundancy process while they are undergoing medical treatment.
"No one will leave the armed forces until they have reached a point in their recovery that is right for them."
Following a defence review last year by the Conservative-led coalition government, the army has been told to cut its numbers by almost a fifth to 82,000 by 2020.
In July, army chiefs warned that an extra 5,000 soldiers faced the axe by 2015, on top of the 7,000 redundancies announced for the first phase, which has already begun.
The classified document quoted by the Telegraph, sent to commanders in Afghanistan, states that wounded soldiers who have been "temporarily downgraded will not be exempt" and could be dismissed in the next round of job cuts early next year.
Jim Murphy, defence spokesman for the opposition Labour party, warned that an accelerated redundancy programme could have "dangerous" consequences and that axeing injured troops would be "the cruellest cut of all".
In the past month, six British soldiers have undergone double amputations as a result of injuries caused by the roadside bombs used by the Taliban, which have accounted for many of the 385 British deaths in Afghanistan since 2001.
An officer serving with a unit in which a soldier suffered a triple amputation this month told the Telegraph the memo had badly damaged morale.
"We now know that not only will we be left with a life-changing injury serving our country over here but we will more than likely be kicked out of the army," he said.

Huge blast kills 17 at Iran military base

TEHRAN (Reuters) - A massive explosion at a military arms depot near the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday killed 17 Revolutionary Guards and wounded 15, a spokesman for the elite fighting force told the semi-official Fars news agency.
Officials said the blast was an accident which happened as troops were moving munitions at a base in Bidganeh, near the town of Shahriar, some 45 km (28 miles) west of Tehran.
The explosion shook homes and rattled windows for miles around, at a time of mounting tension with Israel over Iran's nuclear program.
"Today at 13:30, (0900 GMT), an explosion happened in one of the Revolutionary Guards' bases while a consignment of explosive devices was being moved out from the arsenal, besides that some munitions in the arsenal exploded which created a terrifying sound," Revolutionary Guards spokesman Ramezan Sharif told state
TV.
Sharif initially said 27 people had been killed but later revised that figure down to 17.
Residents in western suburbs of Tehran told Reuters they had felt the blast, some assuming it to be a moderate earthquake.
The explosion started a fire at the base which raged for hours. Surrounding streets were closed and reporters were kept away from the scene.
RISK
Some media reported there had been two explosions and the head of Iran's Red Crescent organization said there was a risk of further blasts.
Mahmoud Mozafar told the Mehr news agency that only six paramedics had been allowed into the Amir Al-Momenin military base and that thick smoke was hampering the rescue operation.
There were no reports linking the blast to any air strike or other attack. Tension has risen in recent weeks between Iran and its enemies Israel and the United States, which have not ruled out attacking facilities whose occupants they believe are working toward making nuclear weapons.
Sharif denied what he said was speculation in the Western media that the military base was linked to Iran's nuclear program.
"This blast is not related to any nuclear tests that some foreign media have reported," he told Mehr.
Tehran denies Western accusations, that were given some credence by a report from the UN nuclear agency this week, that its nuclear program has military ends.
On October 12 last year a similar blast at a Revolutionary Guards munitions store killed and wounded several servicemen in Khoramabad, western Iran. Authorities said that explosion was an accident too.

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Oscar Shocker! Brett Ratner Resigns as Producer of Telecast

Brett Ratner, who has been living on borrowed time this week since he used a gay slur and gave a raunchy interview to Howard Stern, has resigned as producer of the 84th Academy Awards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the following statement:
"This morning, Brett Ratner submitted his resignation as a producer of the 84th annual Academy Awards to Academy President Tom Sherak. Ratner then issued an open letter to the entertainment industry in which he explained his decision."
Ratner wrot
"As a first step, I called Tom Sherak this morning and resigned as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards telecast. Being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of my career. But as painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents."

"He did the right thing for the Academy and for himself," Sherak said. "Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent."
Don Mischer, who was hired with Ratner to produce the awards, remains on board. The status of host Eddie Murphy, however, may come into question, since he accepted the assignment from Ratner.
Ratner has pledged to work with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to host a series of public discussions about anti-LGBT jokes and slurs in films and on television.





“When we sat down with Brett today, he seemed very sincere in his desire to use this experience as a way to begin speaking out against anti-gay language in popular culture,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs and Communications at GLAAD, in a press release issued after Ratner's resignation. “We believe his resignation is just the first step and will be announcing a series of concrete actions with Brett in coming days and weeks.”
The GLAAD release also said, "GLAAD and Ratner are working to convene public discussions featuring leaders in the entertainment industry about promoting fair and accurate inclusions of LGBT people and stories. The discussions will address anti-LGBT jokes and slurs in films and on television today as well as their trickle-down effect into popular culture. The first event will take place in coming weeks with additional discussions to take place over the next three years. Additional details to follow."
Pressure had been mounting to fire the bad-boy director of "Tower Heist" and "Rush Hour" since Saturday, when Ratner said "rehearsing is for fags" at a Q&A session that followed a screening of "Tower Heist" in Hollywood on Friday night.
On Monday, he gave a long interview to Stern's Sirius XM Radio show, in which he talked in detail about his sex life while admitting that as producer of the Oscars, he needed to change his image.
The Academy had issued a statement condemning Ratner's initial gay slur but offering support for the producer, who immediately apologized and called the remark "a dumb way of expressing myself."
But in the aftermath of the Stern interview, the chorus of disapproval grew too loud for the Academy to ignore. "The Oscars are a brand, and this is tarnishing the brand," one AMPAS member told TheWrap.
Added another, "Once the producer becomes the story, it's not good for the Academy."
The action came quickly, the day after Ratner's comments came to light.
When Ratner was hired to produce the show by Sherak, the AMPAS president released a statement reading, in part, "He’s unbelievably creative and knows how to take risks that are both interesting and inspiring."
The hiring came in the wake of what was supposed to be a half-hour meeting between Ratner, Sherak and AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson. The meeting stretched to three hours, and Sherak and Hudson came away impressed with what Hudson called Ratner's "really smart and fresh take for the show."
Of course, there was a bad omen from the start: Ratner lives in the historic Beverly Hills mansion Hillhaven Lodge. In 1989, that house was owned by Allan Carr, who held meetings there when he was producing the Academy Awards show widely considered the worst in Oscar history.

Kamaal R. Khan Contemplating Suicide?


Kamaal R. Khan Contemplating Suicide?

If Kamal R. Khan is to be believed, then he is planning to... commit suicide soon! Unable to find a suitable star for his next project Love Story Of 3 Khans and getting no support from the industry dwellers, has finally taken a toll on Khan's mental state.

Kamaal elaborated his state of mind via Twitter, "Why I m always thinking about suicide? M I disturbed? Should I get married immediately?"
And the Desh Drohi star didn't stop here, he further threatened the Bollywood biggies by writing, "There are few ppl in industry who had harassed me so they will be responsible for my suicide if I do? There are 2 actors and 2 directors who harassed me so I shall write their names in my note."

He said that though others, in the past, have complained about sexual harassment, the industry is giving him a tough time in a totaly different manner.

"Rajeev Khandelwal, Sayali Bhagat, and many more already said about casting couch but mera case doosra hai," added Kamal R. Khan.

Will the "K" factor work for Ranbir?


 Will the "K" factor work for Ranbir?

 The alphabet 'K' has been crucial for the Kapoor clan for many decades now. If you are wondering what this K factor is all about, here is the story.

It is a well known fact that the Kapoor's owe their success to films that have been shot in Kashmir. From Shammi Kapoor to Rishi Kapoor, the settings of Kashmir have been integral part of their films.
In Ranbir's upcoming film ROCKSTAR, Kashmir has been revisited keeping the Kapoor tradition in mind. According to our sources, "Imtiaz is well aware of the significance of Kashmir with the entire Kapoor clan. Though the place may no longer be the hot bed of Bollywood shoots but the rapport Shammi Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor shared with Kashmir is legendary. Rishi Kapoor has gone to the extent of saying, "I am because of Kashmir!" Keeping this fact in mind Ranbir's ROCKSTAR is has added expectations from the audiences."
To gauge the attachment of Kashmir with the Kapoor family it must be mentioned that the last remains of legendary actor Shammi Kapoor were flown to Kashmir in keeping with the wish of the late actor.
With the Kapoor's sharing a long successful relation with the backdrop of Kashmir, let's hope the "K" factor works for ROCKSTAR too since it stars another Kapoor in the lead.

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Buffett goes on $20 billion stock buying spree

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- In the worst quarter for U.S. stocks since the financial crisis, investor Warren Buffett went on a stock buying spree.
A filing late Friday from Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA, Fortune 500) shows it bought $20 billion in stocks in the three months ended Sept. 30 -- including $6.9 billion worth of dabbling in U.S. stocks.
The purchases also included the $8.7 billion purchase of specialty chemical company Lubrizol Corp., which closed in the quarter after being announced earlier in the year, and $5 billion in preferred shares and warrants of Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500).
The $6.9 billion in common stock purchases represented a fairly aggressive market position, said Greggory Warren, the analyst who follows Berkshire for Morningstar.
"That's a better jump than we've seen from them in a while," he said.
Berkshire bought about about $3.6 billion in stock in the second quarter and less than $1 billion in the first quarter. Given Buffett's inclination to try to find bargains, the buying in the third quarter wasn't a surprise, Warren said.
"We saw a fairly significant decline in the quarter," he said. "The question is where he put the money to work. We'll have to wait to find that out."
The blue chip Standard & Poor's 500 fell 14% in the third quarter, the biggest drop since the fiscal crisis hit markets in the final three months of 2008. Other major indexes also tumbled, driven by the downgrade of the U.S. debt rating, the uncertainty over the European sovereign debt and rising worries during the period that the U.S. economy is in danger of a new recession.
Buffett continued to be bullish on stocks in comments during the period. On Aug. 15, he told PBS interviewer Charlie Rose that on the first day of trading after the U.S. credit downgrade -- as the S&P 500 plunged nearly 7% -- Berkshire made its largest single-day stock purchases of the year to date. And he said the $7 billion Berkshire had invested to that point of the year was at least $1 billion more than it had ever purchased in a year.
"It's like buying on sale," he said in that interview.
Berkshire's earnings tumbled 24% in the quarter to $2.3 billion, hurt by the decline in value of its holdings and a $1.6 billion loss on derivatives it held during the period.
But Cliff Gallant, analyst with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, said he believes most of the reported derivative losses have already been reversed by the rebound in stocks in October. He said the operating earnings beat forecasts.
"The strength of core operating earnings shrugged off mark-to-market paper losses in the derivatives book," he wrote in a note Monday. "With nearly $35 billion of cash on hand and as one of the highest credit worthy financial institutions in the world, we expect that Berkshire will continue to be positioned for such attractive opportunities."
Berkshire shares were down just less than 1% in midday trading Monday, but that was less than the drop in the broader markets.

Italian parliament to vote on budget reform








 The Italian parliament gets ready to vote on budget reform as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi calls rumors of his resignation 'groundless.'


ATLANTA (CNN Wire) -- The Italian parliament is expected to face a crucial vote on budget reform measures Tuesday as the country's president warned of a credibility gap if it failed to make such changes.
Last month, Italy agreed to implement structural reforms during an European Union meeting in Brussels. Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said the reforms must be put in place.
Debate is scheduled to start just after midday.
The developments came as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denied Monday's rumors that he might resign, highlighting Europe's growing unease in Italy's economy.
"The rumors of my resignation are groundless," a message on his official Facebook page said.
A press aide to Berlusconi also told CNN he had no plans to resign.
But there are growing fears that Berlusconi's government no longer has the strength to push through the austerity measures needed to get the economy back on track.
These include tax increases and raising the retirement age by two years to 67.
A vote to pass the reform measures could give the embattled government enough fortitude to keep the prime minister in power.
Although Italy passed a package of austerity measures in September, including tax increases, some economists fear that without further reforms its debts could become overwhelming -- and there would not be enough money in the European rescue fund to bail it out.
Italy has one of the largest bond markets in the world, worth an estimated €2 trillion (about $2.8 trillion).


Monday 7 November 2011

Brain Parasite Directly Alters Brain Chemistry


http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2011/11/111104102125-large.jpg 
Research shows infection by the brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii, found in 10-20 per cent of the UK's population, directly affects the production of dopamine, a key chemical messenger in the brain.
 Findings from the University of Leeds research group are the first to demonstrate that a parasite found in the brain of mammals can affect dopamine levels. Whilst the work has been carried out with rodents, lead investigator Dr Glenn McConkey of the University's Faculty of Biological Sciences, believes that the findings could ultimately shed new light on treating human neurological disorders that are dopamine-related such as schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Parkinson's disease.
This research may explain how these parasites, remarkably, manipulate rodents' behaviour for their own advantage. Infected mice and rats lose their innate fear of cats, increasing the chances of being caught and eaten, which enables the parasite to return to its main host to complete its life cycle.
In this study, funded by the Stanley Medical Research Institute and Dunhill Medical Trust, the research team found that the parasite causes production and release of many times the normal amount of dopamine in infected brain cells.
Dopamine is a natural chemical which relays messages in the brain controlling aspects of movement, cognition and behaviour. It helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centres and regulates emotional responses such as fear. The presence of a certain kind of dopamine receptor is also associated with sensation-seeking, whereas dopamine deficiency in humans results in Parkinson's disease.
These findings build on earlier studies in which Dr McConkey's group found that the parasite actually encodes the enzyme for producing dopamine in its genome.
"Based on these analyses, it was clear that T. gondii can orchestrate a significant increase in dopamine production in neural cells," says Dr McConkey.
"Humans are accidental hosts to T. gondii and the parasite could end up anywhere in the brain, so human symptoms of toxoplasmosis infection may depend on where parasite ends up. This may explain the observed statistical link between incidences of schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis infection."
Dr McConkey says his next experiments will investigate how the parasite enzyme triggers dopamine production and how this may change behaviour.
Toxoplasmosis, which is transmitted via cat faeces (found on unwashed vegetables) and raw or undercooked infected meat, is relatively common, with 10-20% of the UK population and 22% of the US population estimated to carry the parasite as cysts. Most people with the parasite are healthy, but for those who are immune-suppressed -- and particularly for pregnant women -- there are significant health risks that can occasionally be fatal.
The parasite infects the brain by forming a cyst within its cells and produces an enzyme called tyrosine hydroxylase, which is needed to make dopamine. Dopamine's role in mood, sociability, attention, motivation and sleep patterns are well documented and schizophrenia has long been associated with dopamine, which is the target of all current schizophrenia drugs on the market.
The enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase is a crucial step in making L-DOPA (prescribed as levodopa for Parkinson's Disease), a chemical that is readily converted to the neurotransmitter dopamine.
The US-based Stanley Medical Research Institute, which focuses on mental health conditions and has a particular emphasis on bipolar illnesses. Dunhill Medical Trust supports research on diseases of aging.

Where horror and video games intersect

Where horror and video games intersect 
Several years ago, I was writing about a new generation of video games that were pretty damn frightening and believable. Of course, with the popularity of games like Dead Island, they’re getting more hyper violent and freaky than ever.
As gamer Andrew Alonso told me, "Blood and horror are mainstays that have been with us for years, starting with the first Resident Evil in 1996. There is something extremely satisfying about killing zombies. Games like Dead Island are outlets."

There was even a point when Fangoria magazine had a gaming column, and Dead Island also recently made the cover of Rue Morgue. 


The first mainstream horror video game, based on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, was pretty cheesy by today's standards, but as Fangoria editor Michael Gingold told me, "Horror films and games kind feed the same demographic, young males, though there's reports that female gamers are getting into it, and younger women are getting more into horror films than ever. Women's interests in horror and games seem to be  on a parallel track."
And Tom Savini, the godfather of gore make-up (the original Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th) told me, "I had the first Space Invaders game that came out, and that was a miracle back then. When I was making Knightriders with George Romero, we would sit in the hotel room and play Space Invaders and Pong for hours."
Recently, Entertainment Weekly compiled a list of the scariest moments in video games, including Fatal Frame (clearly influenced by the J-horror trend); F.E.A.R. with its frightening dead nurse and shadows; the giant spider of Limbo; Eternal Darkness, which had a non-linear, nightmare style quality and the twisted lullaby in BioShock. Oh, and the zombie dogs of the first Resident Evil Game, of course.

Although they may never be as terrifying as a well done horror film, gaming has definitely become quite scary over the years.
Screenwriter Dave Callahan, who adapted the movie version of Doom, told me, "If you were to turn out the lights and play Doom 3 on a large monitor and wear headphones, it’s probably a lot scarier than most movies will ever be because you don’t have the comfort of people around you, and the stereo speakers are right in your ears. When I played Manhunt, it bothered me to the point where I couldn’t play it anymore. The Resident Evil and Silent Hill games are definitely some creepy sh*t!"

JTT Chobi Cam Pro is the Napoleon of cheap miniature cameras

 



Unlike JTT's cutesy miniature DSLR, this new ¥6,000 ($76) Chobi Cam Pro could potentially be used for home monitoring or perhaps even wildlife photography. In addition to recording 12 megapixel stills and 720p motion JPEGs onto microSD, it also has a motion detector that can hold the camera in a state of readiness for up to two months. If nothing happens within that sort of timeframe, you probably failed to camouflage it properly. 

Sunday 6 November 2011

Court Vision pulls huge upset in the Turf

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Court Vision pulled off a 64-1 upset in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile as three-time champion Goldikova finished third in her final race.

Court Vision nipped Turallure by a nose on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Goldikova, the champion mare from France, failed in her quest for an unprecedented fourth straight Breeders’ Cup win. She battled her way to a brief lead in deep stretch but could not hold off the pair of late challengers.
Goldikova held third, as a claim of foul by Patrick Valenzuela aboard Courageous Cat was disallowed.

Court Vision paid $131.60, the second highest payoff in the world championships after the $269.20 Arcangues paid in the 1993 Classic.

Robby Albarado was aboard for trainer Dale Romans as Court Vision ran the one mile on the turf in 1:37.05.

Nadal pulls out of Paris to focus on ATP finals

MADRID (AP)—Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Paris Masters to focus on the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals and Davis Cup final.
The second-ranked Nadal says on his Facebook page the decision to pull out of next week’s event at Bercy was necessary “to prepare well for the end of this season and also for 2012.”
The Spaniard has not played since losing to the 23rd-ranked Florian Mayer in the second round in Shanghai three weeks ago.
Nadal is one of five players already qualified for the season-ending Nov. 20-27 tournament in London, which features the year’s top eight players.
The French Open champion also is expected to play for Spain against Argentina in the Dec. 2-4 Davis Cup final.

Redknapp aiming to return ahead of doctor’s target

LONDON (AP)—Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says he hopes to be back in charge of the Premier League team soon despite being told by his doctor that he “shouldn’t even think” about football for at least four weeks following minor heart surgery.

Redknapp has handed over control of the side to assistants Kevin Bond, Joe Jordan and Clive Allen after having surgery this week.

The 64-year-old Redknapp says his doctor has recommended that he “shouldn’t even think about football for four or five weeks … but I’ll see how I go. I’m hoping to be back before then.”

Redknapp took charge of Spurs in October 2008 and guided the north London club to fourth place and a first Champions League appearance two years later.

Dhoni Surpasses Kirmani

 



When MS Dhoni stumped West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite off Pragyan Ojha, it was his 199th wicketkeeping dismissal in Tests. He thus overtook Syed Kirmani, who had held the Indian record of 198 dismissals.

Kirmani, who finished playing Tests in 1986, was the first Indian wicketkeeper to 100 Test dismissals, and he had owned the record for over three decades.

Later in the innings, Dhoni caught Marlon Samuels, making him the first Indian wicketkeeper to 200 dismissals.

Dhoni is the 13th wicketkeeper to reach the mark. He would be expected to climb this list quickly given that most of these wicketkeepers here have retired.

No
Player
Team
Mat
Inns
Dis
Ct
St
1
MV Boucher
SAF
139
265
521
499
22
2
AC Gilchrist
Aus
96
191
416
379
37
3
IA Healy
Aus
119
224
395
366
29
4
RW Marsh
Aus
96
182
355
343
12
5
PJL Dujon
Win
79
150
270
265
5
6
APE Knott
Eng
95
174
269
250
19
7
AJ Stewart
Eng
82
141
241
227
14
8
Wasim Bari
Pak
81
146
228
201
27
9
TG Evans
Eng
91
175
219
173
46
10
RD Jacobs
Win
65
122
219
207
12
11
Kamran Akmal
Pak
53
99
206
184
22
12
AC Parore
NZl
67
121
201
194
7
13
MS Dhoni
Ind
62
114
200
174
26


Dhoni is No. 9 among wicketkeepers with most Test stumpings. The list:

No
Player
Team
Mat
Inns
Dis
Ct
St
1
WAS Oldfield
Aus
54
101
130
78
52
2
TG Evans
Eng
91
175
219
173
46
3
SMH Kirmani
Ind
88
151
198
160
38
4
AC Gilchrist
Aus
96
191
416
379
37
5
IA Healy
Aus
119
224
395
366
29
6
Wasim Bari
Pal
81
146
228
201
27
7
HAPW Jayawardene
Srl
43
73
107
81
26
8
RS Kaluwitharana
Srl
48
85
119
93
26
9
MS Dhoni
Ind
61
113
200
174
26

The opponent-wise break-up of Dhoni's 200 dismissals:

Opposition
Mat
Inns
Dis
Ct
St
Australia
10
19
35
26
9
Bangladesh
3
6
15
12
3
England
12
22
40
37
3
New Zealand
5
10
22
19
3
Pakistan
5
9
10
9
1
South Africa
10
17
25
24
1
Sri Lanka
9
16
22
21
1
West Indies
8
15
31
26
5
Total
62
114
200
174
26

The top Indian wicketkeepers:

Player
Mat
Dis
Ct
St
MS Dhoni
62
200
174
26
S Kirmani
88
198
160
38
K More
49
130
110
20
N Mongia
44
107
99
8
F Engineer
46
82
66
16
N Tamhane
21
51
35
16
D Karthik
16
50
45
5
P Patel
20
49
41
8

Saturday 5 November 2011

Climate Shift Could Leave Some Marine Species Homeless

http://images.sciencedaily.com/2011/11/111103195314-large.jpg



Rising temperatures will force many species of animals and plants to move to other regions and could leave some marine species with nowhere to go, according to new research just published in the journal Science.
An international research team, led by Dr Mike Burrows from the Scottish Association for Marine Science, compared changing temperatures for both land and sea and from place to place over a 50 year period, from 1960 -- 2009.
The team used the data to project how quickly populations of both terrestrial and marine species would have had to relocate to keep up with the changing temperatures. They found that there was very little difference between movement rates in either environment.
Dr Burrows explains, 'When temperatures rise, plants and animals that need a cooler environment move to new regions. The land is warming about three times faster than the ocean so you might simply expect species to move three times faster on land, but that's not the case.
'If the land temperature becomes too hot for some species, they can move to higher ground where temperatures are generally cooler. That's not an option for many marine species which live at, or near, the surface of the ocean. When temperatures rise, species such as fish will be able to move into deeper water to find the cooler environments they prefer -- but other species, such as marine plants or slow-moving corals, will have to move further to find suitable habitats and could become trapped if there are no cooler places for them to go.'
Co-author Dr John Bruno, from the University of North Carolina, agrees that many marine creatures would have a hard time keeping up with climate change. He says, 'Being stuck in a warming environment can cause reductions in the growth, reproduction and survival of ecologically and economically important ocean life such as fish, corals and sea birds.'
The study also highlights the variation in ocean surface temperatures within a very small region, which also causes species movement. Spring-time temperatures in the seas around Scotland, for example, have arrived around 5 days per decade earlier on the east coast, whereas there has been almost no shift in spring temperature on the west coast.
Dr Burrows concludes, 'The areas where species would need to relocate the fastest to stay ahead of climate changes are important biodiversity hotspots, such as the coral triangle in South-eastern Asia. Our study may help conservationists to prepare for change and protect future coral habitats.'
The research was co-funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and carried out as a part of the 'Towards Understanding Marine Biological Impacts of Climate Change' Working Group supported by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, a Center funded by the US National Science Foundation , the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the State of California.

Anticipation is building for the big screen adaptation of The Hunger Games, the best selling trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins, which hit theaters on March 23 by Lion's Gate.
Clearly, the studio is hoping Hunger Games be the next Twilight style saga - not that the stars of the film look at it that way, of course.



Jennifer Lawrence, who won the lead role of Katniss Everdeen in Games, emphatically told Vanity Fair Hunger Games is not Twilight, adding, "While I hear the comparisons, it's really premature to say that it will be the same phenomenon." 


She further told Access Hollywood, "The reach is very similar, they're very popular books with a very large fanbase. I think the size of it is very familiar to Twilight."

Lawrence is already a best actress nominee from her role in Winter's Bone, and has also starred in X-Men: First Class. She is trying to brace herself for even more fame, telling the Wall Street Journal that one day she was in a coffee shop thinking, if I say yes to this job, next year at this time people will be here taking pictures of me with their phones. But I didn't want to say no to a script that I loved because I was scared."

As for the film itself, the first installment of The Hunger Games was adapted into screenplay form and directed by Gary Ross, who'd previously written Big, Dave, and wrote and directed Seabiscuit. 

Ross told VF, "My kids turned me on to it, and I went nuts. You rarely get a tentpole that has this much emotional depth, this much character to dive into."
The Hunger Games are coming
The L.A. Times reports that Lion's Gate is looking at the Games trilogy as a "game changer" for the company, and it has a huge built in audience that will certainly be there opening weekend.

Although the film has kids fighting each other to the death in a futuristic society, in all likelihood it's going to have to stay within a PG-13 for maximum box office impact. 


Lawrence told Access Hollywood her favorite part of weapon training was archery. 

"I feel like Hugh Jackman," she said. "We all have to get into supernatural shape."

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