We text while people are talking to us; we text in class. What social rules do we need for this new communication? Or do we need any?
As I watch people text in public ---- head down, earplugs in, oblivious but still shuffling forward a la the Walking Dead ------ I can't help but wonder when we'll see a news story about one of them strolling into traffic and being run over.
How did we get so hooked? Texting is one of those habits that came so quickly to our society that everything from schools to hospitals to state capitals ---- institutions that say things in full sentences and without emoticons ---- are scrambling to impose rules of the road, literally and figuratively.
Americans send more than two trillion texts a year. And all this started only in the early 2000s. By 2007, texts had surpassed the number of phone calls people made in a day. If you spend time with anyone under 40, these statistics do not come as a surprise.
Like many aspects of technology, we haven't quite figured out the etiquette of texting. We text while people are speaking to us. We text in classrooms. I have seen people text in churches and synagogues (Sorry, Pastor Bill, I once sent my daughter a text from church), we text at meetings and, probably worst of all, we text when another person is sitting right across from us trying to engage in conversation.
In response to earlier columns on manners, people write to say they agree with me about thank-you notes, or RSVPs, or other aspects of acceptable behavior. And, invariably, they add, and what about how rude people are when it comes to texting?
I've had time to think about this, and to talk to others, and to watch texters in action. And I've come to this conclusion: It's impolite to text when people are speaking to you. It's rude to text during a class or at a meeting, and it's a total disregard for the safety of others when you text while driving, biking , or walking. In New York City, people have practically trampled my 85-year-old mother on the sidewalk because their faces are buried in their phones.
And our constant passion for texting may also not be the best thing for our relationships. Last year I sat in a lovely restaurant with my husband, and there was a 30-something couple at the table next to us. Throughout dinner, they sipped their wine and looked down at their phones and texted. They didn't exchange a word with each other.
Texting while doing almost everything exacts a price on politeness. Are we doomed to be a society of the turned on and turned off?
"Texting is extremely controlled and you don't risk an interpersonal experience," said Pamela Pressman, a licensed professional counselor in Voorhees who works with adults and couples of all ages. Texting while people are speaking to you is "disconnecting and putting up emotional barriers," she says. When we don't give people, meetings, services, or classes our full attention, it prevents us from relating to people and connecting with them. Pressman recently saw people texting after a viewing, moments before the start of a funeral. "How can you get more disrespectful than that ?"
At Rowan, professors and instructors are asked to put texting, e-mailing, and cellphone rules in the syllabus so students understand that texting and learning don't work in concert.
"They aren't listening to us when they are texting," said Claudia Cuddy, chair of the journalism department. Recently, a student who came to meet with Cuddy for an advising session reached for her phone when she heard that call of the text. "I said, 'Put the phone away. This is my time and your time to meet,' "Cuddy told me. "Multitasking is taking a toll on every aspect of students' lives."
Texting while doing almost enerythingis exacting a price on politeness and how we relate to one another. My friend Harvey was in a meeting recently for a charitable group in South Jersey. Several participants around the table were texting with each other conducting their own meeting. Not only is that rude, but how is a group supposed to interact and make decisions?
I have hope that we are not doomed to be a society of the turned off and turned out.
I recently asked two distinct groups if it was rude to text while someone was speaking to you. The first was my book group made up of middle-aged women (the near-50 and over set). Is it rude? "Yes," was the resounding answer they gave without hesitation.
Then I put the question to my 18 Rowan students, ages 19 to mid-20s. Acceptable or rude? Again, without any pause, without first texting anyone, they all said, "Rude."
Acknowledging the problem is the first step to recovery. This epidemic faux pas, that I, too, have been guilty of, may pass.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Getting serious about cellphones
New Jersey's General Assembly last week voted overwhelmingly to increase the fines for motorists caught using their while driving. The new law would raise the fine for a first offense from $100 to a minimum of $200 and a maximum of $400. Second-time offenders would be docked between $400 and $600. A third and subsequent violations would cost a driver between $600 and $800 and assign license points; a license suspension could also be imposed at a judge's discretion.
You see, in New Jersey, lawmakers are really committed to addressing a serious highway menace that is both intuitive and borne out by research: Drivers who use cellphones for any purpose are distracted drivers, and distracted driving is a major hazard. Yet, in the last fiscal year, more than 81,000 guilty pleas to cellphone use while driving were entered in the Garden State. As one Assembly woman put it, the state needs to send an even louder message about changing driver habits that apparently die hard.
Contrasted with New Jersey's law, which bans all hand-held electronic devices, Pennsylvania's no-texting-while-driveing prohibition looks rather feeble. Not only is the fine for breaking the law just $50, but police say enforcing it can be next to impossible, since it's very difficult to distinguish between texting, which is unlawful, and dialing a phone number, which is OK. For some reason unbeknownst to us, Pennsylvania lawmakers refused to recognize the weakness in the bill they passed.
There remains hope, however, for a law that really means something. House Bill 693 would prohibit the use of all hand-held wireless communication devices while driving, including cellphones. There's companion bill in the Senate. Unfortunately, the fine stipulated in both bills is just $50, though the House version would double fines in school zones. Even then, the fines would be minimal. As New Jersey has discovered, if fines are to serve as an effective deterrent, they have to have some bite.
There's another bill in the House, HB 363, that would allow municipalities to enact their own cellphone bans. This is not a good idea. Imagine the confusion that would result having a patchwork of laws that begin and end at municipal borders. No, the best way to ban cellphone use by drivers is to ban it statewide and put some sharp teeth in the fines.
We agree with New Jersey lawmaker Annette Quijano, who said: "Most people know (using a cellphone while driving) is wrong and have probably had a few scares themselves, but they continue to do it because they think they can get away with it."
Pennsylvania needs a law where failing to get away with it carries a high price tag.
You see, in New Jersey, lawmakers are really committed to addressing a serious highway menace that is both intuitive and borne out by research: Drivers who use cellphones for any purpose are distracted drivers, and distracted driving is a major hazard. Yet, in the last fiscal year, more than 81,000 guilty pleas to cellphone use while driving were entered in the Garden State. As one Assembly woman put it, the state needs to send an even louder message about changing driver habits that apparently die hard.
Contrasted with New Jersey's law, which bans all hand-held electronic devices, Pennsylvania's no-texting-while-driveing prohibition looks rather feeble. Not only is the fine for breaking the law just $50, but police say enforcing it can be next to impossible, since it's very difficult to distinguish between texting, which is unlawful, and dialing a phone number, which is OK. For some reason unbeknownst to us, Pennsylvania lawmakers refused to recognize the weakness in the bill they passed.
There remains hope, however, for a law that really means something. House Bill 693 would prohibit the use of all hand-held wireless communication devices while driving, including cellphones. There's companion bill in the Senate. Unfortunately, the fine stipulated in both bills is just $50, though the House version would double fines in school zones. Even then, the fines would be minimal. As New Jersey has discovered, if fines are to serve as an effective deterrent, they have to have some bite.
There's another bill in the House, HB 363, that would allow municipalities to enact their own cellphone bans. This is not a good idea. Imagine the confusion that would result having a patchwork of laws that begin and end at municipal borders. No, the best way to ban cellphone use by drivers is to ban it statewide and put some sharp teeth in the fines.
We agree with New Jersey lawmaker Annette Quijano, who said: "Most people know (using a cellphone while driving) is wrong and have probably had a few scares themselves, but they continue to do it because they think they can get away with it."
Pennsylvania needs a law where failing to get away with it carries a high price tag.
F. Y. I.
Point of Origin
Karate's black belt was a thrifty invention: it was cheaper to dye the same belt repeatedly rather than replace it six times.
Quotable
by George Santayana, philosopher and novelist (1863-1952)
"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."
Still on the Books
In Las Cruces, N.M., carrying a lunchbox down Main Street is prohibited.
Name Change
Born Harold Jenkins, country singer Conway Twitty took his stage name from Conway, Ark., and Twitty, Texas.
On the First Go-round
In early drafts of the script for "Back to the Future," the time machine was built out of an old refrigerator.
Table Tidbits
The coconut is the largest-known seed in the world.
Karate's black belt was a thrifty invention: it was cheaper to dye the same belt repeatedly rather than replace it six times.
Quotable
by George Santayana, philosopher and novelist (1863-1952)
"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."
Still on the Books
In Las Cruces, N.M., carrying a lunchbox down Main Street is prohibited.
Name Change
Born Harold Jenkins, country singer Conway Twitty took his stage name from Conway, Ark., and Twitty, Texas.
On the First Go-round
In early drafts of the script for "Back to the Future," the time machine was built out of an old refrigerator.
Table Tidbits
The coconut is the largest-known seed in the world.
Tokyo bar offers cocktail of booze and Buddhism
Japanese Buddhist monk Yoshinobu Fujioka enjoys bringing his congregation together, one cocktail at a time.
Fujioka owns the 23-seat "Vowz Bar" in central Tokyo, where Buddhist chants replace karaoke songs and the shaven-headed bartenders serve up sermons and homilies along with the drinks.
"People would gather in a Buddhist temple and drink together, we've just updated the tradition to fit our times", said Fujioka, who also works at a temple just outside Tokyo.
"They become totally different believers here, the distance between them and myself diminishing. They are more connected with each other," he added, dressed in traditional black robes.
Vowz Bar has been going strong for 13 years and the cocktail list includes the vodka and cognac-based "Perfect Bliss" as well as "Infinite Hell" - a vodka, raspberry liqueur and cranberry juice concoction with a splash of tonic water.
The special is called "Enslavery to Love and Lust" and costs around 800 yen ($8.51).
"Every day, my heart gets tainted by dirt in the secular world, so I come here to repurify it over some drinks and fun," said regular patron Noriko Urai, a 42-year-old businesswoman.
"Vowz" is a play on the Japanese word for monk.
Fujioka owns the 23-seat "Vowz Bar" in central Tokyo, where Buddhist chants replace karaoke songs and the shaven-headed bartenders serve up sermons and homilies along with the drinks.
"People would gather in a Buddhist temple and drink together, we've just updated the tradition to fit our times", said Fujioka, who also works at a temple just outside Tokyo.
"They become totally different believers here, the distance between them and myself diminishing. They are more connected with each other," he added, dressed in traditional black robes.
Vowz Bar has been going strong for 13 years and the cocktail list includes the vodka and cognac-based "Perfect Bliss" as well as "Infinite Hell" - a vodka, raspberry liqueur and cranberry juice concoction with a splash of tonic water.
The special is called "Enslavery to Love and Lust" and costs around 800 yen ($8.51).
"Every day, my heart gets tainted by dirt in the secular world, so I come here to repurify it over some drinks and fun," said regular patron Noriko Urai, a 42-year-old businesswoman.
"Vowz" is a play on the Japanese word for monk.
Obese airline passengers should pay extra, economist says
Airlines should charge obese passengers more, a Norwegian economist has suggested, arguing that "pay as you weigh" pricing would bring health, financial and environmental dividends.
Bharat Bhatta, an associate professor at Sogn og Fjordane University College, said that airlines should follow other transport sectors and charge by space and weight.
"To the degree that passengers lose weight and therefore reduce fares, the savings that result are net benefits to the passengers," Bhatta wrote this week in the Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management.
"As a plane of a given make and model can accommodate more lightweight passengers, it may also reward airlines" and reduce the use of environmentally costly fuel.
Bhatta put together three models for what he called "pay as you weigh airline pricing."
The first would charge passengers according to how much they and their baggage weighed. It would set a rate for pounds (kg) per passenger so that someone weighing 130 pounds (59 kg) would pay half the fare of 260-pound (118-kg) person.
A second model would use a fixed base rate, with an extra charge for heavier passengers to cover the extra costs. Under this option, every passenger would have a different fare.
Bhatta's preferred option was the third, where the same fare would be charged if a passenger was of average weight. A discount or extra charge would be used if the passenger was above or below a certain limit.
That would lead to three kinds of fares - high, average and low, Bhatta said.
Airlines have grappled for years with how to deal with larger passengers as waistlines have steadily expanded. Such carriers as Air France and Southwest Airlines allow overweight passengers to buy extra seats and get a refund on them.
Asked about charging heavier passengers extra, Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said: "We have our own policies in place and don't anticipate changing those."
United Air Lines Inc requires passengers who cannot fit comfortably into a single seat to buy another one. A spokeswoman said the carrier would not discuss "future pricing."
About two-thirds of U.S. adults are obese or overweight.
In a 2010 online survey for the travel website Skyscanner (www.skyscanner.net), 76 percent of travelers said airlines should charge overweight passengers more if they needed an extra seat.
Bharat Bhatta, an associate professor at Sogn og Fjordane University College, said that airlines should follow other transport sectors and charge by space and weight.
"To the degree that passengers lose weight and therefore reduce fares, the savings that result are net benefits to the passengers," Bhatta wrote this week in the Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management.
"As a plane of a given make and model can accommodate more lightweight passengers, it may also reward airlines" and reduce the use of environmentally costly fuel.
Bhatta put together three models for what he called "pay as you weigh airline pricing."
The first would charge passengers according to how much they and their baggage weighed. It would set a rate for pounds (kg) per passenger so that someone weighing 130 pounds (59 kg) would pay half the fare of 260-pound (118-kg) person.
A second model would use a fixed base rate, with an extra charge for heavier passengers to cover the extra costs. Under this option, every passenger would have a different fare.
Bhatta's preferred option was the third, where the same fare would be charged if a passenger was of average weight. A discount or extra charge would be used if the passenger was above or below a certain limit.
That would lead to three kinds of fares - high, average and low, Bhatta said.
Airlines have grappled for years with how to deal with larger passengers as waistlines have steadily expanded. Such carriers as Air France and Southwest Airlines allow overweight passengers to buy extra seats and get a refund on them.
Asked about charging heavier passengers extra, Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said: "We have our own policies in place and don't anticipate changing those."
United Air Lines Inc requires passengers who cannot fit comfortably into a single seat to buy another one. A spokeswoman said the carrier would not discuss "future pricing."
About two-thirds of U.S. adults are obese or overweight.
In a 2010 online survey for the travel website Skyscanner (www.skyscanner.net), 76 percent of travelers said airlines should charge overweight passengers more if they needed an extra seat.
Restaurant meals for kids fail nutrition test: consumer group
The menus offered to children by most U.S. restaurant chains have too many calories, too much salt or fat, and often not a hint of vegetables or fruit, according to a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The group, which has agitated for everything from healthier popcorn at the movies to calorie labeling in supermarkets, found that among almost 3,500 combinations surveyed, kids' meals failed to meet nutritional standards 97 percent of the time.
That was a marginal improvement over 2008 when such meals failed to meet standards 99 percent of the time.
Every children's meal offered at popular chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dairy Queen, Hardee's, McDonald's, Panda Express, Perkins Family Restaurants and Popeyes fell short of standards adopted by the center from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutritional recommendations.
The meals also fell short of standards set by the National Restaurant Association's Kids LiveWell Program, said the CSPI, which titled its study, "Kids' Meals: Obesity on the Menu."
"Most chains seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda," said Margo Wootan, CSPI nutrition policy director. "It's like the restaurant industry didn't get the memo that there's a childhood obesity crisis."
Among the meals singled out was Applebees' grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread, fries and two percent chocolate milk, which has 1,210 calories, 62 grams of fat and 2,340 milligrams of sodium.
The combo meal had nearly three times as many calories as the CSPI's criteria for four- to- eight-year-olds suggest.
At Ruby Tuesday, the macaroni and cheese, white cheddar mashed potatoes and fruit punch combo has 870 calories, 46 grams of fat and 1700 milligrams of sodium, said Wootan.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that children eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt each day to avoid high blood pressure, which can lead to coronary disease, stroke and other ailments.
Being overweight as a child leaves a person vulnerable to heart disease, diabetes and a shortened life span. About one-third of American children are now considered overweight and 17 percent are considered obese, according to USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The CSPI cited Subway restaurants' Fresh Fit For Kids meal combinations as exceptions to the salty, fatty norm.
Subway serves apple slices with its kid-sized sub sandwiches and offers low-fat milk or bottled water instead of soda. All eight of its children's meals met CSPI's nutrition criteria.
A few other establishments have begun to offer side dishes beyond French fries. In fact, every child's meal at Longhorn Steakhouse now comes with fruit or a vegetable.
"More chains are adding fruit, like apple slices, to their menus, but practically every chain could be adding more vegetable and whole grain options," said Ameena Batada, an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Wellness at the University of North Carolina Asheville.
Labeling can be a potent tool. The report cited two studies that indicated customers who are provided with calorie counts on the menu sometimes gravitate toward healthier choices.
To produce its study, the CSPI looked at 50 top U.S. chain restaurants, finding 34 of them had meals designed for children and were willing to provide nutritional data. It analyzed those meals and meal combinations.
The group, which has agitated for everything from healthier popcorn at the movies to calorie labeling in supermarkets, found that among almost 3,500 combinations surveyed, kids' meals failed to meet nutritional standards 97 percent of the time.
That was a marginal improvement over 2008 when such meals failed to meet standards 99 percent of the time.
Every children's meal offered at popular chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dairy Queen, Hardee's, McDonald's, Panda Express, Perkins Family Restaurants and Popeyes fell short of standards adopted by the center from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutritional recommendations.
The meals also fell short of standards set by the National Restaurant Association's Kids LiveWell Program, said the CSPI, which titled its study, "Kids' Meals: Obesity on the Menu."
"Most chains seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda," said Margo Wootan, CSPI nutrition policy director. "It's like the restaurant industry didn't get the memo that there's a childhood obesity crisis."
Among the meals singled out was Applebees' grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread, fries and two percent chocolate milk, which has 1,210 calories, 62 grams of fat and 2,340 milligrams of sodium.
The combo meal had nearly three times as many calories as the CSPI's criteria for four- to- eight-year-olds suggest.
At Ruby Tuesday, the macaroni and cheese, white cheddar mashed potatoes and fruit punch combo has 870 calories, 46 grams of fat and 1700 milligrams of sodium, said Wootan.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that children eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt each day to avoid high blood pressure, which can lead to coronary disease, stroke and other ailments.
Being overweight as a child leaves a person vulnerable to heart disease, diabetes and a shortened life span. About one-third of American children are now considered overweight and 17 percent are considered obese, according to USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The CSPI cited Subway restaurants' Fresh Fit For Kids meal combinations as exceptions to the salty, fatty norm.
Subway serves apple slices with its kid-sized sub sandwiches and offers low-fat milk or bottled water instead of soda. All eight of its children's meals met CSPI's nutrition criteria.
A few other establishments have begun to offer side dishes beyond French fries. In fact, every child's meal at Longhorn Steakhouse now comes with fruit or a vegetable.
"More chains are adding fruit, like apple slices, to their menus, but practically every chain could be adding more vegetable and whole grain options," said Ameena Batada, an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Wellness at the University of North Carolina Asheville.
Labeling can be a potent tool. The report cited two studies that indicated customers who are provided with calorie counts on the menu sometimes gravitate toward healthier choices.
To produce its study, the CSPI looked at 50 top U.S. chain restaurants, finding 34 of them had meals designed for children and were willing to provide nutritional data. It analyzed those meals and meal combinations.
"Devil's Advocate" convicted in London of being fake lawyer
An Italian man known as the "Devil's Advocate" who said he provided legal representation to the likes of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, was not a genuine lawyer but a fraudster, a jury at a London court ruled on Wednesday.
Giovanni Di Stefano, 57, conned clients out of large sums of money by setting himself up as a lawyer when he had no legal qualifications and was not registered to work as a lawyer in Italy or Britain.
During the trial, the court heard Di Stefano had links to Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam.
The court was shown a BBC documentary from 2004 in which he described Saddam as a "nice guy" and boasted of being asked to defend a number of notorious British killers such as Harold Shipman, the family doctor who murdered about 250 patients.
Prosecuting lawyer David Aaronberg said he had gained a reputation which brought him "the fame, or the notoriety, that he enjoys".
"He was a man who was willing to provide legal services to clients whose cases others considered unwinnable or too difficult to defend," Aaronberg said.
Di Stefano was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of 25 offences of deception, fraud, money laundering and forgery allegedly committed between 2004 and 2012, British news agency the Press Association reported.
Di Stefano, who was born in the small town of Petrella Tifernina in central Italy but moved to Britain as a boy, will be sentenced on Thursday.
Giovanni Di Stefano, 57, conned clients out of large sums of money by setting himself up as a lawyer when he had no legal qualifications and was not registered to work as a lawyer in Italy or Britain.
During the trial, the court heard Di Stefano had links to Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam.
The court was shown a BBC documentary from 2004 in which he described Saddam as a "nice guy" and boasted of being asked to defend a number of notorious British killers such as Harold Shipman, the family doctor who murdered about 250 patients.
Prosecuting lawyer David Aaronberg said he had gained a reputation which brought him "the fame, or the notoriety, that he enjoys".
"He was a man who was willing to provide legal services to clients whose cases others considered unwinnable or too difficult to defend," Aaronberg said.
Di Stefano was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of 25 offences of deception, fraud, money laundering and forgery allegedly committed between 2004 and 2012, British news agency the Press Association reported.
Di Stefano, who was born in the small town of Petrella Tifernina in central Italy but moved to Britain as a boy, will be sentenced on Thursday.
Pennsylvania stadium aims to please fans with urinal video games
Play doesn't need to stop for sports fans taking a bathroom break at a Pennsylvania minor-league baseball stadium that has installed video games in men's room urinals.
The "hands-free" video game is played by directing oneself right or left in the urinals at the Lehigh Valley IronPigs' Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The game is aimed at increasing prostate health awareness.
The video screens challenge players to steer their way along a snowmobile course, while trying to hit cartoon penguins. They also display messages reminding men to make an appointment for a prostate exam, Schaeffer said.
Names of high scorers deft enough to hit the target mirrored on a 12-inch LCD screen above the urinal will appear on other contestants' urinals and on the video displays in the ballpark.
The "hands free" urinal players can go by their full name, part or their name or a pseudonym when their scores are tallied.
The urinal video games will commence when the baseball games start for the IronPigs, a minor league team affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies. The team opens its 2013 season next week with an exhibition game on Tuesday.
The IronPigs bought the restroom entertainment, described as the "world's only truly hands-free urinal game controller," from Captive Media, a company based in the United Kingdom, said IronPigs spokesman Jon Schaeffer.
While the games have been placed in bars in the United Kingdom, their appearance in the Allentown stadium marks a first in the world of sports, said Ed Gundrum, who oversees sales for the company in the U.S.
"They told us with certainty that it's not in any other sports venue in the world," Schaeffer said. The "p-controlled" video games, which were undergoing "calibration" on Wednesday, are in bars in the United Kingdom, Schaeffer said.
The games, part of a marketing agreement with the Lehigh Valley Health Network, are intended to remind men about the importance of prostate health, the baseball team said in a news release.
The "hands-free" video game is played by directing oneself right or left in the urinals at the Lehigh Valley IronPigs' Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The game is aimed at increasing prostate health awareness.
The video screens challenge players to steer their way along a snowmobile course, while trying to hit cartoon penguins. They also display messages reminding men to make an appointment for a prostate exam, Schaeffer said.
Names of high scorers deft enough to hit the target mirrored on a 12-inch LCD screen above the urinal will appear on other contestants' urinals and on the video displays in the ballpark.
The "hands free" urinal players can go by their full name, part or their name or a pseudonym when their scores are tallied.
The urinal video games will commence when the baseball games start for the IronPigs, a minor league team affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies. The team opens its 2013 season next week with an exhibition game on Tuesday.
The IronPigs bought the restroom entertainment, described as the "world's only truly hands-free urinal game controller," from Captive Media, a company based in the United Kingdom, said IronPigs spokesman Jon Schaeffer.
While the games have been placed in bars in the United Kingdom, their appearance in the Allentown stadium marks a first in the world of sports, said Ed Gundrum, who oversees sales for the company in the U.S.
"They told us with certainty that it's not in any other sports venue in the world," Schaeffer said. The "p-controlled" video games, which were undergoing "calibration" on Wednesday, are in bars in the United Kingdom, Schaeffer said.
The games, part of a marketing agreement with the Lehigh Valley Health Network, are intended to remind men about the importance of prostate health, the baseball team said in a news release.
Going, going, gone - dodo bone up for sale in London
A rare four-inch fragment of a dodo bone will go on sale in Britain in April, around 300 years after the flightless bird and icon of obsolescence was hunted to extinction.
Auctioneers Christie's said on Wednesday it was hoping to raise as much as 15,000 pounds ($22,600) for the piece of a bird's femur.
The last sale of dodo remains the auction house could find took place in London in 1934 - and it was expecting considerable interest from a highly specialized band of collectors and enthusiasts.
"It is so rare for anyone to part with these prized items," said James Hyslop, head of Travel, Science and Natural History at Christie's auction house in South Kensington, London.
"From its appearance in "Alice in Wonderland" to the expression 'dead as dodo', the bird has cemented its place in our cultural heritage," he added.
The Western world first heard of dodos in 1598 when Dutch sailors reported seeing them on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.
Less than 100 years later, the birds had disappeared. Most experts say they were probably hunted down by successive waves of hungry sailors, and the pigs and other large animals they brought on to the island.
No complete specimens have survived - and scientists have been pouring over fragments of remains for years to try and reconstruct what the dodo might have looked like.
The famous image of a squat, comic, short-necked bird, immortalized in John Tenniel's illustrations for "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", is widely thought to be wrong.
Christie's did not say whether the thigh bone, part of an unnamed private English collection, would provide any fresh clues.
The auction house said its bone was almost certainly excavated in 1865 at Mare aux Songes in Mauritius during a dig by natural history enthusiast George Clark.
The bone is one of 260 lots in a Travel, Science and Natural History sale held by Christie's in London on April 24. The items are open to public viewing from April 20.
Other items on the block include a fossilized egg from Madagascar's equally extinct elephant bird, more than 100 times the average size of a chicken egg, as well as scientific instruments, maps and globes.
Auctioneers Christie's said on Wednesday it was hoping to raise as much as 15,000 pounds ($22,600) for the piece of a bird's femur.
The last sale of dodo remains the auction house could find took place in London in 1934 - and it was expecting considerable interest from a highly specialized band of collectors and enthusiasts.
"It is so rare for anyone to part with these prized items," said James Hyslop, head of Travel, Science and Natural History at Christie's auction house in South Kensington, London.
"From its appearance in "Alice in Wonderland" to the expression 'dead as dodo', the bird has cemented its place in our cultural heritage," he added.
The Western world first heard of dodos in 1598 when Dutch sailors reported seeing them on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.
Less than 100 years later, the birds had disappeared. Most experts say they were probably hunted down by successive waves of hungry sailors, and the pigs and other large animals they brought on to the island.
No complete specimens have survived - and scientists have been pouring over fragments of remains for years to try and reconstruct what the dodo might have looked like.
The famous image of a squat, comic, short-necked bird, immortalized in John Tenniel's illustrations for "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", is widely thought to be wrong.
Christie's did not say whether the thigh bone, part of an unnamed private English collection, would provide any fresh clues.
The auction house said its bone was almost certainly excavated in 1865 at Mare aux Songes in Mauritius during a dig by natural history enthusiast George Clark.
The bone is one of 260 lots in a Travel, Science and Natural History sale held by Christie's in London on April 24. The items are open to public viewing from April 20.
Other items on the block include a fossilized egg from Madagascar's equally extinct elephant bird, more than 100 times the average size of a chicken egg, as well as scientific instruments, maps and globes.
Rhode Island city drops fine for allegedly foul-mouthed cockatoo
A Rhode Island city has dropped its case against a woman who was fined $15 for violating a noise ordinance after her pet cockatoo allegedly swore at her ex-husband's girlfriend, who lived with him next door, a lawyer said on Wednesday.
Warwick Municipal Court fined Lynne Taylor in September following a series of complaints from the neighbor over noise from the parrot and other offenses, said Taylor's lawyer, Stephen Peltier.
The bird allegedly used salty language to refer to the neighbor, but Peltier said the bird was merely saying "knock it off," and that the noise ordinance was unconstitutional because it was highly subjective and intended for cases of dog-barking.
Taylor's former husband had given her the bird before they divorced and he moved into a neighboring house, Peltier said. His girlfriend began complaining to police after she moved into the house and the dispute escalated over a period of months in 2011, the attorney added.
Taylor appealed the decision, and on Friday the City of Warwick dropped the case, he said.
"We were prepared to fight this right on through the Supreme Court, and Warwick decided they were not going to fight it," Peltier said.
Police told a local television station, WJAR, it was in the best interest of justice to drop the case instead of using city resources to enforce the fine. A Warwick police officer involved in the case was not available for comment.
The ordinance says any dog, animal or fowl that habitually barks, howls or makes noise and disturbs a neighbor may be deemed a public nuisance, according to Peltier.
Warwick Municipal Court fined Lynne Taylor in September following a series of complaints from the neighbor over noise from the parrot and other offenses, said Taylor's lawyer, Stephen Peltier.
The bird allegedly used salty language to refer to the neighbor, but Peltier said the bird was merely saying "knock it off," and that the noise ordinance was unconstitutional because it was highly subjective and intended for cases of dog-barking.
Taylor's former husband had given her the bird before they divorced and he moved into a neighboring house, Peltier said. His girlfriend began complaining to police after she moved into the house and the dispute escalated over a period of months in 2011, the attorney added.
Taylor appealed the decision, and on Friday the City of Warwick dropped the case, he said.
"We were prepared to fight this right on through the Supreme Court, and Warwick decided they were not going to fight it," Peltier said.
Police told a local television station, WJAR, it was in the best interest of justice to drop the case instead of using city resources to enforce the fine. A Warwick police officer involved in the case was not available for comment.
The ordinance says any dog, animal or fowl that habitually barks, howls or makes noise and disturbs a neighbor may be deemed a public nuisance, according to Peltier.
U.S. film festival cancels award to UK film after tax scam
A U.S. film festival has withdrawn an award given to a British movie about a Gulf War veteran seeking justice after a London court jailed five people for making the movie as part of 2.8 million pound ($4.3 million) tax scam.
Tax inspectors were told that A-listers from Hollywood would be starring in a 19.6 million pound production that would be shot in Britain.
But the gang never intended to make the film "Landscape Of Lives," Southwark Crown Court in London heard on Monday.
"The real intent was to defraud the public purse of nearly 1.5 million pounds in VAT along with nearly 1.3 million in film tax credit claims," the HMRC revenue department said.
When tax inspectors started becoming suspicious, the gang tried to cover their tracks by actually making a low-budget film about a Gulf War veteran seeking justice for a murdered comrade.
Just as in this year's Oscar Best Picture winner "Argo" - in which the CIA dreams up a fake sci-fi movie, complete with screenplay, posters and advertisements as cover for a hostage-rescue mission - the low-budget production was announced in film industry magazines.
It then even went on to win a Silver Ace award at last year's Las Vegas film festival.
A spokeswoman from the festival was the award was "simply a participation award".
"The acknowledgment has since been rescinded," she told Reuters on Tuesday.
HMRC said in a statement that gang leader Bashar Al-Issa, 35, along with former Irish actress Aoife Madden, Tariq Hassan, Ian Sherwood and Osama Al Baghdady, owned Evolved Pictures.
They told their auditors that they had a budget of more than 19 million pounds, provided by a Jordanian company, to produce a blockbuster film in Britain.
"Evolved Pictures told HMRC that millions of pounds of work had been spent on the film, including paying actors and film set managers, claiming this meant a VAT repayment was due of 1.48 million pounds," the HMRC statement said.
"However, during checks, HMRC found that the work had not been done and most of the so-called suppliers and film studios had never heard of the gang.
"Furthermore, capitalizing on a scheme designed to support genuine British film makers, Evolved made fraudulent tax credit claims of 256,385 pounds, while preparing to submit a further claim of 1.03 million pounds."
"After they were arrested, the gang came up with an elaborate plan to cover their tracks and hide the fraud by shooting a film on a shoestring, called "A Landscape of Lies," featuring two television personalities."
The movie, released on DVD in 2011, included in its cast an actor from the soap opera "EastEnders", Marc Bannerman, and television presenter Andrea McLean, both of whom had no knowledge of the fraud.
Al-Issa, described as the orchestrator of the fraud, was jailed for 6-1/2 years.
Actor Madden, said to have submitted a "pack of lies" to inspectors about the project, was sentenced to four years and eight months.
Hassan and Al Baghdady received four-year jail sentences.
Sherwood, who allowed his offices to be used for the fraud, was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in jail.
Tax inspectors were told that A-listers from Hollywood would be starring in a 19.6 million pound production that would be shot in Britain.
But the gang never intended to make the film "Landscape Of Lives," Southwark Crown Court in London heard on Monday.
"The real intent was to defraud the public purse of nearly 1.5 million pounds in VAT along with nearly 1.3 million in film tax credit claims," the HMRC revenue department said.
When tax inspectors started becoming suspicious, the gang tried to cover their tracks by actually making a low-budget film about a Gulf War veteran seeking justice for a murdered comrade.
Just as in this year's Oscar Best Picture winner "Argo" - in which the CIA dreams up a fake sci-fi movie, complete with screenplay, posters and advertisements as cover for a hostage-rescue mission - the low-budget production was announced in film industry magazines.
It then even went on to win a Silver Ace award at last year's Las Vegas film festival.
A spokeswoman from the festival was the award was "simply a participation award".
"The acknowledgment has since been rescinded," she told Reuters on Tuesday.
HMRC said in a statement that gang leader Bashar Al-Issa, 35, along with former Irish actress Aoife Madden, Tariq Hassan, Ian Sherwood and Osama Al Baghdady, owned Evolved Pictures.
They told their auditors that they had a budget of more than 19 million pounds, provided by a Jordanian company, to produce a blockbuster film in Britain.
"Evolved Pictures told HMRC that millions of pounds of work had been spent on the film, including paying actors and film set managers, claiming this meant a VAT repayment was due of 1.48 million pounds," the HMRC statement said.
"However, during checks, HMRC found that the work had not been done and most of the so-called suppliers and film studios had never heard of the gang.
"Furthermore, capitalizing on a scheme designed to support genuine British film makers, Evolved made fraudulent tax credit claims of 256,385 pounds, while preparing to submit a further claim of 1.03 million pounds."
"After they were arrested, the gang came up with an elaborate plan to cover their tracks and hide the fraud by shooting a film on a shoestring, called "A Landscape of Lies," featuring two television personalities."
The movie, released on DVD in 2011, included in its cast an actor from the soap opera "EastEnders", Marc Bannerman, and television presenter Andrea McLean, both of whom had no knowledge of the fraud.
Al-Issa, described as the orchestrator of the fraud, was jailed for 6-1/2 years.
Actor Madden, said to have submitted a "pack of lies" to inspectors about the project, was sentenced to four years and eight months.
Hassan and Al Baghdady received four-year jail sentences.
Sherwood, who allowed his offices to be used for the fraud, was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in jail.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (March 22, 2013)
Deep Discovery
The deepest place in the ocean is home to an unlikely abundance of microbial life, according to a new study. A Danish-led team of marine microbiologists looked at sediment samples collected by a robot from the bottom of the Mariana Trench and found evidence of bountiful bacterial activity. The Mariana Trench, an undersea canyon in the western Pacific, is not a place one would expect to be teeming with life. Microbes living at the bottom of the underwater fissure survive in near freezing tempereatures, with no sunlight, and in crushing pressures. The discovery suggests that many of the world's deepest and darkest oceanic canyons might be hot spots of microbial life.
Manatee Deaths
A new wave of manatee deaths has struck Florda following a string of fatalities among the marine mammals due to red tide algae blooms along the state's southwestern beaches. But marine biologists say they don't know exactly what's killing the manatees along the eastern coast since there have not ben any reports of red tide there, and the weather hasn't been cold enough to account for the deaths. Nearly 200 manatees have died due to red tide along Florida's Gulf Coast so far this year. While lacking physical evidence to prove it, wildlife experts believe the deaths in eastern Florida are due to different types of algae blooms that have killed off vast amounts of sea grass the manatees typically feed on. That may have caused the lumbering sea animals to instead ingest large amounts of macroalgae, which sent them into fatal toxic shock. The east coast algae blooms were due to storm runoff that flushed fertilizers and other manmade nutrients into waterways.
Reindeer Cull
Thousands of reindeer have been slaughtered on a remote British island where the animals were introduced a century ago from a herd in Norway. Reindeerhave become an increasing threat to native wildlife on South Georgia, which is located in the far South Atlantic, near Antarctica. A team of 16 hunters corralled many of the targeted 3,500 animals into pens on South Georgia. Others in remote areas were shot with rifles. About 1,500 remaining reindeer will be targeted in a final cull next year. A few dozen reindeer were brought to South Georgia by whalers in the early 20th century to be used as a reliable source of food in the remote region. But their population has since exploded, with the hoofed animals stomping through the ground nests of native birds.
Monarchs in Peril
The third straight year of decline for the North American monarch butterfly population has brought the number of the orange-and-black insects to the lowest levels ever reliably measured. Six of the past seven years have also seen numbers decline, bringing the population to only one-fifteenth of what it was in 1997. Scientists say it is no longer possible to attribute the decline to just yearly or seasonal events that have always affected the species. The World WildlifeFund is one of the groups that sponsored the butterfly cenus. It says climate change and agricultural practices are to blame. One of the biggest factors is the use of pesticides that kill off the monarch's main food source of milkweed. Logging in the butterfly's wintering home in the forests of western Mexico was once considered the main threat to the species. But it has been virtually halted in recent years by conservation efforts.
Tropical Cyclone
An area of disturbed weather spinning off Australia's Cape York Peninsula briefly developed into Tropical Storm Tim. The disturbance remained over the Coral Sea, well off the Queensland coast and the adjacent Great Barrier Reef.
Earthquakes
The strongest tremor to jolt Auckland, New Zealand, in six years left some sidewalks cracked but othrerwise caused no significant damage.
* Earth movements were also felt in southwestern New Zealand, China's Yunnan province and in Istanbul and other areas of the southern Black Sea region.
Evolution on the Fly
Natural selection during the age of motorized transportation has caused at least one species of bird to evolve with shorter wings that help it avoid being struck by passing vehicles. Researcher Charles Brown of the University of Tulsa has collected dead swallows that became roadkill over the past 30 years. Swallows are known to build nests on concrete bridges of major highways, making them prone to becoming traffic fatalities. Brown has measured the wings of such dead birds in relation to those snagged in nets. Writing in the journal Current Biology, Brown says he found the wings of vehiclle-killed birds grew longer over the study period, while the general population of the birds grew shortere wings. It's believed that the shorter wings allow birds to make sharp turns more quickly, and escape being hit by vehicles.
The deepest place in the ocean is home to an unlikely abundance of microbial life, according to a new study. A Danish-led team of marine microbiologists looked at sediment samples collected by a robot from the bottom of the Mariana Trench and found evidence of bountiful bacterial activity. The Mariana Trench, an undersea canyon in the western Pacific, is not a place one would expect to be teeming with life. Microbes living at the bottom of the underwater fissure survive in near freezing tempereatures, with no sunlight, and in crushing pressures. The discovery suggests that many of the world's deepest and darkest oceanic canyons might be hot spots of microbial life.
Manatee Deaths
A new wave of manatee deaths has struck Florda following a string of fatalities among the marine mammals due to red tide algae blooms along the state's southwestern beaches. But marine biologists say they don't know exactly what's killing the manatees along the eastern coast since there have not ben any reports of red tide there, and the weather hasn't been cold enough to account for the deaths. Nearly 200 manatees have died due to red tide along Florida's Gulf Coast so far this year. While lacking physical evidence to prove it, wildlife experts believe the deaths in eastern Florida are due to different types of algae blooms that have killed off vast amounts of sea grass the manatees typically feed on. That may have caused the lumbering sea animals to instead ingest large amounts of macroalgae, which sent them into fatal toxic shock. The east coast algae blooms were due to storm runoff that flushed fertilizers and other manmade nutrients into waterways.
Reindeer Cull
Thousands of reindeer have been slaughtered on a remote British island where the animals were introduced a century ago from a herd in Norway. Reindeerhave become an increasing threat to native wildlife on South Georgia, which is located in the far South Atlantic, near Antarctica. A team of 16 hunters corralled many of the targeted 3,500 animals into pens on South Georgia. Others in remote areas were shot with rifles. About 1,500 remaining reindeer will be targeted in a final cull next year. A few dozen reindeer were brought to South Georgia by whalers in the early 20th century to be used as a reliable source of food in the remote region. But their population has since exploded, with the hoofed animals stomping through the ground nests of native birds.
Monarchs in Peril
The third straight year of decline for the North American monarch butterfly population has brought the number of the orange-and-black insects to the lowest levels ever reliably measured. Six of the past seven years have also seen numbers decline, bringing the population to only one-fifteenth of what it was in 1997. Scientists say it is no longer possible to attribute the decline to just yearly or seasonal events that have always affected the species. The World WildlifeFund is one of the groups that sponsored the butterfly cenus. It says climate change and agricultural practices are to blame. One of the biggest factors is the use of pesticides that kill off the monarch's main food source of milkweed. Logging in the butterfly's wintering home in the forests of western Mexico was once considered the main threat to the species. But it has been virtually halted in recent years by conservation efforts.
Tropical Cyclone
An area of disturbed weather spinning off Australia's Cape York Peninsula briefly developed into Tropical Storm Tim. The disturbance remained over the Coral Sea, well off the Queensland coast and the adjacent Great Barrier Reef.
Earthquakes
The strongest tremor to jolt Auckland, New Zealand, in six years left some sidewalks cracked but othrerwise caused no significant damage.
* Earth movements were also felt in southwestern New Zealand, China's Yunnan province and in Istanbul and other areas of the southern Black Sea region.
Evolution on the Fly
Natural selection during the age of motorized transportation has caused at least one species of bird to evolve with shorter wings that help it avoid being struck by passing vehicles. Researcher Charles Brown of the University of Tulsa has collected dead swallows that became roadkill over the past 30 years. Swallows are known to build nests on concrete bridges of major highways, making them prone to becoming traffic fatalities. Brown has measured the wings of such dead birds in relation to those snagged in nets. Writing in the journal Current Biology, Brown says he found the wings of vehiclle-killed birds grew longer over the study period, while the general population of the birds grew shortere wings. It's believed that the shorter wings allow birds to make sharp turns more quickly, and escape being hit by vehicles.
Traffic Lights
Q. I frequently find myself stopping at a red light, starting up at a green light, driving at the speed limit until the next intersection, and thenstopping at a red light again ------ a continuing pattern. With the need for fuel efficiency and the availability of technology, why don't cities time traffic lights better, at least on major streets?
A. Improving traffic lights is an expensive project. Consider the complications :
They change hour by hour throughout the day; they're different on weekends; and driving behavior is affected by weather. Even seasonal variations, such as whether school is in session, have an impact. And other conditions (construction, sanitation routines, road repairs, etc.) are constantly in flux.
That said, upgrading our system of traffic lights definitely can be done; the benefits would be huge, and some immediate. Imagine: reducing congestion, saving money on gas, lowering air pollution, and, best of all, decreasing the rate of accidents at intersections.
Then why isn't it done more often? In a word, apathy. Voters aren't exactly energized by traffic lights!
A. Improving traffic lights is an expensive project. Consider the complications :
They change hour by hour throughout the day; they're different on weekends; and driving behavior is affected by weather. Even seasonal variations, such as whether school is in session, have an impact. And other conditions (construction, sanitation routines, road repairs, etc.) are constantly in flux.
That said, upgrading our system of traffic lights definitely can be done; the benefits would be huge, and some immediate. Imagine: reducing congestion, saving money on gas, lowering air pollution, and, best of all, decreasing the rate of accidents at intersections.
Then why isn't it done more often? In a word, apathy. Voters aren't exactly energized by traffic lights!
Stay Healthy Quiz (AAAA - CHOOO!)
Spring is in the air ----- and so is pollen. If you're one of the 60 million Americans who suffer from hay fever, we're here to help.
1. What's the best way to avoid high pollen counts?
a) Don't go outside on windy, dry, and sunshiny days
b) Plan outdoor activities for the morning
c) Stay indoors after a rainstorm
2. Which of the following is most effective at keeping pollen out of your home?
a) Slipping off your shoes when indoors
b) Keeping your windows closed at all times
c) Having pets stay inside
3. How can you enjoy the outdoors without bringing on an allergy attack?
a) Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
b) Change your clothes as soon as you come inside
c) Take a shower before you go to bed
d) All of the above
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. (a) : Pollen counts are highest on days when it's dry, sunny, and blustery, and lowest during and just after a big storm. Levels are also generally higher in the morning than in the afternoon.
2. (b) : "Many people think that opening the windows for 30 minutes is equivalent to taking a walk in the park," says J. Allen Meadows, M.D., of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. "But it's actually more like moving your bed to a field of tall grass and leaving it there permanently."
3. (d) : When you're out and about, a hat and a pair of shades (preferably oversize and wrap-around) will help keep pollen away from your face. Once you're home, tossing your clothes in the laundry means you'll scatter less pollen around the house. And showering before bed washes pollen away so it doesn't settle on your sheets and pillows.
1. What's the best way to avoid high pollen counts?
a) Don't go outside on windy, dry, and sunshiny days
b) Plan outdoor activities for the morning
c) Stay indoors after a rainstorm
2. Which of the following is most effective at keeping pollen out of your home?
a) Slipping off your shoes when indoors
b) Keeping your windows closed at all times
c) Having pets stay inside
3. How can you enjoy the outdoors without bringing on an allergy attack?
a) Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
b) Change your clothes as soon as you come inside
c) Take a shower before you go to bed
d) All of the above
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. (a) : Pollen counts are highest on days when it's dry, sunny, and blustery, and lowest during and just after a big storm. Levels are also generally higher in the morning than in the afternoon.
2. (b) : "Many people think that opening the windows for 30 minutes is equivalent to taking a walk in the park," says J. Allen Meadows, M.D., of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. "But it's actually more like moving your bed to a field of tall grass and leaving it there permanently."
3. (d) : When you're out and about, a hat and a pair of shades (preferably oversize and wrap-around) will help keep pollen away from your face. Once you're home, tossing your clothes in the laundry means you'll scatter less pollen around the house. And showering before bed washes pollen away so it doesn't settle on your sheets and pillows.
Battle rages over bones of England's Richard III
King Richard III is at the center of a new fight over the location of his final resting place, just weeks after the remains of the last English king to die in battle were found underneath a council car park.
Archaeologists announced one of the most remarkable finds in recent English history last month when they confirmed the discovery of the body of Richard, who was slain at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, during excavations in Leicester.
The discovery generated massive interest internationally as the monarch was famously cast by William Shakespeare as a deformed tyrant who murdered his two nephews, known as the princes, in the Tower of London.
He has long been one of the most controversial characters in English history, with passionate supporters claiming he was wrongly maligned after his death and was in fact an enlightened ruler. Now, more than 500 years after his death, he is still generating division.
The University of Leicester, which led the project to find and exhume Richard, was given permission to reinter the king's remains at the cathedral in Leicester, which is close to Bosworth in central England.
But descendants of the monarch, who was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty, are seeking a legal challenge to have his body laid to rest instead in York, the northern English city with which he had close links during his life.
"We have now written officially to the Ministry of Justice and University of Leicester, notifying them that we plan to issue these claims," said Matthew Howarth, the lawyer representing the Plantagenet Alliance which is spearheaded by 15 of Richard's descendants.
"We will follow up by issuing the judicial review and other proceedings as soon as possible, but certainly within the next few weeks."
They will argue that the Ministry of Justice failed to consult them over the exhumation and the license allowing the university to re-bury the king, and this failure breached the European Convention on Human Rights.
"We have every hope that Matthew and his colleagues will succeed in these cases and help us significantly in our quest to have Richard's remains buried at the most appropriate site, York Minster," said Stephen Nicolay, a 16th great-nephew of the monarch.
Archaeologists announced one of the most remarkable finds in recent English history last month when they confirmed the discovery of the body of Richard, who was slain at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, during excavations in Leicester.
The discovery generated massive interest internationally as the monarch was famously cast by William Shakespeare as a deformed tyrant who murdered his two nephews, known as the princes, in the Tower of London.
He has long been one of the most controversial characters in English history, with passionate supporters claiming he was wrongly maligned after his death and was in fact an enlightened ruler. Now, more than 500 years after his death, he is still generating division.
The University of Leicester, which led the project to find and exhume Richard, was given permission to reinter the king's remains at the cathedral in Leicester, which is close to Bosworth in central England.
But descendants of the monarch, who was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty, are seeking a legal challenge to have his body laid to rest instead in York, the northern English city with which he had close links during his life.
"We have now written officially to the Ministry of Justice and University of Leicester, notifying them that we plan to issue these claims," said Matthew Howarth, the lawyer representing the Plantagenet Alliance which is spearheaded by 15 of Richard's descendants.
"We will follow up by issuing the judicial review and other proceedings as soon as possible, but certainly within the next few weeks."
They will argue that the Ministry of Justice failed to consult them over the exhumation and the license allowing the university to re-bury the king, and this failure breached the European Convention on Human Rights.
"We have every hope that Matthew and his colleagues will succeed in these cases and help us significantly in our quest to have Richard's remains buried at the most appropriate site, York Minster," said Stephen Nicolay, a 16th great-nephew of the monarch.
"Shameful" sexist Ford car ads spark outrage in India
A series of car ads, including one showing women bound and gagged in the trunk of a Ford driven by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has prompted Internet outrage in India and prompted an apology from Ford India.
The ads came just days after India approved a tougher new law to punish sex crimes, following the fatal gang rape of a student in December. That attack sparked unprecedented protests over the treatment of women in the country.
The ads, uploaded on an industry website, were created by individuals within JWT India, a unit of the world's biggest advertising group WPP. They did not go through the normal review and oversight process, Ford India said.
"We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened," the company said in a statement.
"These posters are against the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners, and weren't part of any projects that Ford and WPP are working on, or for any commissioned commercial use."
Ford India did not comment on whether it was taking any action against the agency.
One of the ads shows Berlusconi, charged in Italy with paying for sex with a minor, sitting in the front seat of a Ford Figo hatchback flashing a victory sign, with a trio of half-dressed women tied up in the trunk.
Another ad in the same series featured a caricature of celebrity Paris Hilton in the driver's seat, and three women resembling the Kardashian sisters bound in the trunk with the tagline "Leave your worries behind with Figo's extra large boot".
"This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation," WPP said.
Comments on Twitter and Facebook dismissed the ads as "shameful" and "disgusting".
"If this is what Ford represents, I will never buy Ford again, and try my best not to sit in one," a Facebook user said.
The ads came just days after India approved a tougher new law to punish sex crimes, following the fatal gang rape of a student in December. That attack sparked unprecedented protests over the treatment of women in the country.
The ads, uploaded on an industry website, were created by individuals within JWT India, a unit of the world's biggest advertising group WPP. They did not go through the normal review and oversight process, Ford India said.
"We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened," the company said in a statement.
"These posters are against the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners, and weren't part of any projects that Ford and WPP are working on, or for any commissioned commercial use."
Ford India did not comment on whether it was taking any action against the agency.
One of the ads shows Berlusconi, charged in Italy with paying for sex with a minor, sitting in the front seat of a Ford Figo hatchback flashing a victory sign, with a trio of half-dressed women tied up in the trunk.
Another ad in the same series featured a caricature of celebrity Paris Hilton in the driver's seat, and three women resembling the Kardashian sisters bound in the trunk with the tagline "Leave your worries behind with Figo's extra large boot".
"This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation," WPP said.
Comments on Twitter and Facebook dismissed the ads as "shameful" and "disgusting".
"If this is what Ford represents, I will never buy Ford again, and try my best not to sit in one," a Facebook user said.
"Panda-monium" as giant pandas arrive in Canada from China
Canada got a taste of international panda diplomacy on Monday with the arrival of two "Very Important Pandas" at the start of a 10-year loan to two Canadian zoos.
Speaking as the two giant pandas arrived in Toronto from China, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai - who gave the animals the VIP designation - noted that when he started his posting in Canada two years ago, he was greeted only by the Canadian director of protocol.
But the panda pair, Er Shun, 5, and Da Mao, 4, merited a personal welcome from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who reached an agreement on the panda loan during a visit to China last year.
"I am very delighted to officially welcome to Canada ... a pair of China's national treasures," Harper said at the airport.
Officials hope that Er Shun, who is female, and Da Mao, who is male, will mate during their five years in Toronto and five subsequent years in Calgary, Alberta, to produce the first Canadian-born panda cubs.
"China wants to be known for other than economic prowess," Gordon Houlden, director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, told CTV television. "This helps serve that purpose."
China has frequently loaned pandas to foreign zoos, in deals that can be lucrative to both sides. Fees paid by the host countries help fund panda research in China, but the zoos hope to recoup that in extra visitors.
Other costs include the vast quantities of bamboo that the two pandas will eat - they spend 10 to 16 hours a day eating 14 to 20 kg (31 to 44 lbs) of bamboo.
FedEx Corp, which flew the pandas to Canada from China, will fly in 600 to 900 kg (1,320 to 1,980 pounds) of bamboo each week from the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee because "pandas are picky eaters," it said.
Speaking as the two giant pandas arrived in Toronto from China, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai - who gave the animals the VIP designation - noted that when he started his posting in Canada two years ago, he was greeted only by the Canadian director of protocol.
But the panda pair, Er Shun, 5, and Da Mao, 4, merited a personal welcome from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who reached an agreement on the panda loan during a visit to China last year.
"I am very delighted to officially welcome to Canada ... a pair of China's national treasures," Harper said at the airport.
Officials hope that Er Shun, who is female, and Da Mao, who is male, will mate during their five years in Toronto and five subsequent years in Calgary, Alberta, to produce the first Canadian-born panda cubs.
"China wants to be known for other than economic prowess," Gordon Houlden, director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, told CTV television. "This helps serve that purpose."
China has frequently loaned pandas to foreign zoos, in deals that can be lucrative to both sides. Fees paid by the host countries help fund panda research in China, but the zoos hope to recoup that in extra visitors.
Other costs include the vast quantities of bamboo that the two pandas will eat - they spend 10 to 16 hours a day eating 14 to 20 kg (31 to 44 lbs) of bamboo.
FedEx Corp, which flew the pandas to Canada from China, will fly in 600 to 900 kg (1,320 to 1,980 pounds) of bamboo each week from the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee because "pandas are picky eaters," it said.
Sochi organisers store snow, just in case
While Moscow digs itself out of a huge snow storm that hit the Russian capital in the last few days, organizers of the Winter Olympics are worried a lack of white powder could become a problem next February.
Unseasonably warm temperatures this winter in Sochi have forced local organizers to store some 450,000 cubic meters of snow in the nearby Caucasus Mountains that surround this sub-tropical Black Sea resort.
"We've prepared seven separate areas for snow storage high up in the mountains," Sergei Bachin, general director of Roza Khutor, a ski resort in Krasnaya Polyana that will host Alpine skiing, snowboarding and freestyle Olympic competition, told Reuters.
"I want to assure all the competitors that there won't be any shortage of snow next February even if we encounter even warmer temperatures next year," he said.
"We're storing such huge amounts of snow just in case."
The snow will be covered with a "special thermo seal", to protect it from melting during the summer, Bachin said.
"We expect that about 140,000 (cubic meters) will melt away but we'll still have more than 300,000 cubic meters of snow available for next year," he predicted, saying the storage will cost his company an extra $11 million.
Nevertheless, Sochi 2014 chief Dmitry Chernyshenko has stated on several occasions that the weather has become a bigger problem for the organizers, who are frantically trying to finish all the construction projects on time, than security or the infrastructure.
Bachin, however, assured that Krasnaya Polyana, once a sleepy mountain village, about 70 kilometers from central Sochi, would be ready to host all the outdoor Olympic events next February rain or shine.
"Of the 76 Olympic test events scheduled in Krasnaya Polyana this winter a great majority had been completed and only a handful have been called off because of bad weather," he said.
"I think we've passed the test as the last major event of the season was held this weekend in nearby Laura complex."
Usually, Krasnaya Polyana has the opposite problem - too much snow and the risk of avalanches, Bachin said.
"This was a very odd winter. Even locals don't remember when was the last time they had such warm days in the mountains. It's highly unlikely we'll see the same kind of weather next year," he added.
Unseasonably warm temperatures this winter in Sochi have forced local organizers to store some 450,000 cubic meters of snow in the nearby Caucasus Mountains that surround this sub-tropical Black Sea resort.
"We've prepared seven separate areas for snow storage high up in the mountains," Sergei Bachin, general director of Roza Khutor, a ski resort in Krasnaya Polyana that will host Alpine skiing, snowboarding and freestyle Olympic competition, told Reuters.
"I want to assure all the competitors that there won't be any shortage of snow next February even if we encounter even warmer temperatures next year," he said.
"We're storing such huge amounts of snow just in case."
The snow will be covered with a "special thermo seal", to protect it from melting during the summer, Bachin said.
"We expect that about 140,000 (cubic meters) will melt away but we'll still have more than 300,000 cubic meters of snow available for next year," he predicted, saying the storage will cost his company an extra $11 million.
Nevertheless, Sochi 2014 chief Dmitry Chernyshenko has stated on several occasions that the weather has become a bigger problem for the organizers, who are frantically trying to finish all the construction projects on time, than security or the infrastructure.
Bachin, however, assured that Krasnaya Polyana, once a sleepy mountain village, about 70 kilometers from central Sochi, would be ready to host all the outdoor Olympic events next February rain or shine.
"Of the 76 Olympic test events scheduled in Krasnaya Polyana this winter a great majority had been completed and only a handful have been called off because of bad weather," he said.
"I think we've passed the test as the last major event of the season was held this weekend in nearby Laura complex."
Usually, Krasnaya Polyana has the opposite problem - too much snow and the risk of avalanches, Bachin said.
"This was a very odd winter. Even locals don't remember when was the last time they had such warm days in the mountains. It's highly unlikely we'll see the same kind of weather next year," he added.
North Korean leader Kim sings military's praises, oungum-style
Forget "Hail to the Chief". In North Korea, the army sing their leader's praises with a chorus of "We Will Defend General Kim Jong-un at the Cost of Our Lives", or the catchy accordion and tap-dance tune, "The Naval Port in the Evening".
Kim, the third of his line to rule North Korea, praised musical instruments made by the North's 1.2 million-strong army on Sunday, state news agency KCNA reported.
Tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula since new U.N. sanctions were imposed after the North carried out its third nuclear test in February. Pyongyang has threatened to destroy the United States with nuclear weapons, bomb its Pacific bases and shell South Korea in response.
Putting aside rising rhetoric, Kim inspected guitars and drums made by the army and said it was important to make quality instruments so soldiers could "spend their worthwhile days in the army full of militant optimism and joy", KCNA said.
Kim, "Supreme Commander" of the North's armed forces, also inspected overcoats for pupils at the country's top military schools and suggested style improvements, KCNA reported.
According to independent observers, North Korea's huge military, believed to be the world's fourth largest, spend most of their time in activities such as manufacturing or fishing for crabs because drills are far too expensive for the impoverished country and they need to feed themselves.
Kim's field guidance follows the example set by his late father, Kim Jong-il, who gave advice to factories and farmers as well as the army.
Kim Jong-un, 30, still has some way to go in emulating his father's reported accomplishments.
His father's feats, according to KCNA, included inventing the oungum, a banjo-like musical instrument that is "widely popular" in North Korea, and scoring 11 holes-in-one in a single round of golf.
Kim, the third of his line to rule North Korea, praised musical instruments made by the North's 1.2 million-strong army on Sunday, state news agency KCNA reported.
Tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula since new U.N. sanctions were imposed after the North carried out its third nuclear test in February. Pyongyang has threatened to destroy the United States with nuclear weapons, bomb its Pacific bases and shell South Korea in response.
Putting aside rising rhetoric, Kim inspected guitars and drums made by the army and said it was important to make quality instruments so soldiers could "spend their worthwhile days in the army full of militant optimism and joy", KCNA said.
Kim, "Supreme Commander" of the North's armed forces, also inspected overcoats for pupils at the country's top military schools and suggested style improvements, KCNA reported.
According to independent observers, North Korea's huge military, believed to be the world's fourth largest, spend most of their time in activities such as manufacturing or fishing for crabs because drills are far too expensive for the impoverished country and they need to feed themselves.
Kim's field guidance follows the example set by his late father, Kim Jong-il, who gave advice to factories and farmers as well as the army.
Kim Jong-un, 30, still has some way to go in emulating his father's reported accomplishments.
His father's feats, according to KCNA, included inventing the oungum, a banjo-like musical instrument that is "widely popular" in North Korea, and scoring 11 holes-in-one in a single round of golf.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Baseball-sized snail destroyed in Australia to protect crops
A baseball-sized snail with an insatiable appetite for hundreds of plants including cocoa and papaya has been seized and destroyed by Australian officials, who said it posed a huge threat to local agriculture.
The animal was found creeping across a Brisbane shipping container yard and identified as a giant African snail, an East African pest capable of growing up to 30 cm (12 inches) long and one kg (2.2 lb) in weight.
It is known to eat 500 different species of crops, fruits, native Australian plants and even other giant African snails, according to an Australian government website.
"Giant African snails are one of the world's largest and most damaging land snails," said Paul Nixon, acting regional manager at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, in a statement.
The snail can lay 1,200 eggs a year, tolerates extreme temperatures and has few natural enemies in Australia. It also carries parasites that can infect humans with the disease meningitis, which can in some cases be fatal.
The last major Australian outbreak of the snail was in 1977, when 300 giant snails were exterminated in Queensland in an intensive eight-month campaign of community education, baiting and snail collection.
The snail was destroyed and officials inspected the container yard and found no evidence of additional snails, eggs or snail trails. They will continue surveillance into next week.
"Australia's strict biosecurity requirements and responsive system has so far kept these pests out of Australia, and we want to keep it that way," Nixon said.
The animal was found creeping across a Brisbane shipping container yard and identified as a giant African snail, an East African pest capable of growing up to 30 cm (12 inches) long and one kg (2.2 lb) in weight.
It is known to eat 500 different species of crops, fruits, native Australian plants and even other giant African snails, according to an Australian government website.
"Giant African snails are one of the world's largest and most damaging land snails," said Paul Nixon, acting regional manager at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, in a statement.
The snail can lay 1,200 eggs a year, tolerates extreme temperatures and has few natural enemies in Australia. It also carries parasites that can infect humans with the disease meningitis, which can in some cases be fatal.
The last major Australian outbreak of the snail was in 1977, when 300 giant snails were exterminated in Queensland in an intensive eight-month campaign of community education, baiting and snail collection.
The snail was destroyed and officials inspected the container yard and found no evidence of additional snails, eggs or snail trails. They will continue surveillance into next week.
"Australia's strict biosecurity requirements and responsive system has so far kept these pests out of Australia, and we want to keep it that way," Nixon said.
Israeli kids hurt by teachers' name-calling
Students at an Israeli high school were in an uproar on Monday after a teacher mistakenly sent them an internal email that spelled out what faculty members really thought about them.
"Not too bright", "Liar", "Tactless", "Big Baby", "Anti-social", "Has a thing for boys" and "Sick-o" were some of the descriptions on an Excel spreadsheet that landed in students' email boxes.
Protesting outside the Yitzhak Rabin High School in Kfar Saba, a town north of Tel Aviv, students pinned some of those descriptions on their shirts and demanded an apology, which its principal made.
"We will draw conclusions about our behavior and the way we express ourselves," the principal, Ruth Lazar, was quoted as saying by the YNet news site.
The list, which also contained praise for a number of students, was compiled by teachers as a guide to potential misbehavior by the teens due to take part in a school visit to Holocaust sites in Poland, a trip that has become a rite of passage for many Israeli youngsters.
One of the teachers inadvertently copied the list to students who signed up for the trip, the school said.
"Not too bright", "Liar", "Tactless", "Big Baby", "Anti-social", "Has a thing for boys" and "Sick-o" were some of the descriptions on an Excel spreadsheet that landed in students' email boxes.
Protesting outside the Yitzhak Rabin High School in Kfar Saba, a town north of Tel Aviv, students pinned some of those descriptions on their shirts and demanded an apology, which its principal made.
"We will draw conclusions about our behavior and the way we express ourselves," the principal, Ruth Lazar, was quoted as saying by the YNet news site.
The list, which also contained praise for a number of students, was compiled by teachers as a guide to potential misbehavior by the teens due to take part in a school visit to Holocaust sites in Poland, a trip that has become a rite of passage for many Israeli youngsters.
One of the teachers inadvertently copied the list to students who signed up for the trip, the school said.
Cannabis-smoking ascetics light up Nepal festival
Ringed by an endless stream of pilgrims at an ancient temple in Kathmandu, Hindu holy man Mahant Ramnaresh Giri sat naked and puffed on a pipe filled with cannabis, his body smeared with ash as he took part in Nepal's biggest annual religious event.
Giri was one of more than a hundred such naked ascetics at the ancient Shivaratri festival, which brings an estimated one million devout Hindus flocking to Kathmandu's Pashupatinath temple each year for rituals to cleanse them of sin and earn a place in heaven.
Holy men such as Giri, 35, bless them and smoke cone-shaped pipes of cannabis as part of the annual festival dedicated to Shiva, the god of destruction.
"After I smoke I get a feeling that I have overcome worldly pleasure and dissolved myself in the universe," said Giri, smoke billowing around his head.
After Shiva's consort died, legend has it, he came to the forests near the temple, his body smeared with ash. Smoking cannabis, which grows wild in the forests of Nepal, he wore a serpent and draped his waist with a tiger skin as he wandered.
Cannabis is illegal in Nepal, but permitted as a religious ritual for ascetics during the festival, which took place at the weekend. The only explanation for this is that the ascetics are imitating Shiva.
The ban is ignored during the festival for the ascetics, who are allowed to smoke inside the temple complex but not sell or distribute it to pilgrims.
Authorities supplied the drug to holy men in the past but the practice was discontinued in the 1990s after critics said it amounted to promoting its consumption.
For pilgrims, the rituals are more mundane and involve pouring milk on a stone phallus and making offerings of fruit, sandalwood paste and incense sticks. Holy men such as Giri press ash-covered thumbs onto their foreheads and bless them.
"I became an ascetic for the protection of our religion, the welfare of the world and myself," said Giri, his dreadlocked hair and beard not combed or cut for 17 years.
This year's festival included modern touches such as 65 CCTV cameras to help guard crowds estimated to have topped one million devotees. Some of the holy men also played music on their mobile phones.
But for most, the festival remains deeply spiritual.
Krishna Nanda, a Romanian holy man wrapped in white cloth who came to India to study Sanskrit, said his desire to know more about life was behind his renunciation of physical and worldly pleasure two years ago.
"I love everything in society and god ... I am always happy," said the 23-year-old.
Giri was one of more than a hundred such naked ascetics at the ancient Shivaratri festival, which brings an estimated one million devout Hindus flocking to Kathmandu's Pashupatinath temple each year for rituals to cleanse them of sin and earn a place in heaven.
Holy men such as Giri, 35, bless them and smoke cone-shaped pipes of cannabis as part of the annual festival dedicated to Shiva, the god of destruction.
"After I smoke I get a feeling that I have overcome worldly pleasure and dissolved myself in the universe," said Giri, smoke billowing around his head.
After Shiva's consort died, legend has it, he came to the forests near the temple, his body smeared with ash. Smoking cannabis, which grows wild in the forests of Nepal, he wore a serpent and draped his waist with a tiger skin as he wandered.
Cannabis is illegal in Nepal, but permitted as a religious ritual for ascetics during the festival, which took place at the weekend. The only explanation for this is that the ascetics are imitating Shiva.
The ban is ignored during the festival for the ascetics, who are allowed to smoke inside the temple complex but not sell or distribute it to pilgrims.
Authorities supplied the drug to holy men in the past but the practice was discontinued in the 1990s after critics said it amounted to promoting its consumption.
For pilgrims, the rituals are more mundane and involve pouring milk on a stone phallus and making offerings of fruit, sandalwood paste and incense sticks. Holy men such as Giri press ash-covered thumbs onto their foreheads and bless them.
"I became an ascetic for the protection of our religion, the welfare of the world and myself," said Giri, his dreadlocked hair and beard not combed or cut for 17 years.
This year's festival included modern touches such as 65 CCTV cameras to help guard crowds estimated to have topped one million devotees. Some of the holy men also played music on their mobile phones.
But for most, the festival remains deeply spiritual.
Krishna Nanda, a Romanian holy man wrapped in white cloth who came to India to study Sanskrit, said his desire to know more about life was behind his renunciation of physical and worldly pleasure two years ago.
"I love everything in society and god ... I am always happy," said the 23-year-old.
China's heavy-handed censors will now have to endure Ai Weiwei's heavy metal
Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei announced plans on Monday to release a heavy-metal album that he said would "express his opinion" just as he does with his art.
The burly and bearded Ai said 81 days in secretive detention in 2011, which sparked an international outcry, triggered his foray into music.
"When I was arrested, they (his guards) would often ask me to sing songs, but because I wasn't familiar with music, I was embarrassed," Ai, 55, said in a telephone interview. "It helped me pass the time very easily.
"All I could sing was Chinese People's Liberation Army songs," Ai said. "After that I thought: when I'm out, I'd like to do something related to music."
A court in September upheld a $2.4 million fine against Ai for tax evasion, paving the way for jail if he does not pay. Ai maintains the charges were trumped up in retaliation for his criticism of the government.
The world-renowned artist has repeatedly criticized the government for flouting the rule of law and the rights of citizens.
Ai's debut album - "Divina Commedia", after the poem by Italian poet Dante - is a reference to the "Ai God" nickname in Chinese that his supporters call him by. "God" in Chinese is "Shen", while "Divina Commedia" in Chinese is "Shen qu".
Two songs are about blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng, whose escape from house arrest last April and subsequent refuge in the U.S. Embassy embarrassed China and led to a diplomatic tussle.
One song on the album is called "Hotel Americana", a dig at the U.S. Embassy for sheltering Chen. Another is "Climbing over the Wall" - a reference to Chen's scaling of the walls in his village to escape, and Chinese Internet users circumventing the "Great Firewall of China", a colloquial term for China's blocking of websites.
Ai said he was not worried about government persecution for his album, which will be out in about three weeks. But he is gloomy about the prospects of it being sold in China, saying he will distribute the album online "because music is also subject to review" in China.
Ai said his time in the recording studio did not mean that he was moving away from art.
"I think it's all the same," he said. "My art is about expressing opinion and communication."
Ai said he was working on a second album, with pop and rock influences, that he hoped people would sing along with.
"You know, I'm a person that's furthest away from music, I never sing," Ai said. "But you'll be surprised. You'll like it."
The burly and bearded Ai said 81 days in secretive detention in 2011, which sparked an international outcry, triggered his foray into music.
"When I was arrested, they (his guards) would often ask me to sing songs, but because I wasn't familiar with music, I was embarrassed," Ai, 55, said in a telephone interview. "It helped me pass the time very easily.
"All I could sing was Chinese People's Liberation Army songs," Ai said. "After that I thought: when I'm out, I'd like to do something related to music."
A court in September upheld a $2.4 million fine against Ai for tax evasion, paving the way for jail if he does not pay. Ai maintains the charges were trumped up in retaliation for his criticism of the government.
The world-renowned artist has repeatedly criticized the government for flouting the rule of law and the rights of citizens.
Ai's debut album - "Divina Commedia", after the poem by Italian poet Dante - is a reference to the "Ai God" nickname in Chinese that his supporters call him by. "God" in Chinese is "Shen", while "Divina Commedia" in Chinese is "Shen qu".
Two songs are about blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng, whose escape from house arrest last April and subsequent refuge in the U.S. Embassy embarrassed China and led to a diplomatic tussle.
One song on the album is called "Hotel Americana", a dig at the U.S. Embassy for sheltering Chen. Another is "Climbing over the Wall" - a reference to Chen's scaling of the walls in his village to escape, and Chinese Internet users circumventing the "Great Firewall of China", a colloquial term for China's blocking of websites.
Ai said he was not worried about government persecution for his album, which will be out in about three weeks. But he is gloomy about the prospects of it being sold in China, saying he will distribute the album online "because music is also subject to review" in China.
Ai said his time in the recording studio did not mean that he was moving away from art.
"I think it's all the same," he said. "My art is about expressing opinion and communication."
Ai said he was working on a second album, with pop and rock influences, that he hoped people would sing along with.
"You know, I'm a person that's furthest away from music, I never sing," Ai said. "But you'll be surprised. You'll like it."
Let them eat cake later: Americans hosting "fitness parties"
From spinning birthday celebrations to pole dancing bachelorette bashes, U.S. gyms are offering fitness parties as new way to mark life's milestones - with a few friends and a good sweat.
Gyms and fitness studios are often eager to host the festivities, which light up darkened rooms after hours and expose potential new members to their services.
"We've created bachelorette parties, birthday parties, college reunions and divorce parties," said Donna Cyrus, senior vice president of programming at Crunch, a national chain.
Pole dancing parties are among the most-requested fitness parties, and the merrymakers are overwhelmingly young women in their 20s and 30s.
"The class is a reason for friends to get together and shed inhibitions for an hour," Cyrus explained, "as well as a great marketing tool and clever use of idle space for the gym."
Fitness and yoga instructor Magen Banwart has led workout get-togethers from South Carolina to the Hamptons in New York.
She said it's a way to distinguish herself from other teachers in a very competitive market.
"For the right price you can get anyone to go anywhere and teach anything," said New York-based Banwart, who has led classes in yoga, core, barre and walk workouts during gatherings and retreats.
SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
Having a fitness class instead of drinks is a growing trend for women in work-related situations, Banwart said. And at business conferences, historically driven by parties, dinners and cocktail hours, more time and money is being spent on healthy events.
"They're not only offering a class or two. Organizers are taking the time to create a whole mind/body commitment," she said. "You're seeing a strong trend for conferences to include stress management and people are identifying yoga and movement with stress management."
Community is the key for Jason Capili, who recently celebrated his 36th birthday at a Soul Cycle indoor cycling studio in New York City.
"I had people block out a bunch of bikes," said Capili, who works in human resources risk management. "We brought in cupcakes and sparkling wine and at the end, during the stretches, I made a wish."
Capili enjoys attending fitness celebrations for friends and friends of friends.
"I think it's a really supportive environment," he said. "When you have people really supportive and committed there's a sense of cooperative energy that you can't replicate with a one-on-one trainer."
Crunch fitness instructor Courtney Alexander said her private pole dancing parties are much like her group fitness pole dancing classes, except with more giggling.
While the pole dancing class is very athletic, private parties offer a bit more leeway.
"I teach for the full hour, much as I would in class," said Alexander. "But if it's a private party I'm open to requests. Rather than going upside down we might do more forward dips or spins or a sexier flow."
Alexander said the classes are as intense as need, and mood, dictate. After the class it's not unusual for revelers to continue the party elsewhere.
"Usually right after the class they'll change in the locker room, get dressed up and go out for drinks," she said. "This is the party before the party gets started."
Gyms and fitness studios are often eager to host the festivities, which light up darkened rooms after hours and expose potential new members to their services.
"We've created bachelorette parties, birthday parties, college reunions and divorce parties," said Donna Cyrus, senior vice president of programming at Crunch, a national chain.
Pole dancing parties are among the most-requested fitness parties, and the merrymakers are overwhelmingly young women in their 20s and 30s.
"The class is a reason for friends to get together and shed inhibitions for an hour," Cyrus explained, "as well as a great marketing tool and clever use of idle space for the gym."
Fitness and yoga instructor Magen Banwart has led workout get-togethers from South Carolina to the Hamptons in New York.
She said it's a way to distinguish herself from other teachers in a very competitive market.
"For the right price you can get anyone to go anywhere and teach anything," said New York-based Banwart, who has led classes in yoga, core, barre and walk workouts during gatherings and retreats.
SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
Having a fitness class instead of drinks is a growing trend for women in work-related situations, Banwart said. And at business conferences, historically driven by parties, dinners and cocktail hours, more time and money is being spent on healthy events.
"They're not only offering a class or two. Organizers are taking the time to create a whole mind/body commitment," she said. "You're seeing a strong trend for conferences to include stress management and people are identifying yoga and movement with stress management."
Community is the key for Jason Capili, who recently celebrated his 36th birthday at a Soul Cycle indoor cycling studio in New York City.
"I had people block out a bunch of bikes," said Capili, who works in human resources risk management. "We brought in cupcakes and sparkling wine and at the end, during the stretches, I made a wish."
Capili enjoys attending fitness celebrations for friends and friends of friends.
"I think it's a really supportive environment," he said. "When you have people really supportive and committed there's a sense of cooperative energy that you can't replicate with a one-on-one trainer."
Crunch fitness instructor Courtney Alexander said her private pole dancing parties are much like her group fitness pole dancing classes, except with more giggling.
While the pole dancing class is very athletic, private parties offer a bit more leeway.
"I teach for the full hour, much as I would in class," said Alexander. "But if it's a private party I'm open to requests. Rather than going upside down we might do more forward dips or spins or a sexier flow."
Alexander said the classes are as intense as need, and mood, dictate. After the class it's not unusual for revelers to continue the party elsewhere.
"Usually right after the class they'll change in the locker room, get dressed up and go out for drinks," she said. "This is the party before the party gets started."
Irish flag flies again at Florida pub as town suspends ban
The Irish flag is flying again at an Irish pub in northeast Florida, where city officials suspended a ban on flying non-U.S. flags just in time for St. Patrick's Day celebrations on March 17.
The Atlantic Beach City Commission voted unanimously on Monday night to suspend enforcement of the flag ordinance until a new version can be drafted and approved, said the town's acting Mayor Maria Marks.
"We were able to hang the Irish flag back up today," said Aine Culhane, one of four sisters who own Culhane's Irish Pub, south of Jacksonville. "The support has been tremendous."
The sisters said they had flown the green, white and orange Irish flag alongside the American flag in front of their pub for eight years, and were shocked when code enforcement officers gave them a citation on February 20. It said they had 24 hours to "cease display of flags other than American flag."
The obscure ordinance was passed in the 1990s as part of a previous administration's attempt to clean up an unsightly commercial area, according to Marks. The language was ambiguous, however, and the ordinance banned flags, but carved out an exemption for the U.S. flag.
"There was never any intent to have any kind of prejudicial feeling against the Irish or anybody," she added.
The ordinance was little noticed until a Greek restaurant was cited for flying a Greek flag that partially blocked a sidewalk. He complained that he had been singled out, and the Culhanes were told their Irish flag had to come down as well, the acting mayor said.
News reports about the incident reached all the way back to Ireland, prompting a flurry of letters and emails, much of them accusing the city of bigotry.
"Some of it was really, really nasty," Marks noted.
City officials have proposed amending the ordinance to allow the flying of national flags, but the revision process requires a couple of readings and cannot be finished until April or May, she said. In the meantime, enforcement has been suspended.
"Everyone can fly their flag as long as it's not interfering with a right of way or creating a safety hazard," she said.
The Atlantic Beach City Commission voted unanimously on Monday night to suspend enforcement of the flag ordinance until a new version can be drafted and approved, said the town's acting Mayor Maria Marks.
"We were able to hang the Irish flag back up today," said Aine Culhane, one of four sisters who own Culhane's Irish Pub, south of Jacksonville. "The support has been tremendous."
The sisters said they had flown the green, white and orange Irish flag alongside the American flag in front of their pub for eight years, and were shocked when code enforcement officers gave them a citation on February 20. It said they had 24 hours to "cease display of flags other than American flag."
The obscure ordinance was passed in the 1990s as part of a previous administration's attempt to clean up an unsightly commercial area, according to Marks. The language was ambiguous, however, and the ordinance banned flags, but carved out an exemption for the U.S. flag.
"There was never any intent to have any kind of prejudicial feeling against the Irish or anybody," she added.
The ordinance was little noticed until a Greek restaurant was cited for flying a Greek flag that partially blocked a sidewalk. He complained that he had been singled out, and the Culhanes were told their Irish flag had to come down as well, the acting mayor said.
News reports about the incident reached all the way back to Ireland, prompting a flurry of letters and emails, much of them accusing the city of bigotry.
"Some of it was really, really nasty," Marks noted.
City officials have proposed amending the ordinance to allow the flying of national flags, but the revision process requires a couple of readings and cannot be finished until April or May, she said. In the meantime, enforcement has been suspended.
"Everyone can fly their flag as long as it's not interfering with a right of way or creating a safety hazard," she said.
Erin go bragh maybe, but no flag for Irish pub in Florida
The owners of an Irish pub in northeast Florida said they were shocked to receive a citation for flying the Irish flag but have removed it to comply with a local ordinance banning commercial display of non-U.S. flags.
The four sisters who own Culhane's Irish Pub in Atlantic Beach said Friday they would apply for a temporary permit allowing them to at least fly the green, white and orange Irish flag on St. Patrick's Day, March 17.
"St. Patrick's Day is huge for us," said Aine Culhane, who owns the pub with sisters Mary Jane, Michelle and Lynda.
They showed Reuters a copy of a citation issued by code enforcement officers for the City of Atlantic Beach on February 20, giving them 24 hours to "cease display of flags other than American flag."
The Culhanes said they had flown an Irish flag and an American flag on the front of their pub for eight years and were unaware of the ordinance.
"I couldn't believe it," Aine Culhane said. "We never break the law. We were just shocked and kind of sad that we couldn't hang the flag ... Everybody is upset about it."
City officials did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. Acting Mayor Maria Mark told television station WTLV that the city council was reconsidering the ordinance but she doubted any changes could be approved before St. Patrick's Day.
The Culhane sisters are from Shanagolden in County Limerick and have owned the pub since 2005. Michelle and Mary Jane are naturalized U.S. citizens and Lynda and Aine are in the United States on visas, they said.
"We're definitely living the American dream. We love it here. We're proof that anybody can do it We came here knowing no one," Aine said.
But being forced to remove the flag of their homeland was an insult, Michelle said.
"The large contingent of Irish immigrants who fought for this country in numerous wars cannot be treated like this," she said. "Our flag is woven from the fabric of many proud nations and should never be discounted by the pettiness of a few narrow minded council members."
The four sisters who own Culhane's Irish Pub in Atlantic Beach said Friday they would apply for a temporary permit allowing them to at least fly the green, white and orange Irish flag on St. Patrick's Day, March 17.
"St. Patrick's Day is huge for us," said Aine Culhane, who owns the pub with sisters Mary Jane, Michelle and Lynda.
They showed Reuters a copy of a citation issued by code enforcement officers for the City of Atlantic Beach on February 20, giving them 24 hours to "cease display of flags other than American flag."
The Culhanes said they had flown an Irish flag and an American flag on the front of their pub for eight years and were unaware of the ordinance.
"I couldn't believe it," Aine Culhane said. "We never break the law. We were just shocked and kind of sad that we couldn't hang the flag ... Everybody is upset about it."
City officials did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. Acting Mayor Maria Mark told television station WTLV that the city council was reconsidering the ordinance but she doubted any changes could be approved before St. Patrick's Day.
The Culhane sisters are from Shanagolden in County Limerick and have owned the pub since 2005. Michelle and Mary Jane are naturalized U.S. citizens and Lynda and Aine are in the United States on visas, they said.
"We're definitely living the American dream. We love it here. We're proof that anybody can do it We came here knowing no one," Aine said.
But being forced to remove the flag of their homeland was an insult, Michelle said.
"The large contingent of Irish immigrants who fought for this country in numerous wars cannot be treated like this," she said. "Our flag is woven from the fabric of many proud nations and should never be discounted by the pettiness of a few narrow minded council members."
Even for sperm, there is a season
Autumn is the time of year most associated with bumper crops of new babies, and according to an Israeli study there may be a scientific reason for it: human sperm are generally at their healthiest in winter and early spring.
Based on samples from more than 6,000 men treated for infertility, researchers writing in American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found sperm in greater numbers, with faster swimming speeds and fewer abnormalities in semen made during the winter, with a steady decline in quality from spring onward.
"The winter and spring semen patterns are compatible with increased fecundability and may be a plausible explanation of the peak number of deliveries during the fall," wrote lead researcher Eliahu Levitas from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva.
If there is a seasonal pattern, they said, that knowledge may "be of paramount importance, especially in couples with male-related infertility struggling with unsuccessful and prolonged fertility treatments."
For the new study, Levitas and his colleagues collected and analyzed 6.455 semen samples from men at their fertility clinic between January 2006 and July 2009. Of those, 4,960 were found to have normal sperm production, and 1,495 had abnormal production, such as low sperm counts.
The World Health Organization defines anything over 16 million sperm per milliliter of semen as a normal sperm count.
Taking into account the approximately 70 days it takes for the body to produce a sperm cell, the researchers found that men with normal sperm production had the healthiest sperm in the winter.
For example, those men produced about 70 million sperm per milliliter of semen during the winter. About 5 percent of those sperm had "fast" motility, or swimming speed, which improves a couple's chance of getting pregnant.
That compared to the approximately 68 million sperm per milliliter the men produced in the spring, of which only about 3 percent were "fast."
For men with abnormal sperm production, however, the pattern didn't hold. Those men showed a slight trend toward better motility during the fall and made the largest percentage of normal shaped sperm - about 7 percent - during the spring.
"Based on our results the (normal) semen will perform better in winter, whereas infertility cases related to low sperm counts should be encouraged to choose spring and fall," the researchers wrote.
Previous studies, mostly in animals, have found similar results in line with those species' breeding seasons, said Edmund Sabanegh, a urologist who was not involved with the new research.
"The hard part of this is really sorting out what factor is accounting for this," said Sabanegh, the chairman of the urology department at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic.
In animal studies, seasonal changes in sperm production and fertility have been linked to factors ranging from temperature, to length of daylight exposure and hormone variations.
Among people, previous research has found that sperm counts around the world are falling. While no one knows why, theories range from a more sedentary lifestyle to chemicals in the environment that affect sperm health.
Sabanegh said he doesn't think doctors will start telling men with low sperm counts to wait until the winter or spring to try to conceive a child.
"We would continue to encourage them to try regardless of the season, and they may benefit from interventions or treatments."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/13JGdnB
Based on samples from more than 6,000 men treated for infertility, researchers writing in American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found sperm in greater numbers, with faster swimming speeds and fewer abnormalities in semen made during the winter, with a steady decline in quality from spring onward.
"The winter and spring semen patterns are compatible with increased fecundability and may be a plausible explanation of the peak number of deliveries during the fall," wrote lead researcher Eliahu Levitas from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva.
If there is a seasonal pattern, they said, that knowledge may "be of paramount importance, especially in couples with male-related infertility struggling with unsuccessful and prolonged fertility treatments."
For the new study, Levitas and his colleagues collected and analyzed 6.455 semen samples from men at their fertility clinic between January 2006 and July 2009. Of those, 4,960 were found to have normal sperm production, and 1,495 had abnormal production, such as low sperm counts.
The World Health Organization defines anything over 16 million sperm per milliliter of semen as a normal sperm count.
Taking into account the approximately 70 days it takes for the body to produce a sperm cell, the researchers found that men with normal sperm production had the healthiest sperm in the winter.
For example, those men produced about 70 million sperm per milliliter of semen during the winter. About 5 percent of those sperm had "fast" motility, or swimming speed, which improves a couple's chance of getting pregnant.
That compared to the approximately 68 million sperm per milliliter the men produced in the spring, of which only about 3 percent were "fast."
For men with abnormal sperm production, however, the pattern didn't hold. Those men showed a slight trend toward better motility during the fall and made the largest percentage of normal shaped sperm - about 7 percent - during the spring.
"Based on our results the (normal) semen will perform better in winter, whereas infertility cases related to low sperm counts should be encouraged to choose spring and fall," the researchers wrote.
Previous studies, mostly in animals, have found similar results in line with those species' breeding seasons, said Edmund Sabanegh, a urologist who was not involved with the new research.
"The hard part of this is really sorting out what factor is accounting for this," said Sabanegh, the chairman of the urology department at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic.
In animal studies, seasonal changes in sperm production and fertility have been linked to factors ranging from temperature, to length of daylight exposure and hormone variations.
Among people, previous research has found that sperm counts around the world are falling. While no one knows why, theories range from a more sedentary lifestyle to chemicals in the environment that affect sperm health.
Sabanegh said he doesn't think doctors will start telling men with low sperm counts to wait until the winter or spring to try to conceive a child.
"We would continue to encourage them to try regardless of the season, and they may benefit from interventions or treatments."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/13JGdnB
California cat sanctuary to reopen following deadly lion attack
The California wildlife sanctuary where an African lion attacked and killed a 24-year-old worker this week is set to reopen to the public on Sunday.
The Cat Haven preserve, which has been shut since the attack on Wednesday, will resume regular operations, including offering guided tours to visitors, Cat Haven officials said.
"It is important that we attend to (the animals') health and well-being, and we believe returning to a state of normal operations is a part of that process," Cat Haven founder Dale Anderson said in a statement.
Dianna Hanson, a 24-year-old intern who had been working at the park since January, was attacked while cleaning an empty cat enclosure.
A 4-year-old male lion named Cous Cous escaped from his feeding pen, apparently by pushing open an improperly secured gate, and pounced on Hanson, fracturing her neck and killing her instantly, according to Fresno County Coroner David Hadden.
Sheriff's deputies later shot and killed the lion, which weighed at least 400 pounds (181 kgs), after they failed to coax him away from Hanson's body.
Cous Cous and his mate, Pely, were Barbary lions, a species from the region between Morocco and Egypt that is extinct in the wild. He had been handled by humans since he was weeks old.
A necropsy, the animal form of an autopsy, was performed on Thursday to determine whether health issues, such as a neurological disorder or a disease like rabies, could have contributed to the attack.
An initial examination found the lion healthy, but full test results are expected to take weeks, said Janice Mackey, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Cat Haven, a 100-acre (16-hectare) sanctuary in Dunlap, California, run by the group Project Survival and located about 40 miles east of Fresno, is still home to 29 large cats.
State and local agencies are investigating whether Cat Haven violated any safety procedures that could have safeguarded against such an attack.
Anderson said the sanctuary is cooperating with the investigation and cautioned that, until law enforcement releases its findings, "anything reported about the accident is purely speculative."
Hanson earned a biology degree in 2011 from Western Washington University and last year she spent six months in Kenya working on a wild feline reserve.
Her family says they see the incident as a tragic accident.
"We know that first and foremost, Dianna would want the work that Cat Haven is doing to continue," her mother, Donna Hanson, said in a statement.
The Hanson family has set up a fund in Dianna's honor that will benefit her favorite charitable organizations, including Cat Haven.
The Cat Haven preserve, which has been shut since the attack on Wednesday, will resume regular operations, including offering guided tours to visitors, Cat Haven officials said.
"It is important that we attend to (the animals') health and well-being, and we believe returning to a state of normal operations is a part of that process," Cat Haven founder Dale Anderson said in a statement.
Dianna Hanson, a 24-year-old intern who had been working at the park since January, was attacked while cleaning an empty cat enclosure.
A 4-year-old male lion named Cous Cous escaped from his feeding pen, apparently by pushing open an improperly secured gate, and pounced on Hanson, fracturing her neck and killing her instantly, according to Fresno County Coroner David Hadden.
Sheriff's deputies later shot and killed the lion, which weighed at least 400 pounds (181 kgs), after they failed to coax him away from Hanson's body.
Cous Cous and his mate, Pely, were Barbary lions, a species from the region between Morocco and Egypt that is extinct in the wild. He had been handled by humans since he was weeks old.
A necropsy, the animal form of an autopsy, was performed on Thursday to determine whether health issues, such as a neurological disorder or a disease like rabies, could have contributed to the attack.
An initial examination found the lion healthy, but full test results are expected to take weeks, said Janice Mackey, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Cat Haven, a 100-acre (16-hectare) sanctuary in Dunlap, California, run by the group Project Survival and located about 40 miles east of Fresno, is still home to 29 large cats.
State and local agencies are investigating whether Cat Haven violated any safety procedures that could have safeguarded against such an attack.
Anderson said the sanctuary is cooperating with the investigation and cautioned that, until law enforcement releases its findings, "anything reported about the accident is purely speculative."
Hanson earned a biology degree in 2011 from Western Washington University and last year she spent six months in Kenya working on a wild feline reserve.
Her family says they see the incident as a tragic accident.
"We know that first and foremost, Dianna would want the work that Cat Haven is doing to continue," her mother, Donna Hanson, said in a statement.
The Hanson family has set up a fund in Dianna's honor that will benefit her favorite charitable organizations, including Cat Haven.
Lion slipped out of holding pen before killing sanctuary worker
The African lion that killed a California wildlife sanctuary worker had slipped out of its holding pen, which apparently was left improperly secured, and crept up on the woman inside a larger enclosure to attack her, the coroner said on Friday.
Dianna Hanson, 24, an intern at the Cat Haven sanctuary east of Fresno, died almost instantly on Wednesday after the big cat, a male named Cous Cous weighing at least 400 pounds (181 kg), snapped her neck, according to an autopsy conducted on Thursday.
Hanson was cleaning the larger enclosure when the lion escaped from its holding pen, apparently by lifting a gate that slides open and shut vertically, Fresno County Coroner Dr. David Hadden told Reuters.
"The gate is kind of like a guillotine. It comes down and hits the base of the ground. If that gate wasn't all the way down, the lion could have put its paw under the gate and pushed it up, and the gate is designed so that it would stay up," he said. Hadden said the lion was being fed at the time, though he was not sure if Hanson was the one who left food for the animal.
"The lion did not touch its food. It was more interested in what she was doing, and it ran in and attacked her," he said. "she had been talking on her cell phone shortly before the attack and we found a damaged cell phone on the scene."
On Thursday, Hadden said autopsy results showed the intern, who was from the Seattle area, "died almost instantly from a fractured neck." He added that the autopsy also showed bite and claw marks on Hanson from "the lion playing with the body like a cat would play with a mouse."
Sheriff's deputies shot and killed the lion as they tried to reach Hanson, authorities said.
State officials on Thursday performed a necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy, and found the lion to be in "good body condition," with solid muscle composition, a healthy coat and proper nourishment, Janice Mackey, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said on Friday.
A pathologist also examined the lion's brain and took tissue, blood and hair samples to determine whether any underlying health issues, such as neurological disorders or diseases like rabies, might have caused the attack. Full test results are not expected for a couple of weeks, Mackey said.
The initial necropsy report put the lion's weight at between 400 and 500 pounds, heavier than the 350 pounds earlier cited by authorities.
Hanson had begun what was to be a six-month internship at the private sanctuary in January after spending six months in Kenya last year working on a wild feline reserve. She earned a biology degree in 2011 from Western Washington University.
Cat Haven, a 100-acre (16-hectare) sanctuary in Dunlap, California, run by the group Project Survival, has been closed until further notice. It was founded "to exhibit a variety of wild cats and engage public support for their conservation in the wild via specific projects," according to its website.
On Thursday, Cat Haven founder Dale Anderson told reporters he could not comment on the circumstances of Hanson's death or the sanctuary's safety protocols. "Our whole staff is just ... it's devastating," he said as he broke down in tears.
He said the facility has been "incident free" since opening in 1998, and California officials confirmed they had never responded to any emergency there prior to Wednesday's death.
The 4-year-old Barbary lion that killed Hanson was of a species that is extinct in the wild, said Mackey, whose agency oversees the permit that allows the sanctuary to operate.
The lion had been handled by humans since it was weeks old, and was one of two Barbary lions at the facility. Several years ago, when it was a cub, Cous Cous also made an appearance on the talk show "Ellen," Mackey said.
Dianna Hanson, 24, an intern at the Cat Haven sanctuary east of Fresno, died almost instantly on Wednesday after the big cat, a male named Cous Cous weighing at least 400 pounds (181 kg), snapped her neck, according to an autopsy conducted on Thursday.
Hanson was cleaning the larger enclosure when the lion escaped from its holding pen, apparently by lifting a gate that slides open and shut vertically, Fresno County Coroner Dr. David Hadden told Reuters.
"The gate is kind of like a guillotine. It comes down and hits the base of the ground. If that gate wasn't all the way down, the lion could have put its paw under the gate and pushed it up, and the gate is designed so that it would stay up," he said. Hadden said the lion was being fed at the time, though he was not sure if Hanson was the one who left food for the animal.
"The lion did not touch its food. It was more interested in what she was doing, and it ran in and attacked her," he said. "she had been talking on her cell phone shortly before the attack and we found a damaged cell phone on the scene."
On Thursday, Hadden said autopsy results showed the intern, who was from the Seattle area, "died almost instantly from a fractured neck." He added that the autopsy also showed bite and claw marks on Hanson from "the lion playing with the body like a cat would play with a mouse."
Sheriff's deputies shot and killed the lion as they tried to reach Hanson, authorities said.
State officials on Thursday performed a necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy, and found the lion to be in "good body condition," with solid muscle composition, a healthy coat and proper nourishment, Janice Mackey, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said on Friday.
A pathologist also examined the lion's brain and took tissue, blood and hair samples to determine whether any underlying health issues, such as neurological disorders or diseases like rabies, might have caused the attack. Full test results are not expected for a couple of weeks, Mackey said.
The initial necropsy report put the lion's weight at between 400 and 500 pounds, heavier than the 350 pounds earlier cited by authorities.
Hanson had begun what was to be a six-month internship at the private sanctuary in January after spending six months in Kenya last year working on a wild feline reserve. She earned a biology degree in 2011 from Western Washington University.
Cat Haven, a 100-acre (16-hectare) sanctuary in Dunlap, California, run by the group Project Survival, has been closed until further notice. It was founded "to exhibit a variety of wild cats and engage public support for their conservation in the wild via specific projects," according to its website.
On Thursday, Cat Haven founder Dale Anderson told reporters he could not comment on the circumstances of Hanson's death or the sanctuary's safety protocols. "Our whole staff is just ... it's devastating," he said as he broke down in tears.
He said the facility has been "incident free" since opening in 1998, and California officials confirmed they had never responded to any emergency there prior to Wednesday's death.
The 4-year-old Barbary lion that killed Hanson was of a species that is extinct in the wild, said Mackey, whose agency oversees the permit that allows the sanctuary to operate.
The lion had been handled by humans since it was weeks old, and was one of two Barbary lions at the facility. Several years ago, when it was a cub, Cous Cous also made an appearance on the talk show "Ellen," Mackey said.
Young girl survives jet crash in French Alps
A small passenger jet crashed in a residential area in the French Alps shortly after takeoff on Monday, killing two people on board and severely injuring a young girl passenger, a local official said.
Firefighters found the girl in the wreckage, alive but suffering from multiple fractures. No one was reported injured on the ground.
The aircraft, a PRM1 twin-engined corporate jet, started having difficultly shortly after taking off from a small airport in the eastern town of Annemasse, about 5 km (3 miles) from Geneva, said officials.
"It hit the roof of a first house before it crashed in the yard of a neighboring house," state official Pierre Molager told Reuters.
Firefighters found the girl in the wreckage, alive but suffering from multiple fractures. No one was reported injured on the ground.
The aircraft, a PRM1 twin-engined corporate jet, started having difficultly shortly after taking off from a small airport in the eastern town of Annemasse, about 5 km (3 miles) from Geneva, said officials.
"It hit the roof of a first house before it crashed in the yard of a neighboring house," state official Pierre Molager told Reuters.
Second sinkhole appears in Tampa area
A second sinkhole appeared in the Tampa area on Monday, just miles from one that opened beneath a home last week and swallowed a man from his bed, though the latest one appeared not to pose immediate danger, police said.
The latest sinkhole opened between two homes and was about 12-feet round, 3 feet deep around the edge and about 5 feet deep in the center, said Hillsborough County spokesman Willie Puz.
He said the latest sinkhole appears to be unrelated to the one that opened last Thursday under the home of 37-year-old Jeff Bush.
"It is not geologically connected," Puz said.
Bush disappeared into the hole that opened up under his bedroom on Thursday night. The other occupants of the house, which is owned by the family of Jeremy Bush's fiancee, had been preparing for bed when they heard a loud crash and Jeff Bush screaming.
The hole was about 30 feet wide and 60 feet deep and filled with clay and debris. It is unlikely that Bush's body will ever be retrieved, officials said.
On Monday, demolition crews returned to Bush's home to demolish the rest of the house before efforts will begin to stabilize the sinkhole.
Two nearby houses have been evacuated because the sinkhole has weakened the ground underneath them, and their residents probably will never be allowed inside again, said Jessica Damico of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
Bush, a landscaper who mowed highway medians for a living, had moved into the four-bedroom home only two months ago which he shared with his brother, Jeremy Bush, 36, and four others.
Workers recovered a family Bible, flag, military medals, a purse, teddy bears and generations of photos. On Monday they recovered two antique rifles that were family heirlooms.
With the sinkhole expanding, engineers placed listening devices, microphones, ground-penetrating radar and other equipment testing the soil on the site to seek a safety zone to work and any sign of life below. They detected no such sign.
Jeremy Bush said the family was discussing plans for a memorial service and a possible marker at the site.
"I'm the only one who tried to get him out," he said, while begging county authorities to do more to find his brother's body when the lot is cleared.
Sinkholes in Florida are caused by the state's porous geological bedrock, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
As acidic rainwater filters into the ground, it dissolves the rock, causing erosion that can lead to underground caverns, which cause sinkholes when they collapse.
The latest sinkhole did not cause any injuries or structural damage to the homes around it.
The latest sinkhole opened between two homes and was about 12-feet round, 3 feet deep around the edge and about 5 feet deep in the center, said Hillsborough County spokesman Willie Puz.
He said the latest sinkhole appears to be unrelated to the one that opened last Thursday under the home of 37-year-old Jeff Bush.
"It is not geologically connected," Puz said.
Bush disappeared into the hole that opened up under his bedroom on Thursday night. The other occupants of the house, which is owned by the family of Jeremy Bush's fiancee, had been preparing for bed when they heard a loud crash and Jeff Bush screaming.
The hole was about 30 feet wide and 60 feet deep and filled with clay and debris. It is unlikely that Bush's body will ever be retrieved, officials said.
On Monday, demolition crews returned to Bush's home to demolish the rest of the house before efforts will begin to stabilize the sinkhole.
Two nearby houses have been evacuated because the sinkhole has weakened the ground underneath them, and their residents probably will never be allowed inside again, said Jessica Damico of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
Bush, a landscaper who mowed highway medians for a living, had moved into the four-bedroom home only two months ago which he shared with his brother, Jeremy Bush, 36, and four others.
Workers recovered a family Bible, flag, military medals, a purse, teddy bears and generations of photos. On Monday they recovered two antique rifles that were family heirlooms.
With the sinkhole expanding, engineers placed listening devices, microphones, ground-penetrating radar and other equipment testing the soil on the site to seek a safety zone to work and any sign of life below. They detected no such sign.
Jeremy Bush said the family was discussing plans for a memorial service and a possible marker at the site.
"I'm the only one who tried to get him out," he said, while begging county authorities to do more to find his brother's body when the lot is cleared.
Sinkholes in Florida are caused by the state's porous geological bedrock, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
As acidic rainwater filters into the ground, it dissolves the rock, causing erosion that can lead to underground caverns, which cause sinkholes when they collapse.
The latest sinkhole did not cause any injuries or structural damage to the homes around it.
Bible quotes on Finnish toilet paper draw church protests
A Finnish toilet paper maker has removed quotes from the Bible, including the words of Jesus, that it inadvertently placed on its rolls after protests from some Norwegian church leaders.
Metsa Tissue was trying to convey messages about love but accidentally included lines from the Gospel of Matthew and First Corinthians on toilet paper sold in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
The firm selected the quotes from Facebook submissions, including one from Jesus: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
It only realized its mistake when it received feedback.
"People like to read small, happy messages while sitting on the toilet," Christina von Trampe, a spokeswoman for Metsa Tissue, which produces the Lambi brand, told Reuters.
"The vast majority of the feedback has been positive. Our intention was to spread love and joy, not religious messages."
Laila Riksaasen Dahl, the Bishop of Tunsberg in protestant Norway, was not amused.
"This is bad taste and show lack of respect," she told Vaart Land, a publication focusing on religion issues. "Bible verses do not belong on a roll of toilet paper."
The company, whose toilet rolls in the Nordics regularly feature witty quotes, poetry or philosophical messages, said it would continue the product line but with more stringent vetting.
Metsa Tissue was trying to convey messages about love but accidentally included lines from the Gospel of Matthew and First Corinthians on toilet paper sold in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
The firm selected the quotes from Facebook submissions, including one from Jesus: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
It only realized its mistake when it received feedback.
"People like to read small, happy messages while sitting on the toilet," Christina von Trampe, a spokeswoman for Metsa Tissue, which produces the Lambi brand, told Reuters.
"The vast majority of the feedback has been positive. Our intention was to spread love and joy, not religious messages."
Laila Riksaasen Dahl, the Bishop of Tunsberg in protestant Norway, was not amused.
"This is bad taste and show lack of respect," she told Vaart Land, a publication focusing on religion issues. "Bible verses do not belong on a roll of toilet paper."
The company, whose toilet rolls in the Nordics regularly feature witty quotes, poetry or philosophical messages, said it would continue the product line but with more stringent vetting.
Electing and Installing a New Pope
1. White Smoke:
From the Sistine Chapel's chimney alerts onlookers that a new pope has been elected.
2. The dean of the College of Cardinals asks the elected candidate what name he wishes to be called as pope. The other cardinals then come forward to greet the new pope as he sits near the chapel's altar.
3. Papal vestments:
The new pope proceeds through the chapel's "Door of Tears" into a room with three sets of vestments -- small, medium, and large ---- for him to choose from. He then dresses himself in papal white.
4. A senior cardinal steps onto the main balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square and declares "Habemus Papam!" ("We have a pope!"). The new pope then appears on the balcony and delivers his apostolic blessing.
5. Historically, popes have had a coronation within a few days of their election. The pope was carried on a throne called the sedia gestatoria to the ceremony where the papal tiara ---- or triregnum, representing the pope as "father of kings, governor of the world, and Vicar of Christ" ----- would be placed on his head. However, every pope since Paul VI in 1963 has chosen not to have coronations or tiaras, but instead has held a much more low-key installation ceremony.
From the Sistine Chapel's chimney alerts onlookers that a new pope has been elected.
2. The dean of the College of Cardinals asks the elected candidate what name he wishes to be called as pope. The other cardinals then come forward to greet the new pope as he sits near the chapel's altar.
3. Papal vestments:
The new pope proceeds through the chapel's "Door of Tears" into a room with three sets of vestments -- small, medium, and large ---- for him to choose from. He then dresses himself in papal white.
4. A senior cardinal steps onto the main balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square and declares "Habemus Papam!" ("We have a pope!"). The new pope then appears on the balcony and delivers his apostolic blessing.
5. Historically, popes have had a coronation within a few days of their election. The pope was carried on a throne called the sedia gestatoria to the ceremony where the papal tiara ---- or triregnum, representing the pope as "father of kings, governor of the world, and Vicar of Christ" ----- would be placed on his head. However, every pope since Paul VI in 1963 has chosen not to have coronations or tiaras, but instead has held a much more low-key installation ceremony.
The Candidates for electing a Pope
Of the 115 cardinals:
who qualify to become the next pope, the vast majority are from Europe.
Countries with most Cardinal Electors:
Italy : 28
U.S. : 11
Germany : 6
Brazil : 5
Spain : 5
India : 5
France : 4
Poland : 4
Mexico : 3
Canada : 3
who qualify to become the next pope, the vast majority are from Europe.
Countries with most Cardinal Electors:
Italy : 28
U.S. : 11
Germany : 6
Brazil : 5
Spain : 5
India : 5
France : 4
Poland : 4
Mexico : 3
Canada : 3
Determining a Nominee for a Pope
Verification:
The votes are tabulated and verified by a group of three cardinals called the "reviewers."
Voting again:
If no candidate receives a two-thirds majority, more votes are taken. After 33 or 34 ballots, only a simple majority is needed, a change made by John Paul II.
Offering the position:
A nominee can decide to accept or turn down the position of pope.
The votes are tabulated and verified by a group of three cardinals called the "reviewers."
Voting again:
If no candidate receives a two-thirds majority, more votes are taken. After 33 or 34 ballots, only a simple majority is needed, a change made by John Paul II.
Offering the position:
A nominee can decide to accept or turn down the position of pope.
Election Process of electing a Pope
Voting:
Each cardinal secretly prints his choice for pope on a ballot, disguising his handwriting. On top of each ballot is the Latin phrase meaning "I elect as supreme pontiff."
Eligo in Summum Pontificem
Depositing:
Each cardinal kneels at the altar for a short prayer, then places his ballot on a plate. He uses the plate to slide his ballot into a chalice, making it difficult for an elector to place two ballots in the chalice at once without being caught.
Ballots:
are counted by "scrutineers." They are three cardinals chosen at random who make sure the number of ballots matches the number of electors.
Stringing ballots:
Once recorded, the third scrutineer reads each ballot aloud and uses a threaded needle to pierce each ballot through the word "eligo." After all ballots have been read, each end of the thread is tied. Then the joined ballots are placed in an empty receptacle.
Burning ballots:
After each vote, the ballots are burned in the Distine Chapel's stove. If there is no nominee, a chemical is added to the fire to make the smoke black. This signals to onlookers that no pope has been elected.
Each cardinal secretly prints his choice for pope on a ballot, disguising his handwriting. On top of each ballot is the Latin phrase meaning "I elect as supreme pontiff."
Eligo in Summum Pontificem
Depositing:
Each cardinal kneels at the altar for a short prayer, then places his ballot on a plate. He uses the plate to slide his ballot into a chalice, making it difficult for an elector to place two ballots in the chalice at once without being caught.
Ballots:
are counted by "scrutineers." They are three cardinals chosen at random who make sure the number of ballots matches the number of electors.
Stringing ballots:
Once recorded, the third scrutineer reads each ballot aloud and uses a threaded needle to pierce each ballot through the word "eligo." After all ballots have been read, each end of the thread is tied. Then the joined ballots are placed in an empty receptacle.
Burning ballots:
After each vote, the ballots are burned in the Distine Chapel's stove. If there is no nominee, a chemical is added to the fire to make the smoke black. This signals to onlookers that no pope has been elected.
Inside the Sistine Chapel
The chapel was completed in 1483 during the reign of Pope Sixtus IV, the chapel's namesake. It was built according to the dimensions in the Old Testament description of the Temple of Solomon. Its walls are adorned with works by various artists, but its spectacular ceiling and altar wall, painted by Michelangelo in the early 1500s, are the most famous. The works are frescoes, which means that they are actually part of the plaster, not just painted on top.
The chapel ceiling
Is considered by many to be the gold standard to which all subsequent figure painting is measured ----- though Michelangelo considered himself a much better sculptor than painter.
Odd detail
Michelangelo was reluctant to paint The Last Judgement because of fatigue and age. It is believed that he painted his own droopy likeness onto the flayed skin of St. Bartholomew to express his weariness.
Not without humor:
Biagio da Cesena, Pope Paul III's master of ceremonies, heavily criticized Michelangelo's work for its use of nudity. The painter got his revenge by putting da Cesena's face on Minos, judge of the underworld.
At the alter:
cardinals place their votes on a plate.
Back of the chapel:
is not used for the conclave.
Front of the chapel:
where the cardinals meet.
The chapel ceiling
Is considered by many to be the gold standard to which all subsequent figure painting is measured ----- though Michelangelo considered himself a much better sculptor than painter.
Odd detail
Michelangelo was reluctant to paint The Last Judgement because of fatigue and age. It is believed that he painted his own droopy likeness onto the flayed skin of St. Bartholomew to express his weariness.
Not without humor:
Biagio da Cesena, Pope Paul III's master of ceremonies, heavily criticized Michelangelo's work for its use of nudity. The painter got his revenge by putting da Cesena's face on Minos, judge of the underworld.
At the alter:
cardinals place their votes on a plate.
Back of the chapel:
is not used for the conclave.
Front of the chapel:
where the cardinals meet.
Key Sites Within the Vatican
St. Martha's House:
During conclave, cardinals stay at the Vatican guest house and are not permitted to have contact with outsiders as they go to and from the Sistine Chapel.
St. Peter's Square:
Opened in 1667, the square was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who created most of the interior embellishments within St. Peter's Basillica.
St. Peter's Basillica:
When the new pope has been chosen, he is introduced to the crowds from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square.
Sistine Chapel:
Before the voting, anyone who is not connected with the conclave is ordered out. Then the cardinals, bound by oaths of secrecy, deliberate under the majesty of Micelangelo's painted ceiling and The Last Judgement.
Papal Apartment:
The new pope will move into a residence overlooking St. Peter's Square.
During conclave, cardinals stay at the Vatican guest house and are not permitted to have contact with outsiders as they go to and from the Sistine Chapel.
St. Peter's Square:
Opened in 1667, the square was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who created most of the interior embellishments within St. Peter's Basillica.
St. Peter's Basillica:
When the new pope has been chosen, he is introduced to the crowds from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square.
Sistine Chapel:
Before the voting, anyone who is not connected with the conclave is ordered out. Then the cardinals, bound by oaths of secrecy, deliberate under the majesty of Micelangelo's painted ceiling and The Last Judgement.
Papal Apartment:
The new pope will move into a residence overlooking St. Peter's Square.
Choosing a New Pope
There are 117 cardinals under age 80 who are eligible to elect the next pope. Of them, 115 will gather in Vatican City for conclave ----- Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja of Indonesia is in poor health, and, on March 4th, Britain's Cardinal Keith O'Brien resigned as an archbishop amid allegations of sexual misconduct and said he would not attend.
The conclave, or "secret meeting," will elect the 266th leader of the Catholic Church's 1.2 billion members worldwide. A papal candidate need only be a male baptized Roman Catholic of at least 18 years of age, though traditionally the pontiff comes from among the Sacred College of Cardinals.
The conclave, or "secret meeting," will elect the 266th leader of the Catholic Church's 1.2 billion members worldwide. A papal candidate need only be a male baptized Roman Catholic of at least 18 years of age, though traditionally the pontiff comes from among the Sacred College of Cardinals.
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (March 15, 2013)
Antarctic Mixup
The mysterious organism allegedly discovered by Russian scientists while drilling deep into a buried Antarctic lake may have been nothing more than contamination. That's according to the head of the laboratory where the bacterium was first "discovered." Researchers from the St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute had announced that they had found evidence of an unfamiliar strain of bacteria in water samples pumped up from Lake Vostok, a massive freshwater lake buried beneath more than two miles of ice. Initial testing of DNA from the microbial organism suggested that the species did not share more than 86 peercent of its genetic code with any other known life-form on the planet. If validated, it would have been a landmark discovery. But the head of the laboratory said further analysis found that the material was instead from drilling fluid or other material used in the extraction.
Climate Shifts
Climate change has caused some villages in northeastern India to become flooded, and in some cases, washed away entirely due to more extreme rainfall over the last few decades. The trend has caused some rivers across the region to migrate from established channels that humans have used for thousands of years. These roving waterways, pushed off course by intense bursts of rainfall and violent sediment discharge, have most severly affected the Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh. A number of hamlets in that state have been severely flooded in recent years ----- many of them counted as among the oldest human settlements on Earth. A study found some rivers shifted more than a mile, and some riverside villages simply vanished as a result.
Northern Greening
A dramatic greening is in progress in high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere as a warming climate allows vegetation to grow much farther north, researchers say. A NASA-funded study of satellite and surface observations over the past 30 years shows that the environment in many sub-Arctic regions is now more like what areas 250 to 430 miles to the south experienced in 1982. "Higher northern latitudes are getting warmer, Arctic sea ice and the duration of snow cover are diminishing, the growing season is getting longer and plants are growing more," said Ranga Myneni of Boiston University's Department of Earth and Environment. The northern greening is most noticeable in the increased abundance of tall shurbs and trees now found in areas that were recently far too harsh in winter for them to survive.
Earthquakes
A wide swath of Southern California was jolted by a relatively moderate quake centered in the mountains of Riverside County. The 4.7 magnitude temblor caused buildings to shake from San Diego and Los Angeles, eastward to Arizona.
* Earth movements were also felt in south-central Alaska, Russia's Kamchatka Peinsula, far western China's Xinjiang region and in Trinidad and adjacent parts of Venezuela.
South Seas Cyclone
Cyclone Sandra sent pounding surf into Australia's Queensland coast, as well as onto islands of Vanuatu and northern parts of New Caledonia. Remnants of the storm later joined with another low pressure area to bring drought-breaking rains to northern New Zealand.
Volcanic Gas Alert
A shift in winds over the eastern Caribbean blew potentially harmful gas from Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano into the neighboring island of Antigua's National Office of Disaster Services warned those with sensitive eyes and respiratory problems to remain indoors. Activity within Soufriere Hills was said to be relatively low, but the mountain was emitting an average of 368 tons of sulfur dioxide each day. Prevailing winds typically cause the gas to blow harmlessly over the open waters of the region. A catastrophic eruption in 1997 killed 19 people on Montserrat and buried much of the island's inhabitants moved elsewhere in the wake of the disaster.
Swine Dump
Residents of Shanghai became alarmed when more than 6,000 dead and bloated pigs littered a river that runs through the heart of the Chinese metropolis. Officials say the dead pigs probably came from farms upstream in the Jiaxing area of neighboring Zhejiang province. Farmers there are accused of dumping the animals into the Huangpu River because the swine were infected with porcine eircovirus, a common pig disease that does not affect humans. It's believed the dump was in response to the recent conviction of 46 people who were jailed for producing unsafe pork from sick pigs. The Shanghai government said water in the Huangpu was within "safe range" and that the carcassws were being collected for burial or incineration. The waterway provides 22 percent of the city's water supply.
The mysterious organism allegedly discovered by Russian scientists while drilling deep into a buried Antarctic lake may have been nothing more than contamination. That's according to the head of the laboratory where the bacterium was first "discovered." Researchers from the St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute had announced that they had found evidence of an unfamiliar strain of bacteria in water samples pumped up from Lake Vostok, a massive freshwater lake buried beneath more than two miles of ice. Initial testing of DNA from the microbial organism suggested that the species did not share more than 86 peercent of its genetic code with any other known life-form on the planet. If validated, it would have been a landmark discovery. But the head of the laboratory said further analysis found that the material was instead from drilling fluid or other material used in the extraction.
Climate Shifts
Climate change has caused some villages in northeastern India to become flooded, and in some cases, washed away entirely due to more extreme rainfall over the last few decades. The trend has caused some rivers across the region to migrate from established channels that humans have used for thousands of years. These roving waterways, pushed off course by intense bursts of rainfall and violent sediment discharge, have most severly affected the Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh. A number of hamlets in that state have been severely flooded in recent years ----- many of them counted as among the oldest human settlements on Earth. A study found some rivers shifted more than a mile, and some riverside villages simply vanished as a result.
Northern Greening
A dramatic greening is in progress in high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere as a warming climate allows vegetation to grow much farther north, researchers say. A NASA-funded study of satellite and surface observations over the past 30 years shows that the environment in many sub-Arctic regions is now more like what areas 250 to 430 miles to the south experienced in 1982. "Higher northern latitudes are getting warmer, Arctic sea ice and the duration of snow cover are diminishing, the growing season is getting longer and plants are growing more," said Ranga Myneni of Boiston University's Department of Earth and Environment. The northern greening is most noticeable in the increased abundance of tall shurbs and trees now found in areas that were recently far too harsh in winter for them to survive.
Earthquakes
A wide swath of Southern California was jolted by a relatively moderate quake centered in the mountains of Riverside County. The 4.7 magnitude temblor caused buildings to shake from San Diego and Los Angeles, eastward to Arizona.
* Earth movements were also felt in south-central Alaska, Russia's Kamchatka Peinsula, far western China's Xinjiang region and in Trinidad and adjacent parts of Venezuela.
South Seas Cyclone
Cyclone Sandra sent pounding surf into Australia's Queensland coast, as well as onto islands of Vanuatu and northern parts of New Caledonia. Remnants of the storm later joined with another low pressure area to bring drought-breaking rains to northern New Zealand.
Volcanic Gas Alert
A shift in winds over the eastern Caribbean blew potentially harmful gas from Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano into the neighboring island of Antigua's National Office of Disaster Services warned those with sensitive eyes and respiratory problems to remain indoors. Activity within Soufriere Hills was said to be relatively low, but the mountain was emitting an average of 368 tons of sulfur dioxide each day. Prevailing winds typically cause the gas to blow harmlessly over the open waters of the region. A catastrophic eruption in 1997 killed 19 people on Montserrat and buried much of the island's inhabitants moved elsewhere in the wake of the disaster.
Swine Dump
Residents of Shanghai became alarmed when more than 6,000 dead and bloated pigs littered a river that runs through the heart of the Chinese metropolis. Officials say the dead pigs probably came from farms upstream in the Jiaxing area of neighboring Zhejiang province. Farmers there are accused of dumping the animals into the Huangpu River because the swine were infected with porcine eircovirus, a common pig disease that does not affect humans. It's believed the dump was in response to the recent conviction of 46 people who were jailed for producing unsafe pork from sick pigs. The Shanghai government said water in the Huangpu was within "safe range" and that the carcassws were being collected for burial or incineration. The waterway provides 22 percent of the city's water supply.
Driving would be safer by banning all phone use
One year after it took effect, Pennsylvania's driver texting ban is proving to be just as toothless a highway safety measure as expected.
Across the entire state, only 1,302 tickets for texting while driving were issued by police last year. In Philadelphia, the city's thousands of motorists were uncharacteristically well behaved: They warranted only 243 citations.
With so few motorists cited for texting, it might be that the incidence of accidents triggered by distracted driving also plummeted. But there's certainly no sign of that trend materializing.
In fact, the notion that drivers almost universally steered clear of texting once Gov. Corbett signed the ban into law in late 2011 is worthy of a sad-faced emoticon or LOL text message.
More drivers who are still texting may yet come to their senses about this deadly practice.
Along with other behind-the-wheel distractions, texting contributes to some 5,500 highway deaths annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Little wonder: As noted by AAA Mid-Atlantic, looking down at a cellphone to compose and send a message is like driving blindfolded.
As it's now structured, though, the state's ban looks unlikely to be the catalyst for any wholesale retreat from texting by Keystone State motorists.
One major problem with the ban is that it's difficult to enforce, for the simple reason that Harrisburg lawmakers refused to include a ban on drivers talking on handheld cellphones.
Without banning handheld devices ---- as New Jersey and several other states have done ---- it's not easy for traffic cops to determine whether motorists are dialing a legal call or tapping out an illegal text.
There was a concerted push for a Jersey-style law, but Pennsylvania's texting ban emerged as a minimalist, feel-good alternative from a Republican-controlled, regulation-averse legislature.
Worse, the state law revoked Philadelphia's handheld ban, which had been in force since 2009 and had led to 31,000 drivers being cited.
Pennsylvania's ban amounts to feel-good legislation that's potentially dangerous.
A prime mover in the legislative debate, State Sen. Robert M. Tomlinson (R., Bucks), has suggested lawmakers may revisit whether to bar drivers from talking on handheld cell phones.
With the miminal impact of the texting ban now apparent, it's clearly time for Tomlinson to move ahead on that front.
Federal highway officials some time ago recommended a complete ban on cellphone use by drivers, responding to convincing research that shows it's the phone conversation ---- even on a hands-free device ---- that poses the greatest danger in distracting drivers. While some European nations have taken that step, there's clearly no consensus for such a move in this country.
Pending the arrival of cars equipped with phone-jamming technology ---- actually, now under study ----- Pennsylvania's should be required by law to always put down their phones when they head out into traffic.
Across the entire state, only 1,302 tickets for texting while driving were issued by police last year. In Philadelphia, the city's thousands of motorists were uncharacteristically well behaved: They warranted only 243 citations.
With so few motorists cited for texting, it might be that the incidence of accidents triggered by distracted driving also plummeted. But there's certainly no sign of that trend materializing.
In fact, the notion that drivers almost universally steered clear of texting once Gov. Corbett signed the ban into law in late 2011 is worthy of a sad-faced emoticon or LOL text message.
More drivers who are still texting may yet come to their senses about this deadly practice.
Along with other behind-the-wheel distractions, texting contributes to some 5,500 highway deaths annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Little wonder: As noted by AAA Mid-Atlantic, looking down at a cellphone to compose and send a message is like driving blindfolded.
As it's now structured, though, the state's ban looks unlikely to be the catalyst for any wholesale retreat from texting by Keystone State motorists.
One major problem with the ban is that it's difficult to enforce, for the simple reason that Harrisburg lawmakers refused to include a ban on drivers talking on handheld cellphones.
Without banning handheld devices ---- as New Jersey and several other states have done ---- it's not easy for traffic cops to determine whether motorists are dialing a legal call or tapping out an illegal text.
There was a concerted push for a Jersey-style law, but Pennsylvania's texting ban emerged as a minimalist, feel-good alternative from a Republican-controlled, regulation-averse legislature.
Worse, the state law revoked Philadelphia's handheld ban, which had been in force since 2009 and had led to 31,000 drivers being cited.
Pennsylvania's ban amounts to feel-good legislation that's potentially dangerous.
A prime mover in the legislative debate, State Sen. Robert M. Tomlinson (R., Bucks), has suggested lawmakers may revisit whether to bar drivers from talking on handheld cell phones.
With the miminal impact of the texting ban now apparent, it's clearly time for Tomlinson to move ahead on that front.
Federal highway officials some time ago recommended a complete ban on cellphone use by drivers, responding to convincing research that shows it's the phone conversation ---- even on a hands-free device ---- that poses the greatest danger in distracting drivers. While some European nations have taken that step, there's clearly no consensus for such a move in this country.
Pending the arrival of cars equipped with phone-jamming technology ---- actually, now under study ----- Pennsylvania's should be required by law to always put down their phones when they head out into traffic.
F. Y. I.
A Berry Beginning
Before she became a doll and cartoon staple, Strawberry Shortcake started out as a greeting card character.
Early On
William Wrigley got his start in the baking powder business, giving away free packs of gum with his powder.
Quotable
by Truman Capote, American author (1924-1984)
"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor."
Still on the Books
In Daytona Beach, Fla., it is a public nuisance to have water in a flower pot that doesn't drain.
Almost Cast
Before the role went to Steve Carell, Paul Giamatti was NBC's top choice to play Michael Scott in "The Office."
So Named
The Ford Mustang was named, not after the pony that is its logo, but the P-51 Mustang, a fighter plane from World War II.
Before she became a doll and cartoon staple, Strawberry Shortcake started out as a greeting card character.
Early On
William Wrigley got his start in the baking powder business, giving away free packs of gum with his powder.
Quotable
by Truman Capote, American author (1924-1984)
"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor."
Still on the Books
In Daytona Beach, Fla., it is a public nuisance to have water in a flower pot that doesn't drain.
Almost Cast
Before the role went to Steve Carell, Paul Giamatti was NBC's top choice to play Michael Scott in "The Office."
So Named
The Ford Mustang was named, not after the pony that is its logo, but the P-51 Mustang, a fighter plane from World War II.
Punxsutawney Phil charged with fraud for early spring forecast
With a snow storm expected to batter the Plains, Midwest and East Coast this weekend, a spring-deprived Ohio prosecutor is taking out his frustration with the long winter on a famous prognosticating groundhog.
"I decided it was about time we indicted Punxsutawney Phil for fraud," said Mike Gmoser, prosecutor in Ohio's Butler County, in an interview Friday.
When he emerged from his burrow in Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania, Phil did not see his shadow, leading to a forecast of an early spring. Gmoser's mock indictment contends that the forecast was fraudulent.
The rodent is being charged with a single mock felony count of "Misrepresentation of Early Spring," which Gmoser said should be punishable by death.
Tom Kines, senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, said he understands why Gmoser and his fellow Ohioans might be inclined to take out their frustrations on the groundhog.
"The mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest have been experiencing record-coldest high temperatures, which means that the high temperatures have never been so cold," said Kines.
Kines added that a coast-to-coast storm front expected to hit this weekend is likely to bring more cold temperatures and even snow to areas that normally do not see snow this time of year, including Butler County in southwestern Ohio.
The news doesn't get any better for the upper Midwest, Great Lakes or Mid-Atlantic area.
"We don't expect to see springtime weather anytime soon and expect cold through the end of the month," Kines said. "The cold will ease up a bit the second half of April. But it will be a gradual thing."
Gmoser said he might be inclined to drop the case if he sees temperatures reach the 80s by mid-April.
Neither Phil, nor his keepers, could immediately be reached for comment.
Gmoser said his office will give Buckeye Chuck, the Ohio groundhog who also forecast an early spring, immunity if he testifies against Phil.
"I know his defenders are going to say he is just a dumb groundhog but, as we know ignorance, is not a defense of the law," said Gmoser.
"I decided it was about time we indicted Punxsutawney Phil for fraud," said Mike Gmoser, prosecutor in Ohio's Butler County, in an interview Friday.
When he emerged from his burrow in Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania, Phil did not see his shadow, leading to a forecast of an early spring. Gmoser's mock indictment contends that the forecast was fraudulent.
The rodent is being charged with a single mock felony count of "Misrepresentation of Early Spring," which Gmoser said should be punishable by death.
Tom Kines, senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, said he understands why Gmoser and his fellow Ohioans might be inclined to take out their frustrations on the groundhog.
"The mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest have been experiencing record-coldest high temperatures, which means that the high temperatures have never been so cold," said Kines.
Kines added that a coast-to-coast storm front expected to hit this weekend is likely to bring more cold temperatures and even snow to areas that normally do not see snow this time of year, including Butler County in southwestern Ohio.
The news doesn't get any better for the upper Midwest, Great Lakes or Mid-Atlantic area.
"We don't expect to see springtime weather anytime soon and expect cold through the end of the month," Kines said. "The cold will ease up a bit the second half of April. But it will be a gradual thing."
Gmoser said he might be inclined to drop the case if he sees temperatures reach the 80s by mid-April.
Neither Phil, nor his keepers, could immediately be reached for comment.
Gmoser said his office will give Buckeye Chuck, the Ohio groundhog who also forecast an early spring, immunity if he testifies against Phil.
"I know his defenders are going to say he is just a dumb groundhog but, as we know ignorance, is not a defense of the law," said Gmoser.
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