Bombs Away!
Fire in the hole!!!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Great Fahkin' Boston Movie Moments
Uploaded by ScreenJunkiesdotcom on Apr 5, 2011
A supercut of the silver screen's most foul-mouthed Beantown inhabitants. Enjoy the fahkin' thing, kid!
Time lapse video of woman with HIV/AIDS
By: David Ng
From: http://www.boingboing.net/
Just noticed this powerful advertisement from the Topsy Foundation. It was one of the winners at TED's "Ad's Worth Spreading" contest, which is generally worth checking out.
This particular video does a great job (with a lovely twist at the end) at showing the effectiveness of HIV antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). There's also a followup video you can view that checks in on the woman (Selinah) as well as chatting with the folks behind the video.
Although I realize that the ARVs have been made possible by the work done in the pharmaceutical industry, and that there is a chance that Topsy's programs are facilitated by kind donations from the same industry, it's still a pity that there isn't a more sustainable system for the provision of such drugs to developing countries. Pity that these sorts of medicines are usually priced way too high for individuals like Selinah, which is why so many go untreated and so many die. Pity also that laws like Bill C-393 (which aim to explore different ways to create that sustainable market and lower that price) are being deliberately stalled in government so as to guarantee not being passed.
Keanu Reeves Announces Bill & Ted 3, Reveals Excellent Plot Details
By:
From: http://www.movieline.com/
Apparently, 20 years isn’t too long to wait before making a sequel. Two decades after the last Bill & Ted movie hit theaters, Keanu Reeves has announced that franchise writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon are feverishly working on a script, the details of which the actor shared on Monday afternoon.
The actor sat down with MTV to promote his indie film Henry’s Crime and assured the outlet that the third Bill & Ted installment is very much underway — in spite of the fact that the titular characters, played by Alex Winter and Reeves, would be 50 today.
“I know a little bit,” Reeves revealed about the plot. “When we last got together, part of it was that Bill and Ted were supposed to have written the song that saved the world, and it hasn’t happened. […] So they’ve now become kind of possessed by trying to do that. Then there’s an element of time and they have to go back.”
So yes, the Wyld Stallyns may reunite onscreen one more time to achieve the greatness that George Carlin’s Rufus predicted in the 1989 original film. Party on, dudes.
Eight World Cities and How Much They Cost to Live In
We asked Matador members and staff to break down some monthly living expenses in their current home city.
San Francisco – USA
Photo by Billy Gast
According to Rudyard Kipling, “San Francisco has only one drawback. ‘Tis hard to leave.” On the verge of buying her own condo, writer and photographer Cheri Lucas might agree.
Two bedroom apartment: $2000-3000 per month depending on area
Local dinner: $15 for a single dish
Public transport: $2 for a bus with unlimited transfers for 2 hours
One liter of gas: $1
Doctor’s visit: $25 for a routine visit (via insurance)
Electricity: $20 per month
Internet: $40 per month
Salta – Argentina
Photo by Paul Campbell
Salta, in northwestern Argentina at the foothills of the Andes, is currently home for Matador Life Editor Leigh Shulman and her family.
Two bedroom apartment: $200-500 per month
Local dinner: $15 for a steak dinner
Public transport: 50 cents
One liter of gas: $1
Doctor’s visit: $15
Electricity: $10 per month but can go up to $100+ in non-gas heated buildings during winter
Internet: $40-50 per month
Vancouver – Canada
Photo by Jenn
Home of Matador’s Network Architect Ian MacKenzie, Vancouver is still ranked as one of the most highly livable cities worldwide, despite some of the most expensive real estate in North America.
Two bedroom apartment: $1800+ per month
Local dinner: $6 for sushi
Public transport: $5, or $10 for a whole day pass
One liter of gas: $1.30
Doctor’s visit: Free, however healthcare costs $60 per month
Electricity: $50 per month
Internet: $60 per month
Cairo – Egypt
Photo by Mike Slagter
Matador Life Editor Nick Rowlands has lived in Cairo for more than four years, and although he keeps trying to leave, he keeps getting drawn back to the delicious chaos of life in the crazy Egyptian capital.
Two bedroom apartment: Expats will normally pay around $250-700 depending on the area
Local dinner: $5 though can go much more expensive, and street food less than $1
Public transport: 16 cents for the Metro
One liter of gas: 30 cents
Doctor’s visit: Starting around $8
Electricity: around $16 per month
Internet: $25 per month
La Linea de la Concepcion – Spain
Photo by Gerry Balding
Located at the southern tip of Spain, neighbouring the Rock of Gibraltar, La Linea is where Matador intern Jason Wire enjoys around 3000 hours of sunlight per year, on some of the cleanest beaches in the country.
Two bedroom apartment: $700
Local dinner: $20
Public transport: $1.50-3
One liter of gas: $1.50
Doctor’s visit: Free healthcare if you are contributing to the Spanish Social Security system
Electricity: $80 per month
Internet: $40 per month
Chiang Mai – Thailand
Photo by Daniel Nahabedian
The laid back vibes and ridiculously cheap lifestyle are what attracted me to Chiang Mai. A very popular city for expats in Thailand, and just an hour away by plane to the islands.
Two bedroom apartment: $300
Local dinner: $1-2
Public transport: 65 cents for a songthaew (pick up truck-bus)
One liter of gas: $1.15
Doctor’s visit: $8
Electricity: $20-30 per month
Internet: $12 per month
Ulsan – South Korea
Photo of Seoul by Ian Muttoo
With insane Internet speeds and amazing food, South Korea is a favorite destination for English teaching expats like Matador Life intern Anne Merritt.
Two bedroom apartment: $600-1000
Local dinner: $7 for Korean barbecued beef
Public transport: 80 cents
One liter of gas: $1.40
Doctor’s visit: $7
Electricity: $45 per month
Internet: $26 per month
Melbourne – Australia
Photo by Robert Michalski
Travel Blogger Dave Dean explains it himself: “Melbourne is simply one of the most ‘livable’ cities I’ve ever been to – incredible places to eat and drink, a wonderful quirky culture and a population as diverse as its weather!”
Two bedroom apartment: $1800 and above depending on the areaLocal dinner: $10 in pubs
Public transport: $3.90 for a 2 hour train/tram pass
One liter of gas: $1.20
Doctor’s visit: $30 for permanent residents
Electricity: $60per month
Internet: $40 per month
Is this the first ever portrait of Jesus? The incredible story of 70 ancient books hidden in a cave for nearly 2,000 years
By Nick Pryer
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/The image is eerily familiar: a bearded young man with flowing curly hair. After lying for nearly 2,000 years hidden in a cave in the Holy Land, the fine detail is difficult to determine. But in a certain light it is not difficult to interpret the marks around the figure’s brow as a crown of thorns.
The extraordinary picture of one of the recently discovered hoard of up to 70 lead codices – booklets – found in a cave in the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee is one reason Bible historians are clamouring to get their hands on the ancient artefacts.
If genuine, this could be the first-ever portrait of Jesus Christ, possibly even created in the lifetime of those who knew him.
Discovery: The impression on this booklet cover shows what could be the earliest image of Christ
The tiny booklet, a little smaller than a modern credit card, is sealed on all sides and has a three-dimensional representation of a human head on both the front and the back. One appears to have a beard and the other is without. Even the maker’s fingerprint can be seen in the lead impression. Beneath both figures is a line of as-yet undeciphered text in an ancient Hebrew script.
Astonishingly, one of the booklets appears to bear the words ‘Saviour of Israel’ – one of the few phrases so far translated.
The owner of the cache is Bedouin trucker Hassan Saida who lives in the Arab village of Umm al-Ghanim, Shibli. He has refused to sell the booklets but two samples were sent to England and Switzerland for testing.
A Mail on Sunday investigation has revealed that the artefacts were originally found in a cave in the village of Saham in Jordan, close to where Israel, Jordan and Syria’s Golan Heights converge – and within three miles of the Israeli spa and hot springs of Hamat Gader, a religious site for thousands of years.
Precious: This booklet shows what scholars believe to be the map of Christian Jerusalem
According to sources in Saham, they were discovered five years ago after a flash flood scoured away the dusty mountain soil to reveal what looked like a large capstone. When this was levered aside, a cave was discovered with a large number of small niches set into the walls. Each of these niches contained a booklet. There were also other objects, including some metal plates and rolled lead scrolls.
The area is renowned as an age-old refuge for ancient Jews fleeing the bloody aftermath of a series of revolts against the Roman empire in the First and early Second Century AD.
The cave is less than 100 miles from Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and around 60 miles from Masada, scene of the last stand and mass suicide of an extremist Zealot sect in the face of a Roman Army siege in 72AD – two years after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
It is also close to caves that have been used as sanctuaries by refugees from the Bar Kokhba revolt, the third and final Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire in 132AD.
The era is of critical importance to Biblical scholars because it encompasses the political, social and religious upheavals that led to the split between Judaism and Christianity.
It ended with the triumph of Christianity over its rivals as the dominant new religion first for dissident Jews and then for Gentiles.
In this context, it is important that while the Dead Sea Scrolls are rolled pieces of parchment or papyrus containing the earliest-known versions of books of the Hebrew Bible and other texts – the traditional Jewish format for written work – these lead discoveries are in book, or codex, form which has long been associated with the rise of Christianity.
The codices seen by The Mail on Sunday range in size from smaller than 3in x 2in to around 10in x 8in. They each contain an average of eight or nine pages and appear to be cast, rather than inscribed, with images on both sides and bound with lead-ring bindings. Many of them were severely corroded when they were first discovered, although it has been possible to open them with care.
The codex showing what may be the face of Christ is not thought to have been opened yet. Some codices show signs of having been buried – although this could simply be the detritus resulting from lying in a cave for hundreds of years.
Unlike the Dead Sea Scrolls, the lead codices appear to consist of stylised pictures, rather than text, with a relatively small amount of script that appears to be in a Phoenician language, although the exact dialect is yet to be identified. At the time these codices were created, the Holy Land was populated by different sects, including Essenes, Samaritans, Pharisees, Sadducees, Dositheans and Nazoreans.
One lucky owner: Hassan Saida with some of the artefacts that he says he inherited
There was no common script and considerable intermingling of language and writing systems between groups. Which means it could take years of detailed scholarship to accurately interpret the codices.
Many of the books are sealed on all sides with metal rings, suggesting they were not intended to be opened. This could be because they contained holy words which should never be read. For example, the early Jews fiercely protected the sacred name of God, which was only ever uttered by The High Priest in the Temple in Jerusalem at Yom Kippur.
The original pronunciation has been lost, but has been transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH – known as the Tetragrammaton – and is usually translated either as Yahweh or Jehovah. A sealed book containing sacred information was mentioned in the biblical Book of Revelations.
If genuine, it seems clear that these books were, in fact, created by an early Messianic Jewish sect, perhaps closely allied to the early Christian church and that these images represent Christ himself.
One plate has been interpreted as a schematic map of Christian Jerusalem showing the Roman crosses outside the city walls. At the top can be seen a ladder-type shape. This is thought to be a balustrade mentioned in a biblical description of the Temple in Jerusalem. Below that are three groups of brickwork, to represent the walls of the city.
A fruiting palm tree suggests the House of David and there are three or four shapes that appear to be horizontal lines intersected by short vertical lines from below. These are the T-shaped crosses believed to have been used in biblical times (the familiar crucifix shape is said to date from the 4th Century). The star shapes in a long line represent the House of Jesse – and then the pattern is repeated.
This interpretation of the books as proto-Christian artefacts is supported by Margaret Barker, former president of the Society for Old Testament Study and one of Britain’s leading experts on early Christianity. The fact that a figure is portrayed would appear to rule out these codices being connected to mainstream Judaism of the time, where portrayal of lifelike figures was strictly forbidden because it was considered idolatry.
If genuine, it seems clear that these books were, in fact, created by an early Messianic Jewish sect, perhaps closely allied to the early Christian church and that these images represent Christ himself. However another theory, put forward by Robert Feather – an authority on The Dead Sea Scrolls and author of The Mystery Of The Copper Scroll Of Qumran – is that these books are connected to the Bar Kokhba Revolt of 132-136AD, the third major rebellion by the Jews of Judea Province and the last of the Jewish-Roman Wars.
The revolt established an independent state of Israel over parts of Judea for two years before the Roman army finally crushed it, with the result that all Jews, including the early Christians, were barred from Jerusalem.
Wonder: The cave in Jordan where the metal books were discovered
The followers of Simon Bar Kokhba, the commander of the revolt, acclaimed him as a Messiah, a heroic figure who could restore Israel. Although Jewish Christians hailed Jesus as the Messiah and did not support Bar Kokhba, they were barred from Jerusalem along with the rest of the Jews. The war and its aftermath helped differentiate Christianity as a religion distinct from Judaism.
The spiritual leader of the revolt was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who laid the foundations for a mystical form of Judaism known today as Kabbalah, which is followed by Madonna, Britney Spears and others. Yochai hid in a cave for 13 years and wrote a secret commentary on the Bible, the Zohar, which evolved into the teaching of Kabbalah. Feather is convinced that some of the text on
the codices carry the name of Rabbi Bar Yochai.
Feather says that all known codices prior to around 400AD were made of parchment and that cast lead is unknown. They were clearly designed to exist for ever and never to be opened. The use of metal as a writing material at this time is well documented – however the text was always inscribed, not cast.
The books are currently in the possession of Hassan Saida, in Umm al-Ghanim, Shibli, which is at the foot of Mount Tabor, 18 miles west of the Sea of Galilee.
Saida owns and operates a haulage business consisting of at least nine large flatbed lorries. He is regarded in his village as a wealthy man. His grandfather settled there more than 50 years ago and his mother and four brothers still live there.
Saida, who is in his mid-30s and married with five or six children, claims he inherited the booklets from his grandfather.
However, The Mail on Sunday has learned of claims that they first came to light five years ago when his Bedouin business partner met a villager in Jordan who said he had some ancient artefacts to sell.
The business partner was apparently shown two very small metal books. He brought them back over the border to Israel and Saida became entranced by them, coming to believe they had magical properties and that it was his fate to collect as many as he could.
The arid, mountainous area where they were found is both militarily sensitive and agriculturally poor. The local people have for generations supplemented their income by hoarding and selling archeological artefacts found in caves.
More of the booklets were clandestinely smuggled across the border by drivers working for Saida – the smaller ones were typically worn openly as charms hanging from chains around the drivers’ necks, the larger concealed behind car and lorry dashboards.
In order to finance the purchase of booklets from the Jordanians who had initially discovered them, Saida allegedly went into partnership with a number of other people – including his lawyer from Haifa, Israel.
Saida’s motives are complex. He constantly studies the booklets, but does not take particularly good care of them, opening some and coating them in olive oil in order to ‘preserve’ them.
Masterpiece: Later versions of Christ, including Leonardo Da Vinci's interpretation in his fresco The Last Supper, give Jesus similar characteristics
The artefacts have been seen by multi-millionaire collectors of antiquities in both Israel and Europe – and Saida has been offered tens of millions of pounds for just a few of them, but has declined to sell any.
When he first obtained the booklets, he had no idea what they were or even if they were genuine.
He contacted Sotheby’s in London in 2007 in an attempt to find an expert opinion, but the famous auction house declined to handle them because their provenance was not known.
Soon afterwards, the British author and journalist Nick Fielding was approached by a Palestinian woman who was concerned that the booklets would be sold on the black market. Fielding was asked to approach the British Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and other places.
Fielding travelled to Israel and obtained a letter from the Israeli Antiquities Authority saying it had no objection to their being taken abroad for analysis. It appears the IAA believed the booklets were forgeries on the basis that nothing like them had been discovered before.
None of the museums wanted to get involved, again because of concerns over provenance. Fielding was then asked to approach experts to find out what they were and if they were genuine. David Feather, who is a metallurgist as well as an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls, recommended submitting the samples for metal analysis at Oxford University.
The work was carried out by Dr Peter Northover, head of the Materials Science-based Archaeology Group and a world expert on the analysis of ancient metal materials.
The samples were then sent to the Swiss National Materials Laboratory at Dubendorf, Switzerland. The results show they were consistent with ancient (Roman) period lead production and that the metal was smelted from ore that originated in the Mediterranean. Dr Northover also said that corrosion on the books was unlikely to be modern.
Meanwhile, the politics surrounding the provenance of the books is intensifying. Most professional scholars are cautious pending further research and point to the ongoing forgery trial in Israel over the ancient limestone ossuary purporting to have housed the bones of James, brother of Jesus.
The Israeli archeological establishment has sought to defuse problems of provenance by casting doubt on the authenticity of the codices, but Jordan says it will ‘exert all efforts at every level’ to get the relics repatriated.
The debate over whether these booklets are genuine and, if so, whether they represent the first known artefacts of the early Christian church or the first stirrings of mystical Kabbalah will undoubtedly rage for years to come.
The director of Jordan’s Department of Antiquities, Ziad al-Saad, has few doubts. He believes they may indeed have been made by followers of Jesus in the few decades immediately following his crucifixion.
‘They will really match, and perhaps be more significant than, the Dead Sea Scrolls,’ he says. ‘The initial information is very encouraging and it seems that we are looking at a very important and significant discovery – maybe the most important discovery in the history of archaeology.’
If he is right, then we really may be gazing at the face of Jesus Christ.
How to Hack Any Elevator to Go to Your Floor without Stopping
Posted by: CJ Durrek
From: http://topcultured.com/
It can be extremely annoying to be heading down in an elevator from one of the top floors of a tall building, only to have to stop 10 times on your way. My friends, those days are behind us all.
Thanks to an override put in for use by emergency personnel, you can go straight to your floor, flying right past those on other floors who want to delay you. Try it! It works every time.
Inappropriate Disneyland Photos
by Justin Thomas
from http://egotvonline.com/
For every collection of heartwarming, family-friendly Disneyland photos, there’s a collection of perverted, horribly inappropriate Disneyland photos. Here are some of the best inappropriate Disneyland photos the internet has to offer:
Unedited pic here: Christina Aguilera Donald Duck
Monday, April 4, 2011
Charlie Sheen Receives Standing Ovation in Chicago
by THR staff
from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/
Richard Cartwright/ABC
The actor changes up the format for the second night of his "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not an Option" tour after getting booed off the stage in Detroit.
Seems like the Chicago crowd who paid to see Charlie Sheen's My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not an Option tour in its second night showed up with an open mind.
At the start of Sunday's show -- which came a day after the actor was booed off the stage in Detroit on the first night of the tour -- the audience chanted, "Detroit sucks!" according to tweets posted online by several attendees, including the Chicago Sun-Times' Richard Roeper.
Not only was there not a mass exodus by the audience, but they gave him a standing ovation, according to tweets posted by attendees including Roe Conn, who co-hosts radio program The Roe Conn Show with Roeper.
Sheen also shook up the format for Night 2, which took place at the 3,600-seat Chicago Theatre, which reportedly had sold out of tickets before the show started.
The Chicago show started off with a Q&A between Sheen and an unknown questioner that continued throughout the night. However, Sheen apparently didn't answer several of the questions, according to Dan Proft, a Chicago radio talk show host.
Also during the show, Sheen also made a reference to his being fired from Two and a Half Men last month, Conn twetted.Seemingly referring to his former bosses at CBS and Warner Bros. TV -- and, presumably, series co-creator Chuck Lorre -- Sheen said: "I made $5 billion for those a--holes and then they fired me. If I made $10 billion, they would have killed me in front of my family."
Sheen then added that if they hired him back, he'd willingly rejoin the show. Yet, later in the show, he once again called his former bosses "trolls," according to Proft.
Roeper's midshow assessment? "We are about 45 minutes into this. Whatever you're doing right now, including sleeping, it's probably more engaging than this."
After Sheen took a 10-minute break, Roeper expressed surprise that "95 percent" of the crowd remained.
As for the crowd itself, Conn described the group as " a cross between a Sigma Chi Spring Formal at 2am and the 'C' boarding section at Southwest Airlines."
Also among the show's other "highlights":
-- Sheen's goddesses -- Rachel Oberlin and Natalie Kenly-- give each other a fast kiss onstage and then quickly exit.
-- A fan yelled "Trainwreck!" and Sheen responded, "Go back to Detroit, dude."
-- Sheen asks the crowd: "Is it me or is it like a Cambodian outhouse in a heat wave up here?"
-- Sheen praised George Clooney as "f---ing cool, so cool he's a f---ing robot."
-- Sheen said he discovered the Internet and crack on the same night and then gave former Vice President Al Gore credit for inventing both.
-- Sheen asked a female audience member to remove her shirt. She demurred -- but a man described by various Twitter users as "fat" complied -- prompting Sheen to remove his own shirt and exchange it with the audience member, according to Conn.
-- The show ended with him reading a fan letter.
Sheen apparently felt the show went well. Asked toward the end of the show if he had fun, the actor replied: "Best time ever!"
Full Hangover Part II Trailer Arrives And Brings The Party To Bangkok
Author: Josh Tyler
From: http://www.cinemablend.com/
Here’s what’s up according to the trailer: This time Stu is the one getting married and the boys go partying, only to wake up in a disgusting hotel room with no memory of what happened the night before. They’ve lost someone (someone different this time) and they set out to find him. That’s also the plot of the first movie, except this time it takes place in Bangkok and there’s a monkey. Good. Really isn’t that all we want out of a Hangover sequel? I’m in.
Watch the first full trailer for The Hangover Part II below.
The Hangover Part II arrives in theaters May 26th with the following tagline: "What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined." That feels about right.
For more on the movie including other Hangover Part II trailers, video, and images visit its page in our BFD.
Genetically modified cows produce 'human' milk
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Scientists have created genetically modified cattle that produce "human" milk in a bid to make cows' milk more nutritious.
Researchers say they are able to create cows that produce milk containing a human protein called lysozyme Photo: PA
The scientists have successfully introduced human genes into 300 dairy cows to produce milk with the same properties as human breast milk.
Human milk contains high quantities of key nutrients that can help to boost the immune system of babies and reduce the risk of infections.
The scientists behind the research believe milk from herds of genetically modified cows could provide an alternative to human breast milk and formula milk for babies, which is often criticised as being an inferior substitute.
They hope genetically modified dairy products from herds of similar cows could be sold in supermarkets. The research has the backing of a major biotechnology company.
The work is likely to inflame opposition to GM foods. Critics of the technology and animal welfare groups reacted angrily to the research, questioning the safety of milk from genetically modified animals and its effect on the cattle's health.
But Professor Ning Li, the scientist who led the research and director of the State Key Laboratories for AgroBiotechnology at the China Agricultural University insisted that the GM milk would be as safe to drink as milk from ordinary dairy cows.
He said: "The milk tastes stronger than normal milk.
“We aim to commercialize some research in this area in coming three years. For the “human-like milk”, 10 years or maybe more time will be required to finally pour this enhanced milk into the consumer’s cup.”
China is now leading the way in research on genetically modified food and the rules on the technology are more relaxed than those in place in Europe.
The researchers used cloning technology to introduce human genes into the DNA of Holstein dairy cows before the genetically modified embryos were implanted into surrogate cows.
Writing in the scientific peer-reviewed journal Public Library of Science One, the researchers said they were able to create cows that produced milk containing a human protein called lysozyme,
Lysozyme is an antimicrobial protein naturally found in large quantities in human breast milk. It helps to protect infants from bacterial infections during their early days of life.
They created cows that produce another protein from human milk called lactoferrin, which helps to boost the numbers of immune cells in babies. A third human milk protein called alpha-lactalbumin was also produced by the cows.
The scientists also revealed at an exhibition at the China Agricultural University that they have boosted milk fat content by around 20 per cent and have also changed the levels of milk solids, making it closer to the composition of human milk as well as having the same immune-boosting properties.
Professor Li and his colleagues, who have been working with the Beijing GenProtein Biotechnology Company, said their work has shown it was possible to "humanise" cows milk.
In all, the scientists said they have produced a herd of around 300 cows that are able to produce human-like milk.
The transgenic animals are physically identical to ordinary cows.
Writing in the journal, Professor Li said: "Our study describes transgenic cattle whose milk offers the similar nutritional benefits as human milk.
"The modified bovine milk is a possible substitute for human milk. It fulfilled the conception of humanising the bovine milk."
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, he added the “human-like milk” would provide “much higher nutritional content”. He said they had managed to produce three generations of GM cows but for commercial production there would need to be large numbers of cows produced.
He said: “Human milk contains the ‘just right’ proportions of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins for an infant’s optimal growth and development.
“As our daily food, the cow’s milk provided us the basic source of nutrition. But the digestion and absorption problems made it not the perfect food for human being."
The researchers also insist having antimicrobial proteins in the cows milk can also be good for the animals by helping to reduce infections of their udders.
Genetically modified food has become a highly controversial subject and currently they can only be sold in the UK and Europe if they have passed extensive safety testing.
The consumer response to GM food has also been highly negative, resulting in many supermarkets seeking to source products that are GM free.
Campaigners claim GM technology poses a threat to the environment as genes from modified plants can get into wild plant populations and weeds, while they also believe there are doubts about the safety of such foods.
Scientists insist genetically modified foods are unlikely to pose a threat to food safety and in the United States consumers have been eating genetically modified foods for more decades.
However, during two experiments by the Chinese researchers, which resulted in 42 transgenic calves being born, just 26 of the animals survived after ten died shortly after birth, most with gastrointestinal disease, and a further six died within six months of birth.
Researchers accept that the cloning technology used in genetic modification can affect the development and survival of cloned animals, although the reason why is not well understood.
A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals said the organisation was "extremely concerned" about how the GM cows had been produced.
She said: "Offspring of cloned animals often suffer health and welfare problems, so this would be a grave concern.
"Why do we need this milk – what is it giving us that we haven't already got."
Helen Wallace, director of biotechnology monitoring group GeneWatch UK, said: "We have major concerns about this research to genetically modify cows with human genes.
"There are major welfare issues with genetically modified animals as you get high numbers of still births.
"There is a question about whether milk from these cows is going to be safe from humans and it is really hard to tell that unless you do large clinical trials like you would a drug, so there will be uncertainty about whether it could be harmful to some people.
"Ethically there are issues about mass producing animals in this way."
Professor Keith Campbell, a biologist at the University of Nottingham works with transgenic animals, said: "Genetically modified animals and plants are not going to be harmful unless you deliberately put in a gene that is going to be poisonous. Why would anyone do that in a food?
"Genetically modified food, if done correctly, can provide huge benefit for consumers in terms of producing better products."
Live human heart grown in lab using stem cells in potential transplant breakthrough
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Breakthrough: Scientists are hopeful their artificial heart will be beating within days
Scientists are growing human hearts in laboratories, offering hope for millions of cardiac patients.
American researchers believe the artificial organs could start beating within weeks.
The experiment is a major step towards the first ‘grow-your-own’ heart, and could pave the way for livers, lungs or kidneys to be made to order.
The organs were created by removing muscle cells from donor organs to leave behind tough hearts of connective tissue.
Researchers then injected stem cells which multiplied and grew around the structure, eventually turning into healthy heart cells.
Dr Doris Taylor, an expert in regenerative medicine at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, said: ‘The hearts are growing, and we hope they will show signs of beating within the next weeks.
‘There are many hurdles to overcome to generate a fully functioning heart, but my prediction is that it may one day be possible to grow entire organs for transplant.’
Patients given normal heart transplants must take drugs to suppress their immune systems for the rest of their lives.
This can increase the risk of high blood pressure, kidney failure and diabetes.
If new hearts could be made using a patient’s own stem cells, it is less likely they would be rejected.
The lab-grown organs have been created using these types of cells – the body’s immature ‘master cells’ which have the ability to turn into different types of tissue. The experiment follows a string of successes for researchers trying to create spare body parts for transplants.
In 2007, British doctors grew a human heart valve using stem cells taken from a patient’s bone marrow.
HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN HEART
- The donor heart is removed from the body; pig hearts may also be suitable.
- Detergents are then used to strip the cells from the heart leaving behind the protein skeleton or 'ghost heart'.
- Stem cells grown from cells taken from a patient are then added to the ghost heart.
- The stem cells then multiply and generate new heart cells. now all that is left is the hope that these will start beating.
A year later, scientists grew a beating animal heart for the first time.
Dr Taylor’s team have already created beating rat and pig hearts. Although they were too weak to be used in animals, the work was an important step towards tailor-made organs.
In their latest study, reported at the American College of Cardiology’s annual conference in New Orleans, researchers created new organs using human hearts taken from dead bodies.
The scientists stripped the cells from the dead hearts with a powerful detergent, leaving ‘ghost heart’ scaffolds made from the protein collagen.
The ghost hearts were then injected with millions of stem cells, which had been extracted from patients and supplied with nutrients.
The stem cells ‘recognised’ the collagen heart structure and began to turn into heart muscle cells.
The hearts have yet to start beating – but if they do, they could be strong enough to pump blood.
However, the race to create a working heart faces many obstacles.
One of the biggest is getting enough oxygen to the organ through a complex network of blood vessels. Scientists also need to ensure the heart cells beat in time.
Dr Taylor told the Sunday Times: ‘We are a long way off creating a heart for transplant, but we think we’ve opened a door to building any organ for human transplant.’
"Breakfast Beer" Slammed by Critics
http://www.foxnews.com/
Moa
AUCKLAND, New Zealand – A new beer to be launched in New Zealand's largest city at 7:00am Thursday has been slammed by alcohol watchdogs concerned about its promotion as a "breakfast beer."
The cherry-flavored wheat lager is described as "a beer the ladies can enjoy too ... if you're having a champagne breakfast but don't fancy champagne, have a beer instead," the New Zealand Herald reported Sunday.
The beer, made by Marlborough brewery Moa, contains 5.5 percent alcohol and will be officially launched at an Auckland cafe this week, but has already been slammed as "irresponsible."
National Addiction Centre director Doug Sellman said the marketing of the beer was "a completely irresponsible stunt from a health and addiction perspective, because it is normalizing pathological behavior."
Moa co-owner Geoff Ross said the company was not trying to create irresponsible behavior.
Take a Seat on a Bench Made from 5,000 Recycled Metrocards
by Alex Davies
from: http://www.treehugger.com/
Photos Courtesy of Stephen Shaheen
In New York's subways, you see a lot of discarded Metrocards. It's sad, not only because most people drop them on the floor rather than in a trash can, but because the cards are rechargeable, and there's no good reason to dispose of them in the first place. But NYC-based artist and designer Stephen Shaheen has come up with a unique way to recycle old cards, or at least 5,000 of them: he's made a one of a kind bench.
Measuring 48" x 18" x 18" and made of the cards, various types of glue, and an armature of 1/8" steel, the aptly-named Metrobench is an homage to the Big Apple's public transportation system and an outstanding example of how everyday objects can be recycled instead of thrown away. To collect the cards, Shaheen used Craigslist to assemble a team to help him; they had all 5,000 in just a week. Of his work, Shaheen says:
I was inspired to use these discarded objects--at once very personal and expendable--in a way that reflects the manner in which mass transit joins many diverse lives into a single moment or path together.
And as New York begins to introduce smart, contact-less cards to replace the Metrocards (which are swiped), Shaheen will have a lot more raw material to produce more benches.
Field of dreams: Ballparks unveil tech upgrades
MLB clubs made tech-centric improvements to their ballparks, like Fenway Park, in advance of the 2011 season.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Fenway Park has rhree new scoreboards beyond right-center field for the 2011 season
- Great American Ball Park has a new cell-tower system to access apps like MLB's At Bat
(WIRED) -- Professional sports teams are attempting at a furious rate to lure fans away from the comfort of their couches to live games. And sweet technological upgrades to their home venues become a bigger selling point every year.
Roughly a dozen Major League Baseball clubs followed that strategy by making tech-centric improvements to their ballparks in advance of the 2011 season, which kicks off Thursday. Notable upgrades include ballpark-wide Wi-Fi access (Chicago White Sox) and LED high-definition ribbon boards (Arizona Diamondbacks). Here's a deeper look at nine other teams that have made similar significant upgrades.
Houston Astros -- Minute Maid Park
The Astros join the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins as the only MLB teams to feature a scoreboard with a 1080i display format. "Fans are watching games on high-definition [television], so when they come out to the ballpark we want things to be in high-definition, as well," Kirby Kander, the Astros' senior director of creative services, told Wired.com. Where once stood a 26-by-45-foot scoreboard in right field, there's now a 54-by-124-foot Daktronics behemoth that ranks as the fourth-largest scoreboard in the majors.
The 2.66-million pixel scoreboard was part of a $13 million project which included a 24-by-40-foot video board stationed in left field and 1,185 linear feet of ribbon boards spanning from one foul pole to the other. A state-of-the-art, two-level control room comprising 1,500 square feet was built at the suite level in left field to manage the new 'boards.
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Boston Red Sox -- Fenway Park
A 10-year, $285 million plan to modify 99-year-old Fenway Park concluded this off-season with $40 million in construction upgrades, the most prominent of which are three new scoreboards beyond right-center field. ANC Sports Enterprises teamed with Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision Systems to install three video screens: a 38-by-100-foot scoreboard in right-center field that replaces a 23-by-30-foot structure installed in 1976 (but the famous John Hancock sign will still tower over the new 'board), a 17-by-100-foot video screen in center field, and a 16-by-30-foot video board in right field.
The primary scoreboard has the ability to display side graphics, as the old scoreboard did, or move to full-screen video to capture live action. The side 'boards will incorporate game info such as player stats, pitch speed and type, box scores, promotions, announcements and other types of messages
Philadelphia Phillies -- Citizens Bank Park
Phillies fans will get to watch live game action on a new 76-by-97-foot LED high-def scoreboard in left field. The old scoreboard, which was installed for Citizen Bank Park's 2004 debut, has been relocated to the Phils' spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida. The team partnered with Daktronics and Sony Electronics' System Solutions Group on the new 84,000-square-foot 'board, whose 2.9 million pixels dwarfs the former scoreboard's 459,000-pixel display.
Fans get to view one of the clearest scoreboards in the world. Its HD-15 display and 1,512 lines of resolution surpass that of the standard for 1080p HD video boards, and its LED technology allows it to show up to 144 quadrillion shades of color.
Citizens Bank Park's in-house video departments were also improved from standard to HD, including the video-coaching facility. Mark DiNardo, the Phillies' director of broadcasting and video services, told Wired.com the upgrade will most benefit the scouting and self-analysis performed by the team's coaches and players. "They voiced a concern to upgrade," DiNardo said, "and our management heard that concern."
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Cincinnati Reds -- Great American Ball Park
The ability for fans to view information at high speed on their mobile devices headlines the pair of tech changes at the Reds' Great American Ball Park. The incorporation of a multi-tent cell-tower system with approximately 120 antennas will permit fans to access apps like MLB's latest At Bat rev on 3G or 4G networks through their iPhones, BlackBerries, iPads and Android devices. The app allows fans to view pitch-by-pitch tracking, real-time box scores and stats and searchable video highlights through a multitude of mobile service carriers, including ballpark sponsor AT&T. Reds IT director Brian Keys told Wired.com that roughly 1,500 to 3,000 fans demand high-speed mobile access at any given moment in the stadium, which seats more than 42,000 fans. "We're trying to get the fans more stats, videos, replays and information to their smart devices," Keys said.
Sixty luxury suites have also been outfitted with 46-inch Sony TVs and 25-inch Sony Vaio flat-panel PCs with Blu-ray functionality. Suite attendees can use the PCs to choose their preference of five camera angles on MLB.TV and view any league game, including typically blacked-out contests in Cincinnati, and reroute them to the high-def TVs.
Milwaukee Brewers -- Miller Park
The primary aspect of the Brewers' three-pronged tech upgrade for Miller Park is a 5,940-square foot scoreboard in center field. At 54 by 110 feet, the Daktronics 'board boasts true 1080i display containing more than 2.35 million pixels, compared to the 134,000 pixels produced by the dual 10-year-old scoreboards it replaces.
"The technology to support the [old scoreboards] was changing, and we were running out of spare parts for them," Brewers COO Rick Schlesinger told Wired.com. For example, the new scoreboard, unlike the ones it replaced, doesn't require air conditioning to cool it down. According to the Brewers, that will translate into a 50 percent to 65 percent reduction in energy consumption.
The Miller Park upgrades, which cost almost $11 million, also include a refashioned audio system that'll make it easier for the control room to manage the volume, bass and treble in different areas of the stadium.
Kinect Could Hold Key to Next-Gen Baseball Biomechanics
Seattle Mariners -- Safeco Field
A new LED scoreboard in right field and LED ribbon boards stretching from the the press box to the foul poles along the first- and third-base lines will enable the Mariners to present customized game and sponsor information to their patrons. All three Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision boards will have their video powered by ANC Sports' VisionSoft display. The system allows for a presentation of statistical and game information tailored strictly to Safeco Field. Sponsors can also customize their messages to appear on the boards on a game, series, homestand or season-long basis.
The 6-by-160-foot scoreboard above right field's Outfield Reserve seats will complement the ANC-installed out-of-town scoreboard in left field, implemented before last season. The 734 linear feet of ribbon boards permit the Mariners to show in-game information such as pitch count, type and speed; play-by-play from the prior three batters; animation and graphics; and messages from sponsors and the team's community relations department.
Minnesota Twins -- Target Field
Though Target Field only debuted last season, the team spent more than $5 million on improvements for the stadium's sophomore campaign. Leading the way is a Daktronics HD-15 LED scoreboard in right field, clocking in at 28 feet by 50 feet and providing 552 x 984 resolution. The new scoreboard mostly accommodates fans sitting in left field, who often complained of having to crank their heads to view live game video and statistical info on the scoreboard towering over them. This off-season, Twins owner Carl Pohlad made the move to address all the grumbling. "The Pohlad family said we'll just put up another [scoreboard], which is pretty cool," Twins VP of technology John Avenson told Wired.com.
A new 100-foot tall, LED-illuminated tower adjacent to the right field scoreboard will display situational graphic material and supplementary head-shot content, such as autographs, head-to-toe player pictures and player names and numbers. Also manufactured by Daktronics, each of the tower's four sides will incorporate more than 4,300 LED strips. An improved ballpark-wide Wi-Fi system with more than 200 access points will be operated by MLB Advanced Media, providing fans with information about the game, and ballpark, and even a concession-stand finder.
Tampa Bay Rays -- Tropicana Field
The Rays will play on a more durable and aesthetically pleasing surface at Tropicana Field, thanks to AstroTurf, the official synthetic turf of MLB. The company's GameDay Grass 3D60H model, installed during a three-week period this spring, contains a Horseshoe fiber which (literally) stands up to repeated use. The fiber's omega, or "C", dual-column design imparts mechanical memory to the fiber, so that it pops up even after repeated trampling by cleats and baseballs. Using 60 ounces of fiber per square yard ensures the surface's long-term durability.
The fiber's design also reflects light, which has a two-fold effect: It reduces surface temperatures by up to 18 percent and cuts down on the sheen produced by ballpark lights. The Rays' Andrew Heydt said the old artificial surface would produce a "glazing effect" when the dome's interior lights were turned on. That's no longer the case, as the improved look and performance of the Trop's turf almost mirrors the promise the future holds for Evan Longoria, David Price and the perennially upstart Rays.
Texas Rangers -- Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
New video boards in right and center field at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington use Daktronics' newest 15-millimeter LED technology. The 42-by-120-foot scoreboard above the Home Run Porch in right field and the 25-by-29-foot scoreboard in center field have the versatility to run as single displays or be separated into multiple windows to display various game info.
A newly installed IPTV system from Daktronics also allows all existing ribbon and field-level video boards and more than 800 Sony LCD monitors throughout the stadium to receive game information on up to 10 high-def channels. Real-time scores, statistics and even in-game menu pricing changes can be sent to any board or monitor on any IPTV channel. An upgraded control room and a revamped audio system round out the improvements made for last season's American League champs.
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Copyright 2010 Wired.com.
Schwarzenegger announces 'The Governator' cartoon
From: http://www.mnn.com/
Actor/politician hooks up with comic book genius Stan Lee on new superhero series.
EW.com Arnold Schwarzenegger's first big project since leaving office has been revealed, and as rumored it will feature the actor/politician as a larger-than-life superhero.
The 63-year-old announced in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly that he’s teaming up with legendary comic book genius Stan Lee to bring the animated series, “The Governator,” to life.
“When I ran for governor back in 2003 and I started hearing people talking about ‘The Governator,’ I thought the word was so cool,” he told EW. “The word Governator combined two worlds — the world of politics and the movie world. And the cartoon brings everything together. It combines the governor, the ‘Terminator,’ the bodybuilding world, the ‘True Lies’ world.”
Said Stan: ”Only after he leaves the governor’s office, Arnold decides to become a crime fighter and builds a secret high-tech crime-fighting centre under his house in Brentwood.”
Along with a teenage team that assists The Governator in fighting various injustices, Schwarzenegger's alter ego will also have a suit that allows him to breathe underwater and turn invisible. Oh yeah — and a fleet of "eco-friendly cars" — which is different from the reality of the former governor's garage.
According to sources, Lee is working overtime to deliver a "Governator" prototype in time for the Comic Con convention in July. The current schedule has the series and a comic book launching by the end of 2012.
Schwarzenegger will officially unveil his plans for "The Governator" during the annual MIPTV international festival in Cannes, France, on April 4.
Check out a gallery of concept art from the new cartoon series over at EW here.
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