Sunday, December 21, 2025
Newsletter
Home Blog Page 1158

Sundance Film Festival 2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild Won Grand Jury Prize

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Sundance Film Festival 2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild Won Grand Jury Prize

Sundance Film Festival 2012 took place from Thursday, January 19 to Sunday, January 29 in Park City, Utah.

The 28th edition of the festival presented about 118 independent films from 30 countries, including 45 first-timers (24 in competition) and 91 world premieres. Featured in four different competition categories were 58 individual films.

Parker Posey was the host of the closing awards ceremony.

“Every year the Sundance Film Festival brings to light exciting new direction and fresh voices in independent film, and this year is no different. While these awards further distinguish those that have had the most impact on audiences and our jury, the level of talent showcased across the board at the Festival was really impressive, and all are to be congratulated and thanked for sharing their work with us,” said John Cooper, Sundance Film Festival director.

Beasts of the Southern Wild won Grand jury prize for drama at the Sundance Film Festival 2012.

The film also received a prize for excellence in cinematography, US dramatic.

Beasts of the Southern Wild tells the story of two persons (a father and his daughter) who are trying to deal with the effects of global warming. Hushpuppy is 6 years old and lives in the vicinity of the Mississippi delta with her father. The film is directed Benh Zeitlin, 29, first-time filmmaker and features a cast of non-actors. Quvenzhane Wallis (Hushpuppy), 8, who was 6 when she started to shot the movie, is for Benh Zeitlin “the biggest person” he knows.

The movie is described by Damon Wise (The Guardian) as “the first significant eco-threat movie to be seen through the eyes of the generation that has inherited global warming.”

“I hope with this movie there is a flag that goes up to allow directors to explore the world,” said Benh Zeitlin.

 

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" won Grand jury prize for drama at the Sundance Film Festival 2012.
Beasts of the Southern Wild won Grand jury prize for drama at the Sundance Film Festival 2012.

 

The Surrogate won drama audience award and best ensemble at Sundance Film Festival 2012.

The film is based on the autobiographical writings of Mark O’Brien, journalist and poet and presents a man, 38, half paralyzed from poliomyelitis (John Hawkes) who wants to have a relation with his therapist (Oscar-winning Helen Hunt).

John Hawkes has health problems because his spine’s curvature was affected. He said he needed a help of a chiropractor to diminish the damages he caused to his back.

“I’ve been doing yoga for like 25 years, but my spine doesn’t have enough movement in one direction and the opposite direction has way too much movement. (My chiropractor) doesn’t know how to fix it other than I might wear a brace for a while,” he said.

Fox Searchlight bought Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Surrogate and the films are expected to be launched in the US theaters this year.

The House I Live In documentary won Grand jury prize at Sundance Film Festival 2012.

The documentary exposes the failure of US war against drugs. Film director, Eugene Jarecki, said the authorities’ effort to stop the drug trade was “tragically immoral and so heartbreakingly wrong and misguided“. That war was “a terrible scar on America,” said Eugene Jarecki, because of unfair drug penalties affecting minorities.

The Invisible War by Kirby Dick won documentary audience award.

Both documentaries are the mirrors of the “dark and grim” times, as characterized by Robert Redford, the founder of the Sundance Film Festival.

Sundance Film Festival 2012 Full List of Winners

Grand jury prize, documentary: The House I Live In

Grand jury prize, drama: Beasts of the Southern Wild

US directing award: The Queen of Versailles, Lauren Greenfield

US directing award: Middle of Nowhere, Ava Duvernay

Waldo Salt screenwriting award: Safety Not Guaranteed, Colin Trevorrow

Audience award, US documentary: The Invisible War

Audience award, US dramatic: The Surrogate

Special jury prizes, US documentary: Love Free or Die and Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

US dramatic special jury prize for producing: Jonathan Schwartz and Andrea Sperling, Smashed and Nobody Walks

US dramatic special jury prize for Ensemble Acting: The Surrogate

Shorts audience award: The Debutante Hunters

Excellence in cinematography, US documentary: Chasing Ice

Excellence in cinematography, US dramatic: Beasts of the Southern Wild

US documentary editing award: Detropia

Best of next award: Sleepwalk With Me

Alfred P Sloan feature film prize: Robot and Frank and Valley of Saints

World cinema jury special prize, Documentary: Searching for Sugar Man

World cinema documentary editing: Indie Game: The Movie, Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky

World cinema jury prize,documentary: The Law in These Parts, Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, director

World cinema dramatic special jury prize: Can, Rasit Celikezer, director

World cinema cinematography award, drama: David Raedeker, My Brother the Devil

World cinema cinematography award, documentary: Lars Skree, Putin’s Kiss

World cinema directing award, documentary: Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi, 5 Broken Cameras

Shorts audience award: The Debutante Hunters, Maria White, director

World cinema audience award: Searching for Sugar Man

Sundance Film Festival has begun in Salt Lake City in 1978 as an effort to attract independent filmmakers.

 

Scotty Bowers, former rent boy, reveals threesome with Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson and other A-list Hollywood stars

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Scotty Bowers, former rent boy, reveals threesome with Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson and other A-list Hollywood stars

Scotty Bowers, a former Marine turned rent boy for some of Hollywood’s biggest names in the 1940s, claims to have had threesomes with the royal couple Duke of Windsor and his American wife Wallis Simpson.

Scotty Bowers, now 88, has opened up his little black book and told all, shedding light on his prostitution ring which he claims catered for the royal couple as well as gay and bisexual A-listers such as Cary Grant, George Cukor and Rock Hudson.

His book, “Full Service: My Adventures In Hollywood And The Secret Sex Lives Of The Stars”, opens the doors of the closeted, X-rated underworld of old Hollywood through three decades.

Stories in the 286-page book tell of arranging bedroom partners for actresses like Rita Hayworth and Katharine Hepburn, who he claims he set up with “over 150 different women”, reports the New York Times.

Scotty Bowers’ own lovers included Edith Piaf, Spencer Tracy, Vivien Leigh and Cary Grant, as he claims.

The former Marine also says he provided services for the Duke of Windsor – who had abdicated as King Edward VIII – and his wife Wallis Simpson, allegedly sharing a series of three in the bed romps with the couple.

Scotty Bowers’ book, “Full Service: My Adventures In Hollywood And The Secret Sex Lives Of The Stars”, opens the doors of the closeted, X-rated underworld of old Hollywood through three decades
Scotty Bowers’ book, “Full Service: My Adventures In Hollywood And The Secret Sex Lives Of The Stars”, opens the doors of the closeted, X-rated underworld of old Hollywood through three decades

Scotty Bowers has been inundated with book and film offers but has until now remains tight-lipped over the secret lives of his famous clients.

“I’ve kept silent all these years because I didn’t want to hurt any of these people,” Scotty Bowers told the Times in an interview, adding that he doesn’t need the money.

“And I never saw the fascination. So they liked sex how they liked it. Who cares?

“I finally said yes because I’m not getting any younger and all of my famous tricks are dead by now. The truth can’t hurt them anymore,” he told the Times.

However, Scotty Bower’s chronicle of old Hollywood’s sexual underground is likely to upset the relatives and fans of some of those exposed.

Scotty Bowers, who now lives in Hollywood Hills with his wife of 27 years Lois, said it all started in 1946, when he was just 23.

Newly discharged from the Marines after World War II, Scotty Bowers got a job at a gas station near Paramount Pictures, reports the Times.

The former Marine was pumping gas one day when actor Walter Pidgeon drove up and propositioned him with a $20 bill.

He accepted, and soon the word spread. According to Scotty Bowers, he stumbled into a business that he ran from his base at the gas station, servicing clients himself as well as setting them up with his handsome Marine friends.

Scotty Bowers, whose striking good looks attracted Hollywood’s biggest icons, said the station was a “safer hangout” then gay bars, which were often raided, reports the Times.

“Sometimes police would come around, sure. But I think I never got caught partly because I kept everything in my head. There was no little black book,” Scotty Bowers told the Times.

However, Scotty Bowers quit his job in 1950 and told the Times he supported himself for the next 20 years through prostitution, bar work and working as a handyman.

In his book, Scotty Bowers writes that, in addition to his gay clients, he also gained a following among heterosexual actors like Desi Arnaz, who used him as a matchmaking service.

Scotty Bowers claims he never accepted payment for organizing sexual encounters, reports the Times.

“I wasn’t a pimp,” he said.

Scotty Bowers, who told the Times that he prefers the sexual company of women, said he continued his unorthodox life until the onset of AIDS in the 1980’s and he got married in 1984.

The disease “brought an end to the sexual freedoms that had defined much of life in Tinseltown ever since the birth of movies,” Scotty Bowers writes.

“It was obvious that my days of arranging tricks for others were over. It was too unsafe a game to play anymore.”

Scotty Bowers’ story is set to be published by Grove Press on February 14 and is written with Lionel Friedberg, an award-winning producer of documentaries.

Christina Aguilera revealed her fake tanned legs at Etta James’ funeral

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Christina Aguilera revealed her fake tanned legs at Etta James’ funeral

Christina Aguilera was left red faced after a very unusual malfunction happened while she was performing at the funeral of soul legend Etta James at the Bishop Noel Jones City of Refuge in Gardena, California.

Christina Aguilera, 31, seemingly over did it with the fake tan and the result was unpleasant streaks down her leg.

As the blonde singer belted out a rendition of Etta James’s most popular song, At Last, lines of fake tan could be seen streaked down the inside of her thigh, across her shin.

It appeared Christina Aguilera was aware that something was awry as she attempted to subtly wipe her legs with the sleeve of her jacket just before she began to sing.

Despite the mishap, Christina Aguilera gave a heartfelt performance at the funeral.

The singer wore an all black ensemble that comprised of a skirt and a blazer but showed a little bit too much cleavage for such a somber occasion.

Christina Aguilera seemingly over did it with the fake tan and the result was unpleasant streaks down her leg
Christina Aguilera seemingly over did it with the fake tan and the result was unpleasant streaks down her leg

With her trademark curves covered up, Christina Aguilera was moved by her own performance and admitted before the funeral that Etta James was one of her idols.

She wrote on Twitter: “One of the greatest moments of my life…Singing with my idol, the legendary Etta James. You will be forever missed.”

Christina Aguilera added an old black and white photograph of herself performing with Etta James.

Music legend Stevie Wonder also performed three songs and gave a harmonica solo.

The Reverend Al Sharpton , who met Etta James when he was an up-and-coming preacher, delivered the heartfelt eulogy.

Reverend Al Sharpton described Etta James as a trailblazer who helped break down the “colour curtain in America”.

The reverend went on to say she used music to “bridge a world that was separate”, referring to America’s turbulent racial divisions during the civil rights era.

Reverend al Sharpton said: “She was able to get us on the same rhythms and humming the same ballads and understanding each others’ melodies way before we could even use the same hotels.”

Etta James died on January 20 at the age of 73 after a long battle with leukemia and complications from dementia.

Hundreds of her friends, fans and family came out to honor Etta James at the Inglewood Cemetery Mortuary.

Since the singer’s death, her album sales have sky rocketed, with fans snapping up her various records.

For the week ending on January 22, Etta James’ albums sold a total 30,000 copies, marking a 378% increase over the previous week, when she moved just over 6,000 units.

Etta James won four Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement honor and she was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

[youtube TO7XywZSZdc]

[youtube SkeUOSGI6Vo]

Kweku Adoboli, the UBS rogue trader, pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court today

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Kweku Adoboli, the UBS rogue trader, pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court today

Kweku Adoboli, the trader who allegedly gambled away a record of $2.3 billion, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of false accounting and two of fraud while working for Swiss bank UBS at Southwark Crown Court today.

Kweku Adoboli, 31, of Clark Street, east London, appeared at Southwark Crown Court accused of unauthorized trading that lost UBS about $2.3 billion.

The alleged rogue trader worked for UBS’s global synthetic equities division, buying and selling exchange traded funds, which track different types of stocks, bonds or commodities such as metals.

Kweku Adoboli is accused of dishonestly using his position to try to make a personal gain, and causing UBS losses or exposing the bank to the risk of loss.

City watchdog the Financial Services Authority and its Swiss counterpart have launched an investigation into why UBS failed to spot allegedly fraudulent trading.

Kweku Adoboli, the UBS trader who allegedly gambled away a record of $2.3 billion, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of false accounting and two of fraud while working for Swiss bank UBS at Southwark Crown Court today
Kweku Adoboli, the UBS trader who allegedly gambled away a record of $2.3 billion, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of false accounting and two of fraud while working for Swiss bank UBS at Southwark Crown Court today

Kweku Adoboli, the son of a former Ghanaian official to the United Nations, joined the bank in a junior capacity in 2002.

Charges relate to the period between October 2008 and September last year.

Prosecutors allege he gambled away the cash while buying and selling exchange traded funds.

Judge Alistair McCreath granted Kweku Adoboli’s new defense team an extra month to consult with their client after a previous appearance.

Kweku Adoboli switched legal teams in November.

He has hired London law firm Bark & Co, which specializes in fraud cases, in place of Kingsley Napley.

Judge Alistair McCreath set a provisional trial date of 3 September.

The judge remanded Kweku Adoboli in custody. A pre-trial management hearing will take place on 9 April.

[youtube 2BDOu8EdEiI]

Some bacteria can evade vaccine by wearing a new disguise

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Some bacteria can evade vaccine by wearing a new disguise

A research team found that some bacteria can evade efforts to vaccinate against them by wearing a new disguise.

The study, published in Nature Genetics, tracked how pneumococcus bacteria responded to the introduction of a vaccine in the US in 2000.

Specialists said the evasion would make some vaccines less successful in the long term.

An updated pneumococcus vaccine is already in use.

A research team found that some bacteria can evade efforts to vaccinate against them by wearing a new disguise
A research team found that some bacteria can evade efforts to vaccinate against them by wearing a new disguise

Vaccines train the immune system to attack something unique to an infection. In the case of tetanus, it results in the body making antibodies which target the toxin produced.

Dr. Rory Bowden, one of the researchers from the University of Oxford, said: “There are plenty of vaccines out there that look stable and continue to work because they target bacteria or viruses that are not changing.”

Pneumococcus bacteria, however, comes in more than 90 varieties or serotypes. Each variety looks different to the immune system so would each need separate vaccines.

Infection can result in pneumonia and meningitis. Across the globe, more than 800,000 children under five die as a result each year.

A vaccine against more than 90 types would not be possible, but in 2000 the US authorities began immunizing against seven of the most common varieties.

Cases rapidly dropped. By 2007, there was a sustained 76% drop in cases of septicemia, pneumonia and meningitis in children under five.

However, some bacteria managed to change their outer coat – known as capsule switching – to avoid the immune response.

They did it by collecting pieces of DNA from other pneumococcus bacteria which had died.

By analyzing bacterial genes, the researchers identified five cases of capsule switching. They said one of the new strains, called P1, “quickly became established spreading from east to west across the United States”. It had “becomes one of the most prevalent” varieties by 2007, the report said.

An updated vaccine which protects against 13 types has since been introduced. Dr. Rory Bowden said the “holy grail” would be a universal vaccine which would target something common to all types of pneumococcus.

Prof. Derrick Crook, from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Understanding what makes a vaccine successful and what can cause it to fail is important.

“Our work suggests that current strategies for developing new vaccines are largely effective but may not have long term effects that are as successful as hoped.”

Dr. Bernard Beall, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, added: “The current vaccine strategy of targeting predominant pneumococcal serotypes is extremely effective, however our observations indicate that the organism will continue to adapt to this strategy with some measurable success.”

The Wellcome Trust’s Dr Michael Dunn said: “New technologies allow us to rapidly sequence disease-causing organisms and see how they evolve. This will provide useful lessons for vaccine implementation strategies.”

Measuring blood pressure in both arms should be routine

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Measuring blood pressure in both arms should be routine

A new study review says that measuring blood pressure in both arms should be routine because the difference between left and right arm could indicate underlying health problems.

The Lancet research found that a large difference could mean an increased risk of vascular disease and death.

Although existing guidelines state that blood pressure should be measured in both arms, it is not often done.

A heart charity said it was too early to judge the findings.

The arm with the higher pressure can vary between individuals, but it is the difference between arms that counts, the study suggests.

Dr. Christopher Clark and colleagues, from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Exeter, UK, reviewed 28 previous study papers looking at this area.

Most people in the study had an elevated blood pressure risk and about one-third had a normal level of risk.

A new study review says that measuring blood pressure in both arms should be routine because the difference between left and right arm could indicate underlying health problems
A new study review says that measuring blood pressure in both arms should be routine because the difference between left and right arm could indicate underlying health problems

The study concluded that a difference in systolic blood pressure of 10 mm of mercury (mm Hg) between arms could identify patients at high risk of asymptomatic peripheral vascular disease.

A difference of 15mm Hg would also indicate an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease, a 70% increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and 60% increased risk of death from all causes, the authors said.

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is the narrowing and hardening of the arteries that supply blood to the legs and feet. There are often no symptoms.

The UK vascular check programme for over 40s which includes a test for hypertension, advises that blood pressure measurements be taken in both arms.

“But surveys have shown that the average GP doesn’t do it,” said Dr. Christopher Clark.

Early detection of PVD is important because these patients could then benefit from stopping smoking, lowering their blood pressure or being offered statin therapy.

Dr. Christopher Clark said the findings supported the need for blood pressure checks in both arms to be the norm.

Writing in The Lancet, Prof. Richard J. McManus, department of primary care health sciences at the University of Oxford and Prof. Jonathan Mant, from the department of public health and primary care at the University of Cambridge, said the review supports existing guidelines.

“Further research is needed to clarify whether substantial differences between arms should prompt aggressive management of cardiovascular risk factors.

“Ascertainment of differences should become part of routine care, as opposed to a guideline recommendation that is mostly ignored.”

Natasha Stewart, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said measuring blood pressure on both arms to assess vascular disease is, theoretically, a quick and simple task.

“But it’s too early to say whether this idea could become part of standard healthcare practice and so we need more research to confirm the findings.”

Prof. Bryan Williams, from the Blood Pressure Association and the University of Leicester, said the study reinforced the message already in the guidelines from health watchdog NICE.

SAG Awards 2012 winners full list

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
SAG Awards 2012 winners full list

Here is the full list of SAG Awards 2012 winners:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

“Bridesmaids”

“The Artist”

“The Descendants”

“The Help”

“Midnight in Paris”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney, “The Descendants”

Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”

Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar”

Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”

Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”

Viola Davis, “The Help”

Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”

Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Nick Nolte, “Warrior”

Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”

Armie Hammer, “J. Edgar”

Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”

Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”

Jessica Chastain, “The Help”

Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”

Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“The Adjustment Bureau”

“Cowboys & Aliens”

“Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows – Part 2”

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

“X-Men: First Class”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie Or Miniseries

Laurence Fishburne, “Thurgood”

Paul Giamatti, “Too Big to Fail”

Greg Kinnear, “The Kennedys”

Guy Pearce, “Mildred Pierce”

James Woods, “Too Big to Fail”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie Or Miniseries

Diane Lane, “Cinema Verite”

Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey”

Emily Watson, “Appropriate Adult”

Betty White, “The Lost Valentine”

Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

Patrick J. Adams, “Suits”

Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire”

Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights”

Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”

Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Kathy Bates, “Harry’s Law”

Glenn Close, “Damages”

Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story”

Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”

Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”

Steve Carell, “The Office”

Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men”

Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”

Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”

Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”

Betty White, “Hot In Cleveland”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

“Boardwalk Empire”

“Breaking Bad”

“Dexter”

“Game of Thrones”

“The Good Wife”

 

"Modern Family" received a prize at SAG Awards 2012.
"Modern Family" won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series prize at SAG awards 2012.

 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

“30 Rock”

“The Big Bang Theory”

“Glee”

“Modern Family”

“The Office”

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

“Dexter”

“Game of Thrones”

“Southland”

“Spartacus: Gods of the Arena”

“True Blood”

Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award

Mary Tyler Moore

SAG Awards 2012: Mary Tyler Moore won Life Achievement Award

Diane A. Wade
-
0
SAG Awards 2012: Mary Tyler Moore won Life Achievement Award

The 18th edition of SAG Awards was held at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium on Sunday evening, January 29. Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Actor statuette honored the prime-time television performances and the exceptional motion pictures of 2011.

The SAG Awards was transmitted live on TBS and TNT. Berenice Bejo, Brad Pitt, Bryan Cranston, Don Cheadle, George Clooney and Viola Davis were among the presenters. About 100,000 members of  Screen Actors Guild were able to vote for the nominees.

Mary Tyler Moore received the lifetime achievement award at SAG awards 2012.

 

Mary Tyler Moore received the lifetime achievement award at SAG awards 2012.
Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie in The Dick van Dyke Show. She won the prize for life time achievement at SAG Awards 2012.

Dick Van Dyke, her co-star on the  sit-com “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, introduced her to the public.

In 1955, when she had 18, there were six Mary Moores in the Screen Actors Guild, thus she had to change her name, she recalled. Tyler is the middle name she shares with her father, George.

“I was Mary Tyler Moore. I spoke it out loud. Mary Tyler Moore. It sounded right so I wrote it down on the form, and it looked right. It was right. SAG was happy, my father was happy, and tonight, after having the privilege of working in this business among the most creative and talented people imaginable, I too am happy, after all,” she said.

Moore, 75, is especially known for “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1961–66) and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1970–77).

Jean Dujardin surpassed George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio and won the prize for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role. In “The Artist” he plays the role of a silent-film star which career starts to move to an end when the talkies arrive.

Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer (“The Help“) won prizes in the leading and supporting actress categories at SAG Awards 2012.

They play the roles of two black maids. In the 1960s Mississippi they have the courage to go public about the bigotry. “The Help,” also won outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.

“I just have to say that the stain of racism and sexism is not just for people of color or women. It’s all of our burden, all of us,” Viola Davis said.

Christopher Plummer won supporting-actor prize for his part in “Beginners“. He plays the role of an old widower who comes out as gay. He is also nominated for an Oscar and won at the Golden Globes. The 82-year-old artist could be the oldest actor to receive an Academy Award. Jessica Tandy was 80 when she won best actress for “Driving Miss Daisy.”

“Modern Family” received the outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series award; Alec Baldwin won best actor for “30 Rock“.

Betty White won best actress at SAG awards 2012  for her Elka Ostrovsky part in “Hot in Cleveland.”

“You can’t name me, without naming those other wonderful women on `Hot in Cleveland. This nomination belongs to four of us. Please, please know that I’m dealing them right in with this. I’m not going to let them keep this, but I’ll let them see it,” she said.

Betty Marion White Ludden turned 90 on January 17.  She is known for  “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Golden Girls“.

“Game of Thrones” won the outstanding performance by a stunt ensemble award in a television series, outgoing “Dexter“,” Spartacus: Gods of the Arena”,” Southland“, and “True Blood”.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” took the prize in the category of outstanding performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture.

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was created in 1933 to protect the actors in Hollywood from beeing exploited.

It represents over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide. The Screen Actors Guild is associated with the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (AAAA) and is affiliated with the International Federation of Actors.

In 1995, the guild has started Screen Actors Guild Awards, this gala is perceived as an indicator of success at the Academy Awards.

Who wins one of the SAG awards has a good chance to win Oscars, too. Actors who received acting awards at SAG 2011, won Oscars later: Christian Bale and Melissa Leo (“The Fighter”), Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”), Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”).

 Mary Tyler Moore, SAG Awards 2012 winner, in “The Dick van Dyke Show” (video):

[youtube uKppP4LCkgU]

 

 

Ultrasounds can stop the production of sperm

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Ultrasounds can stop the production of sperm

Researchers investigating a new form of contraception found that a dose of ultrasound to the testicles can stop the production of sperm.

A study on rats published in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology showed that sound waves could be used to reduce sperm counts to levels that would cause infertility in humans.

Researchers described ultrasound as a “promising candidate” in contraception.

However, far more tests are required before it could be used.

The concept was first proposed in the 1970’s, but is now being pursued by researchers at the University of North Carolina who won a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The researchers found that two 15-minute doses “significantly reduced” the number of sperm-producing cells and sperm levels.

It was most effective when delivered two days apart and through warm salt water.

The researchers found that two 15-minute of ultrasound doses "significantly reduced" the number of sperm-producing cells and sperm levels
The researchers found that two 15-minute of ultrasound doses "significantly reduced" the number of sperm-producing cells and sperm levels

In humans, the researchers said men were considered to be “sub-fertile” when sperm counts dropped below 15 million sperm per milliliter.

The sperm count in rats dropped to below 10 million sperm per milliliter.

Lead researcher Dr. James Tsuruta said: “Further studies are required to determine how long the contraceptive effect lasts and if it is safe to use multiple times.”

The research team needs to ensure that the ultrasound produces a reversible effect, contraception not sterilization. As well as investigate whether there would be cumulative damage from repeated doses.

Dr. Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, said: “It’s a nice idea, but a lot more work is needed.”

He said that it was likely that there would be recovery of sperm production, but the “sperm might be damaged and any baby might be damaged” when sperm production resumed.

“The last thing we want is a lingering damage to sperm,” Dr. Allan Pacey said.

South Sudan: at least 40 people have been killed in a gunmen attack in Warrap state

Roy Siemens
-
0

South Sudan officials announced that at least 40 people have been killed by armed gunmen in a cattle raid in Warrap state.

According to other reports as many as 100 people could have been killed in the attack on a camp in Warrap state.

South Sudan’s interior minister accused the Sudanese government in Khartoum of arming the attackers, a militia group from Unity State, AFP reports.

Tensions remain high since South Sudan seceded peacefully from Sudan in July after decades of war.

An official in Warrap state told the Paris-based Sudan Tribune newspaper that villages belonging to the Luac Jang ethnic group in Tong East county came under attack early on Saturday.

Madot Dut Deng, speaker of the state assembly, said he had been told by officials that more than 76 people had been killed, with several unaccounted for.

Another state official told the newspaper that local people spoke of as many as 100 people killed.

Interior Minister Alison Manani Magaya said the attack was carried out by a militia group from neighboring Unity state.

“This militia group was armed by the government of Khartoum,” he said, but could not name the specific group responsible, AFP reports.

“The number of wounded is still not clear, but they took a lot of cattle with them,” Alison Manani Magaya added.

6.3 earthquake hit the central coastline of Peru

Diane A. Wade
-
0

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 hit Peru’s central coastline, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says.

The quake hit just after midnight (05:00 GMT) with its epicenter some 15 km (nine miles) south-east of the city of Ica, which suffered extensive earthquake damage in 2007.

Monday’s quake struck at a depth of 39 km (24 miles), the USGS said.

Peruvian media report that more than a dozen people have been injured.

“The majority are suffering trauma and cuts,” Fernando Leon Castaneda, manager of a local hospital, told Radio Programas del Peru.

Reports from Ica said electricity supplies had gone off but so far there are no reports of major damage.

The province of Ica was struck by a 7.9-magnitude undersea earthquake in 2007 that left thousands homeless.

Snowboarder Alecsander Barton killed after triggering fatal avalanche in Utah Backcountry

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Snowboarder Alecsander Barton killed after triggering fatal avalanche in Utah Backcountry

Snowboarder Alecsander Barton from Michigan has been killed after triggering an avalanche in Utah Backcountry which officials had warned the public against using after a bout of violent snowstorms.

Alecsander Barton, 24, was boarding from the peak of Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah with two friends when he triggered an avalanche that measured 700 feet wide.

It occurred at a time when avalanche danger had been classified as “high” due to heavy snowfall and loose, powdery snow.

Alecsander Barton’s two friends – a snowboarder and a skier – were not caught in the snow. They called 911 and, using beacons, found his body had been carried 2,400 feet by the snow.

The snowboarder, who was two days from his 25th birthday, was already dead.

“It sounds like they had skinned up the side of the mountain. Once they got to the peak, something happened. An avalanche was triggered,” police lieutenant Justin Hoyal told ABC News 4.

“Rescuers were flown up to the scene by Wasatch Powderbird and when they got there, the two witnesses up there – they had actually found their friend and he was deceased.”

The Utah Avalanche Center added: “His two companions switched their avalanche transceivers to receive, descended the slope and extricated their friend, buried under three feet of debris.”

Snowboarder Alecsander Barton from Michigan has been killed after triggering an avalanche in Utah Backcountry which officials had warned the public against using after a bout of violent snowstorms
Snowboarder Alecsander Barton from Michigan has been killed after triggering an avalanche in Utah Backcountry which officials had warned the public against using after a bout of violent snowstorms

Although the men – who all had considerable back country experience – had been equipped with the avalanche beacons, they were still in a dangerous area, police said.

“The back country conditions are extremely dangerous,” Justin Hoyal said.

“This is a sad reminder for people to know that conditions are so extreme right now that people need to stay out of the back country.”

Hours earlier, the Utah Avalanche Center had classified the danger level as “considerable”, but the rating was “high” on the upper slopes, meaning human-triggered avalanches were “very likely”.

“Avalanche conditions are deceptively tricky,” Craig Gordon of the Utah Avalanche Center told the Deseret News.

“You can get on some slopes and be good to go whereas others, all you need to do is find a weak spot in the snow pack and you’re staring down the barrel of a very dangerous avalanche.”

The Utah Avalanche Center reported that the trio was on the west side of Kessler Peak, in an area known as Little Giant.

It said the peak is “surrounded by radical terrain and avalanche paths on all sides” and that the friends had hiked to the peak along one of the paths.

Alecsander Barton’s death is the ninth avalanche fatality in the West this season, and experts warn the risk of slides could remain high all winter.

It is the second fatal avalanche of the season in the state. On November 13, professional skier Jamie Pierre, 38, was killed in a slide near Snowbird Ski Resort – just a week before it was due to open.

Alecsander Barton and Jamie Pierre were both killed after new, heavy snowfall led to avalanche warnings.

Experts say a weak base layer of snow, packed with large grains of ice, is causing trouble across Utah, Colorado, Montana and California.

They predict such conditions could keep avalanche risks high for the rest of the season.

Men are almost always the first to say “I love you”, scientists say

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Men are almost always the first to say “I love you”, scientists say

American scientists have discovered that it is the man, not the woman, who is most likely to be the first to say “I love you” in a blossoming romance.

Researchers conducting this vital work have found that young men are three times more likely to take this plunge than their girlfriends.

According to researchers, there may be a more cynical explanation – that the men are simply trying to smooth-talk their partners into bed.

They explained: “Any strategy serving as the means to a sexual end would be beneficial to men, including declarations of love.”

American scientists have discovered that it is the man, not the woman, who is most likely to be the first to say “I love you” in a blossoming romance
American scientists have discovered that it is the man, not the woman, who is most likely to be the first to say “I love you” in a blossoming romance

They came to their conclusion after interviewing 171 heterosexual students under 25.

A sizeable majority (87 per cent) of the group said they believed women fell in love first, while three-quarters said they expected women to say “I love you” first.

But when asked about their own experiences, men said it took them a few weeks to realize they had fallen in love, compared with a few months for women.

It is probably no coincidence that this coincides with the average timescale when each partner wanted to have sex – within weeks for men and months for women.

Some 64% of men admitted they had said “I love you” first, compared with just 18% of women.

The research from Pennsylvania State University and published in the Journal of Social Psychology, concluded: “This shows that women tend to be more cautious about love and the expression thereof than is commonly believed. It can be argued that men’s falling in love and exclaiming this love first may be explained as a by-product of men equating love with sexual desire.”

Meanwhile, a separate study has found women are wary of men with a squinty gaze because they look promiscuous.

Hundreds of participants were shown three images of the same male face, but with eyes altered by computer. Women said the man with narrowed eyelids looked as if he would challenge authority, sleep around and steal another man’s girlfriend.

The man with an open gaze was considered more caring and emotionally supportive – and therefore better husband material.

Researchers from the University of Michigan said the simplest explanation was that “a lowered eyelid gaze is a display of sexual interest”.

Russia introduced anonymous baby drop boxes for unwanted children

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Russia introduced anonymous baby drop boxes for unwanted children

Russian cities introduced for the first time the anonymous baby drop boxes, where unwanted children could be left.

The Krasnodar Territory in south Russia bought five of the so-called baby drop boxes in the beginning of November so mothers could drop off unwanted children anonymously.

The first three boxes were installed in Sochi, Novorossiysk and Armavir, and by the end of the month one child had already been left.

The move was aimed at providing sanitary conditions for unwanted children, instead of “having them left in garbage containers”, health officials told Ria Novosti.

Elena Redko, the head of the Krasnodar Health Department, told Ria Novosti the first child to be left, a baby girl, was healthy and would be passed to childcare officials.

“The girl will be put into a children’s home but I think she will be adopted soon because we have fewer children in the region than families who want to have them,” Elena Redko said.

The move mirrors steps taken in South Africa, where anonymous “baby safes” were introduced by a children’s charity in Spring last year.

Russian cities introduced for the first time the anonymous baby drop boxes, where unwanted children could be left
Russian cities introduced for the first time the anonymous baby drop boxes, where unwanted children could be left

Installed at a community centre in Cape Town, the Out of Africa Children’s Fund’s boxes allow mothers to leave their baby in a locked place without identifying themselves.

Fund chief executive Kim Highfield said at the time she hoped the system would allow struggling mothers to give their children up for adoption safely.

“Sometimes they leave their babies in dangerous areas where they have been attacked by dogs or come to other harm,” Kim Highfield said.

“Our scheme is about providing an alternative, so that new mothers at least have somewhere safe to leave their child.”

The Russian project was slated to involve the Siberian cities of Perm, Tomsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk and the European Russian town of Kirov.

Volkswagen Autostadt CustomerCenter, the world’s most amazing car showroom

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Volkswagen Autostadt CustomerCenter, the world’s most amazing car showroom

Volkswagen Autostadt CustomerCenter futuristic garages in Wolfsburg are the ultimate car showrooms with millions of dollars worth of new vehicles sitting in the stunning glass towers.

Each day about 600 cars are picked up from the two 200 ft tall silos by their new owners – making it the world’s largest vehicle delivery centre.

Incredibly, the cars are built at the manufacturer’s main plant, in Wolfsburg, Germany, and transported by conveyor belt to the adjacent towers’ basement.

From there they are lifted into position at a speed of two metres a second via a robotic arm that rotates and run along a central beam.

Each tower contains 400 brand new Volkswagens.

An underground tunnel connects the two buildings, and the cars roll along an internal track to arrive to be fitted with license plates.

New owners can watch as their car is picked up from a bay and delivered to them at the Autostadt CustomerCenter, with the speedometer at zero.

Volkswagen Autostadt CustomerCenter futuristic garages are the ultimate car showrooms with millions of dollars worth of new vehicles sitting in the stunning glass towers
Volkswagen Autostadt CustomerCenter futuristic garages are the ultimate car showrooms with millions of dollars worth of new vehicles sitting in the stunning glass towers

 

The 20 storey buildings, which were the inspiration for a huge garage in the latest Mission Impossible film – Ghost Protocol – are housed at the Volkswagen theme park, the Autostadt, which translates as “car city”.

Last year 175,893 new cars were handed over to their new owners.

The theme park also features a three Michelin star restaurant, the world’s largest glass doors and the world’s longest printed line – four miles.

A spokesman said: “Taking possession of a new car is a special event and each customer is made to feel like a king.

“Each handover includes professional advice from a personal consultant.

“It is no surprise the CustomerCenter is one of the main attractions for people visiting the Autostadt.

“This automotive theme park attracts people who have a passion for cars as well as those who enjoy culture and unique kinds of events.

“Instead of focusing on vehicle production, the presentations highlight the many different aspects of human mobility.”

[youtube -eEjo17Gn04]

Whether you picked your car up from a high-rising glass tower or a simple car lot, always protect it with good auto insurance.

2012 Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships came to the end this morning

Diane A. Wade
-
0
2012 Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships came to the end this morning

2012 International Snow Sculpture Competition, which is held in Breckenridge, Colorado, each year, came to a close this morning.

Fifteen teams of five sculptors each spent much of the last week carving massive blocks of snow into larger-than-life creations in an effort to gain some recognition for a highly-specialized skill.

All power tools and colorants are banned from the competition making the artists to be creative with their selections, with some using carrot scrapers and chicken wire along with traditional saws and ice picks.

This year, there were teams from Canada, Spain, China, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Switzerland and the United States- Alaska, Colorado, Idaho and Wisconsin.

The most surprising entrants- Mexico, Greece, and Australia- were all from warm countries, giving their representatives less opportunity to practice their skills at home.

That has not hurt them in the past, however, as the Mexican team was 2011 winner.

2012 International Snow Sculpture Competition, which is held in Breckenridge, Colorado, each year, came to a close this morning
2012 International Snow Sculpture Competition, which is held in Breckenridge, Colorado, each year, came to a close this morning

The annual International Snow Sculpture Competition is held each year in Breckenridge, Colorado, and has been for the past 21 years.

The event’s organizers arrange for snow to be collected by dump trucks and compacted using wooden frames and snow blowing machines.

The snow is packed in by the strong feet of five to ten volunteers who jump on top of the snow to compress it before more snow is then added.

The finished product is a 20-ton block of snow that is 10 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 12 feet high.

When the competition begins, the teams have 65 hours spread over the course of five days to turn their blocks into masterpieces.

While they all undoubtedly are going for gold, participating is still a feat in itself. Organizers invited 250 teams initially, who then have to submit prospective plans.

The organizers then widdle the group down to the best 15 options that they feel will turn downtown Breckenridge into a spectacle.

The winners will be announced Sunday afternoon and the sculptures will remain standing for at least the next week so that residents can tour around the icy works.

[youtube VeBxVUUDmlw]

Negative social interactions are linked to cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Negative social interactions are linked to cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure

According to experts, relationships may be as vital to good health as a balanced diet and plenty of rest.

Scientists at UCLA’s school of medicine have found that negative social interactions can lead to increased inflammation, which may in turn cause a host of illnesses from cancer to heart disease and high blood pressure.

The study findings have been published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

The UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) study gives solid grounding to the anecdotal evidence that being upbeat and positive – and surrounding one’s self with people with that do not represent competitive or toxic relationships – may be one way to avoid getting sick.

Taking a group of 122 healthy young people, the California-based scientists monitored stressful events and compared them to the body’s production of two inflammation-causing proteins.

Scientists at UCLA's school of medicine have found that negative social interactions can lead to increased inflammation, which may in turn cause a host of illnesses from cancer to heart disease and high blood pressure
Scientists at UCLA's school of medicine have found that negative social interactions can lead to increased inflammation, which may in turn cause a host of illnesses from cancer to heart disease and high blood pressure

Relying on the age-old method of capturing emotions – the diary – scientists recorded the group’s competitive and frictional moments and compared them with the chemicals found in swabs from the inner cheek.

The researchers found that those who had a negative few days preceding the swab had a higher proportion of the proteins responsible for conditions including high blood pressure, risk of heart disease, cancer and depression, according to Science News.

A similar peak in the pro-inflammatory proteins also occurred after participants were subjected to a stress-inducing numbers quiz and then asked to give a public speech.

The results – which may bring a whole new light to many a bad relationship – are thought to be grounded in evolutionary survival mechanisms.

While the modern link between stress and illness is well-documented, psychologist Nicholas Rohleder from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, told Science News that inflammation fends off infections that may once have been the result of fight or flight encounters.

“Without the dangers humans once faced when it came to getting through each and every day, stress may lead to unchecked chronic inflammation,” Nicholas Rohleder said.

First welcome-home parade of Iraq War Vets held in St. Louis

Diane A. Wade
-
0
First welcome-home parade of Iraq War Vets held in St. Louis

Crowds of nearly 100,000 in St. Louis honored Iraq war veterans in the first big welcome-home parade since the last troops were withdrawn from Iraq in December.

The moving St. Louis event brought tears to the eyes of Army Major Rich Radford.

“It’s not necessarily overdue, it’s just the right thing,” said Rich Radford, a Army veteran who served 23 years in the force and walked in the parade alongside his 8-year-old daughter, Aimee, and 12-year-old son, Warren.

Rich Radford was among about 600 veterans, many dressed in camouflage, who walked along downtown streets lined with rows of people clapping and holding signs with messages including “Welcome Home” and “Thanks to our Service Men and Women”.

Fire trucks with aerial ladders hoisted huge American flags in three different places along the route, with politicians, marching bands – even the Budweiser Clydesdales – joining in.

The large crowd was clearly there to salute men and women in the military, and people cheered wildly as groups of veterans walked by.

That was the hope of organizers Craig Schneider and Tom Appelbaum.

Neither man has served in the military but came up with the idea after noticing there had been little fanfare for returning Iraq War veterans aside from gatherings at airports and military bases. No ticker-tape parades or large public celebrations.

Crowds of nearly 100,000 in St. Louis honored Iraq war veterans in the first big welcome-home parade since the last troops were withdrawn from Iraq in December
Crowds of nearly 100,000 in St. Louis honored Iraq war veterans in the first big welcome-home parade since the last troops were withdrawn from Iraq in December

Tom Appelbaum, an attorney, and Craig Schneider, a school district technical coordinator, decided something needed to be done.

So they sought donations, launched a Facebook page, met with the mayor and mapped a route. The grassroots effort resulted in a huge turnout despite raising only about $35,000 and limited marketing.

Veterans came from around the country, and more than 100 entries – including marching bands, motorcycle groups and military units – signed up ahead of the event, Tom Appelbaum said.

Craig Schneider said he was amazed how everyone, from city officials to military organizations to the media, embraced the parade.

“It was an idea that nobody said no to,” Craig Schneider said.

“America was ready for this.”

All that effort by her hometown was especially touching for Gayla Gibson, a 38-year-old Air Force master sergeant who said she spent four months in Iraq – seeing “amputations, broken bones, severe burns from IEDs” – as a medical technician in 2003.

“I think it’s great when people come out to support those who gave their lives and put their lives on the line for this country,” Gayla Gibson said.

With 91,000 troops still fighting in Afghanistan, many Iraq veterans could be redeployed – suggesting to some that it’s premature to celebrate their homecoming.

In New York, for example, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently said there would be no city parade for Iraq War veterans in the foreseeable future because of objections voiced by military officials.

In St. Louis, there was clearly a mood to thank the troops with something big, even among those opposed to the war.

“Most of us were not in favor of the war in Iraq, but the soldiers who fought did the right thing and we support them,” said 72-year-old Susan Cunningham, who attended the parade.

“I’m glad the war is over and I’m glad they’re home.”

Several veterans of the Vietnam War turned out to show support for the younger troops.

Among them was Don Jackson, 63, of Edwardsville, Illionis, who said he was thrilled to see the parade honoring Iraq War veterans like his son, Kevin, who joined him at the parade.

Kevin Jackson, 33, an Air Force staff sergeant said he’d lost track of how many times he had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a flying mechanic.

“I hope this snowballs,” Kevin Jackson said of the parade. “I hope it goes all across the country. I only wish my friends who I served with were here to see this.”

Looking at all the people around him in camouflage, 29-year-old veteran Matt Wood said he felt honored. He served a year in Iraq with the Illinois National Guard.

“It’s extremely humbling, it’s amazing, to be part of something like this with all of these people who served their country with such honor,” Matt Wood said.

[youtube 8o53K5adurM]

Men can recognize from a woman’s voice when she is having her period

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Men can recognize from a woman’s voice when she is having her period

A new research suggests men can actually tell from a woman’s voice when she is having her period.

In a study, published in the journal Ethology, psychologists asked three groups of men to listen to voice recordings of ten women who counted from one to five – at four different points over their menstrual cycle.

All four recordings were played in a random order – and then the first group of men were asked to guess which were made while the women were on their period, Popular Science reported.

The tests, conducted by Nathan Pipitone at Adams State College and Gordon Gallup, from SUNY-Albany, revealed that the men were correct 35% of the time – described as a “significant” result.

A 2008 study run by the two scientists had already shown that men find the voices of ovulating women more attractive than voice recordings at other points in their period cycle.

So to update their research, the two scientists swapped the recordings which were nearest to ovulation with those from a less fertile day.

A new research suggests men can actually tell from a woman's voice when she is having her period
A new research suggests men can actually tell from a woman's voice when she is having her period

The second group in the new study still spotted the voice during menstruation 34% of the time.

In fact, Nathan Pipitone and Gordon Gallup said all three group pinpointed the “period” voices more than any other recordings.

In another experiment, a separate group of men – who were not told the study had anything to do with menstruation – were asked to pick out the most “unattractive” voice.

In 34% of cases, they chose the menstrual recording – significantly more than was predicted by chance.

According to the men taking part in the experiments, they could tell the women were menstruating by four key indicators in the recordings: mood (bad v good); quality (harsh v smooth); pitch (low v high); and speed (slow v fast).

Some said that the menstrual recordings appeared lower in pitch, quality and mood.

In evolutionary terms, an aversion to menstruation – whether conscious or subconscious – is logical because males will seek females who are ovulating in order to pass on their genes.

Nathan Pipitone said: “The men seemed to determine menstrual voices by picking the most unattractive voice.”

He added that it is hormones that give the women away, by inducing vocal change.

“Vocal production is closely tied to our biology. For example, cells from the larynx and vagina are very similar and show similar hormone receptors,” Nathan Pipitone said.

As a result, according to Gordon Gallup: “The sound of a person’s voice contains a surprising amount of reproductively relevant information.”

Evidence has already shown that men subconsciously judge where a woman is in her menstrual cycle.

Lap dancers make 80% more money in tips when they’re ovulating compared to when they’re menstruating, the journal Evolution & Human Behaviour reported in 2007.

In 2011, a German study showed the voices of women on their periods tend to be “heavier and less harmonic”, according to Wired.

Kim Kardashian reveals how her feelings for Kris Humphries changed in 72 days

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Kim Kardashian reveals how her feelings for Kris Humphries changed in 72 days

In a sneak peek from today’s episode of Kourtney & Kim Take New York , Kim Kardashian reveals that, in less than 72 days, her feelings for ex-husband Kris Humphries changed.

Kim Kardashian, 31, says she just “fell out of love”.

The clip shows Kim Kardashian having a breakdown on the finale of Kourtney & Kim Take New York, sobbing uncontrollably to older sister Kourtney.

“It’s hard for me. He’s a good heart, he’s a Christian – everything on paper I want in someone, but for some reason, my heart isn’t connecting,” Kim Kardashian tells her sister, before asking for family support.

The reality star sobs: “I feel awful that I made him move out here and change his whole life. I feel sad, I feel bad for the guy.”

After reflecting on her highly publicized, very expensive August 20 wedding, Kim Kardashian clearly can’t cope with the depth of her feelings.

“He fell in love with me and I fell in love with him and now all my feelings have changed,” she cries.

“I invited all these people to this huge wedding and flew everyone out, wasted everyone’s time and everyone’s money – everyone’s everything – and I feel bad!” Kim Kardashian sobs.

Kim Kardashian has a breakdown on the finale of Kourtney & Kim Take New York, sobbing uncontrollably to older sister Kourtney
Kim Kardashian has a breakdown on the finale of Kourtney & Kim Take New York, sobbing uncontrollably to older sister Kourtney

“At 30 years old, I thought I’d be married with kids and I’m not. I failed at this,” she says. “People change their minds, people make mistakes.”

On last week’s episode of the E! show, Kim Kardashian had her second revelation that she needed to end her marriage after meeting with medium John Edwards.

She then sobbed to 32-year-old Kourtney: “I don’t want to be married anymore.”

During the session John Edwards asked if either of the sisters were divorced.

Kim Kardashian replied: “I’m divorced, I am. I mean I was married now but I was divorced before.”

The reality star was referring to her first marriage; she was wed to record producer Damon Thomas from 2000 to 2004.

John Edwards asked Kim Kardashian if she had learned from her divorce, claiming that is what her father wanted to know.

It was this line of questioning which upset Kim Kardashian and she confided in Kourtney after the session about how she felt in her relationship.

Kim Kardashian explained: “What was so crazy about that was when he was talking about the divorce stuff.

“I honestly feel like I can’t do this anymore with Kris. I feel like I got into this way too fast. You know I’m not happy.”

[youtube h2p_lrUd13E]

Facebook begins the process of becoming publicly-listed company

Clyde K. Valle
-
0

Facebook is preparing the process of becoming a publicly-listed company this week, valuing the social networking site at between $75 billion and $100 billion, reports suggest.

Facebook plans to file papers with the US financial watchdog on Wednesday, according to the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal.

The flotation later this year would raise about $10 billion, they reported.

This would be one of the biggest share sales seen on Wall Street.

It would dwarf the $1.9 billion raised by Google when it went public in 2004.

It would still, however, be some way short of the $20 billion raised by carmaker General Motors in November 2010.

The reports suggest that Morgan Stanley will be the lead underwriter for the sale, with Goldman Sachs also expected to be heavily involved.

Rumours of Facebook’s so-called initial public offering (IPO) have circulated for many months, and the company has maintained it will not comment on the subject.

The reported valuation would make Facebook one of the world’s biggest companies by market capitalization.

“Facebook a brilliant achievement, but $75-$100 billion? Would make Apple look really cheap,” said Rupert Murdoch on Twitter.

Facebook was started by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow students at Harvard University in 2004 and has quickly grown to become one of the world’s most popular websites.

It makes most of its money through advertising.

Sudan: 29 Chinese workers held by rebels in South Kordofan

Roy Siemens
-
0

Rebels in South Kordofan region announced they are holding 29 Chinese workers who became caught up in a battle with the Sudanese army.

The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) said the workers are safe and “in good health”.

China’s foreign ministry confirmed that some of their nationals were missing, but did not specify how many.

South Kordofan is one of three areas hit by conflict since South Sudan became independent from Sudan in July.

Abyei and Blue Nile along with South Kordofan lie along the loosely demarcated border between Sudan and South Sudan.

The Chinese nationals are reported to have been working on road construction projects in the area.

“Yes, we have captured them,” Arnu Ngutulu Lodi of the SPLM-N told the AFP news agency. “I want to assure you right now they are in safe hands.”

Arnu Ngutulu Lodi said they were captured – along with nine Sudanese soldiers – after the SPLM-N attacked and destroyed a Sudanese military convoy in the area.

Sudan’s army said the rebels had attacked the compound of a Chinese construction company and captured 70 civilians.

“Most of them are Chinese. They are targeting civilians,” army spokesman Sawarmi Khalid Saad told Reuters news agency.

He said the army had launched an operation to rescue them.

Occupy Oakland: around 300 protesters arrested after clashes with police

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Occupy Oakland: around 300 protesters arrested after clashes with police

Police arrested around 300 Occupy protesters in Oakland after trying to enter the City Hall and a convention centre.

Police fired tear gas and smoke grenades to disperse crowds who threw rocks, bottles and other objects.

Oakland was the scene of similar clashes last October. In December, protesters occupied the port.

Oakland is one of several US cities to see mass protests over economic inequality and corporate greed.

The movement began with Occupy Wall Street in New York last year and has since spread.

Police arrested around 300 Occupy protesters in Oakland after trying to enter the City Hall an a convention centre
Police arrested around 300 Occupy protesters in Oakland after trying to enter the City Hall an a convention centre

The local offshoot, Occupy Oakland, had earlier called on protesters to join a weekend of action, saying 28 January would be “Move-in Day”, and they would “occupy a large, vacant building and convert it into a social center”.

The protest march – joined by as many as 2,000 people over the course of the day – moved first to the empty Henry Kaiser convention centre, police said.

Some started tearing down perimeter fencing and “destroying construction equipment”, the Associated Press quotes the police as saying.

When protesters ignored an order to leave, they were dispersed using tear gas and smoke, police added. In response, officers were pelted with bottles, rocks, burning flames and other objects.

Demonstrators also broke into City Hall and a nearby YMCA building in the centre of Oakland, police said.

One post on Occupy Oakland’s Twitter feed later read: “We didn’t get in the building, but fought like our future depended on it.”

Oakland police said in a statement that, while the city “welcomes peaceful forms of assembly and freedom of speech… acts of violence, property destruction and overnight lodging will not be tolerated”.

[youtube wtKHGDN8KPs]

Why Google’s interpretation on who you are based on your web history is sometimes wrong

Nancy Clayson
-
0

Google has given a glimpse on just how much information on its users it has collected – and who thinks they are.

However, it seems the famed Google algorithms are far from infallible.

People taking advantage of the facility that allows the public to view what kind of consumer Google thinks they are have been amused to find themselves listed with the wrong age and even sex.

Nevertheless, the knowledge that Google works so hard to profile its 350 million account holders is bound to intensify the debate about privacy which flared up again this week with the announcement that the company was going to start tracking users across all of its sites, including YouTube.

The detailed personal “profile” sums up many of a user’s interests, along with age and gender.

Google builds a detailed profile by harvesting the history of its account holders’ visits to sites in its advertising network.

User’s age and gender are decided by those of other Google users who have visited the sites you visit, leading to the mistakes.

One blogger from tech site Mashable found this week that Google’s Ad Preferences page assume that she was middle-aged – and a man, simply because her interests included technology and computing.

The profile page, called Ad Preferences, is hidden away inside a settings menu in Google Accounts, but can be accessed directly.

This sort of in-depth profiling raises alarm bells with privacy activists.

“Consumers have increasingly digital lives and they are developing an unfathomably large data trail every day,” says Rainey Reitman, activism director for privacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation.

“There has never been another time in history where privacy was under the kind of assault it is today.”

Uuser can opt out of the tracking, or manually edit his details. Google also does not store information on controversial subjects such as pornography.

The Ad preferences page came to public attention following a sweeping change to “privacy policy” which comes into effect on March 1, although the preferences page was launched some time ago.

YouTube data, Gmail information and search data will all be used to build up ever more accurate advertising profiles and also the company claims it will make searches more personalized.

In most cases, though, the data is eerily accurate, bringing up a breakdown of interests, age and sex.

The Advertising Preferences information that Google gathers is sent out as a “cookie” – a packet of information sent out by your browser – whenever you visit other Google partners, who then serve up “relevant” adverts when you visit their sites.

Users who are fearful of the amount of information Google holds can block the profiling by disabling “cookies” in their internet browser settings.

Google says: “We associate interests with your ads preferences based on the types of websites that you visit within the Google Display Network.”

“For example, when you browse many gardening-related websites in the Google Display Network, Google may associate a gardening preference with your cookie.”

“If the sites that you visit have a majority of female visitors, we may associate your cookie with the female demographic category.”

Some users reported that Google had identified bizarre interests such as “Sweets and Candy”, and was duly serving them adverts appropriate to that “interest”.

User can manually change his “interests” from your Ad Preferences page – although you cannot, of course, stop Google from sending you adverts.

Costa Concordia: death toll rises to 17 after divers found a body of a woman

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Costa Concordia: death toll rises to 17 after divers found a body of a woman

Divers searching the wreck of Costa Concordia cruise ship have found the body of a woman, bringing the death toll to 17.

Operations to pump fuel from the tanks of the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship lying off the Italian coast have been delayed because of bad weather.

Dutch salvage company Smit says it now hopes to begin work next week on pumping more than 2,300 tons of diesel out of the 290m-long vessel.

The woman was wearing uniform, indicating she was a crew member.

The ship ran aground on 13 January with more than 4,200 people on board.

Another 15 people are still missing.

Divers searching the wreck of Costa Concordia cruise ship have found the body of a woman, bringing the death toll to 17
Divers searching the wreck of Costa Concordia cruise ship have found the body of a woman, bringing the death toll to 17

“We were ready this morning [Saturday] to commence oil pumping in the course of the day,” Smit spokesman Martijn Schuttevaer told a news conference.

“Unfortunately the weather had turned in our disadvantage as it deteriorated and therefore towards the end of the morning we had to demobilize our vessel, the Moloria, back from the side of the ship back into the port here.”

Oil pumping is now expected to begin in the middle of next week. Bad weather is forecast until Tuesday.

Smit has withdrawn a barge that had been placed alongside the hulk of the Costa Concordia.

The operation is expected to take about four weeks to complete.

The delay will add to fears that a leak could cause an environmental disaster in the marine national park where the ship capsized.

On Saturday morning divers searching submerged parts of the wreck found the body of a woman, wearing the ship’s uniform, on deck number six. No further details of her identity or nationality have been released.

The Costa Concordia is lying on its side off Giglio island, where it hit rocks at the start of a Mediterranean cruise.

Captain Francesco Schettino, is under house arrest while his actions are being investigated.

Francesco Schettino is accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning ship before all passengers were evacuated. He denies the allegations.

Costa Crociere, which is part of the world’s largest cruise ship operator Carnival Group, has offered uninjured passengers 11,000 euros ($14,500) each in compensation, on condition that they drop any legal action.

However, a consumer group and two US law firms are filing a class-action lawsuit in the US, demanding at least $160,000 for each passenger on the ship.

1...1,1571,1581,159...1,227Page 1,158 of 1,227