Sunday, July 15, 2007

Thank goodness

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

Grilled Sea Bass with Tropical Salsa

1. Ingredients

1 cup 1/4-inch pieces peeled cored pineapple
3/4 cup 1/4-inch pieces peeled pitted mango
2/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces red bell pepper
1/2 cup 1/4-inch pieces seeded tomato
1/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces seeded English hothouse cucumber
1/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces red onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno chili
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 (6 ounce) fillets sea bass fillets
garlic flavored olive oil

2. Cooking Directions

Combine first 10 ingredients in medium bowl; toss to blend. Season salsa with salt. Chill to blend flavors, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, tossing occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush fish with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Top with salsa and serve. Yield: 6 servings

3. Still Hungry?

Colorful salsas and relishes made with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs became popular in this decade of diets. The toppings are light and fresh and packed with flavor - just right with grilled low-fat fish.

 

Lemon-Roasted Sea Bass with Clams

  • Prep Time 20 min.
  • Cook Time 40 min.
  • Serves 6

    Fish

    1. Ingredients

      2 large onions, chopped
      1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed
      2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
      2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
      1 cup cherry tomatoes
      8 sprigs fresh thyme
      2 whole fish (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each), gutted and gills removed
      Salt and freshly ground pepper
      1 cup dry white wine
      1 lemon, thinly sliced
      Chili powder or red pepper flakes, to taste
      24 littleneck clams, scrubbed

      2. Cooking Directions

      1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook the onions and fennel seeds in the olive oil over medium-high heat until the onions are almost translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large roasting pan. Scatter the tomatoes and thyme over the onions.
      2. Lay the fish out on a work surface. Make 3 large diagonal cuts on each side of the fish to allow for even cooking. Season the fish generously with salt and pepper, inside and out, top and bottom.
      3. Transfer the fish to the roasting pan, arranging it on top of the tomato and onion mixture. Pour the wine into the pan. Arrange the lemon slices across the top of the fish and sprinkle evenly with the chili powder. Roast the fish for 10 minutes, then arrange the clams around the fish. Continue roasting until the clams open and the fish is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes more. Yield: 6 servings

                    3. Still Hungry?

                               This dish brings out the flavor of locally caught fresh fish.

     

     

  • Friday, July 13, 2007

    US House backs Iraq withdrawal

    A poll has showed more than 70 per cent of Americans favour withdrawing nearly all US troops by April .

    The US House of Representatives has voted in favour of pulling most combat troops out of Iraq by April 2008, defying the threat of a presidential veto.

    The move came hours after the Bush administration conceded that an interim assessment showed the Iraqi government was making only limited progress on military and political issues.

    The Democrat-controlled house approved the troop withdrawal measure, 223 in favour to 201 against.

    The legislation would require combat troops to begin pulling out within 120 days, with a full withdrawal completed by April 1, 2008.

    The measure says only a limited residual force would remain to train Iraqi troops, protect US assets and fight al-Qaeda and other groups.

    Earlier George Bush, who has ruled out any immediate shift in policy, sought to defend his troop "surge" strategy in Iraq, saying he would wait until a fuller report is delivered by the head of US forces there in September.

    "I believe we can succeed in Iraq, and I know we must,"' Bush said at a White House news conference at which he stressed the interim nature of the report.

    The much-anticipated assessment released on Thursday said that the security situation in Iraq remained "complex and extremely challenging", and that the level of violence had "undermined efforts to achieve political reconciliation".

    "Amid such violence, it became significantly harder for Iraqi leaders to make the difficult compromises necessary to foster reconciliation," it added.

    Benchmarks

    The interim report gave a bleak assessment
    of progress in Iraq [EPA]

    The interim assessment said only eight of the 18 US benchmarks in Iraq have been achieved satisfactorily.

    It said progress on eight other benchmarks, intended to grade Iraqi political and security developments, had been unsatisfactory, while progress on two others had been mixed.

    The report found that the US-backed government had failed to achieve goals considered necessary to bring sectarian violence under control, such as passing legislation to divide the nation's oil revenues.

    But despite the bleak tone, Bush said he continued to have confidence in Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister.

    "Yeah, I've got confidence in him, but I also understand how difficult it is. I'm not making the excuses, but it is hard," said Bush.

    Bush highlighted the benchmarks that had been satisfactorily achieved, including the Iraqi government's co-operation in letting Iraqi forces combat anti-US fighters and money spent to train and equip its forces.

    But Hoda Abdel Hamid, Al Jazeera's Baghdad correspondent, said military people on the ground – both American and Iraqis – have told her that co-operation is well below levels Bush might expect.

    She said: "A lot of recruits do not show up for work.

    "The Iraqis are more reluctant to go into neighbourhoods because of sectarian reasons and other times because they just don't have the equipment.

    "Sometimes they don't have bulletproof vests, they don't have bulletproof cars and sometimes they don't really have bullets."

    Breaking ranks

    Bush signalled he would veto any legislation
    requiring a "hasty" withdrawal [EPA]

    The report came as several prominent Republicans broke ranks with Bush on Iraq, saying the so-called troop "surge" was not working and it was time to rethink US policy.

    Asked about waning Republican support, Bush said he took what was said into account. "I value the advice of those senators, I appreciate their concerns ... and I will continue listening to them."

    But he said he would also waiting to hear from General David Petraeus, the most senior US commander in Iraq, in September.

    Some analysts have suggested Bush is trying to shift blame for failure of the so-called "surge" on to the military.

    Speaking before the vote on withdrawing troops in the House of Representatives, Bush signalled that he would veto any legislation requiring what he described as a hasty pull-out from Iraq.

    "I don't think Congress ought to be running the war," he said.

    "The idea of [Congress] telling our military how to conduct operations, for example, or how to deal with troop strength, I don't think it makes sense today, nor do I think it's a good precedent for the future."

    A USA Today/Gallup poll this week showed more than seven in 10 Americans favour withdrawing nearly all US troops by April.

    Bush also blamed Iran and Hezbollah for training armed groups in Iraq ranged against US-led forces.

    Thursday, July 12, 2007

    iPhone Auctioned for $100,000

    Relax. Current iPhone auctions aren't remotely profitable, unless the auction is in the name of charity. Stuff.tv got the scoop regarding the latest Keep a Child Alive auction whose mission is to raise money to provide medicine and support services for children dying of AIDS in Africa. Alicia Keys will personally present the winning bidder with his uber-expensive iPhone at the Black Ball in New York, which will be honoring Bono on October 25th.

    One anonymous, yet generous bidder (going by 'ccerc') wrote a big check for $100,000 for an iPhone purchased by film director Spike Lee at Apple's Soho Store in New York. According to the eBay page, the package also includes two Jawbone headsets, a special celeb voicemail, two round trip domestic flights, and two VIP passes to the Black Ball. While I'm glad the money is going to charity, I still can't get over the fact that someone paid $100,000 for an iPhone. An iPhone!

    I guess this bidder's friends can't really complain about how expensive the iPhone is now...

    How do you top that?

    Potter embargo 'could be broken'

    Harry Potter book cover

    The final Harry Potter novel could hit shelves before its official release next week.

    Some shops are not expected to keep a written agreement which prevents them selling the book before 21 July. Author JK Rowling has said two characters will die in the book

    "It's quite possible one will break the embargo," says Katherine Rushton from The Bookseller magazine. "They'd do it to be first, and for all the PR."

    The book's publishers, Bloomsbury, said it had "no reason to believe anyone would want to ruin the excitement".

    "If such a thing were to happen, we believe that the public would make their feelings known by not buying it from such a spoilsport retailer."

    However, it added, "it is our intention to vigorously enforce the embargo if required".

    The secret police are out there ready to jump on anyone who breaks the embargo with a terrific sledgehammer

    Robert Webb, book seller

    Author JK Rowling has also stressed the importance of keeping to the official publication date on her website.

    "I want the readers who have, in many instances, grown up with Harry, to embark on the last adventure they will share with him without knowing where they are they going," she wrote.

    Embargos on previous instalments of the series have generally been observed because Bloomsbury threatened to withhold future Harry Potter books from stores who flouted the rules.

    This time there is no such incentive.

    "Because it's the final Harry Potter, Bloomsbury doesn't have that same power," says Rushton. "It has played its last ace card."

    Midnight openings

    JK Rowling

    JK Rowling has amassed a £540m fortune from writing

    Bookshops around the UK, many of which are opening at midnight to sell Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, have mixed opinions on whether the embargo will hold.

    "I'd be very surprised if anyone sold it early," said Tim Curtis of The Little Apple Bookshop in York. "I'm not sure consumers would want it."

    "People like to be part of the midnight thing," agrees Suzanne Jones of Heffers in Cambridge.

    "I've got an 11-year-old who has got it in her diary and she wants to go out and be part of it."

    "To buy it in the cold light of day on a Friday is just not the same."

    But Robert Webb, who has run Kingsthorpe Book Shop in Northampton for the last 34 years, says it is "a miracle" the embargo has held in the past.

    "It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if it did get broken this time.

    Harry Potter fan in Mexico City

    Hundreds of fans queued overnight to get hold of the last book

    "But I think the secret police are out there ready to jump on anyone who breaks the embargo with a terrific sledgehammer."

    'Spoilsports'

    Harry Potter mania has led to the book becoming available in locations where you would never expect to find works of literature - such as garages and hardware stores.

    It is thought that these shops - which have less to lose by souring relations with Bloomsbury - are the most likely to reveal the boy wizard's fate ahead of time.

    "I don't think you'll get traditional bookshops doing that," says Rushton. "Inside the industry and outside the industry they'd be seen as spoilsports."

    But the security operation surrounding the publication of the novel is so tight that anyone who does break the embargo is only likely to get a few hours head-start on their competitors.

    They may also find themselves at the centre of legal action.

    Everyone who stocks the book has had to sign an indemnity form, which makes them liable for damages and "other equitable relief" if they do not keep their side of the bargain.

    No photos

    Page from Rowling's website

    The release date for the book was announced on JK Rowling's website

    As well as setting the embargo, the document imposes stringent conditions on retailers to ensure the plot of the book is not leaked.

    Retailers have to keep boxes containing the novel "in a secure area under lock and key", and they definitely must not be "visible to the public for any reason".

    It is not even permitted to take a photograph of the books being delivered.

    One shop-owner who will not be complying with the regulations is Mr Webb in Northampton - because he has decided not to order any copies of the last ever Harry Potter.

    "There's a branch of Asda 100 yards away from our shop," he explains. "We're advising our loyal customers to take advantage of their generosity.

    "They'll save three quid - which they can come and spend on something else here!"

    McLaren to answer FIA spy charges

    Lewis Hamilton's McLaren leading Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari at the French Grand Prix

    McLaren and Ferrari have a rivalry going a long way back

    McLaren have been summoned by Formula One's governing body, the FIA, to face charges of breaking the sport's rules.

    The team are embroiled in a spying row following claims their chief designer Mike Coughlan illegally received information from rivals Ferrari.

    McLaren face charges at a 26 July hearing of "unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to Ferrari".

    Coughlan has already agreed to tell Ferrari how he got hold of the data.

    Following an internal investigation, the FIA has called McLaren to answer charges of breaching Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

    That rules relates to, "any fraudulent conduct, or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition, or to the interests of motor sport generally".

    I can comfortably say this will not end in anything that causes McLaren any embarrassment

    McLaren boss Ron Dennis

    In a statement the FIA said the information, "could be used to design, engineer, build, check, test, develop and/or run a 2007 Ferrari Formula One car."

    Coughlan was suspended last week by McLaren after a 780-page dossier of Ferrari design information was found in his house.

    Ferrari have accused Coughlan and his wife Trudy of stealing that information.

    A hearing at the High Court on Wednesday was cancelled when Coughlan agreed to provide an affidavit to explain how he acquired the documents.

    McLaren team boss, Ron Dennis, has maintained the team's innocence throughout and is confident the FIA would clear them of any wrongdoing.

    Speaking at last weekend's British Grand Prix, Dennis said: "I can categorically state there are no developments whatsoever that have occurred on our cars relating to this.

    "I can comfortably say this will not end in anything that causes McLaren any embarrassment."

    If McLaren are found guilty the FIA has the power to expel the team from the championship or deduct points.

    McLaren's British rookie Lewis Hamilton leads team-mate Fernando Alonso by 12 points in the drivers' standings while McLaren have a 25-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors' race.

    Tea 'healthier' drink than water

    Image of a mug of tea

    The researchers recommend people consume three to four cups a day

    Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.

    The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.

    Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found.

    Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

    Healthy cuppa

    These polyphenol antioxidants are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and have been shown to help prevent cell damage.

     Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so its got two things going for it  Lead author Dr Ruxton

    Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption.

    They found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.

    Some studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut.

    Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.

    Dr Ruxton said: "Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so it's got two things going for it."

    Rehydrating

    She said it was an urban myth that tea is dehydrating.

    "Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.

    "Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth," she added.

    There was no evidence that tea consumption was harmful to health. However, research suggests that tea can impair the body's ability to absorb iron from food, meaning people at risk of anaemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtimes.

     Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink

    Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation

    Dr Ruxton's team found average tea consumption was just under three cups per day.

    She said the increasing popularity of soft drinks meant many people were not drinking as much tea as before.

    "Tea drinking is most common in older people, the 40 plus age range. In older people, tea sometimes made up about 70% of fluid intake so it is a really important contributor," she said.

    Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Studies in the laboratory have shown potential health benefits.

    "The evidence in humans is not as strong and more studies need to be done. But there are definite potential health benefits from the polyphenols in terms of reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancers.

    "In terms of fluid intake, we recommend 1.5-2 litres per day and that can include tea. Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink."

    The Tea Council provided funding for the work. Dr Ruxton stressed that the work was independent.

    Wednesday, July 11, 2007

    Bush rejects Iraq strategy change

    George Bush has ruled out any quick shift in US strategy in Iraq, brushing aside criticism from within his own party and saying congress must allow the so-called troop "surge" more time to work.  Bush said the "surge" of US troops into
    Iraq had only just been completed.

    Speaking at a meeting of business leaders in Ohio the US president said the 28,000 additional troops he ordered into Iraq have not been in place long enough to gauge results.

    "We just started," Bush said, rejecting calls from some prominent Republicans for an immediate change of course.

    In recent days several senior Republicans, such as Indiana senator Richard Lugar, have broken ranks with the president over Iraq.

    An interim report on the progress of the troop surge is due out later this week and is expected to show only mixed results triggering further debate over Bush's strategy.

    Speaking in Ohio however, Bush said the troops would stay and called on critics to wait for a report due in September from General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq.

    Call to wait

    Bush is facing growing pressure for a rethink
    from members of his own party

    "I believe Congress ought to wait for General Petraeus to come back and give his assessment of the strategy that he's putting in place before they make any decisions," he said.

    "That's what the American people expect… And that's the way I'm going to play it as commander in chief."

    "I strongly believe democracy will trump totalitarianism every time," the US president said.

    "That's what I believe, and those are the belief systems on which I am making decisions."

    He said the US troop presence in Iraq was necessary "for the security of the United States and the peace of the world".

    "I strongly believe it, and I strongly believe we'll prevail," he said.

    But the president's faith does not appear to be reflected among American voters.

    'Tide has turned'

    According to a USA Today/Gallup poll released on Tuesday more than seven in 10 Americans favour withdrawing nearly all US troops from Iraq by April.

    The same poll showed 62 per cent thought sending US troops to Iraq was a mistake - the first time that number has topped 60 per cent in that poll.

    Acknowledging the public mood, Republican Senator Olympia Snowe said impatience for a shift in policy was continuing to grow and that by September there could be enough support among Democrats and disaffected Republicans to pass a withdrawal timetable.

    "The tide has turned," Snowe said.

    Adding to pressure on Bush from within his own party, John Warner, a Republican senator from Virginia, told reporters he was working with other disaffected Republicans on a proposal about Iraq that is in the "formative stages."

    Pink Panther car up for auction in England

    1969 The Pink Panther Car (pic courtesy of Coys)

    A car made famous by the cartoon series The Pink Panther is expected to fetch up to £100,000 at auction.

    The Pink Panther Car is expected to fetch up to £90,000

    The sleek pink car appeared in the titles and credits of the television series featuring the legendary pink cat and Inspector Clouseau.

    The 23ft (7m) car is a lengthened 1969 Oldsmobile Toronado, complete with pink plush interior.

    It will be auctioned at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, on Saturday and is expected to fetch £75,000 to £90,000.

    But Christian Penwill, from auctioneers Coys, said the famous vehicle may fetch a lot more.

    Fully working

    "At the auction of the Batmobile in February, the price rocketed. It sold for £119,000 in the end," he said.

    Although the Pink Panther car has been stored in a museum for years, it is in full working order and has recently been used for charity and promotional work.

    It was the only Pink Panther car ever produced. It was built in 1969 by Californian car customiser Jay Ohrberg, who also created the open-top Batmobile for the 1992 film Batman Returns.

    The car will go under the hammer at the Fine Motor Cars and the Jaguar Legend Auction on 14 July.

    Tuesday, July 10, 2007

    Gaza lion freed after two years

    Lions reunited

    A lioness has been reunited with her brother in the Gaza Zoo after being released by Hamas from a clan who had abducted her nearly two years ago.

    Sabrina (l) was instantly recognised by her brother Sakher.

    Sabrina was kidnapped aged just three months, shortly after being brought to the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

    Hamas militiamen say they freed her after a shootout with the clan members.

    Gaza has been under Hamas control since 15 June, when they defeated forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

    Zoo officials say Sabrina is in poor health and very tired, and shows signs of mistreatment.

    "The thieves had cut off the end of her tail, the black hair that is considered to be the symbol of pride of African lions. I am very sad for her. She must have felt very humiliated," zoo veterinarian Saoud al-Shawa told the Reuters news agency.

    He added that her captors were charging tourists to be photographed with her.

    Zoo officials said Sabrina's brother Sakher, who had roared inconsolably when his sister was stolen, instantly recognised her and the pair started to play.

    The Islamist movement Hamas took control of Gaza on 15 June after routing the security forces loyal to Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah movement now controls the West Bank.

    They have vowed to impose law and order in Gaza.

    Sunday, July 8, 2007

    Iraqi PM slams 'heinous' bombers

    Girl carried into Kirkuk hospital - 07/07/07

     

    Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has described Saturday's bombing in Amirli, northern Iraq as a "heinous crime".

    Rescuers are still searching for survivors of the attack, which officials now say killed 130 people and injured 240 others, many seriously. Victims were taken to five hospitals in the region around Amirli

    Mr Maliki blamed insurgents for the attack, saying their actions were showing signs of desperation.

    The US commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, said he expected a series of similar-scale attacks in coming weeks.

    He said Sunni extremists would seek to pull off attacks to "grab the headlines", he told the AP agency.

    Local officials suggested that the attack in Amirli bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents, adding that the attackers could have chosen the small town after fleeing from increased US operations in the town of Baquba, to the south.

    "Because of the recent American military operations, terrorists found a good hideout in Salaheddin province," Ahmed Jubouri, an aide to the province's governor, told AP.

    An extra 30,000 US troops have been deployed in Iraq as part of a "surge" strategy designed to increase security.

    Buildings destroyed

    About 20 people in Amirli are still said to be missing, a day after the powerful truck bomb hit the town's busy marketplace.

    Local officials confirmed that 20 houses have completely collapsed, while another 20 were damaged and 50 market shops were destroyed.

     

    It was the deadliest single attack in Iraq since April, correspondents say.

    Amirli's remote location meant that rescuers were forced to move injured people to Tuz Khurmato, the nearest major town, some 45km (28 miles) away.

    Some were said to have died on the way to get treatment, while others were taken on to Kirkuk, the largest city in the region.

    Amirli and Tuz Khurmato are based in an ethnically-mixed area of northern Iraq, home to a large Shia Turkoman community.

    Ethnic issues in the region are more subtle in the areas around Kirkuk than in some other parts of Iraq.

    Kirkuk, the major town in the area, lies outside Iraqi Kurdistan but is claimed by many Kurds for their national capital.

    A referendum on the status of Kirkuk province is due to take place by the end of this year.

    Saturday, July 7, 2007

    Hundreds attend anti-terror rally

    Nine-year-old Mohamed Souidi at the Scotland United Against Terror rally

     

    About 1,500 people have gathered in Glasgow for a rally against terrorism, organised by Mosques and Islamic groups.

    It comes a week after a car burst into flames after being driven into the terminal building at Glasgow Airport.

    Organisers said: "The eyes of the world will be on a Scotland sending out the message that all our communities are united against terrorism."

    Police also said thousands took part in the city's County Grand Orange Parade.

    Orange Lodge parades took place across the city, before marchers joined the main procession at Blythswood Square.

    'Community cohesion'

    Meanwhile, the "Scotland United Against Terror" event was held in George Square.

    Organisers said the day was doubly significant as it was the second anniversary of the London Tube bombings and one week after the Glasgow attack.

    Faith leaders, churches and trade unionists were among those at the event, and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke to the crowd.

    Osama Saeed, one of the organisers, said: "We've been staggered by the messages of support we've been getting this week from the four corners of the globe.

    "We thought on a local level we'd get together and do this to allow the grassroots to display their anger at the attacks, little realising nothing like this had ever been done before anywhere else before.

    "The eyes of the world will be on a Scotland sending out the message that all our communities are united against terrorism.

    "The Muslim community have called this event, but what's touching is how the rest of the country has responded to us."

    Triple-seven fever grips the US

    Couples wait in line to purchase a marriage license

    Couples are lining up in Las Vegas to get married on 07-07-07

    For many people this is just another Saturday, but for the superstitious it is a very lucky day.

    It is the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of the millennium. Bookmakers are bracing themselves for an influx of bets.

    Across the US, wedding venues and bridal suites are completely booked up.

    Triple sevens mean big bucks on the jackpot - and thousands of couples are betting that it will bring good luck to their marriage too.

    Never before has there been this much demand to get married on a certain date.

    Some estimates suggest that as many as 70,000 couples will tie the knot.

    Cake makers, florists and wedding planners have gone into overdrive, organising seven-tiered cakes and seven-course meals.

    In Orange County, California, the register office is opening up additional venues, bringing in extra staff and offering couples time slots ending in the number seven.

    The number seven has ancient religious and cultural significance. but its wrong belief dont belief it 

    Friday, July 6, 2007

    What women talk about

    What women talk about

    Shoes

    There are some topics men do not dwell on

    Researchers in the US have laid waste to the long-held belief that women talk more than men.

    But the survey did find that female subjects get through an average of 16,215 words a day, compared with their male counterparts' 15,669, a difference of 546.

    So what might those words be? The Magazine has consulted a handful of females, and come up with a few suggestions of words - 46 to be precise (listed below). But what might the others be? Use the form at the bottom of this page to help flesh out some of the remaining 500. We'll present the best ones on Monday.

    Forty-six words women might say, men probably wouldn't:

    • Book club: A female dominated affair, perhaps because women read more fiction, or perhaps because men aren't very good at talking about it
    • Accessorize: If men were ever to use this word it would only be in the context of cars
    • Body image
    • Empowering: Men never use this word, perhaps because for the 200,000 years humans have been on the planet, men have had all the power
    • Burlesque: Something involving strip-tease that can apparently involve the above
    • Size zero
    • Home birth
    • Pilates: Men in the UK, particularly, seem to have no interest in building up their core strength
    • Pomegranate: Men seem ill-equipped to understand the significance and full range of superfoods

      A couple shouting at each other at very close range

      Differing vocabularies can be a source of disagreement

    • Cellulite
    • Absolutely beautiful: The words women often use to describe friends who are not
    • Conventionally attractive: Preceded by "well I suppose she is...", a phrase women often use to describe those who actually are
    • Jesse Metcalfe: A walking Athena poster, see above
    • Footless tights: Strange idea, strangely popular
    • Breastfeeding
    • Emotional intelligence: Something that men usually do not possess, instead preferring the kind of intelligence that involves dates of battles
    • Kitten heels: Or indeed heels of any other kind
    • What are you thinking?: The classic female condition check
    • Feminism: If even veteran feminists can't agree on what this means then it's probably best avoided by men
    • Afghanistan: A place where the debate is rather starker
    • Agony aunt: When men seek answers to life-changing problems in magazines, it tends to be under the headline "plasma or LCD?"
    • Airbrushing: The process by which magazine picture editors oppress women in an underhand way
    • Flexible working
    • Handbagging: As in new Commons leader Harriet Harman's request to Theresa May not to savage her every Thursday
    • Beefeater: The first female one made her debut this year
    • Babies
    • Superwoman
    • Ms: Extraordinarily, the battle continues for women to be allowed to avoid definition by their marital status
    • Middleton: As in Kate. Style icon or harassed paparazzo target?
    • Concealer
    • Why: As in "why do you never call?"

    Men 'no less chatty than women'

    Woman talking on mobile

    The chatty woman may be an unfounded stereotype

    The common notion that women are the more talkative sex has been dispelled by scientists in the US.

    Researchers who bugged 400 students to log their chats found little difference in word count between the sexes.

    The University of Arizona study, in Science, conflicts with previous US research suggesting women talk almost three times as much as men.

    Whether someone was an introvert or an extrovert was more important, said relationship experts.

    In the study, women spoke a daily average of 16,215 words during their waking hours, and men 15,669 words.

    The researchers say this difference is not significant.

    Lead researcher Matthias Mehl said: "What's a 500-word difference, compared to the 45,000-word difference between the most and the least talkative persons?"

    The most talkative man in the study used 47,000 words while the least used a little more than 500 over a few days.

    The researchers admit that their findings may not apply to all men as they only studied university students.

    Content key

    Paula Hall, a relationship psychotherapist based in the Midlands and spokeswoman for Relate, said her experience working with couples tallied with the results.

    "What makes the biggest difference is whether someone is naturally an introvert or an extrovert, not whether they are a man or a woman.

    "It's not fair to say men don't talk. Blokes in the pub don't stand around in silence."

    She said that in her experience, women complain that men do not talk about the right things.

    "The problem is not how much people talk or don't talk, the problem is how well people listen.

    "If women listened more we might find men talked more than we thought, and if men listened they might find that women actually don't talk a lot of rubbish all the time. Some of what we say is actually valuable."

    Al Gore's son in 'drug treatment'

    Al Gore III

    The younger Mr Gore was freed on bail

    Former US Vice-President turned climate campaigner Al Gore has said his son is getting treatment after being arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs.

    Al Gore III, 24, was stopped by police as he sped at 100mph (160km/h) in his low-emission hybrid car in California.

    Marijuana and prescription drugs were found during the search of the car. Mr Gore did not have prescription for any of the drugs, police said.

    He was later released on $20,000  bail.

    "We're glad that he's safe and that he's getting treatment," the former US vice-president told NBC News.

    Former US Vice-President Al Gore. File photo

    Mr Gore is one of the organisers of Live Earth

    "We're going to leave it as a family matter," he added.

    The younger Mr Gore was stopped after Orange County sheriff's deputies spotted his Toyota Prius speeding on a motorway near Los Angeles.

    In 2003, Mr Gore was arrested for marijuana possession in Maryland, and in 2002 for suspected drink-driving in Virginia.

    His latest arrest came just days before his father is due to take part in Live Earth - a worldwide series of concerts to raise awareness of climate change.

    Thursday, July 5, 2007

    Rio's Live Earth 'given go-ahead'

    Lenny Kravitz

    The Latin American leg of Live Earth is set to go ahead despite a judge's threat to cancel the Rio de Janeiro concert due to safety concerns.

    US star Lenny Kravitz is scheduled to play in Brazil on Saturday

    A spokesman for the global event said producers for the show indicated they were proceeding with the open-air concert on Copacabana Beach.

    The Brazilian gig is the only free event in the series of eight worldwide concerts to highlight climate change.

    The Rio line-up includes Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray and Pharrell Williams.

    Guarantee

    Aside from the US acts, Rio will play host to a number of native performers, including singer Xuxa, reggae rock band O Rappa and rapper Marcelo D2.

    A giant beach stage in front of Rio's Copacabana Palace hotel has already been erected, with organisers hoping to attract up to one million visitors.

    Brazilian prosecutor Denise Tarin had requested a suspension of the concert saying security efforts by police would be concentrated on preparations for the Pan American Games, starting 13 July.

    Local promotion company Mondon Entretenimento sought to allay fears, saying it had plans to use dozens of observation towers and platforms, as well as police cameras, as part of the security scheme for the event.

    Concert organisers said they received guarantees of security and safety at the event from Rio police, but they are still asking the court to reconsider its decision.

    The Istanbul leg of the Live Earth series of concerts was shelved last month due to a lack of interest and sponsorship.

    Eight cities will be holding concerts across 24 hours on 7 July, including London, Tokyo, Sydney and Johannesburg.

    Video gaming world cup hits Paris

    ESWC

    Thousands of gamers are in Paris over the next four days for the Electronic Sports World Cup grand final.

    More than 750 players are competing for $200,000 (£99,200) in prize money, with about 5,000 spectators expected.

    The games being played include CounterStrike, Quake 4, Warcraft 3 and Pro Evolution Soccer 4. There is also a women-only CounterStrike tournament.

    David Heuze, communications manager for the event, said: "The best video game players in the world are here."

    Mr Heuze said the atmosphere during games was similar to a football match.

    "It's crazy. There is a lot of noise and cheering.

    'Real sport'

    "This is a real sport and we think this year it will be going mainstream. There are TV channels in the US and Korea showing live video game matches, a new channel in the UK and growing interest all the time."

    There are about 50 full-time video game professionals in the western world, said Mr Heuze, who each earn about $200,000 a year in prizes.

     

    Overall the skill level among female gamers isn't that great

    Gamer Anne Rogers

    "Little by little you can see more and more professionals. Brands are using these gamers to promote their products. I'd expect to see more well-known gamers emerge."

    The finalists have been drawn from qualification events in more than 50 countries around the world.

    UK gamer Anne Rogers, who is leading all-female team OS G-Stars at the event in Paris, said the skill levels among the professionals was "amazing".

    "Some have been playing full-time for seven years. Their skill levels require dedication and training. This is not something you can just pick up and play."

    More than 120 women are competing in the all-female CounterStrike event. CounterStrike is a tactical first person shooter in which virtual soldiers taken on terrorists. In the tournament two teams of five players each stalk environments in a last-man standing battle.

    Encourage game-playing

    Ms Rogers said the female-only tournament at the event was designed to help encourage game-playing among women.

    She said: "It's more to do with promotion of the game to females than a skill difference - although there is a skills difference - to make it more normal for women to play.

    ESWC heat in Portugal

    "Overall the skill level among female gamers isn't that great. But hopefully these tournaments will fire up an interest and improve that level and one day hopefully girls will be competing with the boys."

    In preparation for the event, the team has, over the last six months, been playing five nights a week for five hours at a time.

    "We've had no lives. But we're really looking forward to it. Girls really enjoy the team-based atmosphere.

    "You can see the spectators watching; hear their cheers."

    Mr Heuze said female gamers did not have the same experience as the men.

    "It's not easy for women to find a place in the world of male gamers. Five years ago we decided to create a tournament for women, to promote video games to them.

    "It's been a huge, huge success because there are now a lot of female gamers around the world."

    Indian 'teen surgen' surrended

     

    Doctor holds forceps and scalpel - file photo

    A 15-year-old boy has surrendered to authorities in India, after allegedly performing a Caesarean section to set a record as the world's youngest surgeon.

    Police had sought Dileepan Raj since arresting his parents on 25 June in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

    The parents face charges including endangering human life

    The parents of the teenager, who are both doctors, allegedly supervised the operation on a 20-year-old pregnant woman. They are awaiting trial.

    The couple face several charges, including endangering human life.

    Police said Dileepan Raj had handed himself in at the juvenile justice court and that they were seeking authorisation to hold him for questioning.

    It is not clear if he too will be charged.

    The new mother has been identified as a relative but is said to be unwilling to press charges. The baby was reportedly born with a birth defect unrelated to the surgery.

    'Helping out'

    Senior medical officials in Tamil Nadu said they had been shown a recording of the surgery, which was carried out at the Mathi Surgical and Maternity Hospital, in the town of Manaparai.

    The video allegedly showed the boy's father administering the anaesthetic before the 15-year-old began operating, said Venkatesh Prasad of the Indian Medical Association.

    Mr Prasad said the boy's father had expressed a wish to see his son's name in the Guinness Book of World Records.

    A Guinness World Records spokeswoman said the organisation did not endorse such attempts.

    Police have been unable to recover the video and lawyers for the family said the boy was only helping out and did not perform the surgery.

    The health authorities in Tamil Nadu state have ordered an inquiry into the incident.

    Salzburg out of 2014 Olympic race

     

    Russian president Vladimir Putin

     

    The race to host the 2014 Winter Olympics is down to two cities after Salzburg was eliminated from voting by the International Olympic Committe.

    Either the Russian resort of Sochi, or Pyeongchang in South Korea, will be named as the winner later on Wednesday.

    After Salzburg's elimination was made public at the IOC meeting in Guatemala, delegates entered final discussions.

    The presidents of all three hopeful countries had been at the meeting to plead their cities' cause.

    Russia's President Vladimir Putin, a keen skier, said if the Games came to Sochi, 70% of athletes would live within five minutes' walk of the venues, so there would be no traffic problems.

    The Black Sea resort has a unique combination of springlike weather and cold temperatures in the nearby Krasnaya Polyana mountains, with Putin said would guarantee snow.

    "Winter sports are popular in Russia and our sportsmen have won many competitions and have made a big contribution to the Olympic movement," he said.

    "But we have never won the honour to celebrate the Winter Olympic Games.

    "You know we can turn sports competitions into a really spectacular show and we are good at it."

    South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun also made a speech on behalf of Pyeongchang, emphasising the public's enthusiasm for the Games and the government's commitment to staging them.

    The tiny resort 180km east of Seoul, with a population of 46,000, came within three votes of winning the 2010 Games, losing out to Vancouver.

    It is thought that if their bid succeeds, the Koreans may try to send one united North and South Korean team.

    Salzburg's bid was fronted by skiing legend Franz Klammer and also had Mike Lee, who orchestrated London 2012's communications strategy, on board.

    It also had the advantage of having 11 of the venues already built, but changes of chief executive and a doping scandal involving Austrian skiers at the last games may have damaged their chances.

    It was a second consecutive disappointment for Salzburg, who also made an unsuccessful bid to host the 2010 Games.

    Austria has hosted the event twice before, at Innsbruck in 1964 and 1976, but neither Korea nor Russia, nor the former Soviet Union, has had the honour.

    The 20th Winter Games took place in Turin in Italy in 2006 while Vancouver will stage the 2010 Games.

    Wednesday, July 4, 2007

    Zelda game named 'greatest ever'

    Zelda game named 'greatest ever'

    Zelda

    The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has topped a poll of readers of Edge magazine and industry experts to find the top 100 games of all time.

    The 10-year-old videogame for the

    Nintendo 64 games console helped usher in a new era of 3D gaming.

    It is also one of only five games ever to receive a 10 out of 10 review score from Edge magazine.

    Five of the top 10 titles were made only for Nintendo machines, including Super Mario 64 in third spot.

    The full list of 100 titles has been compiled for a special edition of Edge magazine.

    Editor-in-chief, Tony Mott, said: "If you were new to video games and were going to go out and buy 100 games to make an instant collection, then these would be the games to buy."

    He added: "Ocarina of Time is nearly 10 years old, but its position at the top slot in Edge's 100 Best Videogames shows that great game design does not age.

    "In visual terms, it obviously cannot compete with today's Xbox 360 and PS3 productions, but, as with many classics, its appeal is about so much more than its appearance."

    TOP 10 EDGE POLL

    Resident Evil 4

    1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina

    2. Resident Evil 4

    3. Super Mario 64

    4. Half Life 2

    5. Super Mario World

    6. Zelda: A Link to the Past

    7. Halo: Combat Evolved

    8. Final Fantasy XII

    9. Tetris

    10. Super Metroid

    Only one PC game makes the top 10 - classic first-person shooter Half Life 2. Microsoft's Xbox also has only one representative in the elite list - with Halo: Combat Evolved at number seven.

    Only five games for the next generation of consoles have made the top 100 - Pro Evolution Soccer 6, at number 15, Oblivion, at number 19, Virtua Fighter 5, in 38th spot, Virtua Tennis 3 at number 80, and Crackdown at 100.

    Tony Mott said: "Crackdown hasn't been around long but has proved itself to be a very good game. It will be interesting to see people's reaction to that.

    "If we did this poll in five year's time, I would hope to see more PS3 and Xbox 360 games in the list. But I don't think anyone would argue we have seen that many classics in this new generation."

    The list was drawn together in three stages - thousands of reader votes, combined with expert opinion in the games industry and finally input from Edge's own editorial team.

    Mr Mott said Ocarina of Time was the reader favourite as well as the overall winner.

    'Brilliantly well'

    He said: "It appeared not long after games made the shift to 3D, everyone was wondering if it could make the transition.

    "It was a very ambitious game. The way they were able to engineer it in a 3D context was a success, it worked brilliantly well."

    But he said the intention behind the poll was not to create a "nostalgia festival".

    "These games had to stand up today. People will be surprised by the small amount of very old games that have made it through.

    "Often these types of lists are full of games like Space Invaders and Pong - which we recognise as classics, as important games - but they don't necessarily stand up to play today."

    He added: "I love the fact that old games are being made available to audiences via Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and through compilations but I am not convinced that younger players will play them and appreciate them in the way we did the first time round.

    "It's very hard for younger players who play something graphically-rich like Gears of War to then play something like Robotron.

    "I think it will be for the greater good of the industry when more effort is put into the content of games than the way they are presented visually."

    The five titles to have received a maximum review score from Edge are Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Half-Life 2, Gran Turismo, Super Mario 64 and Halo.

    The full list of the top 100 games will be available in a collector's volume called Edge Presents: The 100 Best Videogames, on sale from Tuesday 3 July.

    Cruise film banned from memorial

     

    Actor Tom Cruise and the makers of his new movie have been banned from filming at the location in Berlin where an army colonel was executed in World War II.

     

    Cruise plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who was executed after plotting to assassinate Hitler in 1944.

    Germany's finance ministry said the ban on Valkyrie's makers had nothing to do with the actor being a Scientologist.

    Producers have already been barred from military sites because Germany believes Scientology is a money-making cult.

    Scientology leaders strongly reject that view, while Cruise's co-producer has said his personal beliefs were not relevant to the film's subject matter.

    A German government spokesman said the cast and crew had been refused permission to film on the so-called Bendlerblock site, which is part of the defence ministry, because it was a memorial site.

    Meanwhile director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck - who won this year's best foreign language film Oscar for The Lives of Others - has defended Cruise, telling the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper that having him play Stauffenberg "would promote Germany's image more than 10 football World Cups".

    Valkyrie - named after Operation Valkyrie, the plot's codename - is directed by Bryan Singer and also stars Kenneth Branagh. It is due for release next year.

    Wii outselling PS3 'six to one'


    Nintendo's Wii console outsold Sony's PlayStation 3 in Japan last month by six to one, says research.

    Nintendo sold 270,974 Wii consoles last month while Sony sold 41,628 PS3s, according to Enterbrain, a Japanese publisher that tracks console sales.

    Nintendo has sold about 2.76m Wii consoles in Japan since the launch last December, while Sony has sold 970,270 PS3s since it debuted last November.

    About 17,616 Xbox 360 consoles were sold in June.

    Last week, Phil Harrison, PlayStation's head of worldwide studios, told US Game Informer magazine that pundits should not judge the success of the console based on the launch software line-up.

    Struggled

    He said: "You only have to go back to the games that launched PlayStation 1 and Playstation 2.

    "If you took those few dozen titles and analysed them, you would never have imagined that either of those formats would have on to sell over 100m units each."

    Globally, Sony has struggled so far to replicate the success it had with the first two PlayStation consoles.

    The machine has also suffered from a lack of "killer" exclusive titles which showcase the power of the machine.

    PlayStation fans are still awaiting some of the biggest franchises on the machine to emerge, such as Metal Gear Solid, Killzone 2 and Gran Turismo.

    Hackers lift the bonnet on iPhone


    Hordes of hackers and security researchers have been poring over Apple's iPhone in an effort to discover vulnerabilities in the handsets.

    Top of their list has been cracking the code that ties the phone to operator AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive network.

    If successful, it would allow iPhone owners the ability to use their handset on other networks, including in Europe.

    Some have already worked out ways to activate the phone without having to register it with AT&T through iTunes.

    One prominent hacker, Jon Lech Johansen, has published an activation tool on his website.

    Mr Johansen - better known as DVD Jon - rose to fame at the age of 15 when he wrote and distributed a program that cracked the encryption codes on DVDs.

    Although the new tool allows people to switch on the device and use many of its functions, it does not allow users to make phone calls.

    "There are people who want an iPhone to use it as an iPod and wi-fi device without having to enter into a two-year AT&T contract," wrote Mr Johansen on his blog.

    Video nasty

    He is one of a community of technophiles probing the much-hyped gadget. Researchers at Errata Security say they have exposed a flaw in the gadget's web browser that could allow a hacker some control over the phone.

    The flaw in the Safari browser is the same as one Errata discovered earlier this year in a test version of the program designed to run on Microsoft Windows.

    However, the firm's chief executive Robert Graham noted that the handsets were less vulnerable than other products.

    "We think the iPhone is inherently more secure than competing smartphones - such as those based on Windows Mobile or Symbian," he wrote on his blog.

    In particular, Mr Graham said that the phone's ability to receive updates when connected to iTunes was a "good sign" and a measure that would provide an extra level of security to the phone.

    But not all investigations of the long-awaited gadget have been so measured.

    Within hours of it going on sale, photos and videos appeared on the web showing the inner workings of disassembled phones.

    Apple parts and repair site Ifixit.com, conducted one of the most clinical dismantling, posting numerous of high-quality photos alongside technical commentary.

    But others were more amateur. One video on YouTube called iPhone smash showed two people taking the phone apart with a hammer.

    The video has so far been viewed over 300,000 times and has generated a mixture of support and outrage.