- Even though they are much more common than they should be, tales of idiots getting onto or into non-automobiles while drunk and attempting to pilot said means of transportation are still funny. Some stupid lush hopping onto a Huffy, steering a scooter or driving a piece of farm equipment down the road while hammered and having the local sheriff pull him or her over is always good for a laugh and Lake Andes, S.D. resident Guy Hornedeagle is no exception. Hornedeagle, more than three decades north of the legal drinking age and thus more than capable of knowing better, was arrested last week on state Highway 46 after filling up with gas at a service station and allegedly buying a beer. Filling up your lawnmower at the gas station and buying a bottle of beer definitely happens only in places like South Dakota, by the way. After purchasing whatever cheap, skunky beer one purchases at a rural South Dakota gas station after filling up a lawnmower, Hornedeagle headed out and on account of lawnmowers not moving all that fast and the trip home taking longer than he probably would have liked, he decided not to wait for his liquid refreshment and fired open his beer. He made quick work of it and before too long, a sheriff's deputy arrested him on charges of driving under the influence, having an open container of alcohol and littering for allegedly throwing the empty container in the ditch. Hornedeagle is due in court on June 21 and assuming the judge can hear his case without repeatedly and uncontrollably breaking into fits of hysterical laughter, he should receive his punishment. What it could be after an accusation of driving a lawnmower while drunk, one can only wonder…..and laugh……….
- It truly is a beautiful thing when technology is used for something important, meaningful and world-changing. With all of the time and money poured into research and development for new technologies that will change the way humans live their lives, finding and invention or innovation that can impact the average person in a real way is uplifting. Bearing that in mind, big ups to a website that will soon be on the minds (and tongues) of lushes around the United States: Beer2Buds.com. By visiting the site or downloading its smartphone app, a person can digitally purchase a beer for themselves or a friend. Firing up the site or app, selecting "Buy a Beer", filling in the proper contact information, then adding beer money using a credit card or PayPal is all a person needs to go. The site and app both churn out links users then follow and on the resulting page, enter their code. After all of that, it’s simply a matter of printing the page or showing the smartphone to the store or bartender. For those worried this could lead to even more underage drinking (as if it won't happen anyhow), there could be a concern or two. Users need only confirm that they are over the age of 17 to download it, not the legal drinking age of 21. Of course, the burden is still on those actually selling the alcohol and placing it in the hands of customers and this app changes none of that, but Nevada's law enforcement coordinator of underage drinking laws isn't swayed. "Parents are going to have to wise up, and they're going to have to really take control, take a look at that website and see what they think, because they're the ones who are going to make a difference in trying to shut something like this down," Diane Pidsosny said. "It's just another irresponsible company who really (doesn't) care (about) access as long as they make their money. It's email. It's iPhone. It's Twitter. It's Facebook. It's iTunes. There's no… how do you regulate that?" How? By enforcing the same freaking laws that remain on the books. How a person pays for their beer makes no difference if the bar, convenience store or grocery store selling it to them cards them and finds they are underage. It might be different if the app allowed a person to have beer delivered directly to their home without having to show proof of age, but that’s not what Beer2Buds.com does. Confronted with the concerns over its service, Beer2Buds.com issued a statement that read, "We have not yet had one single report of someone underage attempting to redeem a Beer2Buds card. Our intent is to keep our site out of the presence of minors as we are absolutely not promoting underage consumption of alcohol, and encouraging responsible drinking of those of legal drinking age." Sounds fine to me and besides, there are hundreds of other beer-related apps out there anyhow and this is just one more to add to the pile…………
- After staying uncharacteristically quiet during his team’s playoff run, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has resurfaced now that the franchise has won its first NBA title. After the Mavs' 105-95 Game 6 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday night, Cuban started doing interviews again and despite being on the record as saying championship parades and title rings just aren't his style, Cuban admitted that not only will the Mavericks have a parade to celebrate their championship with their fans, but he will be picking up the tab. "We'll do it," Cuban said early Monday morning. "All I told them was -- Terdema Ussery, our president -- you plan the parade. I'll pay for it because I don't think it's right for the city to have to pay for it. And let's just have some fun.” A billionaire owner paying for a championship parade is certainly a refreshing concept, as even the über-rich, old (usually white) dudes who own professional sports franchises tend not to want to ante up the cash for a parade when they can just as easily have their grateful, albeit cash-strapped municipality absorb the cost. The parade comes five years after Dallas took a 2-0 lead in the Finals over the Heat and squandered that lead as parade plans were revealed prematurely and provided an embarrassing backdrop for the meltdown. While the Mavericks and their fans will celebrate with a parade, the bombastic billionaire did hint at one area where he might break with tradition: championship rings for his players. "I might not get rings," Cuban stated. "Rings are old school. You've seen it before: There's guys who pick up the sweats and towels and they have these big, blingy rings. I'm like, 'Rings are done. It's time to take it to the next level.'" As for what he might give the players to commemorate their achievement if not rings, Cuban refused to give any hints…………
- Props to the locals in the southern Jordanian city of Tafileh for not being on their best behavior Monday during a visit by King Abdullah. With the king rolling into Tafileh, 111 miles south of Amman, and security heightened, it would have been easy for citizens to not cause any trouble or make any waves. Instead, violent clashes broke out between citizens and anti-riot police after pro-reform activists were denied access to a royal event to launch a development initiative. Rather than accept the rejection, turn around and go home, the activists became belligerent and initiated a confrontation that grew to include youths hurling stones at security services who responded with forces. Tafileh has been the scene of anti-government protests in recent weeks, so the day’s festivities were merely a continuation of what was already happening. Jordanian Minister of Communications and Government Spokesman Taher Odwan was quick to downplay the violence and deny reports that the King's motorcade came under attack during the incident. “A group of citizens attempted to greet the king and started shoving security personnel who responded back. This is something you would find at any event," Odwan said. Probably not, but spin it any way you want. The drama came just one day following a royal address to the nation during which the king announced widespread political reforms being called a major step to place the country on the path to a constitutional monarchy. In the speech, designated to mark the anniversary of the Great Arab Revolt, King Abdullah announced a number of reforms including relinquishing his power to form a government to the parliament, a greater separation of powers and further constitutional amendments. He then headed south to visit several cities, including Tafileh, to announce $21.1 million worth of development projects in the city. The king had to know he was in for a hostile environment, as protestors in Tafileh have recently called for the government's dismissal, the dissolution of parliament and greater efforts to combat corruption. For the rest of the world, Monday was simply a chance to enjoy some more Middle Eastern political pyrotechnics………….
- Lady Gaga’s Twitter fans may not be the only overly enthusiastic group of celebrity sycophants out there to beware of. Running afoul of these freaks on the popular micro-blogging site is still a major headache, but Glee fans can hold their own when it comes to striking terror into the hearts of those who hate on their favorite show - or even for members of the show’s cast. As the cast hits the road for the summer to “connect” with the fans (i.e. making money while the show is still a viable commodity), fans are clearly revved up for the experience. Just ask Darren Criss, who plays Blaine in the series. Criss had a narrow miss over the weekend in Washington, D.C. when he got a little too close to the paying customers and nearly paid the price. A female fan became a little too exuberant and got her hands on Criss, yanking him off the state. Criss was reportedly performing Queen's 1976 hit Somebody to Love when a woman dragged him into the audience. Criss managed to avoid taking a header off any railings or security barriers and was able to regain his footing and get himself back before the woman was able to successfully extricate him from any articles of clothing. Not only that, he finished the song and later posted a humorous message about the incident on his Twitter account that read, “To the lady who pulled me off the stage and into the pit tonight: if I ever see you on a stage... keep your wits about ya. Love, Darren :) !”
He stuck a slightly more serious tone in a subsequent tweet, writing, "btw I'm lucky I didn't hit my head on the gate in front of this lady. Seriously close call tonight... Like, please don't kill me. I'm nice.” As for the rest of the fans who have thrown down serious money to see the Glee¬-sters on tour this summer, is it too much to ask that you all stay in your shoes and act like you’ve seen a quasi-celebrity at least once before? After all, these are the barely known cast members of a scripted show about glee clubs who will be famous for a few more minutes before their 15 are up and then, they will fade right back into obscurity. Yanking them off stage and/or accosting them in any way is not only a bad idea for them, it makes you look pathetic as well………….
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The scent of oppression, iPhones in space and weekend movie news
- There may in fact be an app for just about everything. With NASA winding down its time of shooting human beings into outer space, the agency will send two iPhone 4s on its final shuttle mission next month. A company called Odyssey Space Research says it has developed an iPhone app, called SpaceLab for iOS, that will be used on the International Space Station for several months this year to conduct space research. The iPhones will be equipped with the app and carried aboard the Atlantis space shuttle to the space station, where the astronauts on the mission will conduct four experiments. According to Odyssey Space Research, a "Limb Tracker" experiment will involve taking pictures of the Earth with the iPhone and use those images to “match an arc to the horizon through manipulation of an overlay." The experiment will "yield an estimate of altitude and 'off-axis' angle, a measurement of the angle of the image with respect to the Earth's center." For those who actually understand complicated outer-spacy things, all of that is probably very exciting. Another of the iPhone experiments will be a "sensor calibration experience" that will help to improve the accuracy of future iPhone measurements. The smartphone’s gyroscope and accelerometer will be utilized to determine the latitude and longitude of the spacecraft. Another phone-centric experiment will measure radiation effects on the smartphone while in space. And hey, it wouldn’t truly be an American endeavor if someone wasn’t making money off of it, so Odyssey has launched its application in Apple's App Store. By wasting 99 cents, users can have this worthless app and perform the same experiments with information simulated "to account for the presence of gravity." Sounds like a total rip-off, no? The real space-bound iPhones will be aboard the Atlantis shuttle when it takes off on its final mission on July 8……………
- A recent wave of mega-blockbusters was no match for a highly anticipated indie movie at the box office this weekend. The dream duo of Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams churned out a win with $37 million in the debut of their latest project, besting four big-name, big budget films that have dropped and then dropped like a rock in the past few weeks. Second place went to one of those declining films, X-Men: First Class, which fell off 55 percent and made just $25 million in its second weekend of release. The movie still hasn’t crossed the $100 million mark domestically ($98.8 million and counting) and is on pace to be the lowest-earning of the X-Men movies. The Hangover Part 2 came in third place in its third weekend, falling off 41 percent but adding $18.5 million to its cumulative total for a three-week haul of $216.6 million. Fourth place was owned by Kung Fu Panda 2, earning $16.6 million to elevate its running tally to $126.9 million through its first three weeks in theaters. Last among the top five was a film that still isn't overwhelming anyone but is making a decent amount of money, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It chipped off an additional $10.8 million and through four weeks has made $208.7 million domestically. The latter half of the top 10 was made up of: Bridesmaids (No. 6 and close on Pirates’ heels with $10.1 million and a five-week haul of $123.9 million), newcomer Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (No. 7 with $6.2 and easily the most successful debuting film for the weekend), Midnight in Paris (No. 8 with $6.1 million and $14.2 million through four weeks of limited release), Thor (No. 8 with $2.370,000 for the weekend and $173.6 for its six-week run in theaters) and Fast Five (running on fumes at No. 10 with $1.7 million and $205.1 million over seven weeks of release). Dropping out of the top 10 from last week were wedding-themed comedies Jumping the Broom (No. 14) and Something Borrowed (No. 15)………….
- Unless something has changed in the past few weeks, the smell of oppression is still the official scent of Iran. Has anything changed? Nope. Not if Iranian security forces are attacking and arresting pro-reform demonstrators gathering in Tehran on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the country's 2009 disputed election, which is exactly what Iran opposition websites reported later in the day. Reports of security guards with electric batons beating down demonstrators spread quickly and early estimated put the number of arrested protestors in the hundreds. Witnesses told tales of thousands of security personnel descending on the scene to sniff out any revival of anti-government protests that followed dictator/despot/all-around bad guy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's shady re-election in 2009. Opposition websites suggested a "silent rally" to mark the vote, which dissidents still believe was rigged to guarantee a win for Ahmadinejad. The dictator and his sycophants have maintained that the election was the most legitimate since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. Protests also took place in other areas of the city and shopkeepers were reportedly ordered to close down their shops prior to the protests. Not present for any of the gatherings were opposition leaders Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who have been under house arrest since calling for a rally on Feb. 14. That rally attracted thousands and two fatalities occurred when security forces opened fire on protestors. Tolerance for any anti-government protests remains extremely low in Iran, where the über-paranoid and oppressive government claims to be worried about revival of anti-government unrest but has ironically condemned military deployment by Saudi Arabia to quell unrest in Bahrain. Keep oppressing, Iran, but realize that there will continue to be blowback for as long as you do…………
- American sports fans, this is undoubtedly a devastating day for you. No, the Miami Heat didn’t ruin your sporting universe by arrogantly waltzing to the NBA championship, nor was any prominent athlete accused of a crime or revealed to be a user of performance-enhancing drugs (yet). No, today is the day after a staggering, crushing loss in a sport so many Americans feel so, so passionately about: soccer. Hey…..stop laughing. America is huge on soccer……right? Okay, so maybe not. In fact, most Americans probably didn’t even realize their national soccer team was playing in an event called the CONCACAF Gold Cup - or even that something called the CONCACAF Gold Cup existed at all. But exist is does and the U.S. isn't faring very well in it. Well, unless you consider a 2-1 loss to soccer powerhouse Panama as success. That was the result Saturday night as the underdog Panamanians guaranteed themselves a spot in the next round of the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the favored U.S. "Sometimes you just come out flat for whatever reason. At this level, and against a good team, you can't do that," U.S. star Landon Donovan said of his team allowing two first-half goals. "Some nights you come out flat and you don't get punished, but other nights you do. We learned a valuable lesson." It was the dynamic (?) duo of Luis Tejada and Gabriel Gomez who found the back of the net for Panama, which won for the first time in nine meetings with the Americans. Sure, the U.S. can still clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament that determines the champion for North and Central America and the Caribbean by beating Guadaloupe in its final Group C stage match Tuesday night in Kansas City, but the embarrassment of losing to Panama has to be immense, or at least it would be if this country gave a damn about soccer. Thankfully, we don’t and so the loss will slide quietly by as the focus remains on the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, Major League Baseball season, U.S. Open and just about every sport other than soccer. So advance to the next round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup or don’t, win the CONCACAF Gold Cup or not, just realize it doesn’t much matter…………
- It was quite the scene outside the state capitol in Wisconsin on Thursday, when Gov. Scott Walker did one of the many things politicians are known for: presided over a public ceremony that he probably had little or no interest in. This particular ceremony was actually for a very worthwhile organization, the Special Olympics, with some Special Olympics athletes on hand to be recognized by the controversial governor. Walker has become a polarizing figure across the state and even the nation for pushing through legislation that would strip public employees and their unions of nearly all of their collective bargaining rights. But on this occasion, he was merely there to recognize the Special Olympians when an, um, interesting group came marching by to stage a unique protest. The protestors walked in front of the Special Olympics athletes while Walker was talking and held up their fists - and the protestors were dressed up as zombies, which for some reason was supposed to show their displeasure with the governor’s proposed budget. A video of the incident was posted online by the conservative MacIver Institute and Walker was quick to denounce the demonstration. "I think it was appalling," Walker said. "People who believe that somehow the way to win the debate is to cause destruction and distress is unfortunate." A cynic might suggest that the state’s Democratic Party had something to do with the protest, as Walker is a staunch conservative. Not so, claims Graeme Zielinski, spokesman for the state Democratic Party. "It was totally inappropriate behavior that distracts from the good work the Special Olympics does," Zielinski said. So, let’s hear from one of the protestors and find out why they were apparently upstaging a group of Special Olympians and cashing in on their event for selfish purposes. "I think what is problematic is Scott Walker is speaking at an event for the Special Olympics while at the same time turning his back on those people in his policies and in his budget," said zombie protestor Harriett Rowan. Hmm……a solid enough line of reasoning, so no issues there. At this point, the only party not heard from in this case is The Special Olympics Wisconsin, which did have its event temporarily hijacked. What did they have to say about what went on and how upset were they? Christina Harris, public relations manager for Special Olympics Wisconsin, said the protesters were completely respectful. "They didn't diminish the event," Harris stated. In other words, case closed…………
- A recent wave of mega-blockbusters was no match for a highly anticipated indie movie at the box office this weekend. The dream duo of Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams churned out a win with $37 million in the debut of their latest project, besting four big-name, big budget films that have dropped and then dropped like a rock in the past few weeks. Second place went to one of those declining films, X-Men: First Class, which fell off 55 percent and made just $25 million in its second weekend of release. The movie still hasn’t crossed the $100 million mark domestically ($98.8 million and counting) and is on pace to be the lowest-earning of the X-Men movies. The Hangover Part 2 came in third place in its third weekend, falling off 41 percent but adding $18.5 million to its cumulative total for a three-week haul of $216.6 million. Fourth place was owned by Kung Fu Panda 2, earning $16.6 million to elevate its running tally to $126.9 million through its first three weeks in theaters. Last among the top five was a film that still isn't overwhelming anyone but is making a decent amount of money, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It chipped off an additional $10.8 million and through four weeks has made $208.7 million domestically. The latter half of the top 10 was made up of: Bridesmaids (No. 6 and close on Pirates’ heels with $10.1 million and a five-week haul of $123.9 million), newcomer Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (No. 7 with $6.2 and easily the most successful debuting film for the weekend), Midnight in Paris (No. 8 with $6.1 million and $14.2 million through four weeks of limited release), Thor (No. 8 with $2.370,000 for the weekend and $173.6 for its six-week run in theaters) and Fast Five (running on fumes at No. 10 with $1.7 million and $205.1 million over seven weeks of release). Dropping out of the top 10 from last week were wedding-themed comedies Jumping the Broom (No. 14) and Something Borrowed (No. 15)………….
- Unless something has changed in the past few weeks, the smell of oppression is still the official scent of Iran. Has anything changed? Nope. Not if Iranian security forces are attacking and arresting pro-reform demonstrators gathering in Tehran on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the country's 2009 disputed election, which is exactly what Iran opposition websites reported later in the day. Reports of security guards with electric batons beating down demonstrators spread quickly and early estimated put the number of arrested protestors in the hundreds. Witnesses told tales of thousands of security personnel descending on the scene to sniff out any revival of anti-government protests that followed dictator/despot/all-around bad guy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's shady re-election in 2009. Opposition websites suggested a "silent rally" to mark the vote, which dissidents still believe was rigged to guarantee a win for Ahmadinejad. The dictator and his sycophants have maintained that the election was the most legitimate since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. Protests also took place in other areas of the city and shopkeepers were reportedly ordered to close down their shops prior to the protests. Not present for any of the gatherings were opposition leaders Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who have been under house arrest since calling for a rally on Feb. 14. That rally attracted thousands and two fatalities occurred when security forces opened fire on protestors. Tolerance for any anti-government protests remains extremely low in Iran, where the über-paranoid and oppressive government claims to be worried about revival of anti-government unrest but has ironically condemned military deployment by Saudi Arabia to quell unrest in Bahrain. Keep oppressing, Iran, but realize that there will continue to be blowback for as long as you do…………
- American sports fans, this is undoubtedly a devastating day for you. No, the Miami Heat didn’t ruin your sporting universe by arrogantly waltzing to the NBA championship, nor was any prominent athlete accused of a crime or revealed to be a user of performance-enhancing drugs (yet). No, today is the day after a staggering, crushing loss in a sport so many Americans feel so, so passionately about: soccer. Hey…..stop laughing. America is huge on soccer……right? Okay, so maybe not. In fact, most Americans probably didn’t even realize their national soccer team was playing in an event called the CONCACAF Gold Cup - or even that something called the CONCACAF Gold Cup existed at all. But exist is does and the U.S. isn't faring very well in it. Well, unless you consider a 2-1 loss to soccer powerhouse Panama as success. That was the result Saturday night as the underdog Panamanians guaranteed themselves a spot in the next round of the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the favored U.S. "Sometimes you just come out flat for whatever reason. At this level, and against a good team, you can't do that," U.S. star Landon Donovan said of his team allowing two first-half goals. "Some nights you come out flat and you don't get punished, but other nights you do. We learned a valuable lesson." It was the dynamic (?) duo of Luis Tejada and Gabriel Gomez who found the back of the net for Panama, which won for the first time in nine meetings with the Americans. Sure, the U.S. can still clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament that determines the champion for North and Central America and the Caribbean by beating Guadaloupe in its final Group C stage match Tuesday night in Kansas City, but the embarrassment of losing to Panama has to be immense, or at least it would be if this country gave a damn about soccer. Thankfully, we don’t and so the loss will slide quietly by as the focus remains on the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, Major League Baseball season, U.S. Open and just about every sport other than soccer. So advance to the next round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup or don’t, win the CONCACAF Gold Cup or not, just realize it doesn’t much matter…………
- It was quite the scene outside the state capitol in Wisconsin on Thursday, when Gov. Scott Walker did one of the many things politicians are known for: presided over a public ceremony that he probably had little or no interest in. This particular ceremony was actually for a very worthwhile organization, the Special Olympics, with some Special Olympics athletes on hand to be recognized by the controversial governor. Walker has become a polarizing figure across the state and even the nation for pushing through legislation that would strip public employees and their unions of nearly all of their collective bargaining rights. But on this occasion, he was merely there to recognize the Special Olympians when an, um, interesting group came marching by to stage a unique protest. The protestors walked in front of the Special Olympics athletes while Walker was talking and held up their fists - and the protestors were dressed up as zombies, which for some reason was supposed to show their displeasure with the governor’s proposed budget. A video of the incident was posted online by the conservative MacIver Institute and Walker was quick to denounce the demonstration. "I think it was appalling," Walker said. "People who believe that somehow the way to win the debate is to cause destruction and distress is unfortunate." A cynic might suggest that the state’s Democratic Party had something to do with the protest, as Walker is a staunch conservative. Not so, claims Graeme Zielinski, spokesman for the state Democratic Party. "It was totally inappropriate behavior that distracts from the good work the Special Olympics does," Zielinski said. So, let’s hear from one of the protestors and find out why they were apparently upstaging a group of Special Olympians and cashing in on their event for selfish purposes. "I think what is problematic is Scott Walker is speaking at an event for the Special Olympics while at the same time turning his back on those people in his policies and in his budget," said zombie protestor Harriett Rowan. Hmm……a solid enough line of reasoning, so no issues there. At this point, the only party not heard from in this case is The Special Olympics Wisconsin, which did have its event temporarily hijacked. What did they have to say about what went on and how upset were they? Christina Harris, public relations manager for Special Olympics Wisconsin, said the protesters were completely respectful. "They didn't diminish the event," Harris stated. In other words, case closed…………
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Japan is angry, Terrelle Pryor is consistent and MTV axes "Skins"
- Three months after a devastating tsunami touched off a massive nuclear crisis, the people of Japan still seem fairly on-edge when it comes to the use of nuclear power. Anti-nuclear sentiment is so high that thousands of protesters in Tokyo and other major cities took it to the streets Saturday to make their opposition to nuclear power known. Many demonstrators showed up armed with homemade drums and waving flowers in a scene that channeled some true ‘70s hippie spirit. Anger has built over the past few weeks over the government’s handling of the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant in the wake of revelations that the damage at the plant, and the release of radioactive material, was far worse than previously thought. Parents have expressed concerns for their children’s health and farmers and fishermen angry about the negative impact on their livelihoods. Prime Minister Naoto Kan has taken an immense amount of heat for his handling of the situation and a national debate has developed about Japan’s heavy reliance on nuclear power. The only move Kan has made thus far that has been universally applauded was ordering the shutdown of a separate nuclear power plant in central Japan until it can bolster its tsunami defenses. That move was not enough to prevent an estimated 20,000 protestors from filling a central square in downtown Tokyo to demand answers and change. “We now know the dangers of relying on nuclear power, and it’s time to make a change,” Hajime Matsumoto, one of the rally’s organizers, proclaimed to the crowd. “And, yes, I believe Japan can change.” Coordinated events took place in other cities around the country and the sight was an inspiring one if for no other reason than the Japanese tend not to be the world’s best or angriest protestors. In fact, many who showed up for Saturday’s rally admitted they were taking part in their first uprising. That inexperience showed when the rally began with organizers reminding those assembled, “Let’s all remember good manners!” Thankfully, some protestors ignored that plea and later clashed with police as they marched through the city. Police insisted protesters had not been given permission to congregate in the square. “Disperse immediately!” officers shouted through megaphones. In a truly inspiring reply, one unidentified man screamed back, “Shut up and go away!” Well done, anonymous Japanese protestor, well done. The protest wound down shortly after 9 p.m., when officers forcibly moved in to break up the crowd and succeeded with only minor pushing and shoving. Here’s hoping it was the start of a new era in Japanese protesting………….
- Smokers, you now have one less excuse not to put down your cancer sticks and stop inhaling the toxic crap wafting out of them. Perhaps you’ve been leaning on the lame, yet remotely plausible explanation that smoking keeps you thin. Sure, you’ll die much younger and in much more pain due to lung cancer, emphysema or other smoking-related illnesses, but at least you won't be flabby and obese when you check out on this planet. That excuse is going thanks to the smart people at Yale, who have finally solved the mystery of why a lot of people who smoke look so skinny and why many people who quit the habit gain weight. That the discovery was accidental is irrelevant because Yale associate research scientist Yann Maneur and his team still deserve an immense amount of credit. "Interestingly, initially we were not looking into feeding behavior but depression," Maneur said. "We were trying to find new drugs to treat depression. And as I was testing these new drugs I realized the animals were not eating as much." The drug that caught the researchers’ attention was nicotine and they were curious about the link between it and eating habits, so they took their research in a different direction. "We found that nicotine, when it enters the brain, activates specific nicotine receptors that are located on specific neurons known to decrease feeding and increase energy expenditure when activated," Maneur declared. In other words, when nicotine enters the body it triggers a brain pathway that tells a person they have eaten enough while signaling the body to start using up some energy. At this point, it’s important to note that anyone who uses this research to suggest that smoking is a great weight-loss tool is a moron, just to be clear. Maneur was quick to point out that there may be "drugs to mimic this effect to help people maybe lose weight. Or even better, when people try to quit smoking they could use drugs that are already available and known to trigger this pathway in order to potentially limit their weight gain." One each example, the smoking cessation drug cytisine, which is sold in Eastern Europe, also caused the same brain effect on eating in this study. Advancing from the results of this study to drugs specifically designed to produce the same results for weight-loss purposes would be difficult because the same receptors that react this way to nicotine help control the way the body deals with stress. To read more about this riveting research, simply pick up your copy of the new edition of the journal Science on your magazine rack…………
- If nothing else, at least former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was consistent. Consistently a dishonest scumbag, but still consistent. Not only was Pryor earning as much as $40,000 signing merchandise for a local memorabilia, selling awards and gear and trading autographs for tattoos at a local tattoo parlor (all significant NCAA rules violations), he was apparently violating NCAA rules before he played a single game for the Buckeyes. According to a report that first appeared Friday, Pryor had a relationship with memorabilia salesman Dennis Talbott dating back to the summer of 2008, before he had taken a single class on campus. Over the course of that summer, Pryor and several other Buckeyes players were spotted at a private golf course near Columbus three to four times a week, according to employees of the club, including the general manager. None of the employees quoted or referenced in the report could say whether any of the players reimbursed Talbott for the $80- to $100-a-round guest fees, but the point is largely irrelevant. Even if they repaid the fees, gaining access to the club through Talbott was an exclusive benefit and a possible NCAA violation because players are prohibited from receiving extra benefits based on their sports notoriety. Sciota Reserve Country Club general manager Regan Koivisto said he initially liked the idea of having the players around because it might generate a good buzz for the club. But when they began appearing there multiple times each week and when he learned that Talbott was a sports memorabilia dealer, he says he became concerned. "I said, 'This does not smell good,' " Koivisto said. "If anything bad was happening, I didn't want it to be happening on my property." Koivisto said he called the Ohio State football office and left a message with head coach Jim Tressel’s secretary, a message that was never returned. He did say that he “never saw Pryor at the club again" after making the call. Pryor’s attorney, Larry James, refused comment on Koivisto’s allegations, saying they were “recycled stories.” One club employee who wished to remain anonymous also identified Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey as one of the other players who played golf with Talbott at the club. Talbott has not been a member of the club since September 2008, when he was kicked out due to unpaid bills in the "thousands of dollars," Koivisto said. Amazingly for a guy who didn’t pay his country club bills, was allegedly behind a lot of illegal behavior and had state and federal tax liens filed against him in 2009 and 2010, Talbott has repeatedly denied he ever paid Pryor or any other active Buckeyes athlete to sign memorabilia. What are the chances he’s lying………..
- “Don’t Tase me, bro!” came first, but now the world has, “Don’t Tase me, MOOOOO!” Thanks to some overly exuberant police officers in Pelham, N.H., an extremely odd scene involving an escaped one-year-old cow and some Tasers unfolded early Saturday. Houdini, an appropriately named cow who had just been brought to her new home on Mammoth Road in Pelham, lived up to her nomenclature by managing to escape through a fence and cross the street. Owner Wendy Bordeleau and nearly a dozen friends and family members attempted to track down the cow and get her back to her corral. When their attempts failed, Bordeleau contacted police and because it was clearly a slow night in Pelham, five officers soon arrived at the scene. The police were no more successful in containing Houdini and became increasingly concerned about having an out-of-control cow roaming around on a busy stretch of road in weekend traffic. Faced with a difficult situation and no ideal solutions, the officers made the brilliant decision to bust out the one tool in their arsenal most often reserved for drunken, belligerent bar patrons and drivers who are too soused to comply with orders from police: the Taser. Sgt. Mike Pickles and his colleagues decided to use a Taser on Houdini in an attempt to subdue the rambunctious beast. "They Tasered the cow," Bordeleau said. "So I think, obviously, it was a Taser that was meant for humans and not livestock, so it didn't have too big of an effect on the cow." The effect was indeed minimal and so the officers blasted the cow with three separate jolts. While the Taser didn’t accomplish much, the combination of police and bystander was eventually able to contain Houdini and lead her back across the road and into her pen. Bordeleau said it did not appear the cow was harmed by the Taser blasts, but she still believes using the device was the wrong choice and has written a letter to the police department listing her complaints. "I feel like they could have employed a more humane method," she stated. "I feel like there were a lot of other options available, and they decided not to use them." Sgt. Pickles would have none of her nonsense and explained that his primary concern was public safety, which the cow was harming by presenting a hazard to motorists. Even without any experience in law enforcement or animal control, siding with Bordeleau seems like the wise choice on this one……….
- MTV may be sad to announce the cancellation of its controversial teen soap "Skin," but the network’s suits are the only ones shedding tears over the decision. Terrible ratings for the U.S. version of the show doomed it as much as the bad publicity it received for its trashy tendencies and there simply weren’t enough viewers tuning in on a weekly basis to justify a second season. The network announced the decision Thursday in a written statement. "'Skins' is a global television phenomenon that, unfortunately, didn't connect with a U.S. audience as much as we had hoped," the network said in its statement. "We admire the work that the series' creator Bryan Elsley did in adapting the show for MTV, and appreciate the core audience that embraced it." Yes, it was quite the phenomenon, all right. Such a phenomenon, in fact, that in spite as major hype and promotion on the part of MTV leading up to its premiere on January 17, the show wasn't able to hold onto a significant amount of viewers who tuned in for the first episode out of sheer curiosity. Because of its racy content, the series was hit with a TV-MA rating, meaning it could not be broadcast before 10 p.m. and was intended for viewers over the age of 17, even though it was set in a high school. Elsley originally created the U.K. version of the series with his son in 2007 and ironically enough, he labeled the show "old-fashioned" in the way that it focused of what it meant to be a teenager and how teens deal with their families, friends and adulthood bearing down on them. He vehemently defended the show against its critics by calling it "a very serious attempt to get to the roots of young people's lives. It tries to tell the truth. Sometimes that truth can be a little painful to adults and parents." That truth may not be nearly as painful as trying to watch most of MTV’s attempts at both scripted and reality programming, but it’s a fair point. As for that original scripted content, the network has six series set to debut this fall, including a revival of the animated, adult-oriented cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head." Keep up the good work, MTV………….
- Smokers, you now have one less excuse not to put down your cancer sticks and stop inhaling the toxic crap wafting out of them. Perhaps you’ve been leaning on the lame, yet remotely plausible explanation that smoking keeps you thin. Sure, you’ll die much younger and in much more pain due to lung cancer, emphysema or other smoking-related illnesses, but at least you won't be flabby and obese when you check out on this planet. That excuse is going thanks to the smart people at Yale, who have finally solved the mystery of why a lot of people who smoke look so skinny and why many people who quit the habit gain weight. That the discovery was accidental is irrelevant because Yale associate research scientist Yann Maneur and his team still deserve an immense amount of credit. "Interestingly, initially we were not looking into feeding behavior but depression," Maneur said. "We were trying to find new drugs to treat depression. And as I was testing these new drugs I realized the animals were not eating as much." The drug that caught the researchers’ attention was nicotine and they were curious about the link between it and eating habits, so they took their research in a different direction. "We found that nicotine, when it enters the brain, activates specific nicotine receptors that are located on specific neurons known to decrease feeding and increase energy expenditure when activated," Maneur declared. In other words, when nicotine enters the body it triggers a brain pathway that tells a person they have eaten enough while signaling the body to start using up some energy. At this point, it’s important to note that anyone who uses this research to suggest that smoking is a great weight-loss tool is a moron, just to be clear. Maneur was quick to point out that there may be "drugs to mimic this effect to help people maybe lose weight. Or even better, when people try to quit smoking they could use drugs that are already available and known to trigger this pathway in order to potentially limit their weight gain." One each example, the smoking cessation drug cytisine, which is sold in Eastern Europe, also caused the same brain effect on eating in this study. Advancing from the results of this study to drugs specifically designed to produce the same results for weight-loss purposes would be difficult because the same receptors that react this way to nicotine help control the way the body deals with stress. To read more about this riveting research, simply pick up your copy of the new edition of the journal Science on your magazine rack…………
- If nothing else, at least former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was consistent. Consistently a dishonest scumbag, but still consistent. Not only was Pryor earning as much as $40,000 signing merchandise for a local memorabilia, selling awards and gear and trading autographs for tattoos at a local tattoo parlor (all significant NCAA rules violations), he was apparently violating NCAA rules before he played a single game for the Buckeyes. According to a report that first appeared Friday, Pryor had a relationship with memorabilia salesman Dennis Talbott dating back to the summer of 2008, before he had taken a single class on campus. Over the course of that summer, Pryor and several other Buckeyes players were spotted at a private golf course near Columbus three to four times a week, according to employees of the club, including the general manager. None of the employees quoted or referenced in the report could say whether any of the players reimbursed Talbott for the $80- to $100-a-round guest fees, but the point is largely irrelevant. Even if they repaid the fees, gaining access to the club through Talbott was an exclusive benefit and a possible NCAA violation because players are prohibited from receiving extra benefits based on their sports notoriety. Sciota Reserve Country Club general manager Regan Koivisto said he initially liked the idea of having the players around because it might generate a good buzz for the club. But when they began appearing there multiple times each week and when he learned that Talbott was a sports memorabilia dealer, he says he became concerned. "I said, 'This does not smell good,' " Koivisto said. "If anything bad was happening, I didn't want it to be happening on my property." Koivisto said he called the Ohio State football office and left a message with head coach Jim Tressel’s secretary, a message that was never returned. He did say that he “never saw Pryor at the club again" after making the call. Pryor’s attorney, Larry James, refused comment on Koivisto’s allegations, saying they were “recycled stories.” One club employee who wished to remain anonymous also identified Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey as one of the other players who played golf with Talbott at the club. Talbott has not been a member of the club since September 2008, when he was kicked out due to unpaid bills in the "thousands of dollars," Koivisto said. Amazingly for a guy who didn’t pay his country club bills, was allegedly behind a lot of illegal behavior and had state and federal tax liens filed against him in 2009 and 2010, Talbott has repeatedly denied he ever paid Pryor or any other active Buckeyes athlete to sign memorabilia. What are the chances he’s lying………..
- “Don’t Tase me, bro!” came first, but now the world has, “Don’t Tase me, MOOOOO!” Thanks to some overly exuberant police officers in Pelham, N.H., an extremely odd scene involving an escaped one-year-old cow and some Tasers unfolded early Saturday. Houdini, an appropriately named cow who had just been brought to her new home on Mammoth Road in Pelham, lived up to her nomenclature by managing to escape through a fence and cross the street. Owner Wendy Bordeleau and nearly a dozen friends and family members attempted to track down the cow and get her back to her corral. When their attempts failed, Bordeleau contacted police and because it was clearly a slow night in Pelham, five officers soon arrived at the scene. The police were no more successful in containing Houdini and became increasingly concerned about having an out-of-control cow roaming around on a busy stretch of road in weekend traffic. Faced with a difficult situation and no ideal solutions, the officers made the brilliant decision to bust out the one tool in their arsenal most often reserved for drunken, belligerent bar patrons and drivers who are too soused to comply with orders from police: the Taser. Sgt. Mike Pickles and his colleagues decided to use a Taser on Houdini in an attempt to subdue the rambunctious beast. "They Tasered the cow," Bordeleau said. "So I think, obviously, it was a Taser that was meant for humans and not livestock, so it didn't have too big of an effect on the cow." The effect was indeed minimal and so the officers blasted the cow with three separate jolts. While the Taser didn’t accomplish much, the combination of police and bystander was eventually able to contain Houdini and lead her back across the road and into her pen. Bordeleau said it did not appear the cow was harmed by the Taser blasts, but she still believes using the device was the wrong choice and has written a letter to the police department listing her complaints. "I feel like they could have employed a more humane method," she stated. "I feel like there were a lot of other options available, and they decided not to use them." Sgt. Pickles would have none of her nonsense and explained that his primary concern was public safety, which the cow was harming by presenting a hazard to motorists. Even without any experience in law enforcement or animal control, siding with Bordeleau seems like the wise choice on this one……….
- MTV may be sad to announce the cancellation of its controversial teen soap "Skin," but the network’s suits are the only ones shedding tears over the decision. Terrible ratings for the U.S. version of the show doomed it as much as the bad publicity it received for its trashy tendencies and there simply weren’t enough viewers tuning in on a weekly basis to justify a second season. The network announced the decision Thursday in a written statement. "'Skins' is a global television phenomenon that, unfortunately, didn't connect with a U.S. audience as much as we had hoped," the network said in its statement. "We admire the work that the series' creator Bryan Elsley did in adapting the show for MTV, and appreciate the core audience that embraced it." Yes, it was quite the phenomenon, all right. Such a phenomenon, in fact, that in spite as major hype and promotion on the part of MTV leading up to its premiere on January 17, the show wasn't able to hold onto a significant amount of viewers who tuned in for the first episode out of sheer curiosity. Because of its racy content, the series was hit with a TV-MA rating, meaning it could not be broadcast before 10 p.m. and was intended for viewers over the age of 17, even though it was set in a high school. Elsley originally created the U.K. version of the series with his son in 2007 and ironically enough, he labeled the show "old-fashioned" in the way that it focused of what it meant to be a teenager and how teens deal with their families, friends and adulthood bearing down on them. He vehemently defended the show against its critics by calling it "a very serious attempt to get to the roots of young people's lives. It tries to tell the truth. Sometimes that truth can be a little painful to adults and parents." That truth may not be nearly as painful as trying to watch most of MTV’s attempts at both scripted and reality programming, but it’s a fair point. As for that original scripted content, the network has six series set to debut this fall, including a revival of the animated, adult-oriented cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head." Keep up the good work, MTV………….
Friday, June 10, 2011
Free porn doesn't enthuse all, south v. north in Sudan and the heckling Heat humbled
- So…..what is the proper response when you purchase a new DVD/VCR device and it comes equipped with a fresh supply of porn - without your knowledge - and you and your daughter happen across the porn unknowingly? For some, the response would be, “Sweet! Now I don’t have to fire up my laptop or make my weekly run to the local adult video store!” But for Martinsville, Ind. resident Tina Sabotin, the gift was not a welcome one. She purchased the aforementioned DVD/VCR at her local Wal-Mart and brought it home to watch the latest “Harry Potter” movie with her eight-year-old daughter. They opened the box, correctly hooked up the device to their television and noticed a tape inside the VCR side of the device. They thought it was simply a head-cleaner and figured they would press play and make sure the VCR worked properly. "So we said let's see if it's working and it was there and it was available, so we pressed play," Sabotin said. Unfortunately for her, the VCR head wasn’t the one getting cleaned courtesy of the tape, if you know what I mean. The tape was actually porn and by the time Sabotin was able to process what was happening and react, she and her young daughter were nearly halfway through an extremely graphic sex scene. “I was kind of dumbfounded. And my husband is like 'close your eyes, close your eyes,'" she recalled. "I mean I felt violated. And as soon as I felt that way of course my thoughts then turned to my daughter. Then I feel like she's been violated which infuriates me." For anyone who wasn’t a big fan of porn, the reaction to this incident was obvious and automatic: make a beeline for the store and demand answers. When she contacted there store and the device’s manufacturer, no one was eager to step up and explain what had happened. Sabotin was repeatedly ignored by both parties. "It just adds insult to injury. That's how I feel. It just adds insult to injury," she fumed. “Your first thing is to want to protect your child and at that point I felt as if I let my child down." In its defense, Wal-Mart claimed it was looking into the situation and has launched an internal investigation…………
- Rocker Jack White has never done anything conventionally or normally. His best-known band (of many), the White Stripes, consisted of he and his alleged sister Meg, who were actually husband and wife once upon a time before divorcing but keeping up the brother/sister gag while they were a band. White is known for a signature black bowler hat and curious fashion choices, along with free-flowing, call-out-songs-as-he-goes concerts. He has multiple side projects (the Dead Weather and Raconteurs among them) and owns a chain of record stores as well. So it makes sense that he and his model wife Karen Elson are doing something unique to celebrate their 6-year wedding anniversary - getting a divorce. Not only are the couple divorcing on their anniversary, they’re freaking celebrating it with a massive party. They announced the split in a joint statement that read, "In honor of that time shared, we are throwing a divorce party." Oh, so it’s to honor their time together and not to celebrate the fact that “‘Til death do we part” turned out to be “Until we decide to call it quits after a few years and booze it up to celebrate its ends.” That makes much more sense…..oh wait, no it doesn’t. The party will feature "dancing, photos, memories and drinks with alcohol in them" and goes down Friday night in Nashville. Elson, also a musician, and White have two children together and I’m sure they love the fact that mom and dad are not going to be together any more and apparently aren’t too broken up about it. For White, it is a fitting end to the growing list of relationships that are coming to a close and for everyone else, it’s a chance to booze it up as the divorce rate in the United States continues to climb………
- Now is not a super time to be a member of Sudan’s opposition forces. The northern Sudanese military is going on a “house-to-house” hunt in the embattled city of Kadugli for these brave dissidents and things are especially heated near Sudan’s disputed internal border. The violence has spiraled so much that tens of thousands of people are doing what impoverished people in war-torn African nations seem to be especially good at because they have to do it far too often, fleeing from their homes. United Nations officials confirmed those ugly details Friday and one high-ranking American official said the aggression by the government in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, has “put into grave jeopardy” any chance for normalized relations with the United States. Fighting has been intense and nearly nonstop in Kadugli, the capital of Southern Kordofan — a northern Sudanese state with a large southern Sudanese-aligned population — since it sparked up early Sunday. All of Sudan is looking anxiously for one reason or another to the scheduled separation on July 9 of southern Sudan from the north and per a democratic vote several months ago. Many soldiers from Southern Kordofan fought alongside the south during the decades-long civil war and the future of the state has been in debate since its officials vowed to hold vaguely defined “popular consultations” on its political future this year. Any political solutions seemed to go on hold last week when the northern military deployed tanks and thousands of soldiers to Kadugli to forcibly disarm the southern-allied soldiers there. Oddly enough, these well-trained, grizzled military veterans didn’t take kindly to the gesture and fought back. From there, the violence spread like a bloody, less annoying Rebecca Black YouTube video and many experts believe the military campaign is part of a calculated, deliberate attempt to pressure the south into conceding more oil or money to the north as Sudan prepares to split into two. The marriage will be a tenuous one, as the south holds roughly 75 percent of Sudan’s oil reserves and the north has the refineries and pipelines. That codependence would seem destined to force the two nations into at least a working relationship……the key word being “seem.” The U.N. reports of house-to-house searches in Kadugli were verified by church groups in the Nuba Mountains and U.N. officials said the northern Sudanese military also conducted aerial bombardments on four locations in the area on Thursday. Promises of the organization protecting civilians in the area probably won't do much to assuage fears because……well, it’s the United Nations and no one is afraid of them. “The S.A.F. are trying to consolidate their grip over the town,” said Hua Jiang, a spokeswoman for the United Nations in Sudan, referring the northern Sudanese army. “The fighting has been ongoing. Looting is ongoing, and some of the U.N. agencies’ warehouses and offices have been ransacked. This is a very serious situation.” Elsewhere in Sudan, the northern army allegedly bombed a southern Sudanese military base along the border between the north and south on Thursday. Pundits worry that the situation could quickly and exponentially escalate over the next week if fighting continues unfettered. Those fears are shared by the southern Sudanese military, with Colonel Philip Aguer, a spokesman for the military, warning of grave dangers if the attacks go on. “Definitely it is an attack on southern Sudan, and we are expecting more attacks,” Col. Aguar said. “The borders have not been demarcated,” Col. Aguer said, “and they are occupying what they think the border should be.” The north has never been overly enthusiastic about honoring the south’s independence and has done so mostly because the United States, which helped brokered a 2005 peace agreement between the two sides, indicated that it was willing to lift sanctions on the north and normalize diplomatic relations, if the north played nice in the secession process. This military campaign could ruin all of that………….
- Facebook is at it again. Ever a magnet and target for controversy among its users and the general public every time it changes so much as the font of the menus on its site, Mark Zuckerberg’s baby has incurred an onslaught of concerns over privacy protection after launching its latest feature, which allows users to identify their friends automatically in photos without their permission. This new photo tagging tool, called Tag Suggestions, was put into place in December, but it was listed as unavailable until recently. It works by scanning new photos users upload to their account with facial recognition software to match the people in the photos with other photos in which they might have been previously tagged. Additionally, the app offers "group tagging," which allows users to type in a person's name and "apply it to multiple photos of the same person," according to the official Facebook blog post on Tag Suggestions. All of this would undoubtedly rankle some users regardless of the other aspects of the app, but there’s also the fact that users can do all of this without their friend's permission. There is nothing quite like logging on to Facebook and finding out that someone you kinda, sorta know and are digital friends with has team up with a Facebook app to tag you in a bunch of pictures using facial recognition software. Facebook stated on its blog Tuesday that it has been rolling out Tag Suggestions gradually over the course of several months. It was originally available only in the United States but has now been expanded to several other countries and created controversy there as well. A group of European Union data-protection regulators announced Wednesday they have launched an investigation of Tag Suggestions to see if it violates any privacy rules. Unaware Facebook users may not even know all of this is going on, largely because Tag Suggestions is enabled as an active default setting. Even if a friend tags you in a photo and attaches your name to it, Facebook does not alert you before it posts and that means a person’s name and reputation could be damaged by an embarrassing picture before they ca give or refuse consent. Security experts have also questioned how the app allows Facebook to collect and store data on users, with the primary concerns over what the site may do with that data five or ten years down the road - i.e. selling it to third parties. While facial recognition technology is nothing new and has been used in other photo editing software, such as Apple's iPhoto and Google's Picasa Web Albums, taking any new app or feature to Facebook is a guaranteed recipe for a technological sh*t storm. Of course, anyone willing to read a simple list of instructions and divert two minutes of the time they would have spent tending to their ripening squash crop on their property in FarmVille can turn off the Facebook Facial Recognition Tool by: logging on, clicking on "Account" in the upper right hand corner, selecting "Privacy Settings," clicking on “Custom,” selecting "Customize Settings," choosing “Suggest photos of me to friends" from the "Things others share" section, clicking "Edit Settings" and changing the “Enabled” option on the resulting pop-up window to “Disabled.” After that, it’s a matter of clicking “OK” and your Facebook facial recognition issues are resolved…………
- Wonder if Miami Heat superstars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are laughing now? Or for that matter, why they were laughing in the first place. The high-paid, big-ego pair apparently had themselves a laugh about Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki's sinus infection and fever that emerged as a major storyline as the two teams prepared to square off in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Nowitzki played with a 102-degree fever and played well, making the game clinching basket in an 86-83 Dallas win and several other key plays down the stretch to help even the series at 2-2. The fever and infection lingered a bit for Game 5 but rather than show respect for the man who had just beaten them and was on the verge of leading Dallas to a win in the next game as well, Wade and James had themselves a little laugh party on the way to Thursday morning's shootaround at the American Airlines Center. As they walked from the locker room to the court, Wade and James pretended to cough and wheeze, smiling as they repeatedly covered their mouths with their shirts while Miami CBS affiliate WFOR filmed the entire show. “Whoa, did y'all hear me cough? I think I'm sick," Wade said before turning toward James and laughing. Yeah, very funny. Not nearly as funny as Nowitzki and his sick self caving the Heat’s collective face in with haymaker after haymaker in Game 5 as the Mavs once again capitalized when James went missing and gave his team absolutely nothing in the fourth quarter. Wade received what may have been a bit of karma when he suffered a bruised left hip during a first-quarter collision with Dallas reserve forward Brian Cardinal during the contest, causing him to miss two extended stretches of the game. It didn’t help Wade that he had already said he believed the story of Nowitzki playing through illness and injury had been overblown. "I have respect for him as a great player. I'm not going to get into the injuries," Wade said Wednesday. "Everyone is injured at this time. I'm not going to get into the fun-loving story of him being sick, either. Once you show up on the court, you show up on the court. Everyone is equal.” Fun-loving story of him being sick? Yes, because what’s not a feel-good, laugh-it-up tale of someone rocking a 102-degree fever and looking as if he’s about to pass out every time he sits down on the bench? The true feel-good story was Nowitzki scoring 29 points to help the Mavs take a 3-2 series lead and set up a chance to close out the series and win the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship with a victory in Miami on Sunday night. Now wouldn’t that be funny……….
- Rocker Jack White has never done anything conventionally or normally. His best-known band (of many), the White Stripes, consisted of he and his alleged sister Meg, who were actually husband and wife once upon a time before divorcing but keeping up the brother/sister gag while they were a band. White is known for a signature black bowler hat and curious fashion choices, along with free-flowing, call-out-songs-as-he-goes concerts. He has multiple side projects (the Dead Weather and Raconteurs among them) and owns a chain of record stores as well. So it makes sense that he and his model wife Karen Elson are doing something unique to celebrate their 6-year wedding anniversary - getting a divorce. Not only are the couple divorcing on their anniversary, they’re freaking celebrating it with a massive party. They announced the split in a joint statement that read, "In honor of that time shared, we are throwing a divorce party." Oh, so it’s to honor their time together and not to celebrate the fact that “‘Til death do we part” turned out to be “Until we decide to call it quits after a few years and booze it up to celebrate its ends.” That makes much more sense…..oh wait, no it doesn’t. The party will feature "dancing, photos, memories and drinks with alcohol in them" and goes down Friday night in Nashville. Elson, also a musician, and White have two children together and I’m sure they love the fact that mom and dad are not going to be together any more and apparently aren’t too broken up about it. For White, it is a fitting end to the growing list of relationships that are coming to a close and for everyone else, it’s a chance to booze it up as the divorce rate in the United States continues to climb………
- Now is not a super time to be a member of Sudan’s opposition forces. The northern Sudanese military is going on a “house-to-house” hunt in the embattled city of Kadugli for these brave dissidents and things are especially heated near Sudan’s disputed internal border. The violence has spiraled so much that tens of thousands of people are doing what impoverished people in war-torn African nations seem to be especially good at because they have to do it far too often, fleeing from their homes. United Nations officials confirmed those ugly details Friday and one high-ranking American official said the aggression by the government in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, has “put into grave jeopardy” any chance for normalized relations with the United States. Fighting has been intense and nearly nonstop in Kadugli, the capital of Southern Kordofan — a northern Sudanese state with a large southern Sudanese-aligned population — since it sparked up early Sunday. All of Sudan is looking anxiously for one reason or another to the scheduled separation on July 9 of southern Sudan from the north and per a democratic vote several months ago. Many soldiers from Southern Kordofan fought alongside the south during the decades-long civil war and the future of the state has been in debate since its officials vowed to hold vaguely defined “popular consultations” on its political future this year. Any political solutions seemed to go on hold last week when the northern military deployed tanks and thousands of soldiers to Kadugli to forcibly disarm the southern-allied soldiers there. Oddly enough, these well-trained, grizzled military veterans didn’t take kindly to the gesture and fought back. From there, the violence spread like a bloody, less annoying Rebecca Black YouTube video and many experts believe the military campaign is part of a calculated, deliberate attempt to pressure the south into conceding more oil or money to the north as Sudan prepares to split into two. The marriage will be a tenuous one, as the south holds roughly 75 percent of Sudan’s oil reserves and the north has the refineries and pipelines. That codependence would seem destined to force the two nations into at least a working relationship……the key word being “seem.” The U.N. reports of house-to-house searches in Kadugli were verified by church groups in the Nuba Mountains and U.N. officials said the northern Sudanese military also conducted aerial bombardments on four locations in the area on Thursday. Promises of the organization protecting civilians in the area probably won't do much to assuage fears because……well, it’s the United Nations and no one is afraid of them. “The S.A.F. are trying to consolidate their grip over the town,” said Hua Jiang, a spokeswoman for the United Nations in Sudan, referring the northern Sudanese army. “The fighting has been ongoing. Looting is ongoing, and some of the U.N. agencies’ warehouses and offices have been ransacked. This is a very serious situation.” Elsewhere in Sudan, the northern army allegedly bombed a southern Sudanese military base along the border between the north and south on Thursday. Pundits worry that the situation could quickly and exponentially escalate over the next week if fighting continues unfettered. Those fears are shared by the southern Sudanese military, with Colonel Philip Aguer, a spokesman for the military, warning of grave dangers if the attacks go on. “Definitely it is an attack on southern Sudan, and we are expecting more attacks,” Col. Aguar said. “The borders have not been demarcated,” Col. Aguer said, “and they are occupying what they think the border should be.” The north has never been overly enthusiastic about honoring the south’s independence and has done so mostly because the United States, which helped brokered a 2005 peace agreement between the two sides, indicated that it was willing to lift sanctions on the north and normalize diplomatic relations, if the north played nice in the secession process. This military campaign could ruin all of that………….
- Facebook is at it again. Ever a magnet and target for controversy among its users and the general public every time it changes so much as the font of the menus on its site, Mark Zuckerberg’s baby has incurred an onslaught of concerns over privacy protection after launching its latest feature, which allows users to identify their friends automatically in photos without their permission. This new photo tagging tool, called Tag Suggestions, was put into place in December, but it was listed as unavailable until recently. It works by scanning new photos users upload to their account with facial recognition software to match the people in the photos with other photos in which they might have been previously tagged. Additionally, the app offers "group tagging," which allows users to type in a person's name and "apply it to multiple photos of the same person," according to the official Facebook blog post on Tag Suggestions. All of this would undoubtedly rankle some users regardless of the other aspects of the app, but there’s also the fact that users can do all of this without their friend's permission. There is nothing quite like logging on to Facebook and finding out that someone you kinda, sorta know and are digital friends with has team up with a Facebook app to tag you in a bunch of pictures using facial recognition software. Facebook stated on its blog Tuesday that it has been rolling out Tag Suggestions gradually over the course of several months. It was originally available only in the United States but has now been expanded to several other countries and created controversy there as well. A group of European Union data-protection regulators announced Wednesday they have launched an investigation of Tag Suggestions to see if it violates any privacy rules. Unaware Facebook users may not even know all of this is going on, largely because Tag Suggestions is enabled as an active default setting. Even if a friend tags you in a photo and attaches your name to it, Facebook does not alert you before it posts and that means a person’s name and reputation could be damaged by an embarrassing picture before they ca give or refuse consent. Security experts have also questioned how the app allows Facebook to collect and store data on users, with the primary concerns over what the site may do with that data five or ten years down the road - i.e. selling it to third parties. While facial recognition technology is nothing new and has been used in other photo editing software, such as Apple's iPhoto and Google's Picasa Web Albums, taking any new app or feature to Facebook is a guaranteed recipe for a technological sh*t storm. Of course, anyone willing to read a simple list of instructions and divert two minutes of the time they would have spent tending to their ripening squash crop on their property in FarmVille can turn off the Facebook Facial Recognition Tool by: logging on, clicking on "Account" in the upper right hand corner, selecting "Privacy Settings," clicking on “Custom,” selecting "Customize Settings," choosing “Suggest photos of me to friends" from the "Things others share" section, clicking "Edit Settings" and changing the “Enabled” option on the resulting pop-up window to “Disabled.” After that, it’s a matter of clicking “OK” and your Facebook facial recognition issues are resolved…………
- Wonder if Miami Heat superstars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are laughing now? Or for that matter, why they were laughing in the first place. The high-paid, big-ego pair apparently had themselves a laugh about Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki's sinus infection and fever that emerged as a major storyline as the two teams prepared to square off in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Nowitzki played with a 102-degree fever and played well, making the game clinching basket in an 86-83 Dallas win and several other key plays down the stretch to help even the series at 2-2. The fever and infection lingered a bit for Game 5 but rather than show respect for the man who had just beaten them and was on the verge of leading Dallas to a win in the next game as well, Wade and James had themselves a little laugh party on the way to Thursday morning's shootaround at the American Airlines Center. As they walked from the locker room to the court, Wade and James pretended to cough and wheeze, smiling as they repeatedly covered their mouths with their shirts while Miami CBS affiliate WFOR filmed the entire show. “Whoa, did y'all hear me cough? I think I'm sick," Wade said before turning toward James and laughing. Yeah, very funny. Not nearly as funny as Nowitzki and his sick self caving the Heat’s collective face in with haymaker after haymaker in Game 5 as the Mavs once again capitalized when James went missing and gave his team absolutely nothing in the fourth quarter. Wade received what may have been a bit of karma when he suffered a bruised left hip during a first-quarter collision with Dallas reserve forward Brian Cardinal during the contest, causing him to miss two extended stretches of the game. It didn’t help Wade that he had already said he believed the story of Nowitzki playing through illness and injury had been overblown. "I have respect for him as a great player. I'm not going to get into the injuries," Wade said Wednesday. "Everyone is injured at this time. I'm not going to get into the fun-loving story of him being sick, either. Once you show up on the court, you show up on the court. Everyone is equal.” Fun-loving story of him being sick? Yes, because what’s not a feel-good, laugh-it-up tale of someone rocking a 102-degree fever and looking as if he’s about to pass out every time he sits down on the bench? The true feel-good story was Nowitzki scoring 29 points to help the Mavs take a 3-2 series lead and set up a chance to close out the series and win the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship with a victory in Miami on Sunday night. Now wouldn’t that be funny……….
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Losers seek world records, "Hangover" legal battles and Sox-Yankees good again
- Just when the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees - consistently baseball’s best - was simmering down and becoming stale, Red Sox masher David Ortiz re-ignited the flames by blatantly admiring a home run he hit off Yankees rookie Hector Noesi in a Sox-Yanks game Tuesday night and flipping his bat like he was a participant in the caber toss in some town’s annual Scottish games celebration (and if you don’t know what the caber toss is, look it up and learn). The Sox won Tuesday night by an 11-6 count and won again Wednesday to claim first place in the AL East, but it is Ortiz’s bat flip and the resulting war of words between he and Yankees manager Joe Girardi that most will remember from the series. Girardi ripped Ortiz for the bat flip and suggested it was disrespectful to the Yankees and the game of baseball. Ortiz heard the comments and sounded rather angry. "I don't care what Joe Girardi says," Ortiz said. "Take it like a man. I'm done with that." To further rub salt into the Yankees; wounds, Ortiz smacked another home run Wednesday night in the first inning off Yankees starter A.J. Burnett, then set his bat down on the ground gently. He said after the game he toned things down to avoid stirring up even more trouble. "I don't want to have you guys asking me the same questions. I got almost 370 bombs in the big leagues and everybody wants to make a big deal because I bat-flip one of them,” he told media members after the game. “(Expletive) that (expletive), man. If I have to make that video on my (expletive), let's see how many bat flips I got on this (expletive). Good night." Those comments stood in stark contrast to his words after Tuesday night’s game, in which he smirked, "I mean, it's not my first time, it's not going to be my last time. Big deal. I enjoy the game. I'm a home run hitter. It's not like I do it all the time. It's part of the excitement, you know what I mean? What can I tell you?" Girardi attempted to double back on his initial comments when asked about them Wednesday, going to one of the ultimate sports clichés of accusing the media of taking words out of context and blowing them out of proportion. Still, it’s good to have the Red Sox and Yankees both playing well, hating each other and providing compelling storylines once again………
- As a general rule, elephants are creatures a person does not want to anger. Be they African or Indian, elephants are large, powerful and can squash a person’s head like a grape with a single stomp of one of their feet. The people of India should know this lesson well, but that did not prevent an unfortunate lesson from playing out in the town of Mysore, where some wild elephants went on a rage. The elephants went on the attack after allegedly straying from forests near Muttati, terrorizing the city and causing significant property damage. Locals ran for cover and tried their best to protect their belongings, but stopping an angry elephant (unless his name happens to be Babar) is next to impossible. The only option was to allow local law enforcement to deal with the problem and lean on the forest department to concoct a plan. That plan was executed when the elephants were captured and released the next day into nearby forests. Forest department officials have been on something of an elephant-capturing streak of late, releasing an elephant they had nabbed at Polibetta in Kodagu back into the wild on May 30. An unnamed forest department official insisted the events were nothing out of the ordinary and that there was no major cause for concern. "It is common to release captured elephants in this spot and there are no incidents of fight between elephant herds," the official stated. "It is difficult to predict. But there are no fights between the relocated elephants with the natives," he said. Easy for you to say, random local forest department official. Something tells me this individual wasn’t on the ground in Mysore when the elephant rampage took place. Locals remain concerned over the change of habitat for the twin elephants believed to have strayed even as officials insist the dynamic duo could meet up with another herd and join in as the herd moves along on its merry way. Until then, people of Mysore, live with a wary eye on the horizon…………
- This still isn't resolved? Warner Bros. is still locked in a pitched battle with the Missouri tattoo artist who claims he owns a copyright on the unique tattoo first worn by former boxer Mike Tyson and now (temporarily) adorning actor Ed Helms’ face in "The Hangover: Part II" during its run in theaters? Clearly not, not if Warner Bros. is alerting the judge in the case to plans to digitally alter the faux tat on Helms’ grill for the film’s release on DVD and Blu-ray in December if it can't resolve the ongoing legal battle with the tattoo’s creator S. Victor Whitmill. Whitmill initially attempted to stop the film's release in May but was denied a preliminary injunction. Failing to get the injunction certainly was not the end of the case and now that the movie has since grossed $350 million and climbing worldwide, the battle is likely to get even more intense. The case continued in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry on Thursday and the judge set a jury trial date for February 21, 2012. The primary focus of the case is whether to award Whitmill a permanent injunction against the film's distribution and/or damages for copyright infringement. Looking to begin cashing in as soon as possible, Whitmill and his lawyers had sought a trial in August. Warner Bros. predictably opposed that plan, arguing in court documents that such a quick resolution wasn't necessary because without an agreement, it plans to digitally remove the offending tat from the movie after its theatrical run. Erasing the ink would eliminate any further alleged damages to Whitmill from his copyrighted tattoo appearing in the film, but there would still be the matter of the money made in theaters with it present. “If the parties are unable to resolve their dispute, Warner Bros. does not intend to make any use of the allegedly infringing tattoo after the film ends its run in theaters because Warner Bros. will digitally alter the film to substitute a different tattoo on Ed Helms's face," the court documents stated. The argument was enough to sway Judge Perry, who declined to set a trial date in August. Removing the tattoo would be both ridiculous on some level for the film itself and the studio and also would cost a significant amount of money, but better that than have to chip off a huge chunk of the profits to some tatted-up dude whose idea you stole without giving him credit……….
- You’ve done it again, Guinness Book of World Records. All the goodwill the Guinness name has generated by providing tasty adult beverages to the world has been squandered by this tome of stupidity, which glorifies freaks who grow their fingernails out for 25 years, losers who collect yarn until it can form a ball the size of small home and misfits who have nothing better to do than gather with thousands of other misfits and play the opening lick of “Smoke on the Water” together at some park. The book is constantly inspiring fools everywhere to attempt worthless, pointless stunts of stupidity that neither impress anyone nor make the world a better place in any way, shape or form. For the latest example of this phenomenon, meet Canton, Conn. resident Ed Jarrett, who has broken his own record for the world's tallest sandcastle. The enablers from the GBOWR have certified the monument to loserdom after Jarrett and a team of more than 1,500 volunteers built a 37-foot, 10-inch medieval-style castle at Winding Trails in Farmington with 1.6 million pounds of sand and water. If you haven’t seen pictures of it yet, look to the left side of this page and shake your head in disgust with everyone else. Jarrett has been living out his loserly ways with sand castles since 2003, when he first claimed the record for the tallest sandcastle with a 29-foot structure. Not satisfied with embarrassing himself, his family and anyone who had ever known him he then broke his own record in 2007 with a 31-foot, 6-inch sandcastle before setting out to build one taller than 35 feet. Yes, the goal was raising money for charity, but if the charity in question has any self-respect, it will turn that donation down and insist that only people who are not flaming idiots and who are not making the world a more ridiculous place contribute to their worthy efforts on behalf of whatever underprivileged, abused, neglected or ill group they help………….
- Maybe, just maybe, the damage caused by a heart attack isn't permanent after all. A new study published in the journal Nature found that a drug called thymosin beta 4, if used in advance of a heart attack, was able to "prime" the heart for repair. While cautioning that any treatment in humans was years away the British Heart Foundation (not to be confused with the legendary professional wrestling group the Hart Foundation) described the discovery as the "holy grail of heart research." Overall, advances in health care are decreasing the number of people dying from coronary heart disease. However, the number of people living with heart failure is on the rise - more than 750,000 people suffering from the condition in the UK alone. Researchers at University College London examined a small group of cells which are able to transform into different types of heart tissue in an embryo. In adults, there epicardium-derived progenitor cells line the heart but live in a dormant state. Using thymosin beta 4, the researchers were able to "wake them up.” Professor Paul Riley of the University College London, said: "The adult epicardial cells which line the muscle of the heart can be activated, move inward and give rise to new heart muscle. We saw an improvement in the ejection fraction, in the ability of the heart to pump out blood, of 25 percent." After being revived and pumping more blood, the hearts in the study also saw a reduction in scar tissue and a thickening of their walls. On a cautionary note, much greater improvement was seen in animals than in human heart tissue, but even a small improvement in heart function could have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. The mice in the study needed to take the drug in advance of a heart attack in order for it to be effective, illustrating the so-called “priming effect” of the chemical. If a drug is ever developed for use in human patients, the researchers believe it would need to be prescribed in a similar way to statins. "I could envisage a patient known to be at risk of a heart attack - either because of family history or warning signs spotted by their GP - taking an oral tablet, which would prime their heart so that if they had a heart attack the damage could be repaired," Riley said, theorizing that such a medicine could be available within 10 years. Regardless, the study provides further evidence that drugs could be used to prevent the onset of heart failure, according to the researchers. In related news, in about 10 years you can look forward to commercials pushing a thymosin beta 4-based pill alongside the crank-enhancer pills hawked relentlessly during every televised sporting event…………
- As a general rule, elephants are creatures a person does not want to anger. Be they African or Indian, elephants are large, powerful and can squash a person’s head like a grape with a single stomp of one of their feet. The people of India should know this lesson well, but that did not prevent an unfortunate lesson from playing out in the town of Mysore, where some wild elephants went on a rage. The elephants went on the attack after allegedly straying from forests near Muttati, terrorizing the city and causing significant property damage. Locals ran for cover and tried their best to protect their belongings, but stopping an angry elephant (unless his name happens to be Babar) is next to impossible. The only option was to allow local law enforcement to deal with the problem and lean on the forest department to concoct a plan. That plan was executed when the elephants were captured and released the next day into nearby forests. Forest department officials have been on something of an elephant-capturing streak of late, releasing an elephant they had nabbed at Polibetta in Kodagu back into the wild on May 30. An unnamed forest department official insisted the events were nothing out of the ordinary and that there was no major cause for concern. "It is common to release captured elephants in this spot and there are no incidents of fight between elephant herds," the official stated. "It is difficult to predict. But there are no fights between the relocated elephants with the natives," he said. Easy for you to say, random local forest department official. Something tells me this individual wasn’t on the ground in Mysore when the elephant rampage took place. Locals remain concerned over the change of habitat for the twin elephants believed to have strayed even as officials insist the dynamic duo could meet up with another herd and join in as the herd moves along on its merry way. Until then, people of Mysore, live with a wary eye on the horizon…………
- This still isn't resolved? Warner Bros. is still locked in a pitched battle with the Missouri tattoo artist who claims he owns a copyright on the unique tattoo first worn by former boxer Mike Tyson and now (temporarily) adorning actor Ed Helms’ face in "The Hangover: Part II" during its run in theaters? Clearly not, not if Warner Bros. is alerting the judge in the case to plans to digitally alter the faux tat on Helms’ grill for the film’s release on DVD and Blu-ray in December if it can't resolve the ongoing legal battle with the tattoo’s creator S. Victor Whitmill. Whitmill initially attempted to stop the film's release in May but was denied a preliminary injunction. Failing to get the injunction certainly was not the end of the case and now that the movie has since grossed $350 million and climbing worldwide, the battle is likely to get even more intense. The case continued in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry on Thursday and the judge set a jury trial date for February 21, 2012. The primary focus of the case is whether to award Whitmill a permanent injunction against the film's distribution and/or damages for copyright infringement. Looking to begin cashing in as soon as possible, Whitmill and his lawyers had sought a trial in August. Warner Bros. predictably opposed that plan, arguing in court documents that such a quick resolution wasn't necessary because without an agreement, it plans to digitally remove the offending tat from the movie after its theatrical run. Erasing the ink would eliminate any further alleged damages to Whitmill from his copyrighted tattoo appearing in the film, but there would still be the matter of the money made in theaters with it present. “If the parties are unable to resolve their dispute, Warner Bros. does not intend to make any use of the allegedly infringing tattoo after the film ends its run in theaters because Warner Bros. will digitally alter the film to substitute a different tattoo on Ed Helms's face," the court documents stated. The argument was enough to sway Judge Perry, who declined to set a trial date in August. Removing the tattoo would be both ridiculous on some level for the film itself and the studio and also would cost a significant amount of money, but better that than have to chip off a huge chunk of the profits to some tatted-up dude whose idea you stole without giving him credit……….
- You’ve done it again, Guinness Book of World Records. All the goodwill the Guinness name has generated by providing tasty adult beverages to the world has been squandered by this tome of stupidity, which glorifies freaks who grow their fingernails out for 25 years, losers who collect yarn until it can form a ball the size of small home and misfits who have nothing better to do than gather with thousands of other misfits and play the opening lick of “Smoke on the Water” together at some park. The book is constantly inspiring fools everywhere to attempt worthless, pointless stunts of stupidity that neither impress anyone nor make the world a better place in any way, shape or form. For the latest example of this phenomenon, meet Canton, Conn. resident Ed Jarrett, who has broken his own record for the world's tallest sandcastle. The enablers from the GBOWR have certified the monument to loserdom after Jarrett and a team of more than 1,500 volunteers built a 37-foot, 10-inch medieval-style castle at Winding Trails in Farmington with 1.6 million pounds of sand and water. If you haven’t seen pictures of it yet, look to the left side of this page and shake your head in disgust with everyone else. Jarrett has been living out his loserly ways with sand castles since 2003, when he first claimed the record for the tallest sandcastle with a 29-foot structure. Not satisfied with embarrassing himself, his family and anyone who had ever known him he then broke his own record in 2007 with a 31-foot, 6-inch sandcastle before setting out to build one taller than 35 feet. Yes, the goal was raising money for charity, but if the charity in question has any self-respect, it will turn that donation down and insist that only people who are not flaming idiots and who are not making the world a more ridiculous place contribute to their worthy efforts on behalf of whatever underprivileged, abused, neglected or ill group they help………….
- Maybe, just maybe, the damage caused by a heart attack isn't permanent after all. A new study published in the journal Nature found that a drug called thymosin beta 4, if used in advance of a heart attack, was able to "prime" the heart for repair. While cautioning that any treatment in humans was years away the British Heart Foundation (not to be confused with the legendary professional wrestling group the Hart Foundation) described the discovery as the "holy grail of heart research." Overall, advances in health care are decreasing the number of people dying from coronary heart disease. However, the number of people living with heart failure is on the rise - more than 750,000 people suffering from the condition in the UK alone. Researchers at University College London examined a small group of cells which are able to transform into different types of heart tissue in an embryo. In adults, there epicardium-derived progenitor cells line the heart but live in a dormant state. Using thymosin beta 4, the researchers were able to "wake them up.” Professor Paul Riley of the University College London, said: "The adult epicardial cells which line the muscle of the heart can be activated, move inward and give rise to new heart muscle. We saw an improvement in the ejection fraction, in the ability of the heart to pump out blood, of 25 percent." After being revived and pumping more blood, the hearts in the study also saw a reduction in scar tissue and a thickening of their walls. On a cautionary note, much greater improvement was seen in animals than in human heart tissue, but even a small improvement in heart function could have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. The mice in the study needed to take the drug in advance of a heart attack in order for it to be effective, illustrating the so-called “priming effect” of the chemical. If a drug is ever developed for use in human patients, the researchers believe it would need to be prescribed in a similar way to statins. "I could envisage a patient known to be at risk of a heart attack - either because of family history or warning signs spotted by their GP - taking an oral tablet, which would prime their heart so that if they had a heart attack the damage could be repaired," Riley said, theorizing that such a medicine could be available within 10 years. Regardless, the study provides further evidence that drugs could be used to prevent the onset of heart failure, according to the researchers. In related news, in about 10 years you can look forward to commercials pushing a thymosin beta 4-based pill alongside the crank-enhancer pills hawked relentlessly during every televised sporting event…………
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
CSI concerns, communist get togethers and raging Miami police
- The top job on CBS’ hit crime scene drama CSI just isn't as appealing as it once was. For the first nine years, William Petersen held down the job aptly and helped make the show successful enough to spawn approximately 15 spinoffs (estimated). When Petersen left after the show’s ninth season, the producers took a big swing and landed Laurence Fishburne, who did an admirable job keeping the Las Vegas team intact with his portrayal of Raymond Langston. Unfortunately, the ratings never rebounded to their pre-Fishburne levels and the show finished this past season with a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49, ranking No. 30. Coming off those disappointing numbers, CBS announced it was moving the series from Thursdays to a more protected slot on Wednesdays to take on another show that has lost its leading man and most of its viewership, NBC’s Law & Order: SVU. Not long after that news broke, word leaked that Fishburne is out and no replacement has been chosen. Ironically, the best news for the original CSI this point is the sagging ratings of its primary spinoffs, CSI: New York and CSI: Miami, both of which are fading fast in the ratings and could be canceled within a year. Knowing the original version of the show may soon be all it has left, CBS is working behind the scenes to fill the void created by Fishburne’s departure. The network could repeat the decision to select a big-name, big-money star and hope that person sticks at least as long as Petersen, or hand the reins to one of the show’s long-tenured men-in-waiting, like actor George Eads, who has been with the show for its entire run and seems ready to take over the lead role. Even with that option, adding another star would be a must to help combat sagging ratings. Some big names are definitely on the free agent market, actors like Jimmy Smits (whose NBC drama Outlaw failed after one season, Chris Meloni (couldn’t reach a deal with NBC to remain on SVU. Michael Chiklis (also had a freshman drama, No Ordinary Family, crash and burn on ABC) and Terry O’Quinn, who has mostly been laying low since Lost went off the air. Regardless of who it selects, CBS definitely needs to hit on the selection or it could soon be without any CSI franchises for the first time this millennium (and that means you too, CSI: Fargo)…………
- Does it greatly worry anyone else that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is taking secretive trips into China aboard his armored train? The despot’s voyage took him to Chinese companies making cars, electronics, information technology and solar panels. When news of the visit leaked, many experts suggested it was a sign that the Chinese government, which has consistently supported him, is growing worried about North Korea’s recent economic struggles and wants answers. This time around, K.J. Il (a great rap name by the way) was reportedly much more open to seeking economic co-operation with China. However, expecting China-style changes to North Korea’s economy is probably a stretch because North Korea is in a much more precarious position internationally than China was when it began its major reforms. On the other hand, North Korea is staring down the barrel of its most severe famines in years and has the added problem of South Korea and the United States withholding food shipments because of the North's attacks against the South, its human rights violations and banishment of humanitarian workers who were overseeing fair distribution of food aid. Kurt Campbell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, traveled to Beijing Wednesday and then on to Seoul to discuss the North Korean situation among other issues. Food shortages have been a major problem in North Korea for decades and between 900,000 and 3.5 million North Koreans starved to death in the 1990s, according to the United Nations. On top of that, a report last month from the U.N. World Food Program stated that more than 6 million of North Korea's 24 million people urgently need food aid. Five U.S.-based aid groups visited North Korea in February and cited decreased cop production as a major issue. South Korea has shipped millions of tons or rice to the North in the past, but halted the practice this year on account of the North launching military attacks against a South Korean island and sinking a South Korean warship. Is all of this enough to convince K.J. Il that he needs to relinquish some state control of the economy, as China has done? Probably not, but communists still need to stick together…………
- Anyone who has lost focus on Google’s quest for world domination may want to start paying attention again because the campaign is once again kicking into high gear with the release of the company’s Chrome 12 browser, including a tool to prevent downloading suspicious files. The new version of Chrome includes the capability to alert (clueless) users before they download suspected malicious files, which will help protect individuals and businesses from malware until hackers get to work and find dozens of ways to work around the new feature and wreak havoc anyhow. But for now, users can feel a nice, false sense of security by using Safe Browsing API, in which Chrome users when they are visiting a potentially harmful website. Another new feature of Chrome 12 is improved control of what data websites store about your computer, including the ability to delete Flash cookies from inside Chrome. For aesthetics, the hardware-accelerated 3D CSS will add higher quality graphics to websites and apps that integrate 3D effects. In order to keep Chrome 12 hack-proof for as long as possible, Google has also paid nearly $10,000 to researchers that found bugs and exploits in the browser’s code. The payday was especially nice for researcher Sergey Glazunov, who was paid a total of $5,133.70 for finding three bugs. Other hackers, er, um, researchers found vulnerabilities Google characterized as “high” and were also handsomely rewarded. Shoring up security would probably be a wise endeavor as Chrome now has 160 million users and its share of the world browser market grow exponentially over the past year. One year ago, Chrome had 7.05 percent of browser share. As of last month, that number has grown to 12.52 percent, compared to 7.28 for Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox, all of them lagging inexplicably behind Microsoft’s crap-tacular Internet Explorer, which somehow leads the market with 54.27 percent of users. Actually, that phenomenon isn't difficult to explain. Too many computer simpletons use inferior PC’s and Internet Explorer comes standard on all of them………….
- Not everyone in Miami is in a feel-good mood as the Heat make a run at their second NBA championship in the past five years. Police on Miami Beach seem to be in an especially bad mood - if you believe a witness who claims that officers smashed his smartphone after he witnessed and recorded a fatal shooting on the device. The police department has already come out and disputed d Narces Benoit's claim that his phone was crushed by an officer last week after he recorded a video of the fatal shooting. To retort the claim, they released photos of the phone in question, saying they demonstrate the phone is only slightly damaged, "and it is unknown when this damage occurred." Benoit’s video shows gunfire breaking out and officers firing on a car. Their target was an erratic driver on Memorial day who died as a result of wounds sustained in the shooting. The case quickly went national after Benoit's video and others became public. In the video, officers are seen instructing Benoit to stop filming and one officer shouts indecipherably at Benoit before pointing his gun directly at the camera and backing away. Benoit claims that officers smashed his phone and the phones of other witnesses as well, claims his girlfriend - also at the scene - backed up. Police claimed Monday they received no other complaints of damaged property but did take several phones from witnesses for the purpose of obtaining evidence. "Any and all video of the incident is crucial to the investigation, and it is not unusual for police to secure any video that may have evidentiary value," the official statement said. A local television station, WPLG, confirmed that police confiscated a camera form one of their photographers and later returned it. Not only did the police department call Benoit a liar, but it also defended officers’ handling of his situation, saying he was detained because he "matched the description of one of the subjects just reported fleeing the scene and, further, because he ignored repeated commands as he quickly walked towards and entered his vehicle." That sounds drastically different than the tale Benoit is telling because in his story, he was following an officer's instructions to get back into his truck only to be ripped from it, hurled to the ground and handcuffed shortly thereafter. As for the case itself, Miami Beach police say they are still investigating the shooting. The victim, Raymond Herisse was stopped in his car at 4 a.m. on Memorial Day but drove away after an altercation, police said. A video allegedly of the incident was posted on YouTube and shows Herisse’s car moving erratically as it comes to a stop at an intersection. Dozens of bystanders scatter as officers surround the car with guns draw. Herisse was killed in the exchange and four bystanders were injured by gunfire, according to police. What happened next is up for dispute…………
- Up-and-coming stars in any sport need to learn valuable lessons from the veterans who have gone before them and Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward is going to get that sort of tutelage from third baseman Chipper Jones whether he likes it or not. Jones, who has been the franchise’s most popular player for more than a decade, took notice when Heyward was eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday but did not do so because he hasn't swung a bat in more than two weeks. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said his young star is still a few days away from hitting off a tee and Heyward said he did not want to return until he's completely healthy. That didn’t sit well with Jones, who said the young slugger needs to realize how important he is to the Braves, even if he isn't 100 percent and also what it takes to play through pain. “I think where Jason might have erred was the comment that he made, 'I'm not coming back until it doesn't hurt anymore.' That has a tendency to rub people the wrong way," Jones stated. "And we understand where he's coming from -- he wants to be healthy when he plays, so he can go out and give himself the best opportunity to be successful. I get that. What Jason needs to realize is that Jason at 80 percent is a force, and Jason at 80 percent is better than a lot of people in this league. And that there are a bunch of his teammates that are out there playing with discomfort and not healthy, and still going at it." Jones’ comments come as the Braves trail the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East by three games and are trying to keep pace in the NL East race. Heyward is a key part of the offense, but has had been in pain since spring training. Two MRIs have found inflammation of the shoulder but no major problems, prompting Jones’ remarks. Playing in pain, Heyward has batted just .214 with seven homers and 14 RBIs in 45 games after finishing second in 2010 NL Rookie of the Year voting when he hit .277 with 18 home runs and 72 RBIs. At his current pace he won’t match those numbers, but if he takes Jones’ words to heart and makes the recommended changes, the future could be more successful (and possibly more pain-riddled) for Heyward. Hurting or not, the Braves would certainly be glad to have him back in the lineup………..
- Does it greatly worry anyone else that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is taking secretive trips into China aboard his armored train? The despot’s voyage took him to Chinese companies making cars, electronics, information technology and solar panels. When news of the visit leaked, many experts suggested it was a sign that the Chinese government, which has consistently supported him, is growing worried about North Korea’s recent economic struggles and wants answers. This time around, K.J. Il (a great rap name by the way) was reportedly much more open to seeking economic co-operation with China. However, expecting China-style changes to North Korea’s economy is probably a stretch because North Korea is in a much more precarious position internationally than China was when it began its major reforms. On the other hand, North Korea is staring down the barrel of its most severe famines in years and has the added problem of South Korea and the United States withholding food shipments because of the North's attacks against the South, its human rights violations and banishment of humanitarian workers who were overseeing fair distribution of food aid. Kurt Campbell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, traveled to Beijing Wednesday and then on to Seoul to discuss the North Korean situation among other issues. Food shortages have been a major problem in North Korea for decades and between 900,000 and 3.5 million North Koreans starved to death in the 1990s, according to the United Nations. On top of that, a report last month from the U.N. World Food Program stated that more than 6 million of North Korea's 24 million people urgently need food aid. Five U.S.-based aid groups visited North Korea in February and cited decreased cop production as a major issue. South Korea has shipped millions of tons or rice to the North in the past, but halted the practice this year on account of the North launching military attacks against a South Korean island and sinking a South Korean warship. Is all of this enough to convince K.J. Il that he needs to relinquish some state control of the economy, as China has done? Probably not, but communists still need to stick together…………
- Anyone who has lost focus on Google’s quest for world domination may want to start paying attention again because the campaign is once again kicking into high gear with the release of the company’s Chrome 12 browser, including a tool to prevent downloading suspicious files. The new version of Chrome includes the capability to alert (clueless) users before they download suspected malicious files, which will help protect individuals and businesses from malware until hackers get to work and find dozens of ways to work around the new feature and wreak havoc anyhow. But for now, users can feel a nice, false sense of security by using Safe Browsing API, in which Chrome users when they are visiting a potentially harmful website. Another new feature of Chrome 12 is improved control of what data websites store about your computer, including the ability to delete Flash cookies from inside Chrome. For aesthetics, the hardware-accelerated 3D CSS will add higher quality graphics to websites and apps that integrate 3D effects. In order to keep Chrome 12 hack-proof for as long as possible, Google has also paid nearly $10,000 to researchers that found bugs and exploits in the browser’s code. The payday was especially nice for researcher Sergey Glazunov, who was paid a total of $5,133.70 for finding three bugs. Other hackers, er, um, researchers found vulnerabilities Google characterized as “high” and were also handsomely rewarded. Shoring up security would probably be a wise endeavor as Chrome now has 160 million users and its share of the world browser market grow exponentially over the past year. One year ago, Chrome had 7.05 percent of browser share. As of last month, that number has grown to 12.52 percent, compared to 7.28 for Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox, all of them lagging inexplicably behind Microsoft’s crap-tacular Internet Explorer, which somehow leads the market with 54.27 percent of users. Actually, that phenomenon isn't difficult to explain. Too many computer simpletons use inferior PC’s and Internet Explorer comes standard on all of them………….
- Not everyone in Miami is in a feel-good mood as the Heat make a run at their second NBA championship in the past five years. Police on Miami Beach seem to be in an especially bad mood - if you believe a witness who claims that officers smashed his smartphone after he witnessed and recorded a fatal shooting on the device. The police department has already come out and disputed d Narces Benoit's claim that his phone was crushed by an officer last week after he recorded a video of the fatal shooting. To retort the claim, they released photos of the phone in question, saying they demonstrate the phone is only slightly damaged, "and it is unknown when this damage occurred." Benoit’s video shows gunfire breaking out and officers firing on a car. Their target was an erratic driver on Memorial day who died as a result of wounds sustained in the shooting. The case quickly went national after Benoit's video and others became public. In the video, officers are seen instructing Benoit to stop filming and one officer shouts indecipherably at Benoit before pointing his gun directly at the camera and backing away. Benoit claims that officers smashed his phone and the phones of other witnesses as well, claims his girlfriend - also at the scene - backed up. Police claimed Monday they received no other complaints of damaged property but did take several phones from witnesses for the purpose of obtaining evidence. "Any and all video of the incident is crucial to the investigation, and it is not unusual for police to secure any video that may have evidentiary value," the official statement said. A local television station, WPLG, confirmed that police confiscated a camera form one of their photographers and later returned it. Not only did the police department call Benoit a liar, but it also defended officers’ handling of his situation, saying he was detained because he "matched the description of one of the subjects just reported fleeing the scene and, further, because he ignored repeated commands as he quickly walked towards and entered his vehicle." That sounds drastically different than the tale Benoit is telling because in his story, he was following an officer's instructions to get back into his truck only to be ripped from it, hurled to the ground and handcuffed shortly thereafter. As for the case itself, Miami Beach police say they are still investigating the shooting. The victim, Raymond Herisse was stopped in his car at 4 a.m. on Memorial Day but drove away after an altercation, police said. A video allegedly of the incident was posted on YouTube and shows Herisse’s car moving erratically as it comes to a stop at an intersection. Dozens of bystanders scatter as officers surround the car with guns draw. Herisse was killed in the exchange and four bystanders were injured by gunfire, according to police. What happened next is up for dispute…………
- Up-and-coming stars in any sport need to learn valuable lessons from the veterans who have gone before them and Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward is going to get that sort of tutelage from third baseman Chipper Jones whether he likes it or not. Jones, who has been the franchise’s most popular player for more than a decade, took notice when Heyward was eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday but did not do so because he hasn't swung a bat in more than two weeks. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said his young star is still a few days away from hitting off a tee and Heyward said he did not want to return until he's completely healthy. That didn’t sit well with Jones, who said the young slugger needs to realize how important he is to the Braves, even if he isn't 100 percent and also what it takes to play through pain. “I think where Jason might have erred was the comment that he made, 'I'm not coming back until it doesn't hurt anymore.' That has a tendency to rub people the wrong way," Jones stated. "And we understand where he's coming from -- he wants to be healthy when he plays, so he can go out and give himself the best opportunity to be successful. I get that. What Jason needs to realize is that Jason at 80 percent is a force, and Jason at 80 percent is better than a lot of people in this league. And that there are a bunch of his teammates that are out there playing with discomfort and not healthy, and still going at it." Jones’ comments come as the Braves trail the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East by three games and are trying to keep pace in the NL East race. Heyward is a key part of the offense, but has had been in pain since spring training. Two MRIs have found inflammation of the shoulder but no major problems, prompting Jones’ remarks. Playing in pain, Heyward has batted just .214 with seven homers and 14 RBIs in 45 games after finishing second in 2010 NL Rookie of the Year voting when he hit .277 with 18 home runs and 72 RBIs. At his current pace he won’t match those numbers, but if he takes Jones’ words to heart and makes the recommended changes, the future could be more successful (and possibly more pain-riddled) for Heyward. Hurting or not, the Braves would certainly be glad to have him back in the lineup………..
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Empty jails, more reasons not to smoke and Little League baseball + gunfire
- Typically, an unnecessary jail would be a positive thing. Not having any convicted criminals to jam into 8x10 cells and feed three square meals to per day on metal cafeteria trays should be a good thing……unless you’re a resident or government official in Thurston County, Wash. After the county went to the expense of building a large, modern prison to house society’s riffraff until they are deemed fit to re-enter society, the new jail is unoccupied and costing the county a significant amount of money. With no prisoners, the expenses for the facility are nearly $300,000 and that has many locals irate. "It can be a little painful to write a check for $275,000 dollars every year just to keep an empty building running so that you do protect your investment," said Karen Valenzuela, chairwoman of the Thurston County Commission. So why is the jail empty? Was it some great oversight or planning error that created a supposed need for a jail that has turned out to be a total waste? The facility was supposed to control overflow of the current jail; an old, cramped building where inmates sometimes have to sleep on the floor. So far, the prison population at the current correctional facility has never surged enough to necessitate use of the new one. "Right now, the population goes up and down depending on the time of the year and coming into this summer we know it's going to be busy," said Tim Braniff, Thurston County undersheriff. Yes, but busy enough to justify spending more than a quarter of a million dollars annually to operate an unused jail? Worse still, construction of the new facility was wrapping up just as the nation’s economy went into the tank, making the financial hole it has become that much more painful. The county doesn’t have enough money to hire staff to work at the facility. Ironically, the county commissioners are looking to spend as much as $161,000 "to hire a nationally known consultant with great expertise in corrections and corrections issues to help us look at a whole range of options we might think about use for this jail space," Valenzuela said. Money for the expense will come from scaled-back construction projects elsewhere in the county. Perhaps all of that cash could be saved if the government would accept the recommendation of the sheriff’s office that the facility to become a stand-alone jail. A final report from the consultant isn't expected until October and a solution is projected to come no sooner than January. Of course, paying some local meth head $500 bucks on the sly to burn down the facility and reap the whirlwind of insurance money and expenses saved from not having to operate the building any longer could also be an option…………
- The void has been created and one overly perky face is planning to step up and fill it. Oprah is gone from the world of daytime talk and someone has to step up to give away free crap and introduce guests with a hilariously exaggerated, theatrical voice. Former CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric believes she is that person and on Monday, while in the midst of a press hour, she announced that she will host a daytime TV show for ABC in September 2012. “It’s gonna be topical, it’s gonna be live, you know, hopefully it will deal with various issues,” Couric said in an interview on Jay Leno’s late-night talk show. "It'll be sort of a little bit of what Oprah did. Obviously, no one can ever fill Oprah's shoes, but some of the things that she did on her show, some of the things we used to do on the Today show." She added that she is "really looking forward” to the show because “creatively, it's such an exciting challenge for me and I think I'm better at interacting and talking to people and synthesizing complicated subjects -- I hope -- and you know doing interviews that require some empathy.” In truth, daytime talk is likely a much better fit for Couric than the evening news, where her inexplicably cheerful personality didn’t jibe well with the more somber, straight-laced hard news approach such a broadcast demands most of the time. She admitted as much to Leno, saying it “was hard to do that in that very structured format." The new, still-untitled show “will be serious at times, obviously informative and fun.” Couric promised it would not be a news show, but rather more human interest and profile pieces of interesting individuals. Those individuals will undoubtedly be faced with some serious perkiness and creepy smiles, as per Couric’s typical M.O. Of course, Oprah isn't completely gone from the world she has long ruled. Her new OWN network boasts so similar programming to the show Couric is set to host and Winfrey herself also has a show on the network, albeit much different than her syndicated daytime talk show she hosted for more than two decades. But at least now, we can all look forward to Katie Couric looking happily into the camera, raising her voice several octaves and shouting, “Pleeeeeeeeassse WELLLLLLCOMMMEE……….TOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM CAH-RUUUUUUUISEE”…………..
- You can have my enriched uranium when you pry it from my cold, dead, dictatorial hands! That’s the message Iranian dictator/despot/all-around bad guy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is sending to the world as multiple world powers attempt to talk him down off the nuclear ledge. No possible offer from any country will convince Iran to stop enriching uranium, Ahmadinejad said at a Tuesday news conference. The news conference came just one day after the United Nations' atomic watchdog said there was new evidence about possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear work. Armed with a fresh dose of rage and defiance, Ahmadinejad accused IAEA chief Yukiya Amano of being a puppet carrying out the United States’ orders and saying Amano’s comments had "no legal value," which makes little sense but was said in a very angry tone. "With America's orders (the IAEA) has written some things in a report that are against the law and against the agency's regulations. These have no legal value and aside from harming the agency's reputation it will have no other effect," Ahmadinejad fumed. He and his sycophants are still selling the same line of delusional bullsh*t as always about their nuclear program being entirely peaceful and for energy purposes only. Operating under that misguided notion, Iran has maintained that all international sanctions aimed at persuading it to halt uranium enrichment are illegal. Amano seemed to disagree Monday when he claimed his agency had received "further information related to possible past or current undisclosed nuclear-related activities that seem to point to the existence of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program.” During his anti-world rant, Ahmadinejad also denied suggestions that international sanctions are adversely affecting Iran’s economy and have had no effect on its unwillingness to relinquish its “sovereign right to enrich uranium.” Never mind the fact that a confrontation, belligerent national led by a raging, megalomaniacal despot admits to engaging in a process that can make fuel for power plants or, if processed much further, provide bomb material, just toss that aside. "We will continue our path," Ahmadinejad said, while insisting out the other side of his mouth that Iran would continue to cooperate with the IAEA "as long as they move based on justice.” His mood seemed worse for having been a part of talks with major world powers over the past week in which those powers sought an end to the nuclear impasse. Asked about potential offers swaying Iran’s nuclear plans, Ahmadinejad answered with the one word: "No.” Glad to see the cooperative spirit is alive and well in Iran………..
- Reason to stop smoking No. 7,455,144,101: A new study published in the latest issue of Annals of Internal Medicine found that women who smoke are much more likely than non-smokers to develop clogged arteries in the legs. Better still, female smokers can still lower those odds drastically by quitting. Researchers discovered that female subjects were up to 17 times more likely than non-smokers to develop peripheral artery disease (PAD). An estimated 8 million Americans currently suffer from PAD, which usually results from atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, restricting blood flow to the legs. The primary symptom is typically leg pain or cramps during normal activities, like walking. PAD sufferers also tend to have widespread atherosclerosis, including coronary heart disease—where arteries supplying blood to the heart become narrowed and stiff. Links between smoking and heart disease are well-documented, but very few studies have focused on the connection between smoking and PAD. The good news for women who smoke - and there tends to be very little of that sort of thing - is that those who kicked the habit appeared to lower their risk of PAD, although they did not eliminate it. "Our most important finding, in my view, is that smoking cessation substantially reduces this risk," said lead researcher Dr. David Conen, of the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. "We found a gradual decrease in risk with an increased duration of smoking abstinence, highlighting the importance of smoking cessation.” When compared with lifelong non-smokers, former smokers had three times the risk of developing PAD over than span of a decade. Those numbers are alarming, but not as alarming as those of current smokers. These sorry souls were in much greater danger, with those who smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes a day had a nine-fold higher risk of PAD than lifelong non-smokers, while those who lit up more often had a risk factor 17-times higher than non-smokers. “Clearly, our study adds one more reason to quit smoking as soon as possible," Conen said, stating the blatantly obvious. “The fact that the risk of PAD does not get down to that of women who never smoked also emphasizes the importance that never starting smoking is at least as important." The research used data from a long-running study of U.S. women who were age 45 or older and free of heart disease and other major health problems at the outset. Of the 40,000 women researchers in that study followed for 13 years, 178 were eventually diagnosed with PAD. Heavy smokers (15 or more cigarettes per day) were the most PAD-stricken, with a rate of 1.6 cases for every 1,000 women each year. By contrast, there were 0.1 cases for every 1,000 women each year among lifelong non-smokers. Even after Conen's team accounted for other PAD risk factors, like older age, obesity and diabetes, smoking itself was still strongly linked to the disease. The researchers also gained valuable insights as to why smoking might lead to PAD. By analyzing blood samples from a subgroup of women, Conen’s team found high levels of certain inflammatory proteins accounted for some of the risk linked to smoking. They theorized that this leads to smoking-induced PAD in part due to chronic inflammation in the blood vessels. While all of this data is a lot to process, the bottom line is simple: Smoking is still for losers and if you do it, you need to stop - IMMEDIATELY…………
- Who doesn’t love their Little League baseball with a dash of gunfire and a hint of danger? The parents and league officials in Worcester, Mass., for one. Instead of embracing the addition of some real-life danger and excitement to their children’s Little League games, these worrywarts shut the league down temporarily last week after gunfire in the neighborhood sent players, parents and umpires racing for cover inside the clubhouse. Whether it was someone testing their new firearm, just squeezing off a few rounds into the air because it’s fun, robbing a liquor store or knee-capping a gang rival, league officials weren’t taking any chances. Although no one was hurt, play was suspended. It wasn’t until Monday that Tom Ash Little League officers and parents of players voted to continue playing after police and the district attorney promised a stepped up law enforcement presence in the neighborhood at a meeting Monday night attended by about 200 people. Deputy Police Chief Steven Sargent promised a heightened and extremely visible police presence in the neighborhood to reassure parents and players. The Tom Ash Little League could have merely accepted offers from other youth baseball leagues in the city and surrounding towns to let the league use their fields, but those involved elected to stay where they were and to quote Tom Petty, “won’t back down.” Indeed, the announcement of the vote in favor of resuming play was met with cheers and games are expected to resume this week. Why there was no vote on bulletproof vests for the players and coaches isn't clear, but more police officers patrolling the area should be a nice alternative. Nothing screams “joy of playing the game you love” quite like uniformed officers stationed beyond the outfield fence, at the snack shack and behind the dugouts just to so gun-toting yahoo decides to open fire and send everyone scurrying for cover again…………
- The void has been created and one overly perky face is planning to step up and fill it. Oprah is gone from the world of daytime talk and someone has to step up to give away free crap and introduce guests with a hilariously exaggerated, theatrical voice. Former CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric believes she is that person and on Monday, while in the midst of a press hour, she announced that she will host a daytime TV show for ABC in September 2012. “It’s gonna be topical, it’s gonna be live, you know, hopefully it will deal with various issues,” Couric said in an interview on Jay Leno’s late-night talk show. "It'll be sort of a little bit of what Oprah did. Obviously, no one can ever fill Oprah's shoes, but some of the things that she did on her show, some of the things we used to do on the Today show." She added that she is "really looking forward” to the show because “creatively, it's such an exciting challenge for me and I think I'm better at interacting and talking to people and synthesizing complicated subjects -- I hope -- and you know doing interviews that require some empathy.” In truth, daytime talk is likely a much better fit for Couric than the evening news, where her inexplicably cheerful personality didn’t jibe well with the more somber, straight-laced hard news approach such a broadcast demands most of the time. She admitted as much to Leno, saying it “was hard to do that in that very structured format." The new, still-untitled show “will be serious at times, obviously informative and fun.” Couric promised it would not be a news show, but rather more human interest and profile pieces of interesting individuals. Those individuals will undoubtedly be faced with some serious perkiness and creepy smiles, as per Couric’s typical M.O. Of course, Oprah isn't completely gone from the world she has long ruled. Her new OWN network boasts so similar programming to the show Couric is set to host and Winfrey herself also has a show on the network, albeit much different than her syndicated daytime talk show she hosted for more than two decades. But at least now, we can all look forward to Katie Couric looking happily into the camera, raising her voice several octaves and shouting, “Pleeeeeeeeassse WELLLLLLCOMMMEE……….TOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM CAH-RUUUUUUUISEE”…………..
- You can have my enriched uranium when you pry it from my cold, dead, dictatorial hands! That’s the message Iranian dictator/despot/all-around bad guy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is sending to the world as multiple world powers attempt to talk him down off the nuclear ledge. No possible offer from any country will convince Iran to stop enriching uranium, Ahmadinejad said at a Tuesday news conference. The news conference came just one day after the United Nations' atomic watchdog said there was new evidence about possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear work. Armed with a fresh dose of rage and defiance, Ahmadinejad accused IAEA chief Yukiya Amano of being a puppet carrying out the United States’ orders and saying Amano’s comments had "no legal value," which makes little sense but was said in a very angry tone. "With America's orders (the IAEA) has written some things in a report that are against the law and against the agency's regulations. These have no legal value and aside from harming the agency's reputation it will have no other effect," Ahmadinejad fumed. He and his sycophants are still selling the same line of delusional bullsh*t as always about their nuclear program being entirely peaceful and for energy purposes only. Operating under that misguided notion, Iran has maintained that all international sanctions aimed at persuading it to halt uranium enrichment are illegal. Amano seemed to disagree Monday when he claimed his agency had received "further information related to possible past or current undisclosed nuclear-related activities that seem to point to the existence of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program.” During his anti-world rant, Ahmadinejad also denied suggestions that international sanctions are adversely affecting Iran’s economy and have had no effect on its unwillingness to relinquish its “sovereign right to enrich uranium.” Never mind the fact that a confrontation, belligerent national led by a raging, megalomaniacal despot admits to engaging in a process that can make fuel for power plants or, if processed much further, provide bomb material, just toss that aside. "We will continue our path," Ahmadinejad said, while insisting out the other side of his mouth that Iran would continue to cooperate with the IAEA "as long as they move based on justice.” His mood seemed worse for having been a part of talks with major world powers over the past week in which those powers sought an end to the nuclear impasse. Asked about potential offers swaying Iran’s nuclear plans, Ahmadinejad answered with the one word: "No.” Glad to see the cooperative spirit is alive and well in Iran………..
- Reason to stop smoking No. 7,455,144,101: A new study published in the latest issue of Annals of Internal Medicine found that women who smoke are much more likely than non-smokers to develop clogged arteries in the legs. Better still, female smokers can still lower those odds drastically by quitting. Researchers discovered that female subjects were up to 17 times more likely than non-smokers to develop peripheral artery disease (PAD). An estimated 8 million Americans currently suffer from PAD, which usually results from atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, restricting blood flow to the legs. The primary symptom is typically leg pain or cramps during normal activities, like walking. PAD sufferers also tend to have widespread atherosclerosis, including coronary heart disease—where arteries supplying blood to the heart become narrowed and stiff. Links between smoking and heart disease are well-documented, but very few studies have focused on the connection between smoking and PAD. The good news for women who smoke - and there tends to be very little of that sort of thing - is that those who kicked the habit appeared to lower their risk of PAD, although they did not eliminate it. "Our most important finding, in my view, is that smoking cessation substantially reduces this risk," said lead researcher Dr. David Conen, of the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. "We found a gradual decrease in risk with an increased duration of smoking abstinence, highlighting the importance of smoking cessation.” When compared with lifelong non-smokers, former smokers had three times the risk of developing PAD over than span of a decade. Those numbers are alarming, but not as alarming as those of current smokers. These sorry souls were in much greater danger, with those who smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes a day had a nine-fold higher risk of PAD than lifelong non-smokers, while those who lit up more often had a risk factor 17-times higher than non-smokers. “Clearly, our study adds one more reason to quit smoking as soon as possible," Conen said, stating the blatantly obvious. “The fact that the risk of PAD does not get down to that of women who never smoked also emphasizes the importance that never starting smoking is at least as important." The research used data from a long-running study of U.S. women who were age 45 or older and free of heart disease and other major health problems at the outset. Of the 40,000 women researchers in that study followed for 13 years, 178 were eventually diagnosed with PAD. Heavy smokers (15 or more cigarettes per day) were the most PAD-stricken, with a rate of 1.6 cases for every 1,000 women each year. By contrast, there were 0.1 cases for every 1,000 women each year among lifelong non-smokers. Even after Conen's team accounted for other PAD risk factors, like older age, obesity and diabetes, smoking itself was still strongly linked to the disease. The researchers also gained valuable insights as to why smoking might lead to PAD. By analyzing blood samples from a subgroup of women, Conen’s team found high levels of certain inflammatory proteins accounted for some of the risk linked to smoking. They theorized that this leads to smoking-induced PAD in part due to chronic inflammation in the blood vessels. While all of this data is a lot to process, the bottom line is simple: Smoking is still for losers and if you do it, you need to stop - IMMEDIATELY…………
- Who doesn’t love their Little League baseball with a dash of gunfire and a hint of danger? The parents and league officials in Worcester, Mass., for one. Instead of embracing the addition of some real-life danger and excitement to their children’s Little League games, these worrywarts shut the league down temporarily last week after gunfire in the neighborhood sent players, parents and umpires racing for cover inside the clubhouse. Whether it was someone testing their new firearm, just squeezing off a few rounds into the air because it’s fun, robbing a liquor store or knee-capping a gang rival, league officials weren’t taking any chances. Although no one was hurt, play was suspended. It wasn’t until Monday that Tom Ash Little League officers and parents of players voted to continue playing after police and the district attorney promised a stepped up law enforcement presence in the neighborhood at a meeting Monday night attended by about 200 people. Deputy Police Chief Steven Sargent promised a heightened and extremely visible police presence in the neighborhood to reassure parents and players. The Tom Ash Little League could have merely accepted offers from other youth baseball leagues in the city and surrounding towns to let the league use their fields, but those involved elected to stay where they were and to quote Tom Petty, “won’t back down.” Indeed, the announcement of the vote in favor of resuming play was met with cheers and games are expected to resume this week. Why there was no vote on bulletproof vests for the players and coaches isn't clear, but more police officers patrolling the area should be a nice alternative. Nothing screams “joy of playing the game you love” quite like uniformed officers stationed beyond the outfield fence, at the snack shack and behind the dugouts just to so gun-toting yahoo decides to open fire and send everyone scurrying for cover again…………
Monday, June 06, 2011
Lil Wayne album delays, NFLers in need of a $ boost and quiet zones in Central Park
- Does any NFL player more desperately want the lockout to end than Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant? Yes, every NFLer will have bills to pay and no game checks coming in if the season is pushed back or canceled due to the work stoppage and many of those players have families to feed, car payments to take care of and mortgages to pay. However, none of them are in the sort of legal and financial trouble young Mr. Bryant currently finds himself in. Once the lockout ends, he's scheduled to receive a $1 million roster bonus. He needs that money because in between the end of last season and the start of the coming one - whenever that may be - Bryant will have faced and hopefully settled nearly $1 million worth of lawsuits from jewelers who claim he owes them for merchandise purchased but never paid for. Earlier this year, Bryant settled a lawsuit filed by a New York-based jeweler who said Bryant owed him $246,000 for purchases. That lawsuit was small potatoes compared to the $600,000 million suit from a Colleyville, Tex. jeweler and ticket broker who alleges that Bryant owes him more than $600,000 for jewelry, tickets and personal loans. Eleow Hunt disputes Bryant’s claim that the lawsuit has been settled, a claim Bryant made in an interview he conducted during an appearance Saturday at a department store in Tulsa, Okla. "I have a handle on it and it's done," Bryant stated. "It's in the past and I'm ready to go ahead from here." Through his attorney, Eleow rejected Bryany’s claim and insisted the suit is still pending. Attorney Beth Ann Blackwood was adamant that the case has not been settled and is merely on hold while Bryant's attorney -- Texas State Senator Royce West -- is in special session in Austin. The lawsuit accuses Bryant of failing to repay loans given to him by Hunt while Bryant was a sophomore at Oklahoma State. He supposedly promised to repay the loans and his debts for merchandise received when he signed either an NFL or promotional contract, whichever came first. All told, Bryant and adviser David Wells signed 17 receipts from January 2009 to July 2010, the lawsuit said. Maybe Bryant doesn’t understand the legal meaning of the term “settled,” but until the plaintiff has payment and the court has accepted the settlement, the case isn't done. Knowing that, ending the lockout so Bryant can get his $1 million check and settle his debts is another addition to the list of reasons for the NFLPA (decertified or not) to resolve the labor unrest……….
- Controlled leak or actual accident? In an age where companies and corporations are über-careful about everything they communicate to the world, it’s difficult to believe that the announcement that appeared on Micrsoft’s website just hours before the keynote at the Electronic Entertainment Expo was an error by some website manager. The post sent a tidal wave of excitement sweeping across the globe for gamer dorks, who learned that Halo 4 is "on the way." On its EEE site, Microsoft made and then quickly took down this proclamation, which nonetheless confirmed the existence of the fifth installment in the Halo franchise, as well as other expected games, including Dance Central 2, Kinect Star Wars, and Kinect Sports 2. While it stood, the Halo post described the news as something "millions of Halo fans have waited for." Unlike so many press releases and corporate blog posts, that’s probably not much of an exaggeration. Judging by the legions of nerds who emerge from basements across the United States every time a major video game is released - Call of Duty, Halo, World of Warcraft - and expose their pale, pasty skin and never-kissed-a-girl selves to the sun’s harsh rays for the first time in weeks, there probably are millions of losers out there desperately awaiting the chance to throw away hundreds of hours of their lives with the latest version of their favorite game. One difference for the new Halo, whenever it debuts, will be its source. Franchise creator Bungie exited after Halo: Reach was released and Halo 4 will likely be developed as a joint venture between Microsoft and 343 Industries. In addition to hailing the impending arrival of the new game, the updated site also mentioned a remastered version of Halo: Combat Evolved that will be released for the tenth anniversary of the first Halo game's November 2001 launch. There is the distinct possibility that this “leak” was no leak at all and instead was intentionally done to steal some buzz from the ongoing Apple Worldwide Developer's Conference. Keynote speeches for the two events were scheduled just half an hour apart, so a well-placed leak would be fitting if not expected by either side………….
- When the words “Nigeria” and “scam” come up in the same sentence, the first connotation to pop into the mind of anyone who has used the Internet for more than two seconds is obvious: those bogus email scams in which a supposed Nigerian price has come into a massive inheritance but needs YOUR $5,000 loan to access that inheritance, which he will then share with you. But don’t pigeonhole Nigeria when it comes to scandals because the country and its people are much more versatile than that. Take for example the tale of outgoing House of Representatives speaker Dimeji Bankole, one of Nigeria's most powerful politicians, who was arrested Monday over allegations he misappropriated tens of millions of dollars of government funds - charges he has denied. Bankole was taken into custody after a four-hour stand-off at his home in the capital, Abuja. The arrest by anti-corruption police came just one week after President Goodluck Jonathan was sworn into office and promised to tackle Nigeria's endemic corruption. Most analysts believe Bankole’s case will be a barometer of Jonathan’s commitment to that promise because Bankole is seen as a close ally of the president. The arrest comes after weeks of speculation in local and national media that Bankole would be detained and charged. According to a spokesman for Nigeria's anti-corruption body, authorities moved on Bankole because the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission received information that he was planning to flee the country. Fleeing over the weekend would have been fitting because like all of the country’s other lawmakers, Bankole’s term of office expired on Friday. A new parliament was sworn in Monday and after losing his seat in April's elections, Bankole will not be part of it. The EFCC said in a statement that Bankole was wanted for questioning over a series of allegations that center around securing a $65 million loan he then distributed to senior figures in parliament. He had admitted the loan’s existence but maintained that he did not gain personally. Through his spokesman, Bankole denied that he was planning to leave the country or had resisted arrest. Losing a seat in Nigerian parliament is a good reason to be down and/or consider fleeing the country, as many legislators earn in excess of $1 million a year due to free-flowing oil money and a general lack of discipline for those accepting bribes…………
- Central Park is one of the best - or the best, depending on who you ask - places to visit in Manhattan. Some people go there to walk, run, bike or rollerblade, others go to hang out and relax, some go to enjoy a respite from the concrete jungle of New York City and others visit for the park’s famously eclectic culture. Part of that culture is the litany of musicians who call the park home during the day, playing all manner of instruments in the hopes of earning a small monetary contribution from passersby. Those musicians have been left with far fewer options for places to perform thanks to a new crackdown on noise in certain spots around the park. The New York City Parks Department said noise complaints prompted the new rules, which prohibit music and other loud noises places like Strawberry Fields, where music lovers go to honor the memory of John Lennon. An NYCPD spokesman issued the following statement on the new rules: “Parks are one of the few places you can come and hear the soothing sounds of nature: bird songs, falling water, the wind in the leaves, human conversation. With over 95 percent of the park available for musicians, we are setting aside less than five percent for those who come to the park for peace and quiet.” When you throw in the 95/5 figures, the decision seems temporarily more reasonable - at least on the surface. The quiet zone signs appeared on May 23 and unlike the city’s new smoking ban, which actually will improve the quality of life in Manhattan if enforced as written, officers quickly began enforcing the law. Tickets were dispersed to violators immediately and have led to uncomfortable incidents for violators like William Donovan, who said he was playing his guitar a week ago when five Parks officers surrounded him, demanding identification before ticketing him for disobeying an officer. Donovan and other “persecuted” musicians have since began to fight back against The Man and their unofficial protest kicked into high gear Sunday with performances in each of the designated quiet zones around the park. The demonstrations featured nonstop noise in the form of guitars being strummed, horns blown and even harps plucked in all eight of the quiet zones. One zone, at Bethesda Fountain Terrace, is known amongst park musicians for its impressive acoustics. In another zone, park officials are working on plans to open a 75-table food court and serve alcohol in a space usually occupied by unkempt, slightly dirty, aspiring musicians looking to ply their trade. All in all, it’s an ugly problem with no perfect solution and no definitive right or wrong. Some park visitors love the music and consider it part of the ambiance, while others appreciate the ban because they want peace and quiet when they go to Central Park and have a difficult time finding it in the vast majority of its immense acreage. Still, it’s hard not to admire the musicians who showed up Sunday to play their instruments and directly defy The Man trying to hold them down…………
- Lil Wayne fans, it’s time to be disappointed again. In fact, that’s all it’s time for right now as it pertains to your favorite artist because it definitely isn't time for the overrated rapper’s new album to drop. For the second time, the release of 'Tha Carter IV' has been delayed and the album will now be released in August. The project was originally scheduled to drop on May 16 but was pushed back because Lil Wayne didn’t feel it was ready. The rescheduled release date was ambiguously slated for the end of June, but the album will now be put out on August 29 to give Wayne more time to work on material. With a highly anticipated album from one of his label’s biggest artist pushed back a total of three months, Young Money president Mack Maine did his best to spin the delays as a positive. Maine said Wayne's "perfectionist" streak was to blame. "He's still perfecting a few things, he's a perfectionist... changing a few lines," Maine said. Although the album won't be out for nearly three more months, it is known to feature guest spots from Cash Money Records artists Drake and Nicki Minaj. As he makes the necessary revisions to the album, Wayne should have all the energy and momentum he needs, according to co-chief of Cash Money Records and executive producer Bryan 'Birdman' Williams, who claimed earlier this year that Wayne's spell in prison over gun charges last year gave him the "energy" he needed to record the album. Whenever it finally drops, the project will be the first for Wayne since 2010's 'I Am Not A Human Being.’ One fact that is certain about the reason for the delays: It has nothing to do with settling on a great name for the album. “Tha Carter IV” follows “Tha Carter,” “Tha Carter II” and “Tha Carter III” in a growing line of unimaginatively titled albums from Weezy…………
- Controlled leak or actual accident? In an age where companies and corporations are über-careful about everything they communicate to the world, it’s difficult to believe that the announcement that appeared on Micrsoft’s website just hours before the keynote at the Electronic Entertainment Expo was an error by some website manager. The post sent a tidal wave of excitement sweeping across the globe for gamer dorks, who learned that Halo 4 is "on the way." On its EEE site, Microsoft made and then quickly took down this proclamation, which nonetheless confirmed the existence of the fifth installment in the Halo franchise, as well as other expected games, including Dance Central 2, Kinect Star Wars, and Kinect Sports 2. While it stood, the Halo post described the news as something "millions of Halo fans have waited for." Unlike so many press releases and corporate blog posts, that’s probably not much of an exaggeration. Judging by the legions of nerds who emerge from basements across the United States every time a major video game is released - Call of Duty, Halo, World of Warcraft - and expose their pale, pasty skin and never-kissed-a-girl selves to the sun’s harsh rays for the first time in weeks, there probably are millions of losers out there desperately awaiting the chance to throw away hundreds of hours of their lives with the latest version of their favorite game. One difference for the new Halo, whenever it debuts, will be its source. Franchise creator Bungie exited after Halo: Reach was released and Halo 4 will likely be developed as a joint venture between Microsoft and 343 Industries. In addition to hailing the impending arrival of the new game, the updated site also mentioned a remastered version of Halo: Combat Evolved that will be released for the tenth anniversary of the first Halo game's November 2001 launch. There is the distinct possibility that this “leak” was no leak at all and instead was intentionally done to steal some buzz from the ongoing Apple Worldwide Developer's Conference. Keynote speeches for the two events were scheduled just half an hour apart, so a well-placed leak would be fitting if not expected by either side………….
- When the words “Nigeria” and “scam” come up in the same sentence, the first connotation to pop into the mind of anyone who has used the Internet for more than two seconds is obvious: those bogus email scams in which a supposed Nigerian price has come into a massive inheritance but needs YOUR $5,000 loan to access that inheritance, which he will then share with you. But don’t pigeonhole Nigeria when it comes to scandals because the country and its people are much more versatile than that. Take for example the tale of outgoing House of Representatives speaker Dimeji Bankole, one of Nigeria's most powerful politicians, who was arrested Monday over allegations he misappropriated tens of millions of dollars of government funds - charges he has denied. Bankole was taken into custody after a four-hour stand-off at his home in the capital, Abuja. The arrest by anti-corruption police came just one week after President Goodluck Jonathan was sworn into office and promised to tackle Nigeria's endemic corruption. Most analysts believe Bankole’s case will be a barometer of Jonathan’s commitment to that promise because Bankole is seen as a close ally of the president. The arrest comes after weeks of speculation in local and national media that Bankole would be detained and charged. According to a spokesman for Nigeria's anti-corruption body, authorities moved on Bankole because the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission received information that he was planning to flee the country. Fleeing over the weekend would have been fitting because like all of the country’s other lawmakers, Bankole’s term of office expired on Friday. A new parliament was sworn in Monday and after losing his seat in April's elections, Bankole will not be part of it. The EFCC said in a statement that Bankole was wanted for questioning over a series of allegations that center around securing a $65 million loan he then distributed to senior figures in parliament. He had admitted the loan’s existence but maintained that he did not gain personally. Through his spokesman, Bankole denied that he was planning to leave the country or had resisted arrest. Losing a seat in Nigerian parliament is a good reason to be down and/or consider fleeing the country, as many legislators earn in excess of $1 million a year due to free-flowing oil money and a general lack of discipline for those accepting bribes…………
- Central Park is one of the best - or the best, depending on who you ask - places to visit in Manhattan. Some people go there to walk, run, bike or rollerblade, others go to hang out and relax, some go to enjoy a respite from the concrete jungle of New York City and others visit for the park’s famously eclectic culture. Part of that culture is the litany of musicians who call the park home during the day, playing all manner of instruments in the hopes of earning a small monetary contribution from passersby. Those musicians have been left with far fewer options for places to perform thanks to a new crackdown on noise in certain spots around the park. The New York City Parks Department said noise complaints prompted the new rules, which prohibit music and other loud noises places like Strawberry Fields, where music lovers go to honor the memory of John Lennon. An NYCPD spokesman issued the following statement on the new rules: “Parks are one of the few places you can come and hear the soothing sounds of nature: bird songs, falling water, the wind in the leaves, human conversation. With over 95 percent of the park available for musicians, we are setting aside less than five percent for those who come to the park for peace and quiet.” When you throw in the 95/5 figures, the decision seems temporarily more reasonable - at least on the surface. The quiet zone signs appeared on May 23 and unlike the city’s new smoking ban, which actually will improve the quality of life in Manhattan if enforced as written, officers quickly began enforcing the law. Tickets were dispersed to violators immediately and have led to uncomfortable incidents for violators like William Donovan, who said he was playing his guitar a week ago when five Parks officers surrounded him, demanding identification before ticketing him for disobeying an officer. Donovan and other “persecuted” musicians have since began to fight back against The Man and their unofficial protest kicked into high gear Sunday with performances in each of the designated quiet zones around the park. The demonstrations featured nonstop noise in the form of guitars being strummed, horns blown and even harps plucked in all eight of the quiet zones. One zone, at Bethesda Fountain Terrace, is known amongst park musicians for its impressive acoustics. In another zone, park officials are working on plans to open a 75-table food court and serve alcohol in a space usually occupied by unkempt, slightly dirty, aspiring musicians looking to ply their trade. All in all, it’s an ugly problem with no perfect solution and no definitive right or wrong. Some park visitors love the music and consider it part of the ambiance, while others appreciate the ban because they want peace and quiet when they go to Central Park and have a difficult time finding it in the vast majority of its immense acreage. Still, it’s hard not to admire the musicians who showed up Sunday to play their instruments and directly defy The Man trying to hold them down…………
- Lil Wayne fans, it’s time to be disappointed again. In fact, that’s all it’s time for right now as it pertains to your favorite artist because it definitely isn't time for the overrated rapper’s new album to drop. For the second time, the release of 'Tha Carter IV' has been delayed and the album will now be released in August. The project was originally scheduled to drop on May 16 but was pushed back because Lil Wayne didn’t feel it was ready. The rescheduled release date was ambiguously slated for the end of June, but the album will now be put out on August 29 to give Wayne more time to work on material. With a highly anticipated album from one of his label’s biggest artist pushed back a total of three months, Young Money president Mack Maine did his best to spin the delays as a positive. Maine said Wayne's "perfectionist" streak was to blame. "He's still perfecting a few things, he's a perfectionist... changing a few lines," Maine said. Although the album won't be out for nearly three more months, it is known to feature guest spots from Cash Money Records artists Drake and Nicki Minaj. As he makes the necessary revisions to the album, Wayne should have all the energy and momentum he needs, according to co-chief of Cash Money Records and executive producer Bryan 'Birdman' Williams, who claimed earlier this year that Wayne's spell in prison over gun charges last year gave him the "energy" he needed to record the album. Whenever it finally drops, the project will be the first for Wayne since 2010's 'I Am Not A Human Being.’ One fact that is certain about the reason for the delays: It has nothing to do with settling on a great name for the album. “Tha Carter IV” follows “Tha Carter,” “Tha Carter II” and “Tha Carter III” in a growing line of unimaginatively titled albums from Weezy…………
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Struggling blockbusters, freed NFL felons and the dangers of bounce houses
- When is a win not really a win? When you pile tens of millions of dollars into making and promoting a prequel movie to an extremely successful movie franchise and it has the worst opening of any movie thus far in that franchise’s history, that’s when. Such was the tale of X-Men: First Class, which opened in lackluster fashion over the weekend. The film won the box office earnings race with $56 million, but with a $160 million budget and high expectations from the success of previous ¬X-Men movies, the performance was less than impressive. Also, strong debuts for The Hangover Part 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides the previous two weeks made X-Men’s effort seem even weaker. Speaking of Hangover 2, it finished second in its second weekend by making an additional $32.5 million for a two-week tally of $186.9 million. Kung-Fu Panda 2 kept the sequel/prequel parade going in the third spot, earning $24.3 million to cross the $100 million barrier in the United States with $100.4 million and counting. Pirates snared the fourth spot on the list with a disappointing $18 million in its third weekend. Despite $190.2 million through those first three weeks, the film can't be considered a rousing success at this point. Last among the top five was a film that definitely can be considered a success is Bridesmaids, which also crossed that elusive $100 million benchmark by making $12.2 million in its fourth weekend and has now tallied $107.3 million through four weeks. The remainder of the top 10 was comprised of: Thor (No. 6 with $4.2 million and a cumulative tally of $169 million for five weeks), Fast Five (No. 7 with $3.2 million to bump its overall earnings above $200 million domestically at $202.1 million), Midnight in Paris (No. 8 with $2.9 and a scant $6.9 million in three weeks of work), Jumping the Broom (No. 9 with $865,000 and $35,927,000 for its five weeks of release) and Something Borrowed (hanging on at No. 10 with just $835,000 after a 55 percent decline from the previous weekend and having made just $36.6 million in five weeks). Dropping out of the top 10 from last weekend and for the first time in its eight-week run was Rio, which fell to No. 11………….
- Bounce houses: Fun party additions for kids and rave-goers peaking on X and God know what other drugs or instruments of danger and/or death? Scoff if you will, but then go and as the children inside several inflatable bounce houses that blew away during a local soccer club’s event in Long Island, N.Y. on Saturday how they feel about the topic. A massive gust of wind came blowing through an Oceanside United Soccer Club tournament late Saturday in Long Island and sent three bounce houses flying. Those inside - undoubtedly looking to avoid actually having to suffer through a soccer game and desperate for any excuse not to watch - went along for the ride and 13 of them were injured. Eric Evensen, a Nassau County police officer, responded to the emergency call and summed up the scene. "As children were inside, a heavy gust of wind blew across the field, raising them off the ground and sending them airborne," he said. "Once they hit the ground, they began rolling and struck several people on the ground." One young soccer fan was about to enter a bounce house when a rope from the structure wrapped around her neck and began dragging her. The 13 injured individuals were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals, according to authorities. Evensen speculated that there would likely be no criminal charges filed but left open the possibility that some parents of injured children might pursue civil claims. With graduation parties, fairs, holiday gatherings and other events set to kick into high gear and consume most of the summer, could this day of bounce house terror be a harbinger of bigger problems to come? Maybe, maybe not. Just remember next time you climb into a bounce house that you could be in for much more than a rollicking good time of bouncing around…………
- Did anyone really expect China to own its recent actions in the South China Sea, to admit what its navy is up to and face the consequences? Of course not! When Gen. Liang Guanglie, China’s defense minister, showed up at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-profile Asia defense forum in Singapore, he was in no mood to hear any more of the criticism that his country was acting belligerently in the South China Sea. Gen. Liang instead said China was pursuing a “peaceful rise” and nothing more. “You say our actions do not match our words. I certainly do not agree,” Gen Liang replied. His outburst came just days after Vietnam and the Philippines accused China of aggressive behavior in the South China Sea. Liang was adamant that his country was not threatening security in the strategically important and energy-rich disputed waters because “freedom of navigation has never been impeded.” That the general showed up for the event at all was noteworthy. He is the first Chinese defense minister to participate in the forum, which was also attended by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and other Asian defense ministers. Gates expressed “increasing concerns” about China’s recent maritime behavior but stopped short of saying Beijing was undermining its “peaceful rise” claim. “I don’t think it has risen to that level yet,” Gates stated. The hundreds of Vietnamese who protested this weekend in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City against perceived Chinese aggression would probably disagree with Gates. So would the Vietnamese government, which recently said Chinese coast guard vessels had sabotaged an oil exploration ship. Similar claims were made by Filipino officials, who claimed last week that China had unloaded construction materials on a reef claimed by the Philippines. Manila voiced concerns that China’s alleged actions could violate a regional agreement to avoid actions that “complicate or escalate disputes.” Ironically, in light of the growing scrutiny on China and its actions on the high seas, Gates was actually less harsh on the communist nation than he was at last year’s forum. Sure, Chinese-American relations have improved somewhat following a year of little significant contact, but does that mean America should take it easy on China? Maybe - if you ask Sen. John McCain, who said Gen. Liang had been “very conciliatory” but more “hardline” over the South China Sea during a previous meeting in China. There is also the issue of China owning a massive chunk of America’s ginormous, ever-growing national debt, so factor that into the mix as well. The most ominous words in the debate thus far came from Gen. Liang, who cryptically warned that China was doing “much more than what the outside world may expect,” without giving detail………….
- Say what you will about NFL über-agent Drew Rosenhaus, but the guy never, ever sells his clients short or speaks of them as anything other than the greatest specimens ever to walk the planet. Even when one of those clients is in the twilight of his career, has just spent the better part of two years in prison for a felony and is about to be released, Rosenhaus can't help but sing his praises. The felon in question is former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, locked up for 20 months for illegally carrying and firing a gun at a Manhattan nightclub. Burress, who caught the game-winning pass in the 2008 Super Bowl, is set to leave the Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York on Monday. He will turn 34 in August, an age that is much older for an NFL receiver than it is for the average member of society. Not only does Burress have the stigma of being a convicted felon fresh out of the hole, he also has two years of rust built up and could accrue more oxidation thanks to the ongoing NFL lockout that could jeopardize the resumption of his football career. Burress, through Rosenhaus, has made it clear that his immediate plans are to return to his Florida home to spend time with his wife, son and a daughter born while he was in jail. He clearly hopes to emulate the success of quarterback Michael Vick, who has made a near-miraculous return to the pinnacle of the sport after being released in 2009 from a federal term for dogfighting. Unlike Vick, Burress doesn’t have a plethora of teams lining up to sign him. In spite of that, Rosenhaus insisted via email that Burress “will play in the NFL this year" without providing any actual evidence to support that claim. "Many teams want him. He will be a top free agent. He is healthy and ready to go. He will be signed shortly after the lockout ends," Rosenhaus boasted. The delusion clearly runs deep in the Burress camp. His attorney, Peter M. Frankel, called the past three years of Burress’ life “really a tragic story." Yes, an adult with free will choosing to carry a loaded gun he did not have a license for into a nightclub, store it in the waistband of his sweatpants and accidentally shooting himself in the leg before trying to cover the shooting up by lying about his identity to the doctor who treated him IS tragic. That the shooting happened when his career was reaching its zenith also does not make the story tragic because all of the onus for what has gone wrong remains on the man who carried and discharged the gun. Not knowing or understanding the gun laws in the state in which you are carrying a gun is in no way tragic. Hopefully Burress learned from his 20 months behind bars, but even there he received special treatment, living in protective custody because of his celebrity status. Because of that, he didn't have a cellmate, but did work as a grounds maintenance laborer. He also completed an anger management course and tutored other inmates in reading, writing and math. Yet even in prison, he still struggled with authority. Multiple times, prison officers said he lied to get to use the phone at a time when calls weren't allowed, gave another inmate a pair of sneakers (considered an "unauthorized exchange") and had three dozen cassette tapes and an extra, state-issued pillow in a "filthy" cell strewn with bags of food, dirty clothes, books and mail. But maybe, just maybe, he truly is a changed man and will act accordingly. None of that means anything to teams who wonder if he has anything left to give on the football field, but still…………
- Rats: man’s new best friend and/or medical assistant? Dani More, a Hesperia, Calif. resident who suffers from severe osteoporosis, would say yes. Because of her ailment, Moore needs to take medication regularly in order to prevent severe and debilitating muscle spasms. That’s where her service rat, Hiyo Silver, comes in. Hiyo Silver licks Moore’s face when she is about to have a muscle spasm. Because of past injuries to her spinal nerves, Moore cannot feel the spasms when they initially come on and by the time she could actually realize what was happening, she could seriously injure herself. With the help of her service rat, she is able to avoid injury and take her medication when she needs it. “Since I have osteoporosis, if the spasms get too bad, they can fracture vertebrae, which has happened to me before,” Moore said. To protect herself at all times, Moore keeps Hiyo Silver perched on her shoulders wherever she goes and credits the critter for a much higher quality of life. “Before I got my service rat, I would sometimes spend weeks in bed because the spasms would not let up,” Moore said. “I was so much more limited to where I could go or what I could do.” To accommodate Moore and others like her, the city of Hesperia recently voted to allow all species of service animals in local businesses, meaning Hiyo Silver is not banned from any establishments, provided he behaves himself……...
- Bounce houses: Fun party additions for kids and rave-goers peaking on X and God know what other drugs or instruments of danger and/or death? Scoff if you will, but then go and as the children inside several inflatable bounce houses that blew away during a local soccer club’s event in Long Island, N.Y. on Saturday how they feel about the topic. A massive gust of wind came blowing through an Oceanside United Soccer Club tournament late Saturday in Long Island and sent three bounce houses flying. Those inside - undoubtedly looking to avoid actually having to suffer through a soccer game and desperate for any excuse not to watch - went along for the ride and 13 of them were injured. Eric Evensen, a Nassau County police officer, responded to the emergency call and summed up the scene. "As children were inside, a heavy gust of wind blew across the field, raising them off the ground and sending them airborne," he said. "Once they hit the ground, they began rolling and struck several people on the ground." One young soccer fan was about to enter a bounce house when a rope from the structure wrapped around her neck and began dragging her. The 13 injured individuals were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals, according to authorities. Evensen speculated that there would likely be no criminal charges filed but left open the possibility that some parents of injured children might pursue civil claims. With graduation parties, fairs, holiday gatherings and other events set to kick into high gear and consume most of the summer, could this day of bounce house terror be a harbinger of bigger problems to come? Maybe, maybe not. Just remember next time you climb into a bounce house that you could be in for much more than a rollicking good time of bouncing around…………
- Did anyone really expect China to own its recent actions in the South China Sea, to admit what its navy is up to and face the consequences? Of course not! When Gen. Liang Guanglie, China’s defense minister, showed up at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-profile Asia defense forum in Singapore, he was in no mood to hear any more of the criticism that his country was acting belligerently in the South China Sea. Gen. Liang instead said China was pursuing a “peaceful rise” and nothing more. “You say our actions do not match our words. I certainly do not agree,” Gen Liang replied. His outburst came just days after Vietnam and the Philippines accused China of aggressive behavior in the South China Sea. Liang was adamant that his country was not threatening security in the strategically important and energy-rich disputed waters because “freedom of navigation has never been impeded.” That the general showed up for the event at all was noteworthy. He is the first Chinese defense minister to participate in the forum, which was also attended by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and other Asian defense ministers. Gates expressed “increasing concerns” about China’s recent maritime behavior but stopped short of saying Beijing was undermining its “peaceful rise” claim. “I don’t think it has risen to that level yet,” Gates stated. The hundreds of Vietnamese who protested this weekend in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City against perceived Chinese aggression would probably disagree with Gates. So would the Vietnamese government, which recently said Chinese coast guard vessels had sabotaged an oil exploration ship. Similar claims were made by Filipino officials, who claimed last week that China had unloaded construction materials on a reef claimed by the Philippines. Manila voiced concerns that China’s alleged actions could violate a regional agreement to avoid actions that “complicate or escalate disputes.” Ironically, in light of the growing scrutiny on China and its actions on the high seas, Gates was actually less harsh on the communist nation than he was at last year’s forum. Sure, Chinese-American relations have improved somewhat following a year of little significant contact, but does that mean America should take it easy on China? Maybe - if you ask Sen. John McCain, who said Gen. Liang had been “very conciliatory” but more “hardline” over the South China Sea during a previous meeting in China. There is also the issue of China owning a massive chunk of America’s ginormous, ever-growing national debt, so factor that into the mix as well. The most ominous words in the debate thus far came from Gen. Liang, who cryptically warned that China was doing “much more than what the outside world may expect,” without giving detail………….
- Say what you will about NFL über-agent Drew Rosenhaus, but the guy never, ever sells his clients short or speaks of them as anything other than the greatest specimens ever to walk the planet. Even when one of those clients is in the twilight of his career, has just spent the better part of two years in prison for a felony and is about to be released, Rosenhaus can't help but sing his praises. The felon in question is former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, locked up for 20 months for illegally carrying and firing a gun at a Manhattan nightclub. Burress, who caught the game-winning pass in the 2008 Super Bowl, is set to leave the Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York on Monday. He will turn 34 in August, an age that is much older for an NFL receiver than it is for the average member of society. Not only does Burress have the stigma of being a convicted felon fresh out of the hole, he also has two years of rust built up and could accrue more oxidation thanks to the ongoing NFL lockout that could jeopardize the resumption of his football career. Burress, through Rosenhaus, has made it clear that his immediate plans are to return to his Florida home to spend time with his wife, son and a daughter born while he was in jail. He clearly hopes to emulate the success of quarterback Michael Vick, who has made a near-miraculous return to the pinnacle of the sport after being released in 2009 from a federal term for dogfighting. Unlike Vick, Burress doesn’t have a plethora of teams lining up to sign him. In spite of that, Rosenhaus insisted via email that Burress “will play in the NFL this year" without providing any actual evidence to support that claim. "Many teams want him. He will be a top free agent. He is healthy and ready to go. He will be signed shortly after the lockout ends," Rosenhaus boasted. The delusion clearly runs deep in the Burress camp. His attorney, Peter M. Frankel, called the past three years of Burress’ life “really a tragic story." Yes, an adult with free will choosing to carry a loaded gun he did not have a license for into a nightclub, store it in the waistband of his sweatpants and accidentally shooting himself in the leg before trying to cover the shooting up by lying about his identity to the doctor who treated him IS tragic. That the shooting happened when his career was reaching its zenith also does not make the story tragic because all of the onus for what has gone wrong remains on the man who carried and discharged the gun. Not knowing or understanding the gun laws in the state in which you are carrying a gun is in no way tragic. Hopefully Burress learned from his 20 months behind bars, but even there he received special treatment, living in protective custody because of his celebrity status. Because of that, he didn't have a cellmate, but did work as a grounds maintenance laborer. He also completed an anger management course and tutored other inmates in reading, writing and math. Yet even in prison, he still struggled with authority. Multiple times, prison officers said he lied to get to use the phone at a time when calls weren't allowed, gave another inmate a pair of sneakers (considered an "unauthorized exchange") and had three dozen cassette tapes and an extra, state-issued pillow in a "filthy" cell strewn with bags of food, dirty clothes, books and mail. But maybe, just maybe, he truly is a changed man and will act accordingly. None of that means anything to teams who wonder if he has anything left to give on the football field, but still…………
- Rats: man’s new best friend and/or medical assistant? Dani More, a Hesperia, Calif. resident who suffers from severe osteoporosis, would say yes. Because of her ailment, Moore needs to take medication regularly in order to prevent severe and debilitating muscle spasms. That’s where her service rat, Hiyo Silver, comes in. Hiyo Silver licks Moore’s face when she is about to have a muscle spasm. Because of past injuries to her spinal nerves, Moore cannot feel the spasms when they initially come on and by the time she could actually realize what was happening, she could seriously injure herself. With the help of her service rat, she is able to avoid injury and take her medication when she needs it. “Since I have osteoporosis, if the spasms get too bad, they can fracture vertebrae, which has happened to me before,” Moore said. To protect herself at all times, Moore keeps Hiyo Silver perched on her shoulders wherever she goes and credits the critter for a much higher quality of life. “Before I got my service rat, I would sometimes spend weeks in bed because the spasms would not let up,” Moore said. “I was so much more limited to where I could go or what I could do.” To accommodate Moore and others like her, the city of Hesperia recently voted to allow all species of service animals in local businesses, meaning Hiyo Silver is not banned from any establishments, provided he behaves himself……...
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