You may want to do your holiday shopping early this year because this may be the 'hot' game your kids, or kids at heart, may be asking for this year.
Just in time for the holiday season, Nintendo and Sega are joining forces to bring Mario, Luigi, Sonic, and Tails along with others to compete in their own Olympics. This video game will be sold for use on the DS and Wii platform.
There has always been rumors that someday these to video heroes would team up, but until now both Nintendo and Sega could not figure out a way to make such a collaboration work.
Sega was able to secure the licensing rights to the 2008 summer games, and Sega will be designing this game with oversight coming from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.
These two companies are hoping to take advantage of the Wii's motion-sensitive controller to create a fairly physical, interactive game that has not yet been imagined for use on the DS or Wii. Both companies plan on revealing more in the coming months, but so far we know this game will feature Olympic events that revolve around running, swimming and table tennis.
With kids being more interested in video games than outside activity, and with the rise of obesity among children, maybe this game will be the perfect marriage between gaming and some type of physical activity.
I guess we will just have to see if these two gaming companies can come up with something that gives our video addictive children some type of much needed physical activity, because it appears most children are more interested in staying inside to play video sports games than going outside and actually running around and the playing the sport on a field.
Read more at Yahoo News
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Ian Thorpe Fails Doping Test??
Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe fights allegations that he failed a 2006 doping test.
The Australian swimming committee is racing to defend five-time retired Olympic champion Ian Thorpe against doping charges as reported in the French paper L'Equipe.
The sport's world governing body FINA has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport on a doping test without naming the athlete concerned.
Glenn Tasker, executive director for Australian swimming, is vehemently defending Thorpe against these allegations by stating that anyone who knows Ian knows the type of person Ian is, and that Ian is very much opposed to any type of performance-enhancing drug.
Mr.Tasker goes on to say that at the moment there is not even positive test, and that the finding right now is an adverse finding. Mr.Tasker feels that leaking this report about Ian Thorpe is a gross violation of Ian's privacy, and all athletes privacy, because the failed drug test has yet to be linked to any one swimmer.
Jacco Verhaeren, the coach of Thorpe's rival Pieter van den Hoogenband, also came to the defense of Thorpe. Mr. Verhaeren issued a statement saying he is very angry because somebody's career is being ruined over a test that has yet been proved to be a positive test, but the results were still leaked to the media.
Mr.Verhaeren states that Ian is a very honest person, and Jacco feels, that to him anyway, Ian is not under suspicion. Considering Mr.Verhaeren is the coach of a rival to Ian, you would think he would come out and issue a statement condemming Mr.Thorpe as a cheater. Instead, Mr.Verhaeren is standing behind Ian until there is a more complete investigation into this doping allegation. It should be noted that having a rival coach stand by you speaks volumes about the character and integrity that Ian must have within the international swimming community.
Thorpe is Australia's most successful Olympic athlete with his five golds at the Sydney and Athens Games and is also the only person to win six gold medals in one world swimming championships at the 2001 event in Japan.
More on this story can be found at BBC Sports
The Australian swimming committee is racing to defend five-time retired Olympic champion Ian Thorpe against doping charges as reported in the French paper L'Equipe.
The sport's world governing body FINA has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport on a doping test without naming the athlete concerned.
Glenn Tasker, executive director for Australian swimming, is vehemently defending Thorpe against these allegations by stating that anyone who knows Ian knows the type of person Ian is, and that Ian is very much opposed to any type of performance-enhancing drug.
Mr.Tasker goes on to say that at the moment there is not even positive test, and that the finding right now is an adverse finding. Mr.Tasker feels that leaking this report about Ian Thorpe is a gross violation of Ian's privacy, and all athletes privacy, because the failed drug test has yet to be linked to any one swimmer.
Jacco Verhaeren, the coach of Thorpe's rival Pieter van den Hoogenband, also came to the defense of Thorpe. Mr. Verhaeren issued a statement saying he is very angry because somebody's career is being ruined over a test that has yet been proved to be a positive test, but the results were still leaked to the media.
Mr.Verhaeren states that Ian is a very honest person, and Jacco feels, that to him anyway, Ian is not under suspicion. Considering Mr.Verhaeren is the coach of a rival to Ian, you would think he would come out and issue a statement condemming Mr.Thorpe as a cheater. Instead, Mr.Verhaeren is standing behind Ian until there is a more complete investigation into this doping allegation. It should be noted that having a rival coach stand by you speaks volumes about the character and integrity that Ian must have within the international swimming community.
Thorpe is Australia's most successful Olympic athlete with his five golds at the Sydney and Athens Games and is also the only person to win six gold medals in one world swimming championships at the 2001 event in Japan.
More on this story can be found at BBC Sports
WTO wants U.S. to Allow Offshore Internet Betting
The WTO has rebuffed the U.S. for their ban on offshore internet betting because it is unfair to offshore casinos.
The three panel World Trade Oranganization (WTO) handed down a 215 page decision stating the U.S. has failed to change their ban on offshore internet betting which may lead to possible commercial sanctions against the U.S.
Antigua and Barbuda brought a compliant against the U.S. stating U.S. policy against offshore internet gambling was costing small Caribbean islands a lucrative source of income.
The WTO found the U.S. was not applying the offshore internet gambling ban equally to American internet sites that offered remote betting on horse racing causing U.S. operators to have an unfair advantage over their competitors.
Two years ago the WTO did side with the U.S. on this issue because the WTO recognized the right of the U.S. to ban offshore betting as means of protecting public order and morals.
Gretchen Hamel, a spokeswoman for the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, issued a statement saying the WTO compliance panel felt the United States did not do enough to comply with recommendations concerning offshore internet betting. Ms.Hamel went on to say she feels this current finding did not undermine the favorable result the United States received in 2005.
To avoid sanctions, the United States would have to allow Americans to gamble on foreign internet sites, or eliminate exceptions to off-track horse betting, which includes internet betting, as outlined in the 1978 Interstate Horseracing Act.
Antigua filed their case against the U.S. in 2003 stating this ban on offshore internet gambling violated trade commitments the United States has as a member of the WTO. The U.S. disagreed, stating the Uruguay Round of global trade talks clearly intended to exclude gambling.
There are 32 licensed Antiguan internet gambling sites, and these sites employ about 1,000 people. These sites bring in approximately 130 million dollars to the Antiguan economy every year. Before the U.S ban on internet gambling, these online casinos brought in roughly one billion dollars of revenue.
Read more at Yahoo News
The three panel World Trade Oranganization (WTO) handed down a 215 page decision stating the U.S. has failed to change their ban on offshore internet betting which may lead to possible commercial sanctions against the U.S.
Antigua and Barbuda brought a compliant against the U.S. stating U.S. policy against offshore internet gambling was costing small Caribbean islands a lucrative source of income.
The WTO found the U.S. was not applying the offshore internet gambling ban equally to American internet sites that offered remote betting on horse racing causing U.S. operators to have an unfair advantage over their competitors.
Two years ago the WTO did side with the U.S. on this issue because the WTO recognized the right of the U.S. to ban offshore betting as means of protecting public order and morals.
Gretchen Hamel, a spokeswoman for the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, issued a statement saying the WTO compliance panel felt the United States did not do enough to comply with recommendations concerning offshore internet betting. Ms.Hamel went on to say she feels this current finding did not undermine the favorable result the United States received in 2005.
To avoid sanctions, the United States would have to allow Americans to gamble on foreign internet sites, or eliminate exceptions to off-track horse betting, which includes internet betting, as outlined in the 1978 Interstate Horseracing Act.
Antigua filed their case against the U.S. in 2003 stating this ban on offshore internet gambling violated trade commitments the United States has as a member of the WTO. The U.S. disagreed, stating the Uruguay Round of global trade talks clearly intended to exclude gambling.
There are 32 licensed Antiguan internet gambling sites, and these sites employ about 1,000 people. These sites bring in approximately 130 million dollars to the Antiguan economy every year. Before the U.S ban on internet gambling, these online casinos brought in roughly one billion dollars of revenue.
Read more at Yahoo News
Friday, March 30, 2007
Fido, The Bomb Sniffing Robot
The military is set to break out a bomb sniffing robot that will help soldiers better detect roadside bombs.
With roadside bombs accounting for nearly 70 percent of U.S. military deaths, the military announced that Burlington, Mass.-based iRobot Corp. will begin supplying the military with 100 of it's Fido bomb sniffing robots within the next few months.
Fido is the first robot that comes equipped with with an integrated explosives sensor. The bomb-sniffing sensor is part of the robot, with its readings displayed on the controller along with camera images. Otherwise, a soldier would have to approach the suspect object with a sensor or try to attach it to a robot. The new robot has a 7-foot manipulator arm so it can use the sensor to scan the inside and undercarriage of vehicles for bombs.
For the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is currently using around 5,000 robots to perform different missions in a effort to better safeguard the troops. In 2004, only 150 robots were being used in the field. The U.S. government is looking to spend approximately 1.7 billion dollars to bring more robots to the field. This spending is up from the 100 million that was spent in 2004.
These bomb sniffing robots will be especially helpful in situations where soldiers may suspect there is a bomb but are not sure because they may need a better understanding of what scenario the terrorists are plotting.
These robots do have some drawbacks such as indicating a false positive because of bomb residue all ready in the area. Another drawback is that every move the robot makes has to be controlled by a solider operating the controls.
Despite any limitations these robots may have, these robots have to better than what the soldiers are presently doing to detect possible bombs. Army Staff Sgt. Shawn Baker, 26, of Olean,NY describes on way soldiers currently check for bombs is by standing as far away from a suspected bomb as possible, and then dragging a rope with hooks attached over the suspected bomb hoping this action will either disable or explode the suspected bomb.
If these robots can save even one soldier's life, than any money spent by the government to get these robots into action is money well spent.
Read more at Yahoo News
With roadside bombs accounting for nearly 70 percent of U.S. military deaths, the military announced that Burlington, Mass.-based iRobot Corp. will begin supplying the military with 100 of it's Fido bomb sniffing robots within the next few months.
Fido is the first robot that comes equipped with with an integrated explosives sensor. The bomb-sniffing sensor is part of the robot, with its readings displayed on the controller along with camera images. Otherwise, a soldier would have to approach the suspect object with a sensor or try to attach it to a robot. The new robot has a 7-foot manipulator arm so it can use the sensor to scan the inside and undercarriage of vehicles for bombs.
For the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is currently using around 5,000 robots to perform different missions in a effort to better safeguard the troops. In 2004, only 150 robots were being used in the field. The U.S. government is looking to spend approximately 1.7 billion dollars to bring more robots to the field. This spending is up from the 100 million that was spent in 2004.
These bomb sniffing robots will be especially helpful in situations where soldiers may suspect there is a bomb but are not sure because they may need a better understanding of what scenario the terrorists are plotting.
These robots do have some drawbacks such as indicating a false positive because of bomb residue all ready in the area. Another drawback is that every move the robot makes has to be controlled by a solider operating the controls.
Despite any limitations these robots may have, these robots have to better than what the soldiers are presently doing to detect possible bombs. Army Staff Sgt. Shawn Baker, 26, of Olean,NY describes on way soldiers currently check for bombs is by standing as far away from a suspected bomb as possible, and then dragging a rope with hooks attached over the suspected bomb hoping this action will either disable or explode the suspected bomb.
If these robots can save even one soldier's life, than any money spent by the government to get these robots into action is money well spent.
Read more at Yahoo News
China Looks to Crack into U.S. Cell Phone Market
I wondered what the Chinese were going to do with all their cell phones that had porn on them.
China is looking to crack into the very competitive U.S. cell phone market by introducing two of their more fashionable phones at the 2007 CTIA industry gathering.
U.S. consumers may know the name Haier as a leader in home appliances, but now this air conditioner making company will be introducing two handsets through an unusual sales channel.
The two handsets, named Elegance and Sterling, are compatible with the cellular networks operated by AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA but won't be sold by any service providers. Instead, they will be sold "unlocked" through retailers, meaning that customers of those companies will be able to remove the small "SIM" cards from the battery compartments of their current phones and then slip them into the Haier handsets.
Unlocked phones are common in Europe and other markets, and this tends to make these types of phones more expensive. Cell phones carriers in the U.S. tend to offer up front discounts on phones as along as the customer commits to a one or two year service contract.
The Elegance handset, 1.25 inches wide and 3.5 inches long with rounded edges, went on sale through certain retailers last week, priced at about $250. The Sterling, priced at about $280, is slated to arrive in June.
No further details have been issued about what these phones will be equipped with, but since China has been cracking down on porn usage by their users, one option may be free porn for people who are into that type of media.
Read more at Yahoo News
China is looking to crack into the very competitive U.S. cell phone market by introducing two of their more fashionable phones at the 2007 CTIA industry gathering.
U.S. consumers may know the name Haier as a leader in home appliances, but now this air conditioner making company will be introducing two handsets through an unusual sales channel.
The two handsets, named Elegance and Sterling, are compatible with the cellular networks operated by AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA but won't be sold by any service providers. Instead, they will be sold "unlocked" through retailers, meaning that customers of those companies will be able to remove the small "SIM" cards from the battery compartments of their current phones and then slip them into the Haier handsets.
Unlocked phones are common in Europe and other markets, and this tends to make these types of phones more expensive. Cell phones carriers in the U.S. tend to offer up front discounts on phones as along as the customer commits to a one or two year service contract.
The Elegance handset, 1.25 inches wide and 3.5 inches long with rounded edges, went on sale through certain retailers last week, priced at about $250. The Sterling, priced at about $280, is slated to arrive in June.
No further details have been issued about what these phones will be equipped with, but since China has been cracking down on porn usage by their users, one option may be free porn for people who are into that type of media.
Read more at Yahoo News
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Does Green Tea Help Keep Aids in Check?
A new research study suggests that Green Tea may help in the fight against AIDS.
A substance called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) may help the body's immune system fight AIDS. When EGCG binds to immune system cells, this binding process makes it difficult for HIV to take hold as it usually does.
Researcher Professor Mike Williamson, of the University of Sheffield, said: "Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV.
This research is still in the preliminary stage, and the scientists involved in this study still warn that Green Tea will not be a cure for AIDS. However, these scientist feel that Green Tea can be a valuable asset in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
There is still more work to be done before any conclusive evidence can be made about the benefits of drinking Green Tea, or how much Green Tea needs to be drank in order to have any benefits in fighting HIV.
At this point, the research involves looking at the chemical in Green Tea that binds with the CD4 immune cells in humans. This testing is limited to test tube testing at this stage.
Lisa Power, head of policy at the HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust said: "Condoms keep HIV at bay. Anything that boosts your immune system is beneficial for people with HIV, but green tea can't be a substitute for proper medication and prevention techniques."
Read more about this study at BBC News
A substance called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) may help the body's immune system fight AIDS. When EGCG binds to immune system cells, this binding process makes it difficult for HIV to take hold as it usually does.
Researcher Professor Mike Williamson, of the University of Sheffield, said: "Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV.
This research is still in the preliminary stage, and the scientists involved in this study still warn that Green Tea will not be a cure for AIDS. However, these scientist feel that Green Tea can be a valuable asset in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
There is still more work to be done before any conclusive evidence can be made about the benefits of drinking Green Tea, or how much Green Tea needs to be drank in order to have any benefits in fighting HIV.
At this point, the research involves looking at the chemical in Green Tea that binds with the CD4 immune cells in humans. This testing is limited to test tube testing at this stage.
Lisa Power, head of policy at the HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust said: "Condoms keep HIV at bay. Anything that boosts your immune system is beneficial for people with HIV, but green tea can't be a substitute for proper medication and prevention techniques."
Read more about this study at BBC News
'Pacman' Jones and Chris Henry to face NFL Discipline
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to hand down discipline for two of the NFL's bad boys.
Within the next 10 days, new NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is set to announce disciplinary measures against Adam 'Pacman' Jones of the Tennessee Titans and Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals. Goodell will make this announcement after he meets with these two players.
"These are part of the hearings I've had with a player or coach facing discipline decisions," Goodell said Wednesday as the league meetings concluded. "It's to get their perspective, look them in the eye and get them thinking. They are clearly (designed) to give me better info and more facts. I do it frequently."
The NFL commissioner is starting with Jones and Henry because these two players have a penchant for running afoul of the law. Everyone by now has probably heard of the trials and tribulations of 'Pacman' Jones, but Chris Henry has found his own little niche when it comes to bad boy behavior.
Chris Henry has been arrested four times in the last 14 months on charges that range from marijuana possession, a weapons charge, and a drunken-driving count that resulted in a guilty plea to reckless operation of a vehicle.
Considering all of the NFL players making more news recently for their off the field actions and not their on field actions, Mr.Goodell feels it is now time for the NFL to institute a new policy that deals with a players action away from the field. Mr.Goodell thinks the integrity of the NFL is at stake, and he hopes to have a player conduct policy in place before the start of the NFL draft. The NFL draft is set to take place on April 28-29.
I for one am starting to get a little tired of hearing about all the misconduct of players when they are away from the game. Let's hope the NFL comes up with some meaningful penalties other than fines, because let's face it, with the amount of money being made by the NFL players today, a fine is nothing more than a little slap on the wrist. If you really want to get a players attention, suspending a player from games is the best route to go.
Read more at Yahoo Sports
Within the next 10 days, new NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is set to announce disciplinary measures against Adam 'Pacman' Jones of the Tennessee Titans and Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals. Goodell will make this announcement after he meets with these two players.
"These are part of the hearings I've had with a player or coach facing discipline decisions," Goodell said Wednesday as the league meetings concluded. "It's to get their perspective, look them in the eye and get them thinking. They are clearly (designed) to give me better info and more facts. I do it frequently."
The NFL commissioner is starting with Jones and Henry because these two players have a penchant for running afoul of the law. Everyone by now has probably heard of the trials and tribulations of 'Pacman' Jones, but Chris Henry has found his own little niche when it comes to bad boy behavior.
Chris Henry has been arrested four times in the last 14 months on charges that range from marijuana possession, a weapons charge, and a drunken-driving count that resulted in a guilty plea to reckless operation of a vehicle.
Considering all of the NFL players making more news recently for their off the field actions and not their on field actions, Mr.Goodell feels it is now time for the NFL to institute a new policy that deals with a players action away from the field. Mr.Goodell thinks the integrity of the NFL is at stake, and he hopes to have a player conduct policy in place before the start of the NFL draft. The NFL draft is set to take place on April 28-29.
I for one am starting to get a little tired of hearing about all the misconduct of players when they are away from the game. Let's hope the NFL comes up with some meaningful penalties other than fines, because let's face it, with the amount of money being made by the NFL players today, a fine is nothing more than a little slap on the wrist. If you really want to get a players attention, suspending a player from games is the best route to go.
Read more at Yahoo Sports
John Kerry Attacks Baseball,DirecTV Deal
I guess John Kerry is looking for something to occupy his time since he has decided not to run for President. Maybe Baseball Commissioner is a better fit than President?
John Kerry has decided that having major league baseball move their "Extra Innings" baseball package from cable to DirecTV is not in the best interest of baseball fans. The "Extra Innings" package allows cable subscribers access to out of market baseball games.
At Tuesday's hearing, Rob Jacobson, president and CEO of iN Demand, owned by affiliates of the companies that own Time Warner Cable Inc., Comcast Corp. and Cox Communications Inc., offered to carry the package on the same terms that DirecTV is, while putting off the issue of The Baseball Channel until it is launched.
"This would ensure that for the next two years at least, all baseball fans would have access to the 'Extra Innings' package," he said. "If we're unable to reach an agreement when the channel launches, we'd give baseball the right to cancel the 'Extra Innings' deal. We think this is a fair compromise."
The switch from cable to satellite carrier DirecTV is not set to take place until 2009;however, baseball is giving the current carriers of the "Extra Innings" package until the end of March to match the $700 million dollar offer from DirecTV.
Not to be outdone by the Democrat Kerry, Republican Arlen Specter issued his own warning to major league baseball about this deal by stating, "When fans react, Congress reacts," he said, adding, "You may be well advised to act before we do." Specter has also been a critic of the NFL 'Sunday Ticket' DirecTV package.
I guess the only voice Congress is willing to listen to is the voice of the fan. I guess if you want Congress to move quickly, you better wrap your issue around a baseball or football.
Read more at Yahoo News
John Kerry has decided that having major league baseball move their "Extra Innings" baseball package from cable to DirecTV is not in the best interest of baseball fans. The "Extra Innings" package allows cable subscribers access to out of market baseball games.
At Tuesday's hearing, Rob Jacobson, president and CEO of iN Demand, owned by affiliates of the companies that own Time Warner Cable Inc., Comcast Corp. and Cox Communications Inc., offered to carry the package on the same terms that DirecTV is, while putting off the issue of The Baseball Channel until it is launched.
"This would ensure that for the next two years at least, all baseball fans would have access to the 'Extra Innings' package," he said. "If we're unable to reach an agreement when the channel launches, we'd give baseball the right to cancel the 'Extra Innings' deal. We think this is a fair compromise."
The switch from cable to satellite carrier DirecTV is not set to take place until 2009;however, baseball is giving the current carriers of the "Extra Innings" package until the end of March to match the $700 million dollar offer from DirecTV.
Not to be outdone by the Democrat Kerry, Republican Arlen Specter issued his own warning to major league baseball about this deal by stating, "When fans react, Congress reacts," he said, adding, "You may be well advised to act before we do." Specter has also been a critic of the NFL 'Sunday Ticket' DirecTV package.
I guess the only voice Congress is willing to listen to is the voice of the fan. I guess if you want Congress to move quickly, you better wrap your issue around a baseball or football.
Read more at Yahoo News
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
PETA Thinks Burger King is the GREATEST
Animal rights activists now love Burger King for buying from 'range free' producers.
Now this is really shocking news because I thought animal rights activists would have nothing to do with any type of restaurant that serves meat.I guess that I was wrong.
PETA has come out and praised Burger King for buying their meat products from farms and companies that do not keep their animals in cages.
We certainly hope that people will order the BK Veggie Burger when they go into Burger King," said Matt Prescott, spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "But the fact that Burger King has made positive changes for some of the animals killed for its restaurants will send a ripple effect through the fast food industry and show other companies that animal welfare cannot be ignored."
PETA has also praised Burger King for using suppliers that use "controlled atmosphere stunning," to kill their poultry. Burger King has notified all their suppliers that they will look very favorably upon producers that offer 'out of the cage' animals.
By doing this, Burger King is hoping to put pressure on their suppliers to offer more products that have been treated 'humanely' before they were slaughtered.
Read more at Yahoo News
Now this is really shocking news because I thought animal rights activists would have nothing to do with any type of restaurant that serves meat.I guess that I was wrong.
PETA has come out and praised Burger King for buying their meat products from farms and companies that do not keep their animals in cages.
We certainly hope that people will order the BK Veggie Burger when they go into Burger King," said Matt Prescott, spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "But the fact that Burger King has made positive changes for some of the animals killed for its restaurants will send a ripple effect through the fast food industry and show other companies that animal welfare cannot be ignored."
PETA has also praised Burger King for using suppliers that use "controlled atmosphere stunning," to kill their poultry. Burger King has notified all their suppliers that they will look very favorably upon producers that offer 'out of the cage' animals.
By doing this, Burger King is hoping to put pressure on their suppliers to offer more products that have been treated 'humanely' before they were slaughtered.
Read more at Yahoo News
Study Suggests Women At Risk for Breast Cancer Should Get An MRI
According to new guidelines released by the American Cancer Society, women at risk for breast cancer should go get an MRI.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women, and prevention is the key for controlling cancer. Roughly 41,000 women will die each year from breast cancer, but if detected early there is about a 98 percent survival rate for women diagnosed with this cancer.
Because a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is more sensitive than your standard mammogram, these scans can detected even the tiniest of tumors that women may miss by performing a self-check.
The last guidelines were released in 2003. At that time, officials said there wasn't enough information available to recommend MRI screening. Several studies completed since then have highlighted its benefits, leading a panel of experts convened by the cancer society to urge the change.
A study in the March 29th New England Journal of Medicine, states that about 1,000 women who had breast cancer in one breast but not in the other underwent an MRI to make sure the cancer did not spread. This study did find that 30 of these women had cancer in the other breast that was supposedly cancer free.
Of course, no test is 100 percent accurate. MRI's will sometimes come back with a result that showed a possible lesion that was not cancer, but it lead women to seek a biopsy. This is what medical personnel call a 'false positive'. These 'false positives' lead to a lot of fear and anxiety among women which is why the American Cancer Society suggest only women considered high risk should go for an MRI.
MRI machines, made by companies including General Electric Co., create a three dimensional image of the breast using magnetic fields, showing where tissue density varies and setting apart even small tumors. A mammogram is a more straight-forward x-ray that uses light and dark images to spot irregularities.
Learn more at Bloomberg.com
Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women, and prevention is the key for controlling cancer. Roughly 41,000 women will die each year from breast cancer, but if detected early there is about a 98 percent survival rate for women diagnosed with this cancer.
Because a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is more sensitive than your standard mammogram, these scans can detected even the tiniest of tumors that women may miss by performing a self-check.
The last guidelines were released in 2003. At that time, officials said there wasn't enough information available to recommend MRI screening. Several studies completed since then have highlighted its benefits, leading a panel of experts convened by the cancer society to urge the change.
A study in the March 29th New England Journal of Medicine, states that about 1,000 women who had breast cancer in one breast but not in the other underwent an MRI to make sure the cancer did not spread. This study did find that 30 of these women had cancer in the other breast that was supposedly cancer free.
Of course, no test is 100 percent accurate. MRI's will sometimes come back with a result that showed a possible lesion that was not cancer, but it lead women to seek a biopsy. This is what medical personnel call a 'false positive'. These 'false positives' lead to a lot of fear and anxiety among women which is why the American Cancer Society suggest only women considered high risk should go for an MRI.
MRI machines, made by companies including General Electric Co., create a three dimensional image of the breast using magnetic fields, showing where tissue density varies and setting apart even small tumors. A mammogram is a more straight-forward x-ray that uses light and dark images to spot irregularities.
Learn more at Bloomberg.com
It’s France vs. Australia in the Battle of the Wines
The Australians are very wine savvy, and they know a good wine when they taste one. However, the Australians appear willing to try a French wine that has less alcohol.
Tired of losing out to Australia in the global wine market, France has started fighting the Australian’s in their own backyard. The French targeting of the lower budget wine market in Australia seems to be making inroads as sales for the lesser French wines soared 65 percent in the last year.
The French have never really tried marketing their wines; instead they have always relied on the made in France distinction as the best type of advertising. However, with wine sales dropping, France has decided to play by Aussie rules in selling wine down under.
"They've come in with fruit-driven wines in screw-top bottles, which would have been unthinkable only a few years ago," he said.
"There's also an emphasis on packaging and labeling. A few years ago the French would simply assume people would buy their wine because it was good, now they've realized their have to tell global wine consumers what they're getting."
Because wine taste run cyclically, Phillipe Casteja, President of the Bordeaux wine producers in France, is not sure this idea will work.
For now, the Australians appear willing to try a French wine that has less alcohol along with a less dominate taste when compared to Australians wines.
Read more at Yahoo News
Tired of losing out to Australia in the global wine market, France has started fighting the Australian’s in their own backyard. The French targeting of the lower budget wine market in Australia seems to be making inroads as sales for the lesser French wines soared 65 percent in the last year.
The French have never really tried marketing their wines; instead they have always relied on the made in France distinction as the best type of advertising. However, with wine sales dropping, France has decided to play by Aussie rules in selling wine down under.
"They've come in with fruit-driven wines in screw-top bottles, which would have been unthinkable only a few years ago," he said.
"There's also an emphasis on packaging and labeling. A few years ago the French would simply assume people would buy their wine because it was good, now they've realized their have to tell global wine consumers what they're getting."
Because wine taste run cyclically, Phillipe Casteja, President of the Bordeaux wine producers in France, is not sure this idea will work.
For now, the Australians appear willing to try a French wine that has less alcohol along with a less dominate taste when compared to Australians wines.
Read more at Yahoo News
Strange Hexagon Spotted on Saturn
Astronomers have spotted a bizarre weather pattern circling the North Pole of Saturn.
A strange six-sided, honeycomb cloud pattern spotted by Voyager 1 and 2 more than two decades ago has shown up again. The Cassini space probe has also picked up this strange, geometrically correct feature, and scientists believe this may be a long lasting weather pattern anomaly for Saturn.
The six sides of his hexagon have nearly equal sides, and is 15,000 miles across. Thermal imagery shows this anomaly reaches about 60 miles down into the clouds.
"It's amazing to see such striking differences on opposite ends of Saturn's poles," said Bob Brown, team leader of the Cassini visual and infrared mapping spectrometer at the University of Arizona. "At the south pole we have what appears to be a hurricane with a giant eye, and at the north pole of Saturn we have this geometric feature, which is completely different."
Scientists have never seen anything like this on any other planet. This pattern also seems strange for Saturn because of the thick atmosphere where circularly-shaped waves and convective cells dominate.
Scientists are still uncertain about the rate of rotation for Saturn, but it appears the hexagonal pattern is in sync with the rotation rate and axis of this mysterious planet. The uncertainty about the rate of rotation for Saturn also means scientists do not really know how long a day is on Saturn.
Read more at Yahoo News
A strange six-sided, honeycomb cloud pattern spotted by Voyager 1 and 2 more than two decades ago has shown up again. The Cassini space probe has also picked up this strange, geometrically correct feature, and scientists believe this may be a long lasting weather pattern anomaly for Saturn.
The six sides of his hexagon have nearly equal sides, and is 15,000 miles across. Thermal imagery shows this anomaly reaches about 60 miles down into the clouds.
"It's amazing to see such striking differences on opposite ends of Saturn's poles," said Bob Brown, team leader of the Cassini visual and infrared mapping spectrometer at the University of Arizona. "At the south pole we have what appears to be a hurricane with a giant eye, and at the north pole of Saturn we have this geometric feature, which is completely different."
Scientists have never seen anything like this on any other planet. This pattern also seems strange for Saturn because of the thick atmosphere where circularly-shaped waves and convective cells dominate.
Scientists are still uncertain about the rate of rotation for Saturn, but it appears the hexagonal pattern is in sync with the rotation rate and axis of this mysterious planet. The uncertainty about the rate of rotation for Saturn also means scientists do not really know how long a day is on Saturn.
Read more at Yahoo News
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Australian Terror Suspect Pleads Guilty
An Australian terror suspect held at GUANTANAMO BAY pleads guilty to helping the Taliban in Afghanistan.
David Hicks pleaded guilty on Monday to giving material support for terrorism, and he becomes one of the first detainees at Gitmo to make a plea. Mr.Hicks' lawyers hope this plea helps Hicks get transferred from Gitmo to a prison in Australia.
According to the charge sheet, Hicks spent weeks trying to join the fight in Afghanistan alongside the Taliban against invading U.S. forces and their Northern Alliance allies, the charge sheet says, but the Taliban's lines collapsed barely two hours after he reached the front. He was armed with grenades and an assault rifle and his menial assignments along the way included guarding a tank.
The count he pleaded guilty to says he intentionally provided support to a terror organization involved in hostilities against the United States. He denied the charge that he supported for preparation, or in carrying out, an act of terrorism.
Mr.Hicks has been held at Gitmo for five years, and was starting to get depressed because he felt that their was no chance that he was going to receive a fair trail.
Mr.Hicks' hearing was the first under the new revised tribunal hearings that defense lawyers and human rights activist still consider to be a flawed system.
"In a narrow sense, David Hicks was not legally coerced today to issue a plea, but he was operating in the background of a highly coercive system that has held him for five years and did little today to restore his faith ... in the legitimacy of the system," said Jennifer Daskal of Human Rights Watch.
At his hearing on Monday, Mr.Hicks requested more lawyers to aid in his defense. Instead of granting this request, the tribunal told Mr.Hicks' civilan defense attorneys to leave the table. This ended up leaving Mr.Hicks with only one lawyer.
If everything goes as plans, Mr.Hicks should be back in Australia by the end of the year to serve any imprisonment term imposed by the Gitmo tribunal.
Read more at Yahoo News
David Hicks pleaded guilty on Monday to giving material support for terrorism, and he becomes one of the first detainees at Gitmo to make a plea. Mr.Hicks' lawyers hope this plea helps Hicks get transferred from Gitmo to a prison in Australia.
According to the charge sheet, Hicks spent weeks trying to join the fight in Afghanistan alongside the Taliban against invading U.S. forces and their Northern Alliance allies, the charge sheet says, but the Taliban's lines collapsed barely two hours after he reached the front. He was armed with grenades and an assault rifle and his menial assignments along the way included guarding a tank.
The count he pleaded guilty to says he intentionally provided support to a terror organization involved in hostilities against the United States. He denied the charge that he supported for preparation, or in carrying out, an act of terrorism.
Mr.Hicks has been held at Gitmo for five years, and was starting to get depressed because he felt that their was no chance that he was going to receive a fair trail.
Mr.Hicks' hearing was the first under the new revised tribunal hearings that defense lawyers and human rights activist still consider to be a flawed system.
"In a narrow sense, David Hicks was not legally coerced today to issue a plea, but he was operating in the background of a highly coercive system that has held him for five years and did little today to restore his faith ... in the legitimacy of the system," said Jennifer Daskal of Human Rights Watch.
At his hearing on Monday, Mr.Hicks requested more lawyers to aid in his defense. Instead of granting this request, the tribunal told Mr.Hicks' civilan defense attorneys to leave the table. This ended up leaving Mr.Hicks with only one lawyer.
If everything goes as plans, Mr.Hicks should be back in Australia by the end of the year to serve any imprisonment term imposed by the Gitmo tribunal.
Read more at Yahoo News
Titans "Pacman" may Face Felony Charge
Adam "Pacman" Jones of the Tennessee Titans may face charges as the result of a triple shooting in a Las Vegas strip club.
Las Vegas police are looking to submit felony and misdemeanor charges against Mr.Jones because of his possible involvement in shootings that took place during NBA all-star week.
Lt. George Castro said the request for charges will be submitted to Clark County district attorney David Roger no later than the end of the week. Roger will be asked to consider charges against 23-year-old Jones; Robert Reid, 37, of Carson, Calif.;(no relation) and Sadia Morrison, 24, of New York. Castro described Reid and Morrison as friends of Jones.
"These three people were involved in the altercation inside the club. We're still working on the shooting outside the club," Castro said.
Manny Arora, the lawyer for Mr.Jones, told ESPN News that Jones is more concerned about the NFL's reaction to charges even though charges not yet been filed.
Titan's team officials say they are deeply troubled by having a player on their team face possible felony charges in another state. Jones was the sixth player chosen overall in the 2006 NFL draft, and the Titan's have yet to decide if they are going to keep or release Jones because of his numerous off the field 'issues'.
Mr.Jones is also facing charges from a 2006 Georgia incident for obstruction of justice because he bit a police officer on the hand. In addition, in January a Tennessee judge issued an order for "Pacman" to say out of trouble until July 5th of this year. This ordered was issued because of Mr.Jones' arrest in August 2006 for public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges. The judge placed this order in the hopes of having this arrest in the Nashville suburb of Murfreesboro, Tenn., expunged.
It seems "Pacman" is not only good a picking up punt returns for touchdown;he is also good for picking up trouble with the law.
Learn more about the adventures of Pacman at Yahoo Sports
Las Vegas police are looking to submit felony and misdemeanor charges against Mr.Jones because of his possible involvement in shootings that took place during NBA all-star week.
Lt. George Castro said the request for charges will be submitted to Clark County district attorney David Roger no later than the end of the week. Roger will be asked to consider charges against 23-year-old Jones; Robert Reid, 37, of Carson, Calif.;(no relation) and Sadia Morrison, 24, of New York. Castro described Reid and Morrison as friends of Jones.
"These three people were involved in the altercation inside the club. We're still working on the shooting outside the club," Castro said.
Manny Arora, the lawyer for Mr.Jones, told ESPN News that Jones is more concerned about the NFL's reaction to charges even though charges not yet been filed.
Titan's team officials say they are deeply troubled by having a player on their team face possible felony charges in another state. Jones was the sixth player chosen overall in the 2006 NFL draft, and the Titan's have yet to decide if they are going to keep or release Jones because of his numerous off the field 'issues'.
Mr.Jones is also facing charges from a 2006 Georgia incident for obstruction of justice because he bit a police officer on the hand. In addition, in January a Tennessee judge issued an order for "Pacman" to say out of trouble until July 5th of this year. This ordered was issued because of Mr.Jones' arrest in August 2006 for public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges. The judge placed this order in the hopes of having this arrest in the Nashville suburb of Murfreesboro, Tenn., expunged.
It seems "Pacman" is not only good a picking up punt returns for touchdown;he is also good for picking up trouble with the law.
Learn more about the adventures of Pacman at Yahoo Sports
Monday, March 26, 2007
British set to reignite debate on inter-species cloning
Following up on a nearly ten year old experiment by Jose Cibelli, a team of U.K. scientists stir up the debate on human cloning.
Jose Cibelli was a University of Michigan researcher who injected his own DNA into a cow's egg in a cloning attempt that even outraged President Clinton.
There are few scientists who pursue human cloning experiments due to a lack of available female human eggs. This is why these scientists have been debating over using another species, a cow, eggs in an attempt to clone humans.
All three U.K. teams aim to get around that bottleneck by taking DNA from patients sick with a disease like Alzheimer's and fuse it with cow eggs that have had all their genetic material removed. The hope is that the human DNA will trick the eggs into thinking they're pregnant, beginning development.
After about five days of growth, the cloned embryos would be destroyed and the stem cells extracted. The stem cells would be grown in their labs and the researchers could look for the onset of diseases, study their development and test experimental drugs on the cells.
Cloning has proven to be very inefficient since any attempt at human cloning will require a steady supply of human female eggs. Even with willing donors, the process is still very difficult because women who donate eggs have to undergo hormone injections, and this can be risky.
However, inter-species cloning is still viewed as immoral by many scientists because this type of cloning is seen as treating a human in the early stages of development as nothing more than a tool.
On the other hand, many other scientists point out the benefits of human cloning such as the possible development of new drugs, finding cures for diseases, and even studying diseases at their earliest stages to better understand how they work.
Whatever side of the debate you fall on regarding inter-species cloning, Jose Cibelli doubts that inter-species cloning will work because it appears that the further apart species are on the evolutionary tree, the harder it will be to clone a species by using eggs from a total different species.
Learn more at Yahoo News
Jose Cibelli was a University of Michigan researcher who injected his own DNA into a cow's egg in a cloning attempt that even outraged President Clinton.
There are few scientists who pursue human cloning experiments due to a lack of available female human eggs. This is why these scientists have been debating over using another species, a cow, eggs in an attempt to clone humans.
All three U.K. teams aim to get around that bottleneck by taking DNA from patients sick with a disease like Alzheimer's and fuse it with cow eggs that have had all their genetic material removed. The hope is that the human DNA will trick the eggs into thinking they're pregnant, beginning development.
After about five days of growth, the cloned embryos would be destroyed and the stem cells extracted. The stem cells would be grown in their labs and the researchers could look for the onset of diseases, study their development and test experimental drugs on the cells.
Cloning has proven to be very inefficient since any attempt at human cloning will require a steady supply of human female eggs. Even with willing donors, the process is still very difficult because women who donate eggs have to undergo hormone injections, and this can be risky.
However, inter-species cloning is still viewed as immoral by many scientists because this type of cloning is seen as treating a human in the early stages of development as nothing more than a tool.
On the other hand, many other scientists point out the benefits of human cloning such as the possible development of new drugs, finding cures for diseases, and even studying diseases at their earliest stages to better understand how they work.
Whatever side of the debate you fall on regarding inter-species cloning, Jose Cibelli doubts that inter-species cloning will work because it appears that the further apart species are on the evolutionary tree, the harder it will be to clone a species by using eggs from a total different species.
Learn more at Yahoo News
A Good Side Effect to Global Warming??
Teams from different countries around the world race to the Artic in an attempt to claim the riches of this region.
As the polar ice caps melt, the discovery of oil, diamonds fish, and even new shipping routes has lead to a worldwide race to claim what is now being found under the ice.
A survey by the U.S. Geological Survey department estimates that roughly 25 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil lies underneath the frozen tundra of the Artic.
Regardless of climate change, oil and gas exploration in the Arctic is moving full speed ahead. State-controlled Norwegian oil company Statoil ASA plans to start tapping gas from its offshore Snoehvit field in December, the first in the Barents Sea. It uses advanced equipment on the ocean floor, remote-controlled from the Norwegian oil boom town of Hammerfest through a 90-mile undersea cable.
Alan Murray, an analyst with the consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, said most petroleum companies are now focusing research and exploration on the far north. Russia is developing the vast Shkotman natural gas field off its Arctic coast, and Norwegians hope their advanced technology will find a place there.
The Northwest Passageway has been staying open longer because of the ice break-up in the Artic This is important because it cuts down on the travel time between Europe and the Far East. This has also caused a little controversy over control of tiny Hans Island that sits at the front of the Northwest passage. Both Canada and Denmark have laid claim to this tiny island, and as a result tensions between both countries sometimes happen.
At this point, neither country is about to declare war on each other, but with more countries being interested in going to the Artic in search of riches one never knows what will happen.
Of course, no one is asking the opinion of the Inuits and the Sami even though these were the first people to settle on Hans Island.
As global warming continues, look for the tension level between countries around the world to rise over control of the Artic.
Discover more at Yahoo News
As the polar ice caps melt, the discovery of oil, diamonds fish, and even new shipping routes has lead to a worldwide race to claim what is now being found under the ice.
A survey by the U.S. Geological Survey department estimates that roughly 25 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil lies underneath the frozen tundra of the Artic.
Regardless of climate change, oil and gas exploration in the Arctic is moving full speed ahead. State-controlled Norwegian oil company Statoil ASA plans to start tapping gas from its offshore Snoehvit field in December, the first in the Barents Sea. It uses advanced equipment on the ocean floor, remote-controlled from the Norwegian oil boom town of Hammerfest through a 90-mile undersea cable.
Alan Murray, an analyst with the consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, said most petroleum companies are now focusing research and exploration on the far north. Russia is developing the vast Shkotman natural gas field off its Arctic coast, and Norwegians hope their advanced technology will find a place there.
The Northwest Passageway has been staying open longer because of the ice break-up in the Artic This is important because it cuts down on the travel time between Europe and the Far East. This has also caused a little controversy over control of tiny Hans Island that sits at the front of the Northwest passage. Both Canada and Denmark have laid claim to this tiny island, and as a result tensions between both countries sometimes happen.
At this point, neither country is about to declare war on each other, but with more countries being interested in going to the Artic in search of riches one never knows what will happen.
Of course, no one is asking the opinion of the Inuits and the Sami even though these were the first people to settle on Hans Island.
As global warming continues, look for the tension level between countries around the world to rise over control of the Artic.
Discover more at Yahoo News
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Employees, Employers battle over Gun Control
The Florida Legislature is set to debate the right of employees to have guns on their employer's property.
This is one debate the Republicans want no part of because it hits at two core values- private property rights over the right to bear arms.
Many companies have policies that do not allow weapons of any kind on their property. Most of these policies also state the employees cannot have weapons on their employer's property even if these weapons are secured safely in the employee’s car. However, a bill (HB 1417, SB 2356), looks to change these employer's policies on where employees have guns and other dangerous items while at work.
Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, expanded a measure he filed last year that died under pressure from Florida's business lobby, which believes its property rights enable it to place conditions on employees, such as banning guns in parked cars, if there's a safety risk.
This year's bill would protect, along with firearms, other pieces of property that people are allowed to carry by law. Its supporters hope the expansion may inspire First Amendment defenders to join forces with Second Amendment supporters.
Many business owners think this bill goes too far in limiting not only who, but what can be brought on to their property. Businesses are worried that this bill will allow employees to keep other dangerous items, explosives and poisonous snakes just to name a few, in a car that sits in the employer's parking lot. The big worry seems to be that businesses do not want to be held liable for any incidents that may occur because of these dangerous items being on their property.
"Employee safety is a top priority," said Grant Heston, spokesman for the Orlando Utilities Commission. "We support measures that ensure on-the-job safety and security standards that give employees every opportunity to do their best work."
But Louie Gibbs, president of Classic Fishing Products in Clermont, thinks businesses have no right to prevent employees who have a concealed carry permit from having guns on their property.
We have all heard stories about employees going on shooting rampages at their place of work, and it appears this bill may encourage this sort of action. Granted, you will not be able to bring weapons up to your work place. However, if this law passes, all a disgruntled employee has to do is wait inside his/her car. Then once this employees boss(es), or co-workers show up in the parking lot, these workers will be like 'fish in a barrel' to the disgruntled employee--easy to see and to kill.
Let's hope the Florida Legislature once again keeps it common sense by down voting this piece of legislation.
Learn more about this issue at jacksonville.com
This is one debate the Republicans want no part of because it hits at two core values- private property rights over the right to bear arms.
Many companies have policies that do not allow weapons of any kind on their property. Most of these policies also state the employees cannot have weapons on their employer's property even if these weapons are secured safely in the employee’s car. However, a bill (HB 1417, SB 2356), looks to change these employer's policies on where employees have guns and other dangerous items while at work.
Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, expanded a measure he filed last year that died under pressure from Florida's business lobby, which believes its property rights enable it to place conditions on employees, such as banning guns in parked cars, if there's a safety risk.
This year's bill would protect, along with firearms, other pieces of property that people are allowed to carry by law. Its supporters hope the expansion may inspire First Amendment defenders to join forces with Second Amendment supporters.
Many business owners think this bill goes too far in limiting not only who, but what can be brought on to their property. Businesses are worried that this bill will allow employees to keep other dangerous items, explosives and poisonous snakes just to name a few, in a car that sits in the employer's parking lot. The big worry seems to be that businesses do not want to be held liable for any incidents that may occur because of these dangerous items being on their property.
"Employee safety is a top priority," said Grant Heston, spokesman for the Orlando Utilities Commission. "We support measures that ensure on-the-job safety and security standards that give employees every opportunity to do their best work."
But Louie Gibbs, president of Classic Fishing Products in Clermont, thinks businesses have no right to prevent employees who have a concealed carry permit from having guns on their property.
We have all heard stories about employees going on shooting rampages at their place of work, and it appears this bill may encourage this sort of action. Granted, you will not be able to bring weapons up to your work place. However, if this law passes, all a disgruntled employee has to do is wait inside his/her car. Then once this employees boss(es), or co-workers show up in the parking lot, these workers will be like 'fish in a barrel' to the disgruntled employee--easy to see and to kill.
Let's hope the Florida Legislature once again keeps it common sense by down voting this piece of legislation.
Learn more about this issue at jacksonville.com
High school science project finds cabbage farmers may be polluting the air
A science project by two teenage high school students has raised concerns in a small farming town about the possibility that cabbage farmers may be polluting the air with pesticides.
Alex Lowe and ReAnna Greene, both 17, are two high school seniors who decided to do a project involving pesticides for their advanced placement science class.
These two students were prompted to do this project at the urging of their teacher, Karen Ford, because Alex and ReAnna's original project about sea grass fell through. Ms.Ford suggested the project after hearing a presentation by Susan Kegley, a researcher at the Pesticide Action Network North America or PANNA. PANNA is against using pesticides. Before they began their project, Ford and Greene were sent to California for training by PANNA in the use of pesticide collecting equipment.
For the pesticide project, Greene and Ford wanted to test the air at their high school, Pedro Menendez High School, but school administrators would not allow them to set up the pesticide collection equipment on school grounds. These student then decided to contact Sarah Baker who owns a home about one-third of a mile from South Woods Elementary where her daughter attends school.
South Woods Elementary is located in the farming town of Hastings, FL, and sits in the middle of cabbages fields. This has 598 students, 72 teachers and opened in August of 2005. Hastings produces about half of Florida’s cabbage crop. Potatoes for the chip industry are also grown in Hastings.
To collect their samples, Lowe and Greene used a drift catcher - tubing attached to a small pump pulls in air and traps it in a resin. Once a day, the tubes were placed in ice and sent off for analysis paid for by PANNA. The girls and Ford say the wind generally blew toward the school, so they believe their sample is similar to what would be found at South Woods.
According to the girls, the results showed the pesticides diazinon and trifluralin and the herbicide endosulfin are in the air near the school. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decided in 2000 to phase out residential use of diazinon to reduce risk to children and others. Endosulfin can affect hormones that regulate growth and development, the agency says. Trifluralin is a possible carcinogen.
School officials are upset about these results, and state the results are invalid because this test was done prior to the school being built on the site that was tested.
Mark Mossler, a University of Florida pesticides expert, said he doubts the validity of the testing and said the chemicals are needed to protect the state's valuable agricultural industry.
Ray Chavira, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency researcher, said the drift catcher is sound technology - if the girls used it properly.
While there is still much debate about the validity regarding the findings in Greene and Ford's science project, the St.Johns County School District went ahead and hired a firm from Jacksonville,FL to perform more studies to confirm, or deny, the pesticides levels at South Woods Elementary.
Learn more about this subject at jacksonville.com.
Alex Lowe and ReAnna Greene, both 17, are two high school seniors who decided to do a project involving pesticides for their advanced placement science class.
These two students were prompted to do this project at the urging of their teacher, Karen Ford, because Alex and ReAnna's original project about sea grass fell through. Ms.Ford suggested the project after hearing a presentation by Susan Kegley, a researcher at the Pesticide Action Network North America or PANNA. PANNA is against using pesticides. Before they began their project, Ford and Greene were sent to California for training by PANNA in the use of pesticide collecting equipment.
For the pesticide project, Greene and Ford wanted to test the air at their high school, Pedro Menendez High School, but school administrators would not allow them to set up the pesticide collection equipment on school grounds. These student then decided to contact Sarah Baker who owns a home about one-third of a mile from South Woods Elementary where her daughter attends school.
South Woods Elementary is located in the farming town of Hastings, FL, and sits in the middle of cabbages fields. This has 598 students, 72 teachers and opened in August of 2005. Hastings produces about half of Florida’s cabbage crop. Potatoes for the chip industry are also grown in Hastings.
To collect their samples, Lowe and Greene used a drift catcher - tubing attached to a small pump pulls in air and traps it in a resin. Once a day, the tubes were placed in ice and sent off for analysis paid for by PANNA. The girls and Ford say the wind generally blew toward the school, so they believe their sample is similar to what would be found at South Woods.
According to the girls, the results showed the pesticides diazinon and trifluralin and the herbicide endosulfin are in the air near the school. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decided in 2000 to phase out residential use of diazinon to reduce risk to children and others. Endosulfin can affect hormones that regulate growth and development, the agency says. Trifluralin is a possible carcinogen.
School officials are upset about these results, and state the results are invalid because this test was done prior to the school being built on the site that was tested.
Mark Mossler, a University of Florida pesticides expert, said he doubts the validity of the testing and said the chemicals are needed to protect the state's valuable agricultural industry.
Ray Chavira, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency researcher, said the drift catcher is sound technology - if the girls used it properly.
While there is still much debate about the validity regarding the findings in Greene and Ford's science project, the St.Johns County School District went ahead and hired a firm from Jacksonville,FL to perform more studies to confirm, or deny, the pesticides levels at South Woods Elementary.
Learn more about this subject at jacksonville.com.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
NFL to Give Players 'Tough Love'
New NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is set to go the 'tough love' route with NFL Players.
Facing an onslaught of bad press over the actions of its NFL Players, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is set to announce harsher penalties for players 'off the field' conduct.
Gene Upshaw, head of the NFL Players Association, and many of the players and owners are supporting Goodell's hard stance on player behavior.
The NFL is arguably the most popular sport in America. Nearly everyone involved with professional football feels the recent rash of bad off the field behavior from players like Joey Porter, Adam'Pacman' Jones, and Michael Vick may start to erode away the popularity of the NFL.
Atlanta President Rich McKay said that such a change would be welcome. "We're all concerned with the things that go on off the field and how the actions of a few may affect the many. And [we] don't like that," McKay said. "So I do expect something. What it will be, I really don't know. I'm going to be very interested to hear. I know there were a number of really good exchanges in Indianapolis between the players, the union and the commissioner."
The NFL has always talked tough about player behavior, but until now most behavior policy has centered around what has happened on the field. If Roger Goodell is successful in implementing policy that deals with the off the field behavior, the NFL will become the first American sports league to deal with the antics of it employees when they are not at 'work'. Let's hope the other leagues follow suit.
Read more at Yahoo Sports
Facing an onslaught of bad press over the actions of its NFL Players, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is set to announce harsher penalties for players 'off the field' conduct.
Gene Upshaw, head of the NFL Players Association, and many of the players and owners are supporting Goodell's hard stance on player behavior.
The NFL is arguably the most popular sport in America. Nearly everyone involved with professional football feels the recent rash of bad off the field behavior from players like Joey Porter, Adam'Pacman' Jones, and Michael Vick may start to erode away the popularity of the NFL.
Atlanta President Rich McKay said that such a change would be welcome. "We're all concerned with the things that go on off the field and how the actions of a few may affect the many. And [we] don't like that," McKay said. "So I do expect something. What it will be, I really don't know. I'm going to be very interested to hear. I know there were a number of really good exchanges in Indianapolis between the players, the union and the commissioner."
The NFL has always talked tough about player behavior, but until now most behavior policy has centered around what has happened on the field. If Roger Goodell is successful in implementing policy that deals with the off the field behavior, the NFL will become the first American sports league to deal with the antics of it employees when they are not at 'work'. Let's hope the other leagues follow suit.
Read more at Yahoo Sports
Murder and Fraud at the Beach
Now in jail because of an attempted murder for hire plot, Robert West is facing charges of the bilking the government.
Robert A. West, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and agreed to continue cooperating with the long-running Internal Revenue Service investigation of fraud in Northeast Florida's construction industry. He faces a maximum five-year sentence, though prosecutors agreed to ask for a lower sentence in his plea agreement.
Mr. West is all ready in jail for hiring a hit man to kill a workers compensation investigator by having a hit man feed the investigator's body to the alligators.
Mr. West is a Neptune Beach, FL accountant who admitted that he cashed $4 million in checks during a wide ranging scheme to defraud the government. Neptune Beach is a small beach town located on Florida's First Coast and just outside of Jacksonville, FL.
West is the seventh person to plead guilty in this seven year conspiracy investigation surrounding the Northeast Florida building and construction industry.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scotland Morris said the conspiracy revolved around contractors who hired illegal aliens to frame houses but claimed the work was done by framing subcontractors. The subcontractors were actually sham companies that had no employees but were set up to cash checks from the framers, keep a fee and used the rest to pay the crew leaders in cash, Morris said.
Morris also said the scam cost the IRS about $2 million in payroll taxes from 1998 to 2002.
Mr. West is also facing possible deportation to his native Canada once his sentencing is concluded.
Read more at jacksonville.com
Robert A. West, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud and agreed to continue cooperating with the long-running Internal Revenue Service investigation of fraud in Northeast Florida's construction industry. He faces a maximum five-year sentence, though prosecutors agreed to ask for a lower sentence in his plea agreement.
Mr. West is all ready in jail for hiring a hit man to kill a workers compensation investigator by having a hit man feed the investigator's body to the alligators.
Mr. West is a Neptune Beach, FL accountant who admitted that he cashed $4 million in checks during a wide ranging scheme to defraud the government. Neptune Beach is a small beach town located on Florida's First Coast and just outside of Jacksonville, FL.
West is the seventh person to plead guilty in this seven year conspiracy investigation surrounding the Northeast Florida building and construction industry.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scotland Morris said the conspiracy revolved around contractors who hired illegal aliens to frame houses but claimed the work was done by framing subcontractors. The subcontractors were actually sham companies that had no employees but were set up to cash checks from the framers, keep a fee and used the rest to pay the crew leaders in cash, Morris said.
Morris also said the scam cost the IRS about $2 million in payroll taxes from 1998 to 2002.
Mr. West is also facing possible deportation to his native Canada once his sentencing is concluded.
Read more at jacksonville.com
Judge to City--Take Down That Cross!!
A judge in Jacksonville,FL ruled that the city of Starke,FL must take the cross down from their municipal water tower.
In a decision this week, Senior U.S. District Judge John H. Moore II said the lighted cross, which had been on top of the structure since the 1970s, violated the federal and Florida constitutions by endorsing religion. The city had argued that the cross was really a lower-case T for "Tornadoes," the team mascot for Bradford High School. It also argued that the Bradford County resident who filed the lawsuit along with American Atheists Inc. had no standing to bring the action. The suit was filed in 2005.
Judge Moore did acknowledge in his judgment that the city of Starke had all ready taken down the cross before his decision was made, but Judge Moore still went ahead and issued a ruling on this case to ensure the city would not put the cross back up on the water tower.
Starke is a small town in Northeast Florida more known for being the last ride of famous, and not so famous, murderers in the State of Florida. Serial killers Aileen Wuornos, Danny Rolling and Ted Bundy were executed here. However, Starke now becomes the latest town to join the list of municipalities fighting the 'separation of religion and government' issue.
Atheist Lon Bevil was the plaintiff in the case, and Bevill said he was happy to see the 10ft cross come down. Bevill did not think it was right to use city tax payer money to maintain the cross. Bevill states that he does not have anything against Christians, however, Bevill thinks Christians go too far in trying to 'push' their religion.
Mr.Bevil also notes that he has had to carry a .25-caliber hand gun around with him because of the numerous verbal threats and physical altercations that he faced because of this lawsuit.
Read more at jacksonville.com
In a decision this week, Senior U.S. District Judge John H. Moore II said the lighted cross, which had been on top of the structure since the 1970s, violated the federal and Florida constitutions by endorsing religion. The city had argued that the cross was really a lower-case T for "Tornadoes," the team mascot for Bradford High School. It also argued that the Bradford County resident who filed the lawsuit along with American Atheists Inc. had no standing to bring the action. The suit was filed in 2005.
Judge Moore did acknowledge in his judgment that the city of Starke had all ready taken down the cross before his decision was made, but Judge Moore still went ahead and issued a ruling on this case to ensure the city would not put the cross back up on the water tower.
Starke is a small town in Northeast Florida more known for being the last ride of famous, and not so famous, murderers in the State of Florida. Serial killers Aileen Wuornos, Danny Rolling and Ted Bundy were executed here. However, Starke now becomes the latest town to join the list of municipalities fighting the 'separation of religion and government' issue.
Atheist Lon Bevil was the plaintiff in the case, and Bevill said he was happy to see the 10ft cross come down. Bevill did not think it was right to use city tax payer money to maintain the cross. Bevill states that he does not have anything against Christians, however, Bevill thinks Christians go too far in trying to 'push' their religion.
Mr.Bevil also notes that he has had to carry a .25-caliber hand gun around with him because of the numerous verbal threats and physical altercations that he faced because of this lawsuit.
Read more at jacksonville.com
Friday, March 23, 2007
Knife Wielding Astronaut Pleads Not Guilty
Lisa Nowak claims she is only guilty of out this world love for astronaut Bill Oefelein.
Lisa Nowak pleads not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary with assault and battery.
Police reported finding a BB gun, steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing in Nowak's car.
Lisa Nowak was arrested on February 5th after she drove non-stop from Houton,Tx to Orlando,FL in order to confront a women who was stealing her astronaut lover.
Nowak had disguised herself by wearing a wig and trench coat in order to sneak up on rival Colleen Shipman in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport. Nowak tried to pepper spray Shipman in a possible kidnapping attempt, but Shipman was able to escape and summon police to the scene.
NASA fired her about a month after her arrest, and the Navy said she would be transferred to the Corpus Christi, Texas, command. She is free on bail.
Read more at Yahoo News
Lisa Nowak pleads not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary with assault and battery.
Police reported finding a BB gun, steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing in Nowak's car.
Lisa Nowak was arrested on February 5th after she drove non-stop from Houton,Tx to Orlando,FL in order to confront a women who was stealing her astronaut lover.
Nowak had disguised herself by wearing a wig and trench coat in order to sneak up on rival Colleen Shipman in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport. Nowak tried to pepper spray Shipman in a possible kidnapping attempt, but Shipman was able to escape and summon police to the scene.
NASA fired her about a month after her arrest, and the Navy said she would be transferred to the Corpus Christi, Texas, command. She is free on bail.
Read more at Yahoo News
Knife Wielding Astronaut Pleads Not Guilty
Lisa Nowak claims she is only guilty of out this world love for astronaut Bill Oefelein.
Lisa Nowak pleads not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary with assault and battery.
Police reported finding a BB gun, steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing in Nowak's car.
Lisa Nowak was arrested on February 5th after she drove non-stop from Houton,Tx to Orlando,FL in order to confront a women who was stealing her astronaut lover.
Nowak had disguised herself by wearing a wig and trench coat in order to sneak up on rival Colleen Shipman in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport. Nowak tried to pepper spray Shipman in a possible kidnapping attempt, but Shipman was able to escape and summon police to the scene.
NASA fired her about a month after her arrest, and the Navy said she would be transferred to the Corpus Christi, Texas, command. She is free on bail.
Read more at Yahoo News
Lisa Nowak pleads not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary with assault and battery.
Police reported finding a BB gun, steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing in Nowak's car.
Lisa Nowak was arrested on February 5th after she drove non-stop from Houton,Tx to Orlando,FL in order to confront a women who was stealing her astronaut lover.
Nowak had disguised herself by wearing a wig and trench coat in order to sneak up on rival Colleen Shipman in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport. Nowak tried to pepper spray Shipman in a possible kidnapping attempt, but Shipman was able to escape and summon police to the scene.
NASA fired her about a month after her arrest, and the Navy said she would be transferred to the Corpus Christi, Texas, command. She is free on bail.
Read more at Yahoo News
ABC to Test Interactive TV on Lycos.com
Will interactive TV be a 'Wildfire' for ABC and Lycos?
The March 26 season finale of the ABC family show, Wildfire, will get a second airing over the Internet in an interactive TV session that ABC sees as the future of TV.
Fans of the racehorse saga will be able to host discussion groups and watch the show together, complete with pause, fast-forward and rewind functions.
The ad-free online version will be available for six days, beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern — right after the episode airs in that time zone, but two hours before it is available on TV on the West Coast.
This experimental interactive session will be shown on Lycos.com.
This experiment will give fans of the 'Wildfire' show a chance to discuss and view the show at the same time. Fans will be able to fast forward, rewind, and pause the show will leading discussions about the season finale.
With the growth of on-line discussion groups, blogs and chat rooms for fans of TV shows, this sounds like one experiment whose time as come.
Read more at Yahoo News
The March 26 season finale of the ABC family show, Wildfire, will get a second airing over the Internet in an interactive TV session that ABC sees as the future of TV.
Fans of the racehorse saga will be able to host discussion groups and watch the show together, complete with pause, fast-forward and rewind functions.
The ad-free online version will be available for six days, beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern — right after the episode airs in that time zone, but two hours before it is available on TV on the West Coast.
This experimental interactive session will be shown on Lycos.com.
This experiment will give fans of the 'Wildfire' show a chance to discuss and view the show at the same time. Fans will be able to fast forward, rewind, and pause the show will leading discussions about the season finale.
With the growth of on-line discussion groups, blogs and chat rooms for fans of TV shows, this sounds like one experiment whose time as come.
Read more at Yahoo News
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Study Finds Empathy may be Hard-Wired into Brain
A study indicates that people with certain types of brain damage show less aversion to hurting others.
This study, funded by National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and private sources, may indicate that peoples aversion to hurting each other may actually be hard-wired into the brain.
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex processes feelings of empathy, shame, compassion and guilt. Damage to this part of the brain, which occupies a small region in the forehead, causes a diminished capacity for social emotions but leaves logical reasoning intact.
Researchers from USC, the University of Iowa, Harvard University and Caltech posed 50 hypothetical scenarios to six people whose ventromedial prefrontal cortices were damaged by strokes or tumors. Their responses were compared to those given by 12 people without brain damage and 12 others with damage in brain areas that regulate other emotions, such as fear.
Researchers are not sure if this study will have any legal implications in criminal cases, but this was not the reason for the study. Instead, researchers want to use this study to explore why some people do not use moral decisions when determining what is right or wrong.
Joshua D. Greene, a Harvard psychologist not involved in the research, said the study showed that moral judgment was shaped by two brain systems — one focused on intuitive emotional responses and another that controlled cognition. "When one of those systems is compromised, decisions are skewed," he said.
This study may help to explain why some people have no problem sacrificing other people mainly because the people with damage to their ventromedial prefrontal cortex may not understand the harm they are causing to someone else is wrong.
Read more at LA Times.com
This study, funded by National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and private sources, may indicate that peoples aversion to hurting each other may actually be hard-wired into the brain.
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex processes feelings of empathy, shame, compassion and guilt. Damage to this part of the brain, which occupies a small region in the forehead, causes a diminished capacity for social emotions but leaves logical reasoning intact.
Researchers from USC, the University of Iowa, Harvard University and Caltech posed 50 hypothetical scenarios to six people whose ventromedial prefrontal cortices were damaged by strokes or tumors. Their responses were compared to those given by 12 people without brain damage and 12 others with damage in brain areas that regulate other emotions, such as fear.
Researchers are not sure if this study will have any legal implications in criminal cases, but this was not the reason for the study. Instead, researchers want to use this study to explore why some people do not use moral decisions when determining what is right or wrong.
Joshua D. Greene, a Harvard psychologist not involved in the research, said the study showed that moral judgment was shaped by two brain systems — one focused on intuitive emotional responses and another that controlled cognition. "When one of those systems is compromised, decisions are skewed," he said.
This study may help to explain why some people have no problem sacrificing other people mainly because the people with damage to their ventromedial prefrontal cortex may not understand the harm they are causing to someone else is wrong.
Read more at LA Times.com
Apple TV is on the Way
The wait is finally over for Apple TV.
Apple announced on Wednesday that the wait is over for their wireless TV set-box. The cost of this TV box will be $299, and for your $299 you will be able to stream iTunes videos,podcast, and music from your computer to your TV.
The latest electronics product from Apple is anticipated to be highly competitive in the growing crop of offerings that deliver Internet-based videos to the television.
This newest development from Apple will have some limitations. For example, this new box will only work with the newer TV's that accept new components or HDMI cables. In addition, you will not be able to access the popular YouTube videos or other online videos services that compete with iTunes.
Even though this box will have a 40GB hard drive, you will not be able to record live TV which means you will still need your TiVo or DVR cable box.
So if you want Apple TV, upgrade your old TV,sign-up with iTunes, and put down that $299.
Bite into more at Yahoo News
Apple announced on Wednesday that the wait is over for their wireless TV set-box. The cost of this TV box will be $299, and for your $299 you will be able to stream iTunes videos,podcast, and music from your computer to your TV.
The latest electronics product from Apple is anticipated to be highly competitive in the growing crop of offerings that deliver Internet-based videos to the television.
This newest development from Apple will have some limitations. For example, this new box will only work with the newer TV's that accept new components or HDMI cables. In addition, you will not be able to access the popular YouTube videos or other online videos services that compete with iTunes.
Even though this box will have a 40GB hard drive, you will not be able to record live TV which means you will still need your TiVo or DVR cable box.
So if you want Apple TV, upgrade your old TV,sign-up with iTunes, and put down that $299.
Bite into more at Yahoo News
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
OnStar to Work with CDC on Emergency Response Standards
GM has announced that their OnStar service will work with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) on emergency response standards.
On Wednesday, the automaker was scheduled to announce a partnership with federal health officials to create guidelines, expected in 2008, for the use of real-time crash data to help emergency services provide a more targeted response to those injured in a car accident.
GM's OnStar system alerts emergency rescue officials when an air bag deploys or the vehicle is struck in a moderate to severe crash. Subscribers can also receive driving directions, roadside assistance and other services.
GM's OnStar service alerts emergency workers whenever a car's airbags are deployed. OnStar has GPS tracking so this will help emergency responders more accurately pinpoint accidents and increase response time.
OnStar is a $695 add-on to the price of a GM car. However, most GM cars are being equipped with OnStar. Saturn for one, offers OnStar in the basic package of all the 2007 model car. I should know, I just bought a 2007 Saturn Aura.
The only downside to OnStar is that it is not free. OnStar cost $16.95 a month, or $199 a year. But if you think of OnStar as emergency insurance, the $16.95 cost is worth it.
Go to money.cnn.com for more information.
On Wednesday, the automaker was scheduled to announce a partnership with federal health officials to create guidelines, expected in 2008, for the use of real-time crash data to help emergency services provide a more targeted response to those injured in a car accident.
GM's OnStar system alerts emergency rescue officials when an air bag deploys or the vehicle is struck in a moderate to severe crash. Subscribers can also receive driving directions, roadside assistance and other services.
GM's OnStar service alerts emergency workers whenever a car's airbags are deployed. OnStar has GPS tracking so this will help emergency responders more accurately pinpoint accidents and increase response time.
OnStar is a $695 add-on to the price of a GM car. However, most GM cars are being equipped with OnStar. Saturn for one, offers OnStar in the basic package of all the 2007 model car. I should know, I just bought a 2007 Saturn Aura.
The only downside to OnStar is that it is not free. OnStar cost $16.95 a month, or $199 a year. But if you think of OnStar as emergency insurance, the $16.95 cost is worth it.
Go to money.cnn.com for more information.
Millions of Flu Shots to be Destroyed
As June 30th nears, millions of flu shots are set to be written off and then destroyed.
Because of a mild winter, approximately ten million flu shots are set to be classified as trash on June 30th because of FDA regulations. These flu shots will probably be useful for a few more years, but because the government wants to ensure Americans have the most up to date vaccines available; any flu shots left over from the last flew season are destroyed after June 3oth.
An Associated Press examination of this long-standing practice raises questions about its consequences. For years, policymakers have talked about letting doctors keep unused vaccine until new doses are in hand, donating leftover supplies to poor countries, or pushing back the expiration date. Wasted vaccine means lost money for drug companies and one stopped making flu shots because of it — setting the stage for a flu shot shortage in 2004.
Having no vaccine in the summer deprives travelers of the chance to get a shot before they visit places where flu is in season. It also prevents summer vaccinations for children, who need two doses the first time around.
This seems like a waste of perfectly good vaccines considering these vaccines could be donated to less well off countries that probably would not mind having perfectly good 'leftover' vaccines for their citizens. In addition, having a few 'extra' shots of the flu vaccine makes good sense because you never know when an emergecy may arise and extra doses may be needed.
Think about this the next time you hear someone complain about why health care is so expensive in the USA.
Read more at Yahoo News
Because of a mild winter, approximately ten million flu shots are set to be classified as trash on June 30th because of FDA regulations. These flu shots will probably be useful for a few more years, but because the government wants to ensure Americans have the most up to date vaccines available; any flu shots left over from the last flew season are destroyed after June 3oth.
An Associated Press examination of this long-standing practice raises questions about its consequences. For years, policymakers have talked about letting doctors keep unused vaccine until new doses are in hand, donating leftover supplies to poor countries, or pushing back the expiration date. Wasted vaccine means lost money for drug companies and one stopped making flu shots because of it — setting the stage for a flu shot shortage in 2004.
Having no vaccine in the summer deprives travelers of the chance to get a shot before they visit places where flu is in season. It also prevents summer vaccinations for children, who need two doses the first time around.
This seems like a waste of perfectly good vaccines considering these vaccines could be donated to less well off countries that probably would not mind having perfectly good 'leftover' vaccines for their citizens. In addition, having a few 'extra' shots of the flu vaccine makes good sense because you never know when an emergecy may arise and extra doses may be needed.
Think about this the next time you hear someone complain about why health care is so expensive in the USA.
Read more at Yahoo News
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Yahoo takes the Lead Over Google on Mobile Phone Search
Yahoo's new mobile phone internet search system gives them an edge over Google.
In the race to see who is going to have the number 1 mobile phone search system, Yahoo announced Monday their new mobile phone search system will give them an advantage over what Google now offers.
Yahoo has been falling behind Google has the top internet search engine is now focusing their efforts on being the number 1 mobile phone search engine by placing a browser on every cell phone that has internet capability.
So far this year, Yahoo has signed deals to feature its Yahoo Go software, including the oneSearch service, with four of the world's top five mobile handset makers: Nokia, Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. "The pace is something we are going to continue throughout the year," Boerries said.
Yahoo's mobile phone search engine takes less steps to find information than Google because Yahoo starts with local searches as a starting point. This makes the Yahoo search system more of a local road map since most cell phone searches for information are focused on a need for local information, and not necessarily a global information.
More info can be found at Yahoo News
In the race to see who is going to have the number 1 mobile phone search system, Yahoo announced Monday their new mobile phone search system will give them an advantage over what Google now offers.
Yahoo has been falling behind Google has the top internet search engine is now focusing their efforts on being the number 1 mobile phone search engine by placing a browser on every cell phone that has internet capability.
So far this year, Yahoo has signed deals to feature its Yahoo Go software, including the oneSearch service, with four of the world's top five mobile handset makers: Nokia, Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. "The pace is something we are going to continue throughout the year," Boerries said.
Yahoo's mobile phone search engine takes less steps to find information than Google because Yahoo starts with local searches as a starting point. This makes the Yahoo search system more of a local road map since most cell phone searches for information are focused on a need for local information, and not necessarily a global information.
More info can be found at Yahoo News
Wrestling and Steroids
Add Pro Wrestling to the list of sports that is dealing with steroids among it athletes.
A report issued on Monday by Si.com states that eleven pro wrestlers have joined the ranks of professional athletes nationwide under investigation for steroid use.
SI.com reported Monday that Randy Orton allegedly received eight prescriptions for six different drugs — including stanozolol, nandrolone and testosterone — between March 2004 and August 2004.
According to the documents SI.com reviewed, two doctors whose names also appear in Gary Matthews Jr.'s file, wrote prescriptions for Orton. Orton, through the WWE, declined comment, SI.com said.
Like many other sports, the WWE issued a statement saying performance enhancing drugs are prohibited, but the WWE did not state if any wrestlers have tested positive under their programs.
There has long been a debate on if professional wrestling is even a sport, but with the money given to entertainers and professional athletes, it was only a matter of time before performance enhancing drugs were linked to other sports and entertainment areas.
Also linked to the scandal, in various reports, are baseball's Jose Canseco, John Rocker, Jerry Hairston Jr. and David Bell, former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, Pittsburgh Steelers doctor Richard Rydze, 1996 Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kurt Angle and bodybuilder Victor Martinez.
Read more at Yahoo Sports
A report issued on Monday by Si.com states that eleven pro wrestlers have joined the ranks of professional athletes nationwide under investigation for steroid use.
SI.com reported Monday that Randy Orton allegedly received eight prescriptions for six different drugs — including stanozolol, nandrolone and testosterone — between March 2004 and August 2004.
According to the documents SI.com reviewed, two doctors whose names also appear in Gary Matthews Jr.'s file, wrote prescriptions for Orton. Orton, through the WWE, declined comment, SI.com said.
Like many other sports, the WWE issued a statement saying performance enhancing drugs are prohibited, but the WWE did not state if any wrestlers have tested positive under their programs.
There has long been a debate on if professional wrestling is even a sport, but with the money given to entertainers and professional athletes, it was only a matter of time before performance enhancing drugs were linked to other sports and entertainment areas.
Also linked to the scandal, in various reports, are baseball's Jose Canseco, John Rocker, Jerry Hairston Jr. and David Bell, former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, Pittsburgh Steelers doctor Richard Rydze, 1996 Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kurt Angle and bodybuilder Victor Martinez.
Read more at Yahoo Sports
Monday, March 19, 2007
Breaking up the Colts??
Nick Harper is the latest Colts to jump the Super Bowl Indianoplis team ship.
Nick Harper has agreed to a contract with Colts division rival Tennessee Titans. Earlier in the week, linebacker Cato June left the Colts for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Titans have been looking for a possible replacement for oft troubled cornerback Adam 'Pacman' Jones, and Nick Harper is just that person. The signing of Harper not only makes the Titans stronger, but it weakens a Colts team that has owned the AFC South.
The 5-foot-10 Harper spent the past six seasons with Indianapolis. The 32-year-old had three interceptions and 58 tackles last season as a starter. Harper has been the Colts' most consistent cover cornerback in the past few seasons.
Both June and Harper were big contributors to a Indianapolis defense that came together during the Colts run to the Super Bowl last season.
Are these signings further evidence that smaller market teams may have a tough time competing with the bigger market teams for quality players?
Read more at Yahoo Sports
Nick Harper has agreed to a contract with Colts division rival Tennessee Titans. Earlier in the week, linebacker Cato June left the Colts for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Titans have been looking for a possible replacement for oft troubled cornerback Adam 'Pacman' Jones, and Nick Harper is just that person. The signing of Harper not only makes the Titans stronger, but it weakens a Colts team that has owned the AFC South.
The 5-foot-10 Harper spent the past six seasons with Indianapolis. The 32-year-old had three interceptions and 58 tackles last season as a starter. Harper has been the Colts' most consistent cover cornerback in the past few seasons.
Both June and Harper were big contributors to a Indianapolis defense that came together during the Colts run to the Super Bowl last season.
Are these signings further evidence that smaller market teams may have a tough time competing with the bigger market teams for quality players?
Read more at Yahoo Sports
Where is the Brotherly Love??
There is no brotherly love in this household when a man is bitten by his sister's cat.
A sister had to give her brother $122,000 because her cat bite him on the hand.
A jury on Friday awarded Michael Sabo, 57, the money for an injury he got when the cat, Randy, bit his right hand in March 2004.
Sabo's fingers swelled so much that they looked like "plump hot dogs," his attorney, Tom Pabst, told The Flint Journal, and an infection put Sabo in a hospital for three weeks. He had to pay thousands in medical bills.
Mr.Sabo's had tried to get his sister's home owner's insurance to pay, but the insurance company refused, and this left Mr.Sabo with no option but to sue Ms.Toney for the money.
Get the full scoop at Yahoo News
A sister had to give her brother $122,000 because her cat bite him on the hand.
A jury on Friday awarded Michael Sabo, 57, the money for an injury he got when the cat, Randy, bit his right hand in March 2004.
Sabo's fingers swelled so much that they looked like "plump hot dogs," his attorney, Tom Pabst, told The Flint Journal, and an infection put Sabo in a hospital for three weeks. He had to pay thousands in medical bills.
Mr.Sabo's had tried to get his sister's home owner's insurance to pay, but the insurance company refused, and this left Mr.Sabo with no option but to sue Ms.Toney for the money.
Get the full scoop at Yahoo News
Sunday, March 18, 2007
King of the Hill??
Is Stephen King's son following in the footprints of his father??
The new book, Heart Shaped Box(taken from Nirvana song), is written by Joe Hill. Is this the same Joseph Hillstrom King who is the son of famous writer Stephen King?? Or this this Stephen King just using a different pen-name??
As excitement percolated about Heart-Shaped Box, so, too, did lingering questions about its author. Inklings about Hill's family background started appearing in online message boards in 2005 when his collection of short stories, 20th Century Ghosts, was published in Britain.
Similarities in subject matter and appearance — Hill has his father's bushy eyebrows and the dark beard he sported decades ago — were enough to stir suspicion among followers of the horror genre.
"It got blogged to death," Hill recalled. But only when his identity was trumpeted in Variety last year did he realize that the secret was gone for good. "That was really the nail in the coffin," he said.
Stephen King as written under the pen-name Richard Bachman before, so is this Stephen King re-making himself, or is this really his son, Joseph. Besides Joseph's father, his mother--Tabitha--, and brother--Owen--have dabbled in writing novels and short stories. However, with Heat Shaped Box receiving a good review from the NY Times, one does have to ask oneself who is doing the writing.
Read the whole story at USA Today
The new book, Heart Shaped Box(taken from Nirvana song), is written by Joe Hill. Is this the same Joseph Hillstrom King who is the son of famous writer Stephen King?? Or this this Stephen King just using a different pen-name??
As excitement percolated about Heart-Shaped Box, so, too, did lingering questions about its author. Inklings about Hill's family background started appearing in online message boards in 2005 when his collection of short stories, 20th Century Ghosts, was published in Britain.
Similarities in subject matter and appearance — Hill has his father's bushy eyebrows and the dark beard he sported decades ago — were enough to stir suspicion among followers of the horror genre.
"It got blogged to death," Hill recalled. But only when his identity was trumpeted in Variety last year did he realize that the secret was gone for good. "That was really the nail in the coffin," he said.
Stephen King as written under the pen-name Richard Bachman before, so is this Stephen King re-making himself, or is this really his son, Joseph. Besides Joseph's father, his mother--Tabitha--, and brother--Owen--have dabbled in writing novels and short stories. However, with Heat Shaped Box receiving a good review from the NY Times, one does have to ask oneself who is doing the writing.
Read the whole story at USA Today
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Chest Presses Better when performing CPR
Chest compressions are better than mouth to mouth when performing CPR.
A study in Japan has found that chest compressions help more than mouth to mouth resuscitation. This study mirrors finding last year by the American Heart Association that found people were more likely to recover because chest compressions help keeping the blood moving and supplying the heart and brain with more oxygen and nourishment.
In the new study, researchers led by Dr Ken Nagao of Surugadai Nihon University Hospital in Tokyo analyzed 4,068 adult patients who had cardiac arrest witnessed by bystanders. Of those, 439 received chest compressions only from bystanders, and 712 received conventional CPR — compressions and breaths.
Any CPR attempt improved survival odds. However, 22 percent of those who received just chest compressions survived with good neurological function compared with only 10 percent of those who received combination CPR.
The American Heart Association hopes more bystanders will be more willing to give CPR if only chest compressions are required instead of both chest compressions and mouth to mouth resuscitation.
Learn more at Yahoo News
A study in Japan has found that chest compressions help more than mouth to mouth resuscitation. This study mirrors finding last year by the American Heart Association that found people were more likely to recover because chest compressions help keeping the blood moving and supplying the heart and brain with more oxygen and nourishment.
In the new study, researchers led by Dr Ken Nagao of Surugadai Nihon University Hospital in Tokyo analyzed 4,068 adult patients who had cardiac arrest witnessed by bystanders. Of those, 439 received chest compressions only from bystanders, and 712 received conventional CPR — compressions and breaths.
Any CPR attempt improved survival odds. However, 22 percent of those who received just chest compressions survived with good neurological function compared with only 10 percent of those who received combination CPR.
The American Heart Association hopes more bystanders will be more willing to give CPR if only chest compressions are required instead of both chest compressions and mouth to mouth resuscitation.
Learn more at Yahoo News
Friday, March 16, 2007
Have you seen this?
By now I'm sure you've heard lots about BradCallen's new keyword research and keywordgeneration tool, Keyword Elite.
But if not, I wanted to tell you brieflyabout some of the new features that Brad'sadded to the latest update to Keyword Elite.
As if the software wasn't already extremelypowerful, Brad just keeps adding more requestedfeatures to it. Anyway, here is a brief list ofwhat the software can do for you:
- Easily generate keyword lists of over 10,000keywords in a few short minutes
- Allows you to find extremely profitable, highpaying Adsense keywords
- Analyzes your PPC competition to find exactlywhich keywords are making them the most money,as well as which ones are losing them money
- Get a quick glance at how competitive a marketis in terms of organic search engine listings,as well as PPC listings
- Plus way more than I can list here...
Brad's got several demo videos at the website toshow you exactly what the softare can do for you,so I highly suggest that you take a few minutesfrom whatever you're doing right now, and gowatch the videos.
I personally guarantee you've NEVER seen anythingquite like this software.
You can go view the videos here:
Keyword Elite
All the best,
Rob
But if not, I wanted to tell you brieflyabout some of the new features that Brad'sadded to the latest update to Keyword Elite.
As if the software wasn't already extremelypowerful, Brad just keeps adding more requestedfeatures to it. Anyway, here is a brief list ofwhat the software can do for you:
- Easily generate keyword lists of over 10,000keywords in a few short minutes
- Allows you to find extremely profitable, highpaying Adsense keywords
- Analyzes your PPC competition to find exactlywhich keywords are making them the most money,as well as which ones are losing them money
- Get a quick glance at how competitive a marketis in terms of organic search engine listings,as well as PPC listings
- Plus way more than I can list here...
Brad's got several demo videos at the website toshow you exactly what the softare can do for you,so I highly suggest that you take a few minutesfrom whatever you're doing right now, and gowatch the videos.
I personally guarantee you've NEVER seen anythingquite like this software.
You can go view the videos here:
Keyword Elite
All the best,
Rob
Is this the End for Duke??
VCU scores a not so stunning victory over Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament. First George Mason, now Duke.
Virginia Commonwealth sophomore guard Eric Maynor sure has a flair for dramatics in big games. Maynor hit a 15-foot jumper with 1.8 seconds left in the Rams' 79-77 upset victory over the Blue Devils on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
For the first time since 1996, Duke is out in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This loss also ends the Blue-Devils string of nine straight Sweet Sixteen appearances for Duke. Duke was also bounced early in the ACC tournament.
By ending the season with 4 straight losses, Duke lost 11 games this year. This is the most for a Duke team since the 1995-1996 season.
With 2 quick exits in ACC and NCAA tournaments, does this mean the Duke reign is finally over or this is only a minor blip on the Duke Basketball machine? Only time will tell.
read on at: yahoo sports
Virginia Commonwealth sophomore guard Eric Maynor sure has a flair for dramatics in big games. Maynor hit a 15-foot jumper with 1.8 seconds left in the Rams' 79-77 upset victory over the Blue Devils on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
For the first time since 1996, Duke is out in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This loss also ends the Blue-Devils string of nine straight Sweet Sixteen appearances for Duke. Duke was also bounced early in the ACC tournament.
By ending the season with 4 straight losses, Duke lost 11 games this year. This is the most for a Duke team since the 1995-1996 season.
With 2 quick exits in ACC and NCAA tournaments, does this mean the Duke reign is finally over or this is only a minor blip on the Duke Basketball machine? Only time will tell.
read on at: yahoo sports
SAMMY'S ALMOST BACK!!!
Sosa's career started out with the Texas Rangers so it appears his career has gone full circle.
Sammy's almost back in the big leagues. After being told he made the 40 man team roster, Sammy Sosa goes out and homers for the Texas Rangers.
"The reason why I took the chance to come here is because I know I can compete," he said. "I believe that putting myself in that situation, coming here knowing I have to fight for a spot, is something that I liked, something that I'm proud of."
A slim and trim Sosa appears headed towards making the official 25 man team roster barring any injuries. So Sammy, please do not sneeze!! Sammy famous, or infamous, sneeze before a game in San Diego caused him back spasms which forced him to miss some games in 2004.
Sosa is fifth on the career home list and is trying to make a comeback after sitting out last season after a disappointing 2005 season with the Baltimore Orioles.
Sammy's career has been a colorful and controversial one ranging from steroid allegations to having been found with corked bats.
For more information, go to: yahoo sports.
Sammy's almost back in the big leagues. After being told he made the 40 man team roster, Sammy Sosa goes out and homers for the Texas Rangers.
"The reason why I took the chance to come here is because I know I can compete," he said. "I believe that putting myself in that situation, coming here knowing I have to fight for a spot, is something that I liked, something that I'm proud of."
A slim and trim Sosa appears headed towards making the official 25 man team roster barring any injuries. So Sammy, please do not sneeze!! Sammy famous, or infamous, sneeze before a game in San Diego caused him back spasms which forced him to miss some games in 2004.
Sosa is fifth on the career home list and is trying to make a comeback after sitting out last season after a disappointing 2005 season with the Baltimore Orioles.
Sammy's career has been a colorful and controversial one ranging from steroid allegations to having been found with corked bats.
For more information, go to: yahoo sports.
It's Touranment Time--Are your brackets set??
Why the NCAA Tournament is so Popular?
Yesterday marked the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament. Yes, I know, Florida A&M and Niagara played the ‘play-in’ game Tuesday night for the right to lose today against Kansas. However, make no mistake, today is the start of the NCAA tournament. There will be 64 for teams in a winner take all free for all to see who will be crowned king of college basketball.
Ever since the 64 team field was set last Sunday, there has been a buzz of excitement in offices around the country, and this got me thinking about why this tournament one of the most popular sporting events in the country. Actually, about the only sporting event more popular in the country is probably the Super Bowl.
But why is the NCCA tournament so popular? Is it because everyone knows the NCAA tournament means spring is just around the corner. For people who have been snow bound, this may be reason to get excited. However, for people in the hurricane zone, the NCAA marks approximately ten weeks to the start of hurricane season and hurricane season usually does not excite anyone.
Maybe the NCAA tournament is so popular because this tournament usually held around St.Patricks Day. Everyone knows Americans love to celebrate, so maybe the NCAA tournament gets a little ‘spillover’ from the St.Patricks celebrations?
I think the reason for the popularity of the NCAA tournament is that Americans love an underdog. I am sure everyone remembers the 1980 Olympics USA hockey team. The NCAA tournament might be the last sporting event where there is a guarantee every year that an underdog is going to win at least one game. Last year George Mason captured the American heart because they were the David beating the Goliaths. However, at the end, George Mason lost steam and were finally beat by eventual champion Florida. Who will be this years George Mason? No one really knows, and that is what gives the NCAA tournament so exciting. You know an underdog is going to win, but you just do not know what ‘small school’ team is going to be this years David.
So for me, when the NCAA tournament games begin today, I will be intently listening to the radio while at work, and then watching my TV at home to see what team will be this years Cinderella. I just hope that whoever is this years Cinderella is a team that I picked so that my bracket is not busted in week 1.
Yesterday marked the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament. Yes, I know, Florida A&M and Niagara played the ‘play-in’ game Tuesday night for the right to lose today against Kansas. However, make no mistake, today is the start of the NCAA tournament. There will be 64 for teams in a winner take all free for all to see who will be crowned king of college basketball.
Ever since the 64 team field was set last Sunday, there has been a buzz of excitement in offices around the country, and this got me thinking about why this tournament one of the most popular sporting events in the country. Actually, about the only sporting event more popular in the country is probably the Super Bowl.
But why is the NCCA tournament so popular? Is it because everyone knows the NCAA tournament means spring is just around the corner. For people who have been snow bound, this may be reason to get excited. However, for people in the hurricane zone, the NCAA marks approximately ten weeks to the start of hurricane season and hurricane season usually does not excite anyone.
Maybe the NCAA tournament is so popular because this tournament usually held around St.Patricks Day. Everyone knows Americans love to celebrate, so maybe the NCAA tournament gets a little ‘spillover’ from the St.Patricks celebrations?
I think the reason for the popularity of the NCAA tournament is that Americans love an underdog. I am sure everyone remembers the 1980 Olympics USA hockey team. The NCAA tournament might be the last sporting event where there is a guarantee every year that an underdog is going to win at least one game. Last year George Mason captured the American heart because they were the David beating the Goliaths. However, at the end, George Mason lost steam and were finally beat by eventual champion Florida. Who will be this years George Mason? No one really knows, and that is what gives the NCAA tournament so exciting. You know an underdog is going to win, but you just do not know what ‘small school’ team is going to be this years David.
So for me, when the NCAA tournament games begin today, I will be intently listening to the radio while at work, and then watching my TV at home to see what team will be this years Cinderella. I just hope that whoever is this years Cinderella is a team that I picked so that my bracket is not busted in week 1.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Angels' Matthews-I'm no Druggie
Los Angeles Angels outfielder denies taking HGH.
Denying a report broken by the Albany, NY Times-Union, Gary Matthews said he did not take HGH (human growth hormone). Matthews had been silent for 16 days about whether he had taken HGH during the 2004 season.
"Before saying anything publicly I wanted to make absolutely sure of my ground," he said. "In particular, I needed to try to learn whether anybody in authority — in or out of baseball — felt they had reason to accuse me of anything with regard to HGH. If they did, I would have to deal with that. It has taken me, and those representing me, 16 days to make certain that's not the case. And that is why it has taken longer than I would have preferred to make a public statement."
A lifetime .263 hitter, Matthews hit 11 homers in 2004, 17 homers in 2005, and a career high 19 homers in 2006. These home run totals are not exactly what you would expect from someone on HGH.
The famous steroid trio of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were hitting homers in the high 50's to low 70's. Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire have never tested positive for steroids or HGH, but all three have been surrounded by numerous allegations about possible drug use.
Let's face it, by baseball standards; Gary Matthews is an average player. But if major league baseball is going to give average players $52 million dollar contracts, can you blame players for trying to get an 'extra' edge?
For more info, go to yahoo sports
Denying a report broken by the Albany, NY Times-Union, Gary Matthews said he did not take HGH (human growth hormone). Matthews had been silent for 16 days about whether he had taken HGH during the 2004 season.
"Before saying anything publicly I wanted to make absolutely sure of my ground," he said. "In particular, I needed to try to learn whether anybody in authority — in or out of baseball — felt they had reason to accuse me of anything with regard to HGH. If they did, I would have to deal with that. It has taken me, and those representing me, 16 days to make certain that's not the case. And that is why it has taken longer than I would have preferred to make a public statement."
A lifetime .263 hitter, Matthews hit 11 homers in 2004, 17 homers in 2005, and a career high 19 homers in 2006. These home run totals are not exactly what you would expect from someone on HGH.
The famous steroid trio of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were hitting homers in the high 50's to low 70's. Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire have never tested positive for steroids or HGH, but all three have been surrounded by numerous allegations about possible drug use.
Let's face it, by baseball standards; Gary Matthews is an average player. But if major league baseball is going to give average players $52 million dollar contracts, can you blame players for trying to get an 'extra' edge?
For more info, go to yahoo sports
Insane trading results
I wanted to give you the heads up on what's beenhappening in the trading world. Earlier this year I wasspeaking with Mark McRae about trading systems andmethods. I wanted to find out what he was up to and howthings where going. He told me he was working onsomething big but it was a bit hush-hush right now.
Anyway, I was lucky enough to be part of the test groupof traders who managed to get a password to this newmethod.
Over the last few weeks he sent out the method to a fewpeople for some feedback and for some honest criticism.Other than a few design suggestions ever single personhas been really, really blown away.
You can read just some of the feedback at surefire-trading.com. I think this is going to help any trader skyrockettheir results. Mark has just released this to hisclients so you will be one of the first to see this. He wasn’t planning on letting anyone else have this rightnow but I made a deal with him.
The interest in this method has just been phenomenal.He told me he had more emails about this thing thananything else he had have ever done.
I think it is mainly because you can see everything invideo format in front of your own eyes. It's alsobecause you seldom get the chance to see what happenswhen you use a method or system live with real trades.
If you do decide to take advantage of this, remember heis only releasing this at this price to his clients andintends to raise the price very soon.
He can only let so many traders have access to this atthe same time because of bandwidth issues with hishost. If the page is not there when you go for a lookjust be patient, He will put it back up again whenthings quieten down.
Here are some important facts about this method:
- The whole method is fully disclosed. No monthlysubscriptions!
- The method is simple to learn but it will suit traderswith some experience.
- It can be adapted to suit any time frame and anymarket.
- You can use it for intraday trading with 5 minutecharts or you can position trade it with daily orweekly charts.
- The method is robust and logical - once you understandhow everything works it will automatically make sense.
- Large moves are automatically captured with verylittle proportional risk.-Even on 5 - minute charts there is no need to stayglued to the screen. Once your information has beengathered and the criteria met - you can set it and go.
Anyway, that's about it, I think this is really specialso remember there is very little time if you want totake advantage of this. You can see everything at surefire-trading.com .
Good Trading
Rob
P.S. He recorded a neat little video live,demonstrating how he can tell to within 30 seconds whenthe market is going to make a move.
======================================
Information, charts or examples contained in thisreview is for illustration and educational purposesonly. It should not be considered as advice or anendorsement to purchase or sell any security orfinancial instrument. We do not and cannot giveinvestment advice
.======================================
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
NFL to Crackdown on Players Misconduct
The NFL has said 'Enough' to all the misconduct by the players.
The NFL has decided it can no longer tolerate the misbehavior of its football players. The NFL Players Union member advisory panel voted on Thursday, February 22, 2007, to impose stricter penalties for player misconduct. Both Gene Upshaw (NFL Players Union Head) and Roger Godell (NFL Commissioner) lauded this move as something positive for the players and the NFL.
The NFL is looking not only to hold the players responsible, but the NFL also wants to hold the owners responsible. This move is not too surprising considering all the off the field incidents of players on the Cincinnati Bengalis and Indianapolis Colts.
"Guys are moving in the direction that we need to have penalties similar to the drug (substance abuse policy) penalties. At some point, you're out. You can't just continue to keep violating policies. You can't be in the wrong place, three or four times."Gene Upshaw.
It looks like the NFL is trying to avoid the 'bad boy' image that is starting to plague the NBA by cracking down on the player’s bad behavior before these actions get too far out of control.
source:usatoday.com/sports/football
The NFL has decided it can no longer tolerate the misbehavior of its football players. The NFL Players Union member advisory panel voted on Thursday, February 22, 2007, to impose stricter penalties for player misconduct. Both Gene Upshaw (NFL Players Union Head) and Roger Godell (NFL Commissioner) lauded this move as something positive for the players and the NFL.
The NFL is looking not only to hold the players responsible, but the NFL also wants to hold the owners responsible. This move is not too surprising considering all the off the field incidents of players on the Cincinnati Bengalis and Indianapolis Colts.
"Guys are moving in the direction that we need to have penalties similar to the drug (substance abuse policy) penalties. At some point, you're out. You can't just continue to keep violating policies. You can't be in the wrong place, three or four times."Gene Upshaw.
It looks like the NFL is trying to avoid the 'bad boy' image that is starting to plague the NBA by cracking down on the player’s bad behavior before these actions get too far out of control.
source:usatoday.com/sports/football
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The Paleolithic Diet - Should We Eat Like Our "Cave Man" Ancestors?
By line: By Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
URL: www.burnthefat.com
QUESTION: Hi Tom: Your Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle ebook was an eye-opener for me. I am following your advice closely with very good results. I'm a semi professional windsurfer and a mountain biker, and especially for the latter I need to be as lean as possible. Thanks in large part to your program, I'm well into single digit body fat and dropping. Just recently I came across a book called the paleolithic diet and I was wondering if you ever heard about it? What's your opinion on this book? Is it worth reading if I already have your book? Is the program any good?
Mariusz
Poland
ANSWER: The "paleolithic," "stone age," "cave man," or "neanderthal" eating plans have been around for a while and there are quite a few books that have been written on the subject.
In general, with a only few minor constructive criticisms, I think they are right on point, and will benefit your health and definitely your fat loss efforts.
A "Paleo Diet" is actually quite similar to my Burn The Fat program, only with the starches and grains (and dairy products) removed completely.
In fact, a "paleo" or "cave man" diet is very, very similar to the "contest" (bodybuilding or physique) diets I recommend in Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle and this is most definitely a great way get very lean, very fast.
On physique competition diets (bodybuilding, fitness, figure, etc), you leave the lean proteins, lean meats, nuts and seeds, the green veggies (fibrous carbs), and some fruit in the diet, while reducing or removing ALL processed foods and SOME of the grains and starches. (usually the dairy products go too).
When it comes to MAXIMUM FAT LOSS, the removal or reduction of grains and calorie dense starchy carbs in favor of lean protein and veggies will definitely help speed the process - even if that's only because it reduces caloric density of the food intake, although there are other reasons.
Lean protein (fish and meat) + good fats & nuts + lots of green veggies + some fruit = LEAN!
And thats basically what the "paleolithic" diets recommend, because the principle there is to eat like our "stone age" ancestors did - before there was McDonalds, Coca Cola and other junk food.
The premise is that since our genetic code (the human genome) has changed less than 0.02 percent in 40,000 years, this means that our bodies are still expecting to get the same foods and nutrition they were getting 40,000 years ago.
By eating what our "stone age" hunter and gatherer ancestors ate, say the paleo diets, we will rid ourselves of the health problems and the obesity problem that has only recently begun to plague us as a result of modern lifestyle and processed manmade foods.
Forty thousand years ago, you had to eat nature-made food. There was no food in cans, boxes or packages was there? The packaging was peel, a skin or a shell!
There were no TV dinners. There was no drive in fast food. There were no convenience stores.
There was no corn syrup. There was no white sugar. There were no hydrogenated oils. No chemicals. No preservatives. No artificial anything.
There was only what could be hunted and gathered: Meat, fish, nuts, seeds, plants, vegetables, fruits.
My only real constructive criticism is that some of these programs not only recommend removal of all grains and starches (and even dairy), they outright condemn them - sometimes unfairly, I believe.
They say that agriculture arrived on the scence only 10,000 years ago so foods produced as a result of agriculture should also be on the "banned" list and that includes 100% whole grain products and even rice, potatoes and other starches which are not manmade.
The truth is there are some starchy carbohydrates and grains which are very minimally processed or completely unproceseed (the only processing being cooking).
Also, some people can metabolically handle starches and grains just fine, while others cannot. The same can be said for dairy products.
This is known as metabolic individuality. Because this individuality exists from person to person, I don't believe it's necessary to recommend that "EVERYONE" cut out "ALL" the starches and grains "ALL" the time.
I do believe that many people are getting an overdose of refined carbs and sugar and that moderating intake of concentrated carbs almost always accelerates fat loss.
However, the nutrition program you choose should depend on your metabolic/body type, your current body composition and state of health as well as your goals (maximum fat loss vs. muscle growth vs. maintenance, vs. endurance athleticperformance).
I don't believe that "agriculture" and everything that came with it is "evil."
I believe that highly processed and refined and packaged foods are the "nutritional evils" we should be aware of.
To remove brown rice, 100% whole grains, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, legumes and so on for healthy carb tolerant people, especially those who are highly active and or already at a normal body fat level doesnt make a lot of sense to me.
In particular, for athletes with a high energy expenditure, eating the concentrated complex, starchy carbs and grains - from natural sources - can be quite important.
Sure, there are some "renegade' nutritionists who prescribe high fat diets for endurance athletes and claim that will provide high energy and high performance, but that is controversial.
Also, an explanation for athletes successful on such plans may be that they are metabolically suited for more fat and protein to begin with, so that conclusion shouldn't be generalized to everyone.
Thats the trouble with so many programs -- the creators might say, "It worked for me and for some of my clients, so this is the way EVERYONE should do it."
Everyone is different, so the true inquiring minds will inquire about what is best for THEM, not the other guy... In the case of highly active healthy people and athletes, I would lean towards a decent amount of natural carbs forperformance goals (and pull back on starches and grains when goals change to maximum fat loss).
The key word here is NATURAL!
There is a HUGE difference between natural starches and grains and refined starches and grains.
For example, look at old fashioned unsweetened oatmeal versus sugary, white flour cereal grains. How can you throw those together into the same category??? They are no where near the same, but often they get lumped together by those who are adamantly "no-grain" or "no-cereal" allowed.
What about sweet potatoes? why cut something like that out of your diet? They are not processed or man made at all are they?
Aside from that minor quibble I have with some of these programs being too strict with their "Absolutely no grains or starch allowed," there is a lot anyone can learn from the "paleolithic" eating concept.
The questions raised from these programs and books are good ones:
"What were we eating tens of thousands of years ago?"
"What are we genetically and environmentally predisposed to eat?"
"what has gone wrong with the modern day diet that has led to so much disease and obesity which didn't exist thousands of years ago?"
I believe that too many people get caught up in low fats or low carbs or whatever the trend of the month is, but the real source of our problem is neither fat nor carbs, it is an excess of processed, refined man-made food! (combined with a serious shortage of exercise)
If you study and understand the concept of eating according to your personal goals and your unique body/metabolic type first, which I discuss in chapter 5 of my book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, then I believe you will get even more benefit from the further study of the "paleo" eating concept, as you will be informed and flexible enough to adapt it to your personal situation.
Loren Cordain and Ray Audette have written two of the more notable works on the subject (the Paleo diet and Neanderthin). You can get either of these at almost any bookstore or Amazon.com. You can get my Burn The Fat program at www.burnthefat.com. ANY good nutrition program - for health or for fat loss - is going to be focused on natural foods and it will teach you how to get the processed food OUT and the natural food IN
When you analyze ANY diet or nutrition program, keep in mind what ageless Fitness Icon Jack Lalanne has always said,
"If man made it, dont eat it!"
THAT is the essence of eating how we're supposed to eat!
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com
Monday, March 12, 2007
Cow Eats Chicken
I guess this cow is taking the Chick-Fil-A ads seriously.
A farmer in India was missing chickens,and the poor dogs were taking all the blame. After further investigation, it appears a cow is eating the chickens.
"We were shocked to see our calf eating chickens alive," Ghosh told Reuters by phone from Chandpur village.
"Instead of the dogs, we watched in horror as the calf, whom we had fondly named Lal, sneak to the coop and grab the little ones with the precision of a jungle cat," Gour Ghosh, his brother, said.
The vets in India think the cause of this behavior may be due to a lack of minerals in the body of this cow.
I guess those Chick-Fil-A ads really do work!!!
Read more at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070307/od_nm/india_cow_dc_1
A farmer in India was missing chickens,and the poor dogs were taking all the blame. After further investigation, it appears a cow is eating the chickens.
"We were shocked to see our calf eating chickens alive," Ghosh told Reuters by phone from Chandpur village.
"Instead of the dogs, we watched in horror as the calf, whom we had fondly named Lal, sneak to the coop and grab the little ones with the precision of a jungle cat," Gour Ghosh, his brother, said.
The vets in India think the cause of this behavior may be due to a lack of minerals in the body of this cow.
I guess those Chick-Fil-A ads really do work!!!
Read more at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070307/od_nm/india_cow_dc_1
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Droughns to replace Barber in Giants backfield??
The Cleveland Browns send 1,000 yard rusher Reuben Droughns to the NY Giants.
Looking for someone to replace Tiki Barber in their backfield, the NY Giants acquired running back Reuben Droughns from the Cleveland Browns. In return for Droughns, the Giants sent Cleveland wide receiver Tim Carter.
Droughns was due a big roster bonus this year, but the signing of Jamal Lewis made Droughns expendable. The Giants hope Droughns will return to his 2004 and 2005 form when he rushed for over 1,000 each season. Beset by injuries his year, Droughns only managed 758 yards.
"Reuben rushed for 1,200 yards in '04 and '05 and 750 last year," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. "We think he gives us a nice veteran presence and compliments Brandon Jacobs and the rest of our running back group nicely." Droughns also has played fullback, his position in Denver for two years before his breakout season in 2004 when he gained 1,240 yards and scored a career-high six touchdowns.
Does this mean the Giants do not have faith that Brandon Jacobs can carry the load like Tiki Barber, or does this mean the Giants are merely looking for someone who can fill in and give Jacobs a breather? Either way, let's hope this helps the Giants make a better play-off run in '07.
For more info, go to:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Al6CniTqGqMXxF8dEuNEmd5DubYF?slug=ap-browns-droughnstraded&prov=ap&type=lgns
Looking for someone to replace Tiki Barber in their backfield, the NY Giants acquired running back Reuben Droughns from the Cleveland Browns. In return for Droughns, the Giants sent Cleveland wide receiver Tim Carter.
Droughns was due a big roster bonus this year, but the signing of Jamal Lewis made Droughns expendable. The Giants hope Droughns will return to his 2004 and 2005 form when he rushed for over 1,000 each season. Beset by injuries his year, Droughns only managed 758 yards.
"Reuben rushed for 1,200 yards in '04 and '05 and 750 last year," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. "We think he gives us a nice veteran presence and compliments Brandon Jacobs and the rest of our running back group nicely." Droughns also has played fullback, his position in Denver for two years before his breakout season in 2004 when he gained 1,240 yards and scored a career-high six touchdowns.
Does this mean the Giants do not have faith that Brandon Jacobs can carry the load like Tiki Barber, or does this mean the Giants are merely looking for someone who can fill in and give Jacobs a breather? Either way, let's hope this helps the Giants make a better play-off run in '07.
For more info, go to:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Al6CniTqGqMXxF8dEuNEmd5DubYF?slug=ap-browns-droughnstraded&prov=ap&type=lgns
Mets Martinez starts to Throw
The New York Mets finally see some light at the end of the tunnel in the search for pitching.
Pedro Martinez did some light tossing from 45 feet during the Mets spring training camp on Wednesday.
He looked good," said Randy Niemann, the Mets' rehabilitation pitching coordinator. "It's just the beginning. It's the start of a long process, but he looked really good."
Martinez battled who battled injuries to his toe and rotator cuff last year is still not expected to be back until August. Until then, the Mets will have to find a way to stay in the NL East with a patch work pitching staff that may include Chan Ho-Park and Oliver Perez.
With the NL East looking surprisingly strong this year, Mets fans can only hope the hitting is a good as last year and that Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, and John Maine stay healthy and pitch strong.
For more info, go to:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-mets-martinez&prov=ap&type=lgns
Pedro Martinez did some light tossing from 45 feet during the Mets spring training camp on Wednesday.
He looked good," said Randy Niemann, the Mets' rehabilitation pitching coordinator. "It's just the beginning. It's the start of a long process, but he looked really good."
Martinez battled who battled injuries to his toe and rotator cuff last year is still not expected to be back until August. Until then, the Mets will have to find a way to stay in the NL East with a patch work pitching staff that may include Chan Ho-Park and Oliver Perez.
With the NL East looking surprisingly strong this year, Mets fans can only hope the hitting is a good as last year and that Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, and John Maine stay healthy and pitch strong.
For more info, go to:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-mets-martinez&prov=ap&type=lgns
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Sleeping and Odors--Will they help you remember??
Will certain odors you smell at night while sleeping aid in memory retention?
German scientists have been studying the link between odors you smell at night while asleep may aid in memory retention. This study involved the use of students as guinea pigs, and a version of a computer memory game that involves matching similar pairs of cards.
Some played in a rose-scented room. Later that night, while they were in a deep stage of sleep known as slow-wave sleep, researchers gave them another whiff of roses.
The next day, the rose-scented sleepers remembered the locations of those cards better than people who didn't get a whiff — they answered correctly 97 percent of the time compared with 86 percent.
People exposed to the odor during the lighter dream stage of sleep known as REM sleep saw no memory boost.
The conclusions so far are that linking odor to memory causes more of an emotional memory response, and not necessarily an aid to learning retention memories.
For more information, go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070309/ap_on_he_me/rosy_memories;_ylt=AsLsBNy5ULSQUOrN08mTvBvVJRIF
German scientists have been studying the link between odors you smell at night while asleep may aid in memory retention. This study involved the use of students as guinea pigs, and a version of a computer memory game that involves matching similar pairs of cards.
Some played in a rose-scented room. Later that night, while they were in a deep stage of sleep known as slow-wave sleep, researchers gave them another whiff of roses.
The next day, the rose-scented sleepers remembered the locations of those cards better than people who didn't get a whiff — they answered correctly 97 percent of the time compared with 86 percent.
People exposed to the odor during the lighter dream stage of sleep known as REM sleep saw no memory boost.
The conclusions so far are that linking odor to memory causes more of an emotional memory response, and not necessarily an aid to learning retention memories.
For more information, go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070309/ap_on_he_me/rosy_memories;_ylt=AsLsBNy5ULSQUOrN08mTvBvVJRIF
Friday, March 9, 2007
10 Secrets to Learning Spanish Like Crazy
If you want to learn a language quickly and inexpensively, you have picked the right language. With the exception of English, Spanish is spoken more than any other language in the U.S. You will have plenty of opportunities to practice your Spanish with native speakers of Spanish and even Americans that learned Spanish as their first language.
The ability to speak Spanish also opens many career or business opportunities. As an attorney, the ability to speak Spanish has enabled me to represent many clients simply because I spoke their language.
Of course, if you live in certain cities or states you will have more opportunities to practice your Spanish. For example, if you live in New York you can find many Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Mexicans, and other Latin Americans an Latinos to practice your Spanish. If you live in Texas or California you may find a lot of Mexicans that can help you with your Spanish. In Florida, there are many Cubans.
My objective is to give you a multitude of tips and techniques to help you speed up your learning of Spanish. I also want to reveal a number of things that you can do to make your learning experience as inexpensive as possible.
Numero Uno: Immerse Yourself
If you really want to learn Spanish, you need to immerse yourself in the language and the culture. Do you know why you learned English so easily? It’s not just because you were a child when you embarked on your study of the English language. It’s mainly because you were immersed in it. As a child you heard English 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
If you could hear and speak Spanish 24 hours a day and 7 days a week you would also learn Spanish incredibly fast. Although it may be difficult for you to hear and speak Spanish 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, there are things you can do to help immerse yourself in the language.
Instead of listening to your favorite music station when you’re driving in your car, play a Spanish instructional CD. Of course, if your favorite music station happens to be a Salsa or Merengue radio station, you can listen to the Spanish lessons CD some other time.
When you’re home watching TV, try substituting MTV or the Discovery Channel for Univision or Telefutura. If you are jogging, working out in the gym, taking a walk, or just waiting in the doctor’s office, play a cassette or CD from your favorite Spanish course. If you are waiting on line in the supermarket, instead of reading that gossipy tabloid, press “play” on your your cassette player and listen to a Spanish vocabulary tape or some other Spanish lessons tape or CD.
Have you ever met a Hispanic person that has lived in the U.S. for many decades and is still unable to speak English? That’s because he or she has little or no exposure to English and is constantly immersed in Spanish. That’s what you must try to emulate. Expose yourself and immerse yourself as much as possible in the Spanish language and Latin American Culture.
Numero Dos: Develop the Right Habits
This is probably the most important advice that I can give you about learning Spanish or any other foreign language. More than anything else, your habits will determine how quickly you learn Spanish. In fact, your habits will determine if you actually learn the language or not.
Of course it helps if you have a language learning aptitude. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a language learning aptitude. In fact, I couldn’t speak English until I was four years old despite the fact that English was my first language and the only language spoken in my home as a child. However, my desire to learn Spanish was strong enough for me to develop the necessary habits for learning Spanish.
Out of habit, every time I turned on my television it was tuned to Unvision, Telefutura or HBO Latino. Out of habit, every time I got in my car the radio dial was set to the Latino radio station Latino Mix. If not, then a CD or cassette from a Spanish course was playing.
Out of habit, if I went out to a club it was a Salsa or Merengue club. If I went out to a restaurant, it was probably a Latin American restaurant. Not that Latino food “es mi plato favorito.” But if I go get a steak at Outback, I am probably not going to get a chance to practice my Spanish with the waiter.
In fact, if I was dating someone, she was either a native of a Spanish speaking country or she learned Spanish as her first language here in the U.S.
If you develop and cultivate these habits, you will learn Spanish extremely fast.
Numero Tres: Learn Spanish the Same Way that You Learned English
This may come as a shock to you, but in the high schools and colleges in the U.S., the method that they are using to teach Spanish is all wrong.
If you want to learn Spanish, you must learn it the same way that you learned English. Let me you ask you a question. Which did you learn first: How to speak English or how to read and write English? Of course you learned how to speak it first.
Then why are they teaching the students in the high schools and colleges to read and write Spanish first? That’s because they don’t expect the students to ever be able to speak Spanish. And that’s exactly what happens. Students take several years of Spanish, graduate, and cannot even speak Spanish.
There’s another problem with learning to read and write Spanish before you learn to speak it. By default, you subconsciously learn how to pronounce the Spanish words the way you would pronounce them in English.
I made that same catastrophic mistake. It took me countless hours and countless dollars in private instruction to correct the error. After much wasted time and money, I discovered that the mistake could have been avoided. I should not have learned to read and write Spanish until I had at least reached the intermediate level of conversational Spanish.
You are going to have to trust me on this one …. Nothing sounds more excruciating to Latin American ears than a “Gringo” with a thick American accent speaking Spanish. How do I know? Because now that I speak Spanish fluently, every time I hear an American with a strong American accent speaking Spanish it makes me cringe.
Numero Cuatro: Relate to What
You Already Know
Many words in Spanish are related to English. When you learn words in Spanish and you relate them to words in English, it is much easier to remember the Spanish words. For example, the word “beber” means to drink. If you make a mental note or written note that the word “beber” is related to the English word “beverage” it is easier to remember. Here’s another example. The word “vegetales” is related to the English word “vegetables.” If you make a note of this, the Spanish word “vegetales” will be much easier to remember.
Numero Cinco: Make Use of On-Line Resources
There are a number of on-line resources that can assist you in learning Spanish. Many of them are free. One of my favorites is www.MyLanguageExchange.com. My Language Exchange is an on-line community of language learners. You can meet people who are learning virtually any language at www.MyLanguageExchange.com.
Since you are studying Spanish you would try to meet someone at My Language Exchange that’s a native speaker of Spanish and is trying to learn English. You could become pen pals with the person. But I recommend that you become more than just pen pals. As I mentioned earlier, the only way that you can learn how to speak Spanish is by actually speaking it.
At My Language Exchange, you can meet people that are interested in doing “voice chat.” Voice Chat permits you to have a live audio chat session with one or more persons on-line. This is one of my favorite techniques for learning Spanish. I have practiced with people from Mexico, Spain and Colombia at My Language Exchange.
Normally, I would help them with English for 30-45 minutes. In exchange, they would help me for the equivalent amount of time with my Spanish.
The last time I checked, My Language Exchange was offering two memberships. There’s a Free membership. And there’s a Gold membership. The Gold membership costs only $12 for a full year. That averages out to just $1 per month.
Numero Seis: Become an Imitator
From the very beginning of your learning-Spanish journey, try your best to imitate native speakers. Try to imitate their pronunciations, their intonations, etc. This is not something that you should delay. In fact, this is one of the most important facets of learning any language.
Have you ever had someone come up to you and speak in what sounded like a foreign language. Maybe the person was asking for directions or some other information. And after the person rambled on for a while, you realized that the person was not, in fact, speaking a foreign language. He or she was actually speaking English. But his or her accent was so thick that you initially believed that the person was speaking a foreign language.
This can happen to you as a student of Spanish if you are not careful. You must make a purposeful effort to sound like native speakers. I know many Americans who claim that they speak Spanish fluently but their accents are awful. When I hear them speak, I say to myself “what a Gringo.” So I can only imagine what a native speaker of Spanish says about the person.
If you wait until you reach the intermediate level to start sounding like native speakers it will be too late to break the chains of habit. Make a deliberate effort to start now. It will begin to pay off when you start noticing how many native speakers of Spanish tell you how great your accent sounds.
Numero Siete: Practice Makes Perfect
Practice Makes Perfect is more than just a saying. It’s a language-learning reality. When we were children we were completely unaware of the emotion called “embarrassment.”
Throughout my teenage years and adult life, my mother would tell me about a story – a true one – that when I was four years old I had wanted a drink of water, and I asked “wah wah – wah wah.” My sister, on the other hand, barely two years old at the time would say “mother may I have a glass of water please.”
Despite the fact that a child not much more than a toddler was speaking perfect English and I was grunting like a caveman, I never became discouraged or embarrassed. I kept at it until I got it right. And now I can say water in two different languages – actually three if I include Portuguese.
You have to take the same child-like attitude toward learning Spanish. You will make many mistakes. You will mispronounce words. You will use the wrong vocabulary. And you will make grammatical errors. But never let this hold you back from practicing your Spanish with a native speaker – even if the native is a total stranger.
You must accept the reality that making mistakes is a part of learning any language. If you are not making mistakes, it’s because you are not speaking Spanish to anyone. And if you are not speaking, then you are not learning.
Keep in mind that Rome was not built in a day. And neither was Madrid, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Cali, Mexico City, Colón, Havana or Buenos Aires.
Numero Ocho: “But First You Must Believe . . .”
I don’t know if it was Peter Pan who first said this one, but I am going to borrow it. It is imperative that you believe in yourself and your ability to learn this beautiful language. I cannot overemphasize this point.
I am a strong believer in the power of thought. This is a technique that has not only helped me to learn Spanish, but it has also helped me immensely in everything that I have ever set out to do in life. I encourage you to use this same technique – not only in learning Spanish – but with any goal that you wish to accomplish.
In anything that I am striving to accomplish, I first visualize the successful outcome of the goal.
After I have visualized the successful outcome of the goal, in this case speaking Spanish fluently, I then map out the steps that I must take in order to arrive at the accomplishment of my goal. For example, the steps may involve practicing Spanish everyday for one hour. I then put in writing the steps that I need to take on a daily basis to accomplish my goal. Then I take action. Not sporadic action or inconsistent action. I take daily, consistent, tremendous action until my goal is accomplished.
Numero Nueve: And now for my favorite
Learning-Spanish technique: Get a Latin Amor
This technique may get you in a lot of trouble if you are already married or otherwise in a committed relationship. In other words, this suggestion is only for the single people.
If you really want to learn Spanish quickly, find a “significant other” that’s a native of a Spanish speaking country. Preferably, someone that speaks very little or no English. This way you will be forced to listen to and speak Spanish.
Numero Diez: Last but Certainly Not Least:
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Give UP
If you stay focused you will surely accomplish your goal of speaking Spanish proficiently or fluently. And you have total control over whether you reach that goal in a year or two or a decade or two. I hope that the techniques that I have outlined in this report will enable you to accomplish your goal as quickly as you desire.
You are also welcome to pass this report on to anyone who you think may benefit from this report. However, I do ask that you do not make any changes to this report if you pass it on to anyone.
Patrick Jackson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patrick Jackson is the Founder of the Learning Spanish Like Crazy system of learning Spanish. To learn more about his system of learning Spanish visit his web site at http://www.learningspanishlikecrazy.com/?hop=rbreid0520
The ability to speak Spanish also opens many career or business opportunities. As an attorney, the ability to speak Spanish has enabled me to represent many clients simply because I spoke their language.
Of course, if you live in certain cities or states you will have more opportunities to practice your Spanish. For example, if you live in New York you can find many Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Mexicans, and other Latin Americans an Latinos to practice your Spanish. If you live in Texas or California you may find a lot of Mexicans that can help you with your Spanish. In Florida, there are many Cubans.
My objective is to give you a multitude of tips and techniques to help you speed up your learning of Spanish. I also want to reveal a number of things that you can do to make your learning experience as inexpensive as possible.
Numero Uno: Immerse Yourself
If you really want to learn Spanish, you need to immerse yourself in the language and the culture. Do you know why you learned English so easily? It’s not just because you were a child when you embarked on your study of the English language. It’s mainly because you were immersed in it. As a child you heard English 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
If you could hear and speak Spanish 24 hours a day and 7 days a week you would also learn Spanish incredibly fast. Although it may be difficult for you to hear and speak Spanish 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, there are things you can do to help immerse yourself in the language.
Instead of listening to your favorite music station when you’re driving in your car, play a Spanish instructional CD. Of course, if your favorite music station happens to be a Salsa or Merengue radio station, you can listen to the Spanish lessons CD some other time.
When you’re home watching TV, try substituting MTV or the Discovery Channel for Univision or Telefutura. If you are jogging, working out in the gym, taking a walk, or just waiting in the doctor’s office, play a cassette or CD from your favorite Spanish course. If you are waiting on line in the supermarket, instead of reading that gossipy tabloid, press “play” on your your cassette player and listen to a Spanish vocabulary tape or some other Spanish lessons tape or CD.
Have you ever met a Hispanic person that has lived in the U.S. for many decades and is still unable to speak English? That’s because he or she has little or no exposure to English and is constantly immersed in Spanish. That’s what you must try to emulate. Expose yourself and immerse yourself as much as possible in the Spanish language and Latin American Culture.
Numero Dos: Develop the Right Habits
This is probably the most important advice that I can give you about learning Spanish or any other foreign language. More than anything else, your habits will determine how quickly you learn Spanish. In fact, your habits will determine if you actually learn the language or not.
Of course it helps if you have a language learning aptitude. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a language learning aptitude. In fact, I couldn’t speak English until I was four years old despite the fact that English was my first language and the only language spoken in my home as a child. However, my desire to learn Spanish was strong enough for me to develop the necessary habits for learning Spanish.
Out of habit, every time I turned on my television it was tuned to Unvision, Telefutura or HBO Latino. Out of habit, every time I got in my car the radio dial was set to the Latino radio station Latino Mix. If not, then a CD or cassette from a Spanish course was playing.
Out of habit, if I went out to a club it was a Salsa or Merengue club. If I went out to a restaurant, it was probably a Latin American restaurant. Not that Latino food “es mi plato favorito.” But if I go get a steak at Outback, I am probably not going to get a chance to practice my Spanish with the waiter.
In fact, if I was dating someone, she was either a native of a Spanish speaking country or she learned Spanish as her first language here in the U.S.
If you develop and cultivate these habits, you will learn Spanish extremely fast.
Numero Tres: Learn Spanish the Same Way that You Learned English
This may come as a shock to you, but in the high schools and colleges in the U.S., the method that they are using to teach Spanish is all wrong.
If you want to learn Spanish, you must learn it the same way that you learned English. Let me you ask you a question. Which did you learn first: How to speak English or how to read and write English? Of course you learned how to speak it first.
Then why are they teaching the students in the high schools and colleges to read and write Spanish first? That’s because they don’t expect the students to ever be able to speak Spanish. And that’s exactly what happens. Students take several years of Spanish, graduate, and cannot even speak Spanish.
There’s another problem with learning to read and write Spanish before you learn to speak it. By default, you subconsciously learn how to pronounce the Spanish words the way you would pronounce them in English.
I made that same catastrophic mistake. It took me countless hours and countless dollars in private instruction to correct the error. After much wasted time and money, I discovered that the mistake could have been avoided. I should not have learned to read and write Spanish until I had at least reached the intermediate level of conversational Spanish.
You are going to have to trust me on this one …. Nothing sounds more excruciating to Latin American ears than a “Gringo” with a thick American accent speaking Spanish. How do I know? Because now that I speak Spanish fluently, every time I hear an American with a strong American accent speaking Spanish it makes me cringe.
Numero Cuatro: Relate to What
You Already Know
Many words in Spanish are related to English. When you learn words in Spanish and you relate them to words in English, it is much easier to remember the Spanish words. For example, the word “beber” means to drink. If you make a mental note or written note that the word “beber” is related to the English word “beverage” it is easier to remember. Here’s another example. The word “vegetales” is related to the English word “vegetables.” If you make a note of this, the Spanish word “vegetales” will be much easier to remember.
Numero Cinco: Make Use of On-Line Resources
There are a number of on-line resources that can assist you in learning Spanish. Many of them are free. One of my favorites is www.MyLanguageExchange.com. My Language Exchange is an on-line community of language learners. You can meet people who are learning virtually any language at www.MyLanguageExchange.com.
Since you are studying Spanish you would try to meet someone at My Language Exchange that’s a native speaker of Spanish and is trying to learn English. You could become pen pals with the person. But I recommend that you become more than just pen pals. As I mentioned earlier, the only way that you can learn how to speak Spanish is by actually speaking it.
At My Language Exchange, you can meet people that are interested in doing “voice chat.” Voice Chat permits you to have a live audio chat session with one or more persons on-line. This is one of my favorite techniques for learning Spanish. I have practiced with people from Mexico, Spain and Colombia at My Language Exchange.
Normally, I would help them with English for 30-45 minutes. In exchange, they would help me for the equivalent amount of time with my Spanish.
The last time I checked, My Language Exchange was offering two memberships. There’s a Free membership. And there’s a Gold membership. The Gold membership costs only $12 for a full year. That averages out to just $1 per month.
Numero Seis: Become an Imitator
From the very beginning of your learning-Spanish journey, try your best to imitate native speakers. Try to imitate their pronunciations, their intonations, etc. This is not something that you should delay. In fact, this is one of the most important facets of learning any language.
Have you ever had someone come up to you and speak in what sounded like a foreign language. Maybe the person was asking for directions or some other information. And after the person rambled on for a while, you realized that the person was not, in fact, speaking a foreign language. He or she was actually speaking English. But his or her accent was so thick that you initially believed that the person was speaking a foreign language.
This can happen to you as a student of Spanish if you are not careful. You must make a purposeful effort to sound like native speakers. I know many Americans who claim that they speak Spanish fluently but their accents are awful. When I hear them speak, I say to myself “what a Gringo.” So I can only imagine what a native speaker of Spanish says about the person.
If you wait until you reach the intermediate level to start sounding like native speakers it will be too late to break the chains of habit. Make a deliberate effort to start now. It will begin to pay off when you start noticing how many native speakers of Spanish tell you how great your accent sounds.
Numero Siete: Practice Makes Perfect
Practice Makes Perfect is more than just a saying. It’s a language-learning reality. When we were children we were completely unaware of the emotion called “embarrassment.”
Throughout my teenage years and adult life, my mother would tell me about a story – a true one – that when I was four years old I had wanted a drink of water, and I asked “wah wah – wah wah.” My sister, on the other hand, barely two years old at the time would say “mother may I have a glass of water please.”
Despite the fact that a child not much more than a toddler was speaking perfect English and I was grunting like a caveman, I never became discouraged or embarrassed. I kept at it until I got it right. And now I can say water in two different languages – actually three if I include Portuguese.
You have to take the same child-like attitude toward learning Spanish. You will make many mistakes. You will mispronounce words. You will use the wrong vocabulary. And you will make grammatical errors. But never let this hold you back from practicing your Spanish with a native speaker – even if the native is a total stranger.
You must accept the reality that making mistakes is a part of learning any language. If you are not making mistakes, it’s because you are not speaking Spanish to anyone. And if you are not speaking, then you are not learning.
Keep in mind that Rome was not built in a day. And neither was Madrid, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Cali, Mexico City, Colón, Havana or Buenos Aires.
Numero Ocho: “But First You Must Believe . . .”
I don’t know if it was Peter Pan who first said this one, but I am going to borrow it. It is imperative that you believe in yourself and your ability to learn this beautiful language. I cannot overemphasize this point.
I am a strong believer in the power of thought. This is a technique that has not only helped me to learn Spanish, but it has also helped me immensely in everything that I have ever set out to do in life. I encourage you to use this same technique – not only in learning Spanish – but with any goal that you wish to accomplish.
In anything that I am striving to accomplish, I first visualize the successful outcome of the goal.
After I have visualized the successful outcome of the goal, in this case speaking Spanish fluently, I then map out the steps that I must take in order to arrive at the accomplishment of my goal. For example, the steps may involve practicing Spanish everyday for one hour. I then put in writing the steps that I need to take on a daily basis to accomplish my goal. Then I take action. Not sporadic action or inconsistent action. I take daily, consistent, tremendous action until my goal is accomplished.
Numero Nueve: And now for my favorite
Learning-Spanish technique: Get a Latin Amor
This technique may get you in a lot of trouble if you are already married or otherwise in a committed relationship. In other words, this suggestion is only for the single people.
If you really want to learn Spanish quickly, find a “significant other” that’s a native of a Spanish speaking country. Preferably, someone that speaks very little or no English. This way you will be forced to listen to and speak Spanish.
Numero Diez: Last but Certainly Not Least:
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Give UP
If you stay focused you will surely accomplish your goal of speaking Spanish proficiently or fluently. And you have total control over whether you reach that goal in a year or two or a decade or two. I hope that the techniques that I have outlined in this report will enable you to accomplish your goal as quickly as you desire.
You are also welcome to pass this report on to anyone who you think may benefit from this report. However, I do ask that you do not make any changes to this report if you pass it on to anyone.
Patrick Jackson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patrick Jackson is the Founder of the Learning Spanish Like Crazy system of learning Spanish. To learn more about his system of learning Spanish visit his web site at http://www.learningspanishlikecrazy.com/?hop=rbreid0520
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