Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Newsletter
Home Blog Page 966

Ob River gas tanker attempts first winter Arctic crossing

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Ob River gas tanker attempts first winter Arctic crossing

Ob River, a large tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), is set to become the first ship of its type to sail across the Arctic.

Ob River carrier left Norway in November and has sailed north of Russia on its way to Japan.

The specially equipped tanker is due to arrive in early December and will shave 20 days off the regular journey.

The owners say that changing climate conditions and a volatile gas market make the Arctic transit profitable.

Built in 2007 with a strengthened hull, the Ob River can carry up to 150,000 cubic metres of gas. The tanker was loaded with LNG at Hammerfest in the north of Norway on 7 November and set sail across the Barents Sea. It has been accompanied by a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker for much of its voyage.

The ship, with an international crew of 40, has been chartered from its Greek owners Dynagas by the Russian Gazprom energy giant. It says it has been preparing for the trip for over a year.

“It’s an extraordinarily interesting adventure,” said Tony Lauritzen, commercial director at Dynagas.

“The people on board have been seeing polar bears on the route. We’ve had the plans for a long time and everything has gone well.”

Ob River, a large tanker carrying liquefied natural gas, is set to become the first ship of its type to sail across the Arctic
Ob River, a large tanker carrying liquefied natural gas, is set to become the first ship of its type to sail across the Arctic

Tony Lauritzen says that a key factor in the decision to use the northern route was the recent scientific record on melting in the Arctic.

“We have studied lots of observation data – there is an observable trend that the ice conditions are becoming more and more favorable for transiting this route. You are able to reach a highly profitable market by saving 40% of the distance, that’s 40% less fuel used as well.”

But melting ice is not the only factor. A major element is the emergence of shale gas in the US.

The Norwegian LNG plant at Hammerfest was developed with exports to the US in mind. But the rapid uptake of shale in America has curbed the demand for imported gas.

Meanwhile in Japan, in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, there has been a growing interest in alternative power sources, especially gas.

“The major point about gas is that it now goes east and not west,” says Gunnar Sander, senior adviser at the Norwegian Polar Institute and an expert on how climate change impacts economic activity in the Arctic.

“The shale gas revolution has turned the market upside down; that plus the rapid melting of the polar ice.”

He stresses that the changes in climate are less important than the growing demand for oil and gas.

“The major driver is the export of resources from the Arctic region, not the fact that you can transit across the Arctic sea.”

There is an expectation that because of changing climactic conditions, sea traffic across the northern sea route will increase rapidly. 2012 has been a record year both for the length of the sailing season and also for the amount of cargo that has been shipped.

But Gunnar Sander says there are limits to the growth and some perspective is required.

“Nineteen thousand ships went through the Suez Canal last year; around 40 went through the northern sea route. There’s a huge difference.”

Kweku Adoboli case: UBS fined $47.6 million by FSA

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Kweku Adoboli case: UBS fined $47.6 million by FSA

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has fined UBS $47.6 million for failings that led to trader Kweku Adoboli losing $2.2 billion.

The fine, the third largest imposed by the FSA, was for “system and control failings” that allowed Kweku Adoboli to trade in London well beyond authorized limits.

Kweku Adoboli was last week convicted of two counts of fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison.

UBS said it was “pleased that the chapter has been concluded”.

The FSA, which conducted the investigation into failings at the bank with its Swiss counterpart, Finma, said there were serious weaknesses at the Swiss bank.

It said in a statement: “UBS failed to take reasonable care to organize and control its affairs responsibly and effectively, with adequate risk management systems, and failed to conduct its business from the London Branch with due skill, care and diligence.”

The FSA’s director of enforcement and financial crime, Tracey McDermott, said faulty controls had allowed the losses to mount to what was the largest trading loss in the country.

“UBS’s systems and controls were seriously defective,” she said.

“As a result, Adoboli, a relatively junior trader, was allowed to take vast and risky market positions, and UBS failed to manage the risks around that properly.”

Kweku Adoboli, the 32-year-old Ghana-born son of a diplomat, joined UBS in 2003, becoming a trader in 2006.

He worked in UBS’s global synthetic equities division (GSE), buying and selling exchange traded funds (ETFs), which track stocks, bonds and commodities.

He was arrested in September last year.

The Financial Services Authority has fined UBS $47.6 million for failings that led to trader Kweku Adoboli losing $2.2 billion
The Financial Services Authority has fined UBS $47.6 million for failings that led to trader Kweku Adoboli losing $2.2 billion

Southwark Crown Court was told that he was “a gamble or two away from destroying Switzerland’s largest bank”.

The judge said there was “a strong streak of the gambler” in him.

But, during evidence, Kweku Adoboli said everything he had done was aimed at benefiting the bank, where he viewed his colleagues as “family”.

He said he had “lost control in the maelstrom of the financial crisis”, but had been doing well until he changed from a conservative “bearish” position to an aggressive “bullish” stance under pressure from senior managers.

Kweku Adoboli told the jury that staff were encouraged to take risks until they got “a slap on the back of the wrist”.

The fine was set at 15% of the revenue of the division where Kweku Adoboli worked and takes account of the revenue generated by the business area where the weak controls occurred.

UBS said it had made a number of substantial changes since discovering the losses, including fixing the weakness in its financial reporting.

The bank added it was retraining staff on the importance of risk management and had changed the way it evaluated and compensated employees.

UBS is changing its own structure to make itself a simpler organization.

The bank’s chief executive, Oswald Gruebel, left the company in the aftermath of the scandal.

His successor, Sergio Ermotti, announced a major restructuring last month to run down the large, risky parts of the investment banking division.

UBS said it had fully co-operated with the regulators’ investigations and that it accepted their findings and the penalties incurred.

UBS’s fine was discounted from the original level of $65 million for early settlement.

Switzerland’s financial regulator Finma said in a statement that it would also check whether UBS had adequate capital backing for its operational risks.

Finma said it had identified “serious deficiencies in risk management controls” and that it would appoint a third party to make sure proper measures were introduced.

UBS has been banned by regulators from making new acquisitions and it also needs to get prior approval from Finma for any new business initiatives.

Kendall Jenner on the cover of Australian Miss Vogue at just 17

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Kendall Jenner on the cover of Australian Miss Vogue at just 17

Kim Kardashian is a touch jealous of little sister Kendall Jenner’s appearance on the cover of Australian Miss Vogue, at just 17.

Kim Kardashian, 32, tweeted a photograph of Kendall Jenner from the shoot, alongside the post: “Kendall’s legs… I’m jealous!”

Kendall Jenner wears a pair of black hot pants, leather jacket and a velvet shirt in one shot, before changing into a backless black midi-dress with large hat and black high heels for another.

She wears the same outfit on the cover of the magazine as Miss Vogue’s third ever cover girl.

Kendall Jenner is clearly proud of her achievement, tweeting a link to the magazine’s website, and re-tweeting a post from the shoot’s photographer Russell James, who wrote: “Congrats @KendallJenner on your Ms VOGUE cover. Rare few models make it Vogue ever-especially by age 17!”

She also poses in a Gucci black hat with feather detail teamed with a black Burberry belted jumpsuit, and an orange patterned strapless swimsuit with floaty cream blouse.

Despite her envy, Kim Kardashian tweeted how proud she was of her younger half sister, posting: “The Miss Vogue shoot @kendalljenner shot is stunning.”

Kim Kardashian appeared in an equally striking shoot for L’Uomo Vogue back in July, with the black and white cover showing her sporting a short dark wig, oversized sunglasses and being besieged by photographers.

Kendall Jenner appeared on the cover of Australian Miss Vogue, at just 17
Kendall Jenner appeared on the cover of Australian Miss Vogue, at just 17

And her older sister Kourtney Kardashian was equally proud, tweeting: “I AM OBSESSED WITH YOU KENDALL! WOW. Breathtaking.”

It has certainly been an eventful week for Kendall Jenner who celebrated her 17th birthday with a party at the family’s Calabasas home.

The statuesque teen spent the evening skating hand-in-hand with actor friend Jaden Smith, 14, on the freshly frozen Kardashian family swimming pool.

Kendall Jenner blew out her candles on a cake bearing a childhood snap, while a drag queen MC presided over the Winter Wonderland festivities at her Los Angeles home.

The Keeping Up with the Kardashians starlet also sported goofy glasses for a silly photobooth and participated in a conga line on the ice with her friends.

However, it must have been hard for mother Kris Jenner to top the $90,000 Range Rover she reportedly gave Kendall for her sweet 16 last year.

Meanwhile, Kendall and Kylie Jenner were voted one of Zimbio‘s 2012 Most Influential Women Under 30 in TV, thanks to their fast-growing fame and combined seven million fans.

Kendall Jenner recently made her acting debut on a November 5 episode of Hawaii Five-0 on CBS.

The Jenner girls soon plan to launch their own clothing line, and they’re also penning their first sci-fi novel, due out next summer, with the help of co-writer Maya Sloane for publisher Karen Hunter at Simon & Schuster.

Rihanna posts Chris Brown picture

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Rihanna posts Chris Brown picture

Rihanna and Chris Brown are not shy about showing followers on their Twitter accounts that they were enjoying one another’s private company on Saturday, despite some fans expressing their opposition to the pair reuniting.

Rihanna was Unapologetic about posting an image of Chris Brown on a bed surrounded by The Simpsons memorabilia.

His cap and coat were tossed to the side of the unmade bed and Rihanna gave the snap a hash tag of #BartObsessed.

Apart from the fact that they have been seen together recently as he tours, Chris Brown’s identity was clear because of his eye-catching tattoos.

They did little to quash rumors as they spent Thanksgiving partying together in Berlin on Thursday.

Rihanna had attended Chris Brown’s concert in the German capital and joined him at the after-show party at a night club.

She was seen doing shots at the venue while Chris Brown puffed on a cigarette. They were later spotted getting into the same car.

Chris Brown was charged with assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.

The pair, who can be heard dueting on a song together on Rihanna’s new album Unapologetic, insist they are now just friends.

And while she has scotched claims they are an item once again, Rihanna recently described her former flame as “kinda alright”.

Rihanna was supporting Chris Brown on his Carpe Diem tour after wrapping her own tour, 777, which saw her perform in seven countries in seven days, after turning a jumbo jet into her own private tour bus.

 

Black Friday 2012 in-store retail sales down from last year

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Black Friday 2012 in-store retail sales down from last year

A recent survey shows in-store retail sales on Black Friday, the “busiest shopping day”, dropped from last year.

Holiday shoppers spent $11.2 billion at stores across the US this Black Friday, down 1.8% from last year, according to a Saturday report from the Chicago-based retail technology company ShopperTrak.

Those lower in-store sales figures were apparently impacted by hundreds of thousands of shoppers hitting stores on Thursday (Gray Thursday) evening after filling up on turkey and stuffing.

“Black Friday shopping continues to expand into Thanksgiving Day and will impact the way we look at all of the <<Black>> weekend results, since more shopping hours allows for more shopping visits and a smoothing of sales across all of the days,” said ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin.

Big chain outlets including Sears, Target, Toys R Us and Walmart opened their doors as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

A sharp rise in online shopping likely added to the drop in spending at brick-and-mortar stores this year.

E-commerce sales rose 17.4% on Thanksgiving and 20.7% on Black Friday, compared with last year, according to a recent IBM survey.

A recent survey shows in-store retail sales on 2012 Black Friday dropped from last year
A recent survey shows in-store retail sales on 2012 Black Friday dropped from last year

Still, ShopperTrak said Black Friday foot traffic increased 3.5% this year to more than 307.67 million store visits – a sign that more people were browsing store shelves, if not making actual purchases.

“Black Friday continues to be an important day in retail,” Bill Martin said.

“This year, though, more retailers than last year began their doorbuster deals on Thursday, Thanksgiving itself. So while foot traffic did increase on Friday, those Thursday deals attracted some of the spending that’s usually meant for Friday.”

ShopperTrak estimated that foot traffic increased the most in the Midwest, up 12.9% compared with last year.

Foot traffic in the Northeast increased the least compared with last year, up 7.6% in regions that include those hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy.

ShopperTrak, which counts sales numbers from 25,000 retail outlets across the US, had forecast that Black Friday sales would grow 3.8% this year.

A separate survey from the National Retail Federation says holiday spending on both days combined will likely rise 4% this year.

Some positive signs of spending growth have been in the news in the past few months. U.S. consumer confidence rose to 72.2 in October, its highest level since February 2008 and up from 40.9 a year ago.

Yet many consumers are still worried about the slow economic recovery, high unemployment rates and a looming fiscal cliff.

Alexander Lebedev expects to be jailed over TV punch

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Alexander Lebedev expects to be jailed over TV punch

Media mogul Alexander Lebedev expects to be jailed in Russia over a punch-up live on TV last year, his son Evgeny has said today.

Evgeny Lebedev said he feared his father could be killed in jail because of his anti-corruption campaign.

Alexander Lebedev owns two British newspapers and holds a major stake in Russia’s opposition Novaya Gazeta.

He is a critic of President Vladimir Putin. Moscow denies it is behind the criminal case against him.

If convicted for knocking another businessman off his chair during a heated TV debate in September 2011, Alexander Lebedev faces up to seven years in prison.

He is the owner of Britain’s Evening Standard and the Independent newspapers.

Media mogul Alexander Lebedev expects to be jailed in Russia over a punch-up live on TV last year

In September, Alexander Lebedev was charged with hooliganism and assault “motivated by political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred, or hatred of a particular social group” – the same offense that two members of Russia’s Pussy Riot punk group were jailed for earlier this year.

The 52-year-old former KGB agent – whose net worth was recently reported by Forbes magazine to be $1.1 billion – has reportedly signed an undertaking not to leave Russia.

[youtube gY8bQ4vkjtg]

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012: shredded confidential police papers found in confetti

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012: shredded confidential police papers found in confetti

Some confetti at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday in New York appears to have been made out of confidential NYPD documents, US media reports.

The documents, shredded but legible, belonged to the Nassau County Police Department, New York station WPIX says.

They included sensitive data such as social security numbers and banking information for police employees.

They were shredded horizontally, not vertically, leaving text visible.

The confetti strips were found by a college student, who noticed one strip stuck on a friend’s coat.

“It landed on [a friend’s] shoulder,” Ethan Finkelstein told the TV station “and it says ‘SSN’ and it’s written like a social security number.”

He and his friend looked at the other confetti more closely: “There are phone numbers, addresses, more social security numbers, and license plate numbers and then we find all these incident reports from police.”

Some confetti at the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday in New York appears to have been made out of confidential NYPD documents
Some confetti at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday in New York appears to have been made out of confidential NYPD documents

Some of the strips mentioned arrest records and had official police reports.

Some identified Nassau County detectives by name.

A representative for Nassau County Police told WPIX the department was “very concerned about this situation.

“We will be conducting an investigation into this matter as well as reviewing our procedures for the disposing of sensitive documents.”

Macy’s has denied that it was the source of the confetti, saying its official confetti are punched-out pieces rather than shreds of colored paper.

[youtube QSofqXFbCwE]

Chocolate and other sneaky treats taste better when you are on a diet

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Chocolate and other sneaky treats taste better when you are on a diet

It seems there could be a scientific reason why a sneaky treat always tastes just that little bit better.

Researchers from Northwestern University, in Illinois, have found that people who are “primed with guilt” enjoy things more.

The research was led by Kelly Goldsmith, who said she first came up with the idea when a co-worker mentioned that she had just joined Weight Watchers.

Kelly Goldsmith recalls: “She said, <<Gosh, why does everything just taste better when you’re on a diet?>>.

“That got me and my advisor talking. Does stuff actually taste better when you’re on a diet? Does stuff taste better when you feel guilty eating it?”

The resulting study, published in The Journal of Marketing Research, was made up of six different experiments.

In the first researchers split participants into two groups and asked them to view six magazine covers.

Half looked at health related magazine covers and half looked at covers which were completely unrelated.

They were all then given chocolate bars for what they were told was a “taste study”.

All of those who had been reading about healthy eating reported that the chocolate tasted better than those who had not.

A second experiment split around 100 undergraduate students into three groups and asked them to describe three experiences in a few sentences.

It included times that they felt guilty, times that they felt disgusted, and the final third were asked to describe three random times.

Then all the students were given a chocolate truffle to eat.

Chocolate and other sneaky treats taste better when you are on a diet
Chocolate and other sneaky treats taste better when you are on a diet

All of the students who relived their guiltiest moments reported that the chocolate truffle tasted better than the other groups.

But the link between guilt and pleasure does not stop at food.

In another experiment, women were made to feel guilty and then shown online profiles of attractive men on a dating website.

The study found the women who had felt guilty prior to looking at men derived much more pleasure from the experience.

“Guilt is linked with pleasure because often times when we experience guilt, we experience pleasure,” Kelley Goldsmith says.

“I think for a lot of people these cognitive associations can form just based on what we called repeated co activation.

“When pleasure’s activated, guilt is activated, and so in our brains, over time, those two become connected.”

Oprah’s Favorite Things 2012 quadrupled Lafco Soap sales in only one week

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Oprah’s Favorite Things 2012 quadrupled Lafco Soap sales in only one week

Oprah Winfrey’s hotly anticipated List of Favorite Things was released just one week ago on her OWN Network, and already it is having major effects on products she endorsed.

After placing the Lafco Soap Set at the beginning of her 2012 list, and the Octane Fitness Q37ci Elliptical Trainer second, both products have seen sizable increases in sales according to reps for both companies.

Apparently, sales for the $238 Lafco Soap Set, or $17 per soap, have nearly quadrupled since Oprah Winfrey’s list aired on November 18.

A rep for Lafco told TMZ, which asked if sales had increased: “Holy hell, yes it has. It is our third time being chosen. We’re busy as hell.

“We usually invoice 80-100 a day, and yesterday we had 431 invoices.”

Oprah Winfrey described the “luxuriously oversize, deliciously scented soap” as her “new go-to gift”, on Oprah.com.

“I even brought a set to Mr. and Mrs. Colbert when I interviewed Stephen for Next Chapter,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, sales for Oprah Winfrey’s favorite Octane Fitness Elliptical Trainer, normally $3,099 which you can get for $2,789 with an Oprah coupon, has increased 300%, according to the company.

Sales for Lafco Soap Sets, priced at $238 or $17 per soap, have nearly quadrupled since Oprah's Favorite Things List aired on November 18
Sales for Lafco Soap Sets, priced at $238 or $17 per soap, have nearly quadrupled since Oprah’s Favorite Things List aired on November 18

She named the trainer, “a gym of one’s own”, that would “give the gift of health” this Christmas.

And the makers of Corkcicle, a wine-chilling cork which Oprah Winfrey placed 21st on her list of 60 items, said they have experienced a 350% sales increase.

Oprah said of the $25 gadget: “No need for an ice bucket when you pull the ‘corkcicle’ out of the freezer and insert it into any bottle of wine that needs to stay cool. Talk about chilling!”

And the founders of Tusk Capri Checkbook Clutch, $138, which Oprah Winfrey also endorsed 11th, say they have received ten times the normal order amount.

Since 1996, Oprah Winfrey has tasted and tested her way through hundreds of items to determine her favorite things to give every holiday – which has always proved successful for the brands she includes.

She left off Apple this year, instead touting Microsoft’s Surface tablet as one of her favorite things, saying the $499 item “feels like a Mercedes-Benz”.

After Oprah chose the We Take The Cake’s Florida key lime Bundt cake as one of her Favorite Things in 2004, owner Lori Kamel told CNN: “Oprah saved our business.

“Our sales for 2004 were around $450,000 and at the end of 2005 our sales were $840,000.”

Oprah’s Favorite Things 2012 – Oprah.com

Adamas: Queen’s bespoke perfume inspired by diamonds created by RSC as a Christmas gift

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Adamas: Queen’s bespoke perfume inspired by diamonds created by RSC as a Christmas gift

Adamas is a new perfume created especially for Queen Elizabeth II by the Royal Society of Chemistry as a Diamond jubilee Christmas present.

The perfume, which was presented to the Queen this week at Buckingham Palace was created with her reign and interests in mind representing the many facets of our Queen’s personality.

Described as a beautiful green floral fragrance created in a classical style with subtle modern twists, the scent, named Adamas after the Greek word for diamond, is a Christmas gift for the Queen in her Diamond Jubilee year which has seen a host of celebrations across the globe.

It is contained in a bespoke crystal bottle specially designed by Yorkshire glassmakers David Saunders and Andrew Wallace, and in keeping with the royal family’s support of recycling the red, gold and pink bottle was fashioned from recycled Darlington crystal.

The Queen, who celebrated her 65th or Sapphire wedding anniversary this week, has sat on the thrones of seven countries for 60 years since her ascension following her father, King George VI’s death in 1952.

In partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), CPL Aromas, the British-based international fragrance house that created the scent to an RSC brief, took inspiration from the scents and natural products in commonwealth countries, such as Jamaica, Canada and India.

Perfumers Stephene Bengana and Ange Stavrevka, who collaborated to make the scent also wanted to reflect the impressive length of time her Majesty has been on the throne by using fragrances that were characteristically worn at the time of her coronation.

Ange Stavrevka  said: “Sensual floral’s were popular during this era as were fresh and lively green accords both of which feature.”

Adamas is a perfume created especially for the Queen by the RSC as a Diamond jubilee Christmas present
Adamas is a perfume created especially for the Queen by the RSC as a Diamond jubilee Christmas present

The Royal inspired perfume has a light sweet scent formed from the peach and pear notes combined with Lilly of the valley, rose, Indian Jasmine and Tuberose oils, with Canadian Cedar Leaf oil adding a deeper, slightly warmer edge to the fragrance.

Jamaican Pimento Leaf, Sri Lankan Cinnamon leaf and Australian Sandalwood oils also help form the warm subtle base behind the perfume.

There is bad news though for anyone wanting to smell like the queen, this scent will never be available to the common folk: the RSC has confirmed that the fragrance will never be offered to anyone other than the Queen.

President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Professor Lesley Yellowlees said: “The RSC, of which the Queen is Patron, wishes to mark her Majesty’s jubilee in a special fashion and with her agreement, we set about creating something that would echo her own interests while having a unique aroma.”

Kim Kardashian Vogue Italy: behind-the-scenes video of the shoot

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Kim Kardashian Vogue Italy: behind-the-scenes video of the shoot

Kim Kardashian made her modeling debut by posing for Vogue earlier this year when she featured in a cover shoot for the Italian edition of the fashion bible.

And if you couldn’t get enough of the pictures of the reality TV star smouldering in revealing black dresses, now you can watch a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot.

You can view a segment of the footage below while the full video is currently available on the Vogue Italia website.

The clip shows Kim Kardashian, 32, lying on the floor in a racy animal skin dress, while in another shot, she wears a black sleeveless Mark Zunino Couture gown that showcases her famous curves.

The shoot was filmed on the streets of Los Angeles in May by photographer Francesco Carrozzini and styled by contributing fashion editor Rushka Bergman.
Playing on Kim Kardashian’s reputation as one of the world’s most photographed women, the story of the shoot involves her being pursued by a mob of paparazzi.

In the magazine’s accompanying interview, Kim Kardashian admitted that she does find the “lack of privacy” in her life difficult.

Kim Kardashian made her modeling debut by posing for Vogue earlier this year
Kim Kardashian made her modeling debut by posing for Vogue earlier this year

“Everyone is always watching me, I’m under constant observation, everywhere I go there’s a camera following me, in the gym, when I do the shopping, and if I decide to go out without make-up it makes news throughout the world,” she said.

But Kim Kardashian seemed to enjoy the artistic reconstruction of her life for the Vogue shoot, tweeting at the time that it had been “amazing” and thanking the team for their “creative genius”.

Since the Vogue edition has been published, Kim Kardashian, who is dating singer Kanye West, has cemented her fashionista status further by launching her own fashion range with her sisters for Dorthy Perkins.

[youtube CUoJMdJK-94]

[youtube 1-slcOUrM64]

Quarter Pounder: McDonald’s launches Habanero Ranch, Deluxe and Bacon and Cheese Quarter Pounder

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Quarter Pounder: McDonald’s launches Habanero Ranch, Deluxe and Bacon and Cheese Quarter Pounder

McDonald’s disappointing sales have led the fast food giant to begin testing new menu items, including three new varieties of its prized Quarter Pounders.

The new burgers in development include a Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder, with white cheddar, hickory-smoked bacon and a new habanero-ranch sauce; a Deluxe Quarter Pounder, with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, mayonnaise and mustard; and a Bacon and Cheese Quarter Pounder, with American cheese, bacon, red onion, pickle, mustard and ketchup.

The company is also getting ready to launch a new McMuffin made with egg whites.

McDonald’s is testing its new fast food products during a time of major transition for consumer goods companies in the US, as Nation’s Restaurant News reports.

McDonald’s posted its first monthly sales drop in nine years earlier this month, amid a loss of customers to rival chains such as Burger King. McDonald’s global same-store sales fell 2.2 per cent in October.

Soon after that sales drop made headlines, McDonald’s announced plans to replace its US president, Jan Fields, who has been with the company for more than 35 years and who drove the expansion of its popular McCafe drink menu.

Jan Fields will be replaced by Jeff Stratton, McDonald’s global chief restaurant officer effective December 1, the company said.

“We feel that now was the right time to make a change in leadership for the U.S. business,” company spokeswoman Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem said on November 15.

McDonald's is changing up its menu with three new Quarter Pounder burgers
McDonald’s is changing up its menu with three new Quarter Pounder burgers

McDonald’s chief executive, Don Thompson, recently told investors that slow growth and increased competition in the United States would be a “new normal” for the brand, requiring a greater emphasis on less expensive menu items.

Several factors are impacting McDonald’s declining sales, including the undercooked US economy and high unemployment among younger consumers who tend to favor fast food.

Other fast food chains, including Wendy’s and Yum! Brands, which operates KFC and Pizza Hut, have been suffering similar fates.

McDonald’s operates or franchises more than 34,000 restaurants worldwide, including more than 14,000 in the United States.

Liz & Dick biopic to premiere tonight as Elizabeth Taylor’s vintage photos are unveiled by Life magazine

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Liz & Dick biopic to premiere tonight as Elizabeth Taylor’s vintage photos are unveiled by Life magazine

Lindsay Lohan prepares to unveil to the world her take on Elizabeth Taylor in the new TV biopic Liz & Dick, as Life magazine releases a series of vintage photos of the star.

Elizabeth Taylor, an American film legend who passed away in 2011 at age 79, appeared on the cover of Life magazine 14 times, starting when she was just 15 years old, and already an old pro in the movie business.

During the following decades, many esteemed photographers were eager to capture the smouldering thespian at work, cavorting with her many husbands and paramours and always surrounded by hordes of adoring fans.

Many of the stunning black-and-white shots never made it onto the pages of the magazine, like a picture of the fresh-faced 18-year-old Taylor getting married for the first time in a lily-white princess gown.

Her marriage to Nicky Hilton in 1950 lasted less than a year, and by 1952 the young beauty tied the knot for a second time.

The treasure trove of Life‘s behind-the-scene photos feature images from the set of Cleopatra, where Liz Taylor starred in the larger-than-life title role opposite her two-time husband, Richard Burton as Marc Anthony.

In a note sent in March 1962 from the set of Cleopatra in Rome, a Life reporter wrote that Elizabeth Taylor “looks absolutely relaxed” and visibly enjoying the company of her handsome co-star.

Elizabeth Taylor appeared on the cover of Life magazine 14 times, starting when she was just 15 years old
Elizabeth Taylor appeared on the cover of Life magazine 14 times, starting when she was just 15 years old

One candid shot in the series shows Elizabeth Taylor as a 13-year-old girl in 1945 signing autographs for a young sailor during a charity event in Los Angeles. By that point, she had already starred in five films.

In another image, the British-born star is depicted wearing a sweatshirt belonging to her football player boyfriend with the words “All American” emblazoned across the front.

A few years later, a Life photographer caught a glimpse of Elizabeth Taylor chatting with her lifelong friend and co-star in A Place in the Sun, Montgomery Cliff, during a break on the Paramount lot.

The release of the photos depicting the quintessential movie icon set the stage for the highly anticipated premiere of Liz & Dick on Lifetime, which focuses on Taylor’s tempestuous relationship with Richard Burton.

[youtube bCIwVhPscrU]

Egypt Stock Market plunges 10% following Mohammed Mursi’s decree

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Egypt Stock Market plunges 10% following Mohammed Mursi’s decree

Egypt’s stock market sees a plunge in its shares of almost 10% on Sunday, days after President Mohammed Mursi granted himself sweeping new powers.

Protests against Mohammed Mursi’s decision have continued in Cairo, while the Muslim Brotherhood is planning rallies backing him later.

Trading was suspended for 30 minutes as shares slumped in the first session since the president’s announcement.

But the slide continued as soon as share dealing resumed.

Renewed clashes broke out in Cairo on Sunday morning between protesters and security forces in a street leading to Tahrir Square. Trails of tear gas could be seen in the square itself.

Stones were thrown close to the US embassy, but because concrete blocks had been erected in the area the situation was less tense than before, Mena news agency reported.

The barriers had been put up to secure key Egyptian government and parliamentary buildings, Mena added.

According to President Mohammed Mursi’s decree, announced on Thursday, no authority can revoke presidential decisions.

There is also a bar on judges dissolving the assembly which is drawing up a new constitution.

Mohammed Mursi sacked chief prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, who was first appointed by ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

Maguid Mahmoud’s replacement, Talaat Ibrahim, has been given the job of re-examining all investigations into the deaths of protesters when Hosni Mubarak was in power.

Egypt’s judges denounced the decree on Saturday as an “unprecedented attack” on the judiciary, and the Judges’ Club that represents them called for “the suspension of work in all courts and prosecution administrations”.

Twenty-two rights groups signed an open letter which said the president “has dealt a lethal blow to the Egyptian judiciary” and demanded that the decree should be revoked immediately.

Egypt's stock market sees a plunge in its shares after President Mohammed Mursi granted himself sweeping new powers
Egypt’s stock market sees a plunge in its shares after President Mohammed Mursi granted himself sweeping new powers

Opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei had earlier complained that the president had “usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt’s new pharaoh”.

But the president’s measures have also prompted his supporters to come out on to the streets and there were clashes on Saturday as pro-Mursi demonstrators tried to disrupt an emergency Judges Club meeting.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which backs Mohammed Mursi’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) party, has called for further demonstrations in support of the decree after sunset.

The Islamist movement has called for a one-million-man march to be held at Abdin Square on Tuesday.

President Mohammed Mursi’s decree:

  • All investigations into killing of protesters or use of violence against them to be held again; trials of those accused also to be re-held
  • All constitutional declarations, laws and decrees made since Mohammed Mursi assumed power cannot be appealed or cancelled
  • Public prosecutor to be appointed by president for 4-year fixed term and aged at least 40
  • Constituent assembly’s timeline for drafting new constitution extended by two months
  • No judicial authority can dissolve constituent assembly or upper house of parliament (Shura Council)
  • President authorized to take any measures to preserve revolution, national unity or safeguard national security

[youtube fbL_JE8brjo]

Catalonia to vote in key elections after campaign focused on independence

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Catalonia to vote in key elections after campaign focused on independence

Catalonia, one of the most important regions of Spain, is holding key regional elections, after a campaign that has focused on the issue of independence.

Catalan nationalists want to hold a referendum on whether the region should break away from the rest of Spain.

Polls suggest Catalan nationalist parties are set to do well.

Catalan President Artur Mas called early elections amid a funding row with the central government; it says he is trying to exploit the economic crisis.

Madrid says Catalan nationalists are looking for excuses having nearly run out of money, and having run up a big debt.

Polls close at 20:00 local time.

Artur Mas says the wealthy and influential north-eastern region gets a raw funding deal from the central government and his centre-right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) will be hoping for a majority in the regional parliament.

His party argues a Catalan state would fare better as a member of the EU than a province of Spain.

The European flag has been prominent at his campaign rallies, and he says an independent Catalonia would quickly gain membership of the 27-member bloc.

Catalonia is holding key regional elections after a campaign that has focused on the issue of independence
Catalonia is holding key regional elections after a campaign that has focused on the issue of independence

The CiU ousted the Socialist party in elections in November 2010.

With 135 parliamentary seats available, Artur Mas knows that if he is to pursue his dream of an independent Catalonia, he will need a clear mandate from voters.

If not, Artur Mas will have to rely on the support of smaller pro-independence parties, our correspondent says.

Even then, the road to independence is far from straightforward.

A referendum would be illegal under the current Spanish constitution, and Spain’s ruling Popular Party is likely to block any attempts for constitutional change.

Other parties, such as the nationalist Ciutadans, the Popular Party of Catalonia the Socialist Party of Catalonia are all opposed to Catalonia’s independence bid.

The Catalan vote comes as the Basque separatist movement Eta indicates it is ready to disarm, disband and enter talks with the French and Spanish governments.

[youtube 6t-kGpLMzwU]

Dallas new series to be rewritten after Larry Hagman’s death

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Dallas new series to be rewritten after Larry Hagman’s death

The new series of TV drama Dallas will be rewritten to reflect the death of actor Larry Hagman, who played scheming oil tycoon JR Ewing.

Larry Hagman, whose role as the stetson-wearing villain made him a global star in the 1980s, died on Friday aged 81.

He was on board when a new version of the show appeared earlier this year.

A statement from UK broadcaster Channel 5 said: “Dallas is midway in production on season two and this sad news will be incorporated into the storyline.”

Larry Hagman featured in a promotional video shot on the first day of filming for the new series and posted last month. The next season makes its premiere in the US on the TNT network on January 28th.

Dallas was resurrected in the summer, more than 20 years after the original ended, with Larry Hagman starring alongside other original actors including Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray.

Linda Gray was at Larry Hagman’s side when he passed away on Friday and described him as “my best friend for 35 years”.

“He was the Pied Piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented and I will miss him enormously,” she said.

“He was an original and lived life to the full.”

Ken Kercheval, who played Cliff Barnes, said the pair had “a great deal of fun” acting out their on-screen rivalry in the 1980s.

“That sparring back and forth, I think that’s what kept the show going for as long as it did because everybody had to wait and see who was going to win and who was going to lose,” he said on Sunday.

“JR was not a nice man. He was terrible. He was quite the opposite of Larry. Those characters are always fun to play and he played it to the hilt. Larry was one of a kind, he really was.”

The new series of TV drama Dallas will be rewritten to reflect the death of Larry Hagman
The new series of TV drama Dallas will be rewritten to reflect the death of Larry Hagman

Michael Preece, who directed more than 60 episodes of Dallas and was a friend of Larry Hagman, said the actor was always a pleasure to work with.

“Well, he was perfect,” he said.

“Between Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray… they were all like directors.

“Larry did direct a lot of episodes, and you’d stage a scene, they would just stage it for you, he was terrific. And you try to get most of his work before lunch, because he was better in the morning – but he was great to be around, it was like a family.”

Another original cast member, Victoria Principal, who played Pam Ewing, said Larry Hagman had been “bigger than life, on-screen and off”.

“He is unforgettable, and irreplaceable, to millions of fans around the world, and in the hearts of each of us, who was lucky enough to know and love him,” she said.

During its original incarnation between 1978-91, Dallas was one of the CBS network’s top-rated programmes and was watched by an estimated 300 million people in 57 countries.

Larry Hagman’s forthright biography Hello Darlin’ detailed his youthful drug-taking exploits and revealed the extent of his 50-year battle with alcoholism.

Even on the hardworking set of Dallas, he consumed five bottles of champagne a day for years and was finally diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in 1992.

Three years later he had a liver transplant and kept a photo of the organ donor above his mirror.

Despite this, Larry Hagman continued to drink secretly until a further life-saving operation in 2003 forced him to stop.

[youtube qOZBnIhRF9Y]

Psy Gangnam Style becomes most-viewed video of all time on YouTube

Sonia Pantiss
-
3
Psy Gangnam Style becomes most-viewed video of all time on YouTube

Gangnam Style, the dance track by South Korean pop phenomenon Psy, has become YouTube’s most-watched video of all time.

Gangnam Style has notched up more than 808 million views since it was posted in July.

The video pokes fun at the consumerism of Gangnam, an affluent suburb of the South Korean capital Seoul.

In the video, the portly Psy, 34, dances as though he is trotting on a horse, holding the reins and spinning a lasso in a manner that has sparked a global dance craze.

The video also features Psy reclining on a sun lounger in tight pink shorts, gazing longingly at a girl dancing on an underground train in tight shorts and gesticulating at a woman working out on a beach – in tight shorts.

Gangnam Style dance has sparked numerous copycat versions, being performed by a diverse fan-base including Filipino prison inmates, prominent Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and a Chinese robot.

Gangnam Style, the dance track by South Korean pop phenomenon Psy, has become YouTube's most-watched video of all time
Gangnam Style, the dance track by South Korean pop phenomenon Psy, has become YouTube’s most-watched video of all time

Popular parodies include one performed by Eton College schoolboys and another in the Star Trek language Klingon.

Gangnam Style, which won best video at this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards, has also been number one in 28 countries.

It holds the Guinness World Record for the most “liked” song ever – currently with a little under 5.4 million likes on YouTube.

Previously, Justin Bieber’s 2010 teenybopper hit Baby held the record for the most YouTube views.

Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun was the first person in the US to tweet a link to the Gangnam Style video.

[youtube 9bZkp7q19f0]

Dhaka clothes factory fire kills at least 100 people

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Dhaka clothes factory fire kills at least 100 people

At least 100 people have died in a fire that swept through a clothes factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, local officials say.

The blaze broke out late on Saturday in the multi-floor Tazreen Fashion factory in the Ashulia district on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka.

Some people died after jumping from the building to escape the flames.

It is unclear what caused the fire, which started on the ground floor trapping many victims in the factory.

Officials suspect an electrical short circuit might have caused the disaster.

Firefighters managed to contain the blaze on Sunday morning.

Fatal fires are common in Bangladesh’s large garment manufacturing sector and Western companies are likely to renew pressure on the local businesses to improve safety.

In a separate development, at least 13 people died when a flyover under construction collapsed late on Saturday in the south-eastern city of Chittagong, police said.

The authorities are investigating both accidents.

Initial reports said eight people had been killed in the factory fire, but the scale of the disaster became clear when rescue workers entered the building on Sunday.

“We resumed our search this morning and found the bodies lying on different floors of the factory building,” Brigadier General Abu Nayeem Mohammad Shahidullah of the Dhaka fire brigade told AFP news agency.

At least 100 people have died in a fire that swept through a clothes factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh
At least 100 people have died in a fire that swept through a clothes factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Later reports said that 120 people had died, but the number of fatalities was then lowered to at least 112. A number of people are believed to be missing.

The fire started on the ground floor – which was reportedly used as a warehouse – and quickly spread through the building.

Senior fire department official Mohammad Mahbub told the Associated Press news agency that the factory had no fire exit on the outside of the building.

“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” he said.

The factory owner denied the allegations that the building was unsafe to work in.

“It is a huge loss for my staff and my factory. This is the first time we have ever had a fire at one of my seven factories,” Delwar Hossain told AFP.

Police and soldiers were deployed to keep the situation under control as thousands of anxious relatives of factory employees gathered at the scene.

“Where’s my son?” cried Sabina Yasmine. She said she saw the body of her daughter-in-law, who died in the fire, but her son was missing, AP reports.

She expressed fury at the factory owners, who she blamed for the fire.

Fatal fires are common in Bangladesh’s large garment manufacturing sector.

Lax safety standards, poor wiring and overcrowding are blamed for causing several deadly factory fires every year.

In December 2010, a wiring problem led to a fire in another clothes factory in the same industrial zone, leaving at least 25 people dead.

There are around 4,500 factories in Bangladesh, employing more than two million people.

Clothes account for up to 80% of Bangladesh’s $24 billion annual exports.

[youtube xA3PdUFY3kc]

[youtube wFQgoog9UW8]

Elizabeth Taylor Barbie dolls released by Mattel

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Elizabeth Taylor Barbie dolls released by Mattel

Mattel has released two commemorative Elizabeth Taylor dolls, the faces of which were reviewed and approved by the star herself after consenting to a Barbie made in her likeness ten years before her death in 2011.

Named after the late icon’s best-selling fragrance, the glamorous Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds Barbie doll sits alongside the more vixen-looking Elizabeth Taylor Violet Eyes Barbie doll.

Along with her signature black bob, the White Diamonds, $125, doll stands clad in a glamorous white dress with a red satin ribbon pinned on the lapel to represent the extensive work Elizabeth Taylor did for HIV and AIDS.

Meanwhile, the Violet Eyes doll, $150, wears a black satin dress with matching opera gloves and pumps, rhinestone jewels, black sunglasses and a mini “perfume” bottle. She also has a tiny red ribbon near her shoulder to represent her commitment to battling HIV and AIDS.

Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds Barbie doll
Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds Barbie doll

The two dolls are the fourth and fifth Elizabeth Taylor Barbies ever to be created, the previous three released together in 2000.

Her Father of the Bride Barbie doll featured the screen legend as a beautiful bride in the classic film by the same name.

A re-creation of the satin and lace wedding gown from the movie was made especially for the doll.

Elizabeth Taylor Violet Eyes Barbie doll
Elizabeth Taylor Violet Eyes Barbie doll

Elizabeth Taylor Barbie as Cleopatra was also released in 2000, her magnificent golden costume re-created complete with the dramatic “feather” cloak.

The late actress’ distinct features are captured with great detail in the doll’s sculpting – down to the exact shade of violet of her eyes.

The two Barbies have been released in the lead up to the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton biopic, Liz & Dick, premiering this Sunday.

Based on the true story of the couple’s tumultuous love affair, Lindsay Lohan stars as the legendary Elizabeth Taylor alongside Grant Bowler who plays actor Richard Burton in the Lifetime Original Movie.

For nearly a quarter of a century, Elizabeth Taylor and Burton were Hollywood royalty and their fiery romance was the most notorious, publicized and celebrated love affair of its day.

Liz & Dick premieres on Sunday, November 25, on Lifetime at 9 p.m. EST

Christmas Beauty Regime

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Christmas Beauty Regime

With a month to go before Christmas, there is still time to make sure you look and feel fabulous this festive season.

See experts’ recommendations here:

GOAL: Radiant, glowing skin

Expert: Sarah Chapman, whose High Definition Facial is almost as famous as her client list, which includes Queen Rania of Jordan, Naomi Watts and Jemma Kidd.

Recommendation: Facial massage every other day is unbeatable for getting an instant glow. Use your knuckles (held in loose fists) and finger tips to roll, knead and drum life back into your skin.

These movements stimulate lymphatic drainage on puffy complexions and boost the vital supply of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. Massage used in combination with your skincare products increases their performance.

Once a week, try a mask (Skinesis Instant Miracle Mask, SpaceNK) to brighten, clarify and lift skin.

Layering a serum underneath a face mask packs an added punch.

You can make your own nourishing mask using a mixture of honey, a dash of olive oil and natural yogurt or avocado.

Or mix together some yogurt and large oatmeal flakes for an exfoliating at-home peel.

Best tip: For a cooling, de-puffing and revitalizing treatment straight from your kitchen, pour a small amount of water into a balloon, leave in your freezer and simply wrap in a cloth and roll all over the face before you apply your make-up.

It ends up looking like a giant ice cube sausage. This mini treatment will de-puff and bring an instant rosy glow.

GOAL: Shiny, healthy hair

Expert: Daniel Galvin Junior, an award-winning colorist whose clients include Kelly Brook, Holly Valance and Amanda Holden.

Recommendation: The most important things to focus on are detoxifying and nourishing the hair.

You can do an at-home hair detox treatment by mixing a quarter of a tablespoon of vitamin C powder, the same amount of cider vinegar and half a cup of hot water to freshly washed hair for a deep cleanse.

You can also deep condition your hair at home with a detox mask (try Daniel Galvin Junior Organics Hair Repair & Gloss, dgjorganics.com).

When applying a hair mask at home, gently warm a hand towel in the microwave and wrap it around the hair for 20 minutes – the heat intensifies the treatment, helping it last around three weeks.

Remember, if you’re planning a haircut or color before Christmas, book appointments now before salons get booked up.

Best tip: If you are going to try an up-do over the party season, start practicing a week before and go through “dry runs” to figure out how long it will take and to avoid any pitfalls.

With a month to go before Christmas, there is still time to make sure you look and feel fabulous this festive season
With a month to go before Christmas, there is still time to make sure you look and feel fabulous this festive season

GOAL: A smoother décolletage

Expert: Skincare specialist Nichola Joss, whose A-list clients include Zoe Ball, Elle Macpherson and Tilda Swinton.

Recommendation: The skin on your décolletage is really delicate, so be gentle with it. You don’t need special products for that area; use the same ones you use on your face.

Cleanse, tone and moisturize your face twice a day and include your neck and chest.

Using facial toner on the area really helps tighten the skin. Always apply plenty of moisturizer with an SPF during the day – even in the winter months.

Before bedtime, substitute facial oil for moisturizer, which will hydrate more deeply (try The Sanctuary Active Reverse Lipid Recovery Facial Oil, Boots).

Skin in this area is too sensitive for exfoliation, but to make skin look plumper and more radiant, apply a firming mask twice a week.

Best tip: Disguising crepey skin with deep lines on your chest area is difficult.

Don’t apply foundation to the area – it will simply sit in the grooves, which can be ageing. Instead, try using an illuminator (St Tropez Gold Skin Illuminator, johnlewis.com) mixed in with your day cream. It gives the impression of more radiant skin.

GOAL: Fewer wrinkles

Expert: Cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Veronique Simon, whose clients include actresses Charlotte Rampling and Catherine Deneuve.

Recommendation: If you are considering Botox (where small injections are applied locally to facial muscles and temporarily paralyze them to reduce fine lines and wrinkles) or fillers (where substances like hyaluronic acid are injected into deeper lines to plump them out) before Christmas, this is the best time to have them, as you may need at least a one-week healing period after these treatments.

To aid healing, I recommend Arnica Cream – try Nelsons Arnica Cream, (Holland & Barrett), which minimizes any light bruising.

As a rejuvenating treatment, I recommend mesotherapy. This involves several small injections to the face that contain a cocktail of youth-boosting vitamins and plumping hyaluronic acid to improve the quality of the skin.

The effects can be seen after one treatment, but have a couple of sessions two to three weeks apart for best results.

Best tip: I always recommend my clients follow three rules: peel – I prefer micropeel, which is deep peeling to eliminate dead skin and promote collagen production (Simontherapie Gold Acid Free Micropeel, simontherapie.com); hydrate – choose something extremely hydrating such as Nivea Creme (Superdrug); and protect – guard the skin against free radicals with a good dose of antioxidants from a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

Sidewalk Santa Parade 2012: Fifty Santas march down Fifth Avenue to kick off Christmas season

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Sidewalk Santa Parade 2012: Fifty Santas march down Fifth Avenue to kick off Christmas season

The annual Sidewalk Santa Parade is another post-Thanksgiving tradition with a huge serving of ho-ho-ho along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The 110th annual Sidewalk Santa Parade has been around since 1902. Fifty fully suited, bell-ringing Sidewalk Santas were part of the Friday festivities.

After their jolly old stroll, the Volunteers of America Santas were whisked away – not by sleigh, but by bus. The donations they raise will be used for a holiday food voucher program for needy residents.

Sidewalk Santa Parade 2012
Sidewalk Santa Parade 2012

“Our sidewalk Santas are marching and parading, as they have done for 110 years, to remind New Yorkers that now’s the time to remember our neighbors in need who are hungry,” Rachel Weinstein of Volunteers for America told NY 1.

The unique parade’s route stretched from 50th to 59th Streets down Manhattan’s glitziest Avenue.

The Saint Nicks, Kris Kringles and Father Christmases spread the holiday cheer as fir trees began cropping up on street corners around New York and stores started to play Christmas carols to get shoppers ready for the festive season.

Vegetarians enjoy a better sex life than meat-eaters

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Vegetarians enjoy a better sex life than meat-eaters

A new study has found that people who consume tofu and other plant-based foods might enjoy a better sex life than meat-eaters.

It’s thought that certain plant products can influence hormone levels and heighten sexual activity.

The research, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, is the first to observe the connection between the so called sex hormones phytoestrogens, found in plants, and behavior in wild primates.

In this case, it was a group of red colobus monkeys in Uganda, but as primates, experts say we humans would likely experience similar effects from the compounds.

The research was carried out by Michael Wasserman, while he was a graduate student at UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management.

Over 11 months, Michael Wasserman and his team followed a group of red colobus monkeys in Uganda’s Kibale National Park and recorded what the primates ate.

The researchers focused on aggression, which they measured by the number of chases and fights, the frequency of mating and time spent grooming, and the scientists also collected fecal samples to assess changes in hormone levels.

A new study has found that people who consume tofu and other plant-based foods might enjoy a better sex life than meat-eaters
A new study has found that people who consume tofu and other plant-based foods might enjoy a better sex life than meat-eaters

The researchers found that the more male red colobus monkeys dined on the leaves of Millettia dura, a tropical tree containing estrogen-like compounds, and closely linked to soy, the higher their levels of estradiol, the “sex hormone” and cortisol the “stress hormone”.

They found that with the altered hormone levels the monkeys spent more time having sex, and less time grooming.

Michael Wasserman told Sciencelive: “By altering hormone levels and social behaviors important to reproduction and health, plants may have played a large role in the evolution of primate, including human, biology in ways that have been underappreciated.”

In a separate study Researchers from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, have found that men believe eating meat makes them more manly.

Professor Hank Rothgerber , who has published his research in the journal Men and Masculinity, said that meat eating was linked with “manhood, power, and virility”.

The research comes after the animal rights charity PETA has also insisted that fruit and veg are the key to virility.

The charity maintains that cholesterol in meat, eggs and dairy products can clog our arteries and slow the flow of blood to all the body’s organs – including those that are vital in the bedroom.

Vegan meals, on the other hand, contain none of the animal fat or cholesterol found in meat, eggs and dairy products.

Vegans are also, on average, fitter and slimmer than meat-eaters and less prone to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity and cancer, the charity claims.

Hector Camacho dies after being taken off life support

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Hector Camacho dies after being taken off life support

Boxing world champion Hector “Macho” Camacho, known for skill and flamboyance in the ring as well as for a messy personal life and run-ins with the police, was declared dead on Saturday, four days after being shot in the face.

Hector Camacho was 50.

Shot while sitting in a parked car outside a bar Tuesday with a friend in the city of Bayamon, Hector Camacho was declared dead at the Centro Medico trauma center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The friend, 49-year-old Adrian Mojica Moreno, died at the scene of the shooting. Police said Adrian Mojica Moreno had nine small bags of cocaine in his pocket and a 10th bag was found open in the car.

Originally from Bayamon, just outside San Juan, Hector Camacho was long regarded as a flashy if volatile talent, a skilled boxer who was perhaps overshadowed by his longtime foil, Mexican superstar Julio Cesar Chavez, who would beat him in a long-awaited showdown in Las Vegas in 1992.

Hector Camacho fought professionally for three decades, from his humble debut against David Brown at New York’s Felt Forum in 1980 to an equally forgettable swansong against Sal Duran in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2010.

In between, he fought some of the biggest stars spanning two eras, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and Roberto Duran.

“This is something I’ve done all my life, you know?” Hector Camacho told The Associated Press after a workout in 2010.

“A couple years back, when I was doing it, I was still enjoying it. The competition, to see myself perform. I know I’m at the age that some people can’t do this no more.”

Hector Camacho’s family moved to New York when he was young and he grew up in Spanish Harlem, which at the time was rife with crime. He landed in jail as a teenager before turning to boxing, which for many kids in his neighborhood provided an outlet for their aggression.

Former featherweight champion Juan Laporte, a friend since childhood, described Camacho as “like a little brother who was always getting into trouble”, but otherwise combined a friendly nature with a powerful jab.

“He’s a good human being, a good hearted person,” Juan Laporte said as he waited with other friends and members of the boxer’s family outside the hospital in San Juan after the shooting.

“A lot of people think of him as a cocky person but that was his motto … inside he was just a kid looking for something.”

Juan Laporte lamented that Camacho never found a mentor outside the boxing ring.

“The people around him didn’t have the guts or strength to lead him in the right direction,” Juan Laporte said.

“There was no one strong enough to put a hand on his shoulder and tell him how to do it.”

Hector Macho Camacho was declared dead on Saturday, four days after being shot in the face
Hector Macho Camacho was declared dead on Saturday, four days after being shot in the face

Drug, alcohol and other problems trailed Hector Camacho after the prime of his boxing career. He was sentenced in 2007 to seven years in prison for the burglary of a computer store in Mississippi. While arresting him on the burglary charge in January 2005, police also found the drug ecstasy.

A judge eventually suspended all but one year of the sentence and gave Camacho probation. He wound up serving two weeks in jail, though, after violating that probation.

Hector Camacho’s former wife, Amy, obtained a restraining order against him in 1998, alleging he threatened her and one of their children. The couple, who had two children at the time, later divorced.

He divided his time between Puerto Rico and Florida in recent years, appearing on Spanish-language television as well as on a reality show called Es Macho Time! on YouTube.

Inside the boxing ring, Hector Camacho flourished. He won three Golden Gloves titles as an amateur, and after turning pro, he quickly became a contender with an all-action style reminiscent of other Puerto Rican fighters.

Long promoted by Don King, Hector Camacho won his first world title by beating Rafael Limon in a super-featherweight bout in Puerto Rico on August 7, 1983. He moved up in weight two years later to capture a lightweight title by defeating Jose Luis Ramirez, and successfully defended the belt against fellow countryman Edwin Rosario.

The Rosario fight, in which the victorious Hector Camacho still took a savage beating, persuaded him to scale back his ultra-aggressive style in favor of a more cerebral, defensive approach.

The change in style was a big reason that Hector Camacho, at the time 38-0, lost a close split decision to Greg Haugen at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas in 1991.

Hector Camacho won the rematch to set up his signature fight against Chavez, this time at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Camacho was roundly criticized for his lack of action, and the Mexican champion won a lopsided unanimous decision to retain the lightweight title.

It was at that point that Hector Camacho became the name opponent for other rising contenders, rather than the headliner fighting for his own glory.

He lost a unanimous decision to another young Puerto Rican fighter, Trinidad, and was soundly defeated by De La Hoya. In 1997, Hector Camacho ended Leonard’s final comeback with a fifth-round knockout. It was Hector Camacho’s last big victory even though he boxed for another decade.

“Hector was a fighter who brought a lot of excitement to boxing,” said Ed Brophy, executive director of International the Boxing Hall of Fame.

“He was a good champion. Roberto Duran is kind of in a class of his own, but Hector surely was an exciting fighter that gave his all to the sport.”

The fighter’s last title bout came in 1997 against welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya, who won by unanimous decision. Hector Camacho’s last fight was his defeat by Duran in May 2010.

Hector Camacho had a career record of 79-6-3.

Cyber Monday 2012 Home Deals Guide

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Cyber Monday 2012 Home Deals Guide

Casa.com: Up to 50% off luxury finds from the likes of Jonathan Adler and DwellStudio.

Crate & Barrel: 15% off everything and free shipping with the discount code SAVE15 on checkout.

Horne: 15% off selected items with the discount code MONDAY15.

Modani: Up to 60% off everything until December 3.

Cyber Monday 2012 Home Deals Guide
Cyber Monday 2012 Home Deals Guide

Cyber Monday 2012 Beauty Deals Guide

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Cyber Monday 2012 Beauty Deals Guide

Dr Brandt: 50% off eye creams, and 40% off selected skincare, as well as free shipping.

Fekkai: 20% off and free shipping from Saturday until Monday.

Nars: 20% off everything on Monday and Tuesday.

Philosophy: A free gift set with spends of over $75, including a tote and a selection of Philosophy’s most popular products. Use the discount code DELIGHT on checkout.

Sephora: A free Buxom Sidekicks Trio (a full size mascara and two mini lip polishes) with any online purchase over $25. Use the discount code FBCYBER on checkout.

Shu Uemura: 20% off everything, plus free shipping on spends of over $50. Valid until Tuesday with the discount code WISH2012 on checkout.

Cyber Monday 2012 Beauty Deals Guide
Cyber Monday 2012 Beauty Deals Guide
1...965966967...1,241Page 966 of 1,241