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Bats are dying
Is there no end to the horror? Now bats are dying in record numbers.
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Immature, insensitive, sex-mad? Not us, say men
"Young, single men are fed up with being typecast as immature, insensitive and sex-obsessed, with a survey finding that the majority believe in having a soul mate, aren't scared of commitment, and say real men can cry.
A poll of 70,000 men with an average age of 28 debunked many of the standard stereotypes to show that the modern man is driven by a sense of values, loyalty and family.
The survey, by men's lifestyle website AskMen.com, found that 77 percent of respondents look for girlfriends with "wife potential" while 75 percent believe they have a soul mate and 69 percent would never cheat on their partner.
"These survey results will be surprising to many women, most of whom have a completely different perspective of what the average man thinks and feels," James Bassil, editor-in-chief of AskMen.com, told Reuters.
"The idea that young guys only want to be single and jump from girlfriend to girlfriend is not true at all."
The online survey, conducted over a five-week period, found that six out of 10 men were fed up with inaccurate commercial descriptions of them.
Bassil said the images of men on television and in advertisments had not changed or been challenged for decades whereas the image of women in the media was always changing as their roles in the home and the workplace altered.
"In TV sitcoms and in adverts, young men are portrayed as immature, frat boys who are always trying to get around their wives or girlfriends finding out about their bad behaviour. This is just not the case," he said."
So what's the deal guys- are you loser sex hounds or is there something more to ya? I really think it's true that commercials and sitcoms stereotype guys- and women suffer for it as well, because we're always bitchy nags who have to pull the dude into shape. Time for a change? "Young, single men are fed up with being typecast as immature, insensitive and sex-obsessed, with a survey finding that the majority b... more -
Iraq banned from Summer Olympics
The International Olympic Committee has banned Iraq from competing in the upcoming Summer Olympics games because of what it says is political interference by the government in sports.
An Iraqi Olympic Committee official said the IOC sent letters in Arabic and English confirming the ban.
The official said the seven Iraqi athletes who were to travel to China for the games in August are disappointed by the decision. The International Olympic Committee has banned Iraq from competing in the upcoming Summer Olympics games because of what it says is po... more -
Leaked memo warns of real cancer risk from mobile phones?
The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mobile phone use.
Ronald Herberman, of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, said users should not wait for definitive studies on the risk and should take action now.
He said children should use mobiles in emergencies only and adults should try to keep the phone away from the head.
No major academic study has confirmed a link to higher brain-tumour risks. But Dr Herberman said his warning was based on early findings from unpublished data.
"We shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," he says.
"I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use," the memo says.
A major six-year research study in the UK said last year that there were no short-term adverse effects to brain and cell function from mobile phone use.
However, the UK Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme said there was a "hint" of a higher cancer risk in the long term and that its research would look into the effects over a 10-year period.
Programme chairman Professor Lawrie Challis said: "We can't rule out the possibility at this stage that cancer could appear in a few years' time."
Is this something to be worried about? Would you stop using your mobile phone based on evidence like this? Do you do anything to try to minimise your risk, just in case long-term studies reveal that mobile phones ARE linked to cancer? Or are you just not that bothered?
The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mob... more -
US government uncovers oil price manipulation
The government charged an oil trading firm Thursday with manipulating oil prices, the first indictment to come down since the regulators began a new investigation into wrongdoings in the energy markets.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission charged Optiver Holding, two of its subsidiaries, and three employees, with manipulation and attempted manipulation of crude oil, heating oil and gasoline futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
In May the CFTC announced a wide ranging probe into oil price manipulation. The agency says that there are currently dozens of investigations ongoing.
Further down in this article:
In a recent case, BP settled a suit that alleged the company tried to corner the propane market to inflate prices in 2003 and 2004. BP agreed to pay a $303 million settlement.
But overall, most experts say the incidents are so scattered, and the energy market so large, that it's unlikely a single trader or group of traders can have substantial sway over prices.
I say:
Bull Crap....put all of them together and they are all out for one thing: The Almighty Dollar, and if THAT doesn't put a tiger in your tank, you must be one of THEM! So, now we know why the price of fuel is going sky high....I hope this investigation gets REAL Deep...like Deep Throat deep! The government charged an oil trading firm Thursday with manipulating oil prices, the first indictment to come down since the regulato... more -
Young Republicans worry about McCain's appeal
From cyberspace to college campuses, many young conservatives are worried that Sen. John McCain is not appealing to their generation.
At a town hall meeting in Ohio this month, a student told McCain that Republicans were a dying breed on his campus.
"I understand the challenge I have, and I understand that this election is really all about the people of your generation," McCain said.
Many young Republicans said Sen. Barack Obama -- the 46-year-old junior senator from Illinois -- is inspiring voters their age, but McCain -- the 71-year-old senator who has been in office since the early '80s -- is not.
Eric Pearlmutter, a member of the Young Republicans at the University of Southern California, said the roaring enthusiasm that follows Obama is missing among conservatives his age. From cyberspace to college campuses, many young conservatives are worried that Sen. John McCain is not appealing to their generation. ... more -
Teens want to talk more about sex, parents are too embarrassed!
"Parents are missing out on vital conversations with their children about sex because of embarrassment, a report for the government says.
A study by author and agony aunt Anita Naik found three-quarters of 11-to- 14-year-olds wished it was easier to talk to their parents about sex.
And a poll found that 44% of young people did not trust the information they received from friends.
Most felt talking would not encourage them to have sex, as many parents fear.
More than half of parents (55%) held back from talking about sex, the survey suggests, because of embarrassment about how to start.
Fathers were much less likely than mothers to get involved in conversations with their sons about sex. " "Parents are missing out on vital conversations with their children about sex because of embarrassment, a report for the government sa... more -
Dying eight-year-old 'marries' his school sweetheart
Given only weeks to live, Reece Fleming proposed to his 'special friend' Elleanor Purgslove at a laser tag party.
After she accepted, their parents arranged a make-believe wedding at Reece's home in Mackworth, Derby. He died the next day with his family.
Reece's mother Lorraine Fleming said he told her, "I can go now" after his wish had been granted.
The 28-year-old said: ""He was so proud of her, and we were proud of them both."
Reece was diagnosed with leukaemia in July 2004, when he was aged just four.
He fought the disease for four years until May when doctors told him he had just weeks to live.
Ms Fleming, said she and his stepfather Mick Thompson had tried to help him achieve as much as possible before his death, including marrying his sweetheart.
"When we found out that we only had a few weeks with him we tried to do absolutely everything with him that we could.
"Him and Ellie had been 'special friends' for a couple of years but then they broke up.
"We said we'd have a pirate party, and Ellie came. She went to visit Reece a few times in hospital as well.
She added: "We also had a football and laser quest party, apparently that's when he proposed to her."
The pair went out to dinner in the mayor's limousine and the families organised a 'wedding', complete with rings, a stand-in vicar and a certificate.
The ceremony was carried out on July 4 and the following day Reece died at home with his family and a Macmillan nurse.
At his funeral, mourners followed a horse-drawn hearse on foot.
Ms Fleming added: "Even on the Saturday that he died, he got out of bed and walked to the sofa.
"He always tried walking, right to the end, so we thought if he walked for us then we would walk for him." Given only weeks to live, Reece Fleming proposed to his 'special friend' Elleanor Purgslove at a laser tag party. ... more -
Millions to starve in East Africa
"The cost of food has escalated by up to 500% in some places, leaving people who have suffered drought after drought in utter destitution," says Oxfam's Rob McNeil, who has just returned from the Somali and Afar regions of Ethiopia.
"Some of the roads we travelled on were littered with dead livestock. There is little or no pasture or water for the animals that people rely upon. People are increasingly becoming desperate.
"I saw people in one village reduced to pounding the food pellets intended for their animals into porridge to feed their families. We fear that the worst could be yet to come as the crisis deteriorates across East Africa."
They reckon 9-14 million people could go hungry.
There's more at the link. "The cost of food has escalated by up to 500% in some places, leaving people who have suffered drought after drought in utter destitut... more -
Turns out porn isn't recession-proof
You know things are bad when even the porn industry is feeling the pinch....
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Emo to be outlawed in Russia?
Russian emos are socially undesirable, and everything from websites to dressing in emo attire will be prosecuted.
Isn't it oh-so-fun to live in a totalitarian state! Russian emos are socially undesirable, and everything from websites to dressing in emo attire will be prosecuted. ... more -
New girly videogames based on teen movies
Because videogames, let's be honest, have so far mostly appealed to only half the population (the one with doodles), videogame makers have long been racking their brains trying to come up with a way to attract that other half (the ones with hoo-has). It's that eternal dance of nerds trying to woo ladies and failing miserably. But now they've got a new plan that's sure to work! Video games based on girly movies like Mean Girls, Clueless, and Pretty In Pink.
Paramount is developing all of these as so-called "casual titles." We don't really know what that means (maybe our brother site Kotaku does), but we like to guess challenges include fighting all the junior girls in a hallway battle royale, running around the Valley dodging muggers and the sleazy Elton's car, and trying to do the Duckie prom dance while dodging Bolo tie projectiles. Squeeeeallll doesn't it sound fun? So much better than those games where you just indiscriminately kill people. Right?
Because videogames, let's be honest, have so far mostly appealed to only half the population (the one with doodles), videogame makers ... more -
Mystery as dead birds fall from the sky over Western Australia
Dead birds are falling from the sky in Australia for the second time in seven months, raising fears of a possible public health threat.
At least 200 seagulls have been found dead in Perth's popular beachside suburbs of Woodman Point and Henderson this week, baffling local authorities.
Post-mortem examinations have failed to determine the cause of the birds' deaths. Last December 5,000 birds died in the coastal town of Esperance, 500 km south of Perth, after being poisoned by lead carbonate blowing through the town as it was being exported through Esperance Port.
The latest incident of dropping birds has led to a major investigation of local industries but government officials admit they are at a loss to know what is killing the gulls. A Department of Health spokesman admitted they could not rule out a risk to public health until the cause of the birds' deaths had been established.
When the Esperance birds began dying, tests showed that local children and adults had potentially dangerous levels of lead in their blood. A local company, Magellan Metals, escaped prosecution over the way it handled the transportation of lead through the town, but fears remain over the potential threat to humans.
The Department of Environment and Conservation (DoEC) believes the latest deaths may have been caused by a chemical or pollutant. The birds were found on Monday and Tuesday near water outfall pipes at Woodman Point, south of Fremantle and at nearby Henderson which has a large boat-building industry. Water and sediment samples have been taken from the area for testing.
Kevin Morrison, from the DoEC, said the birds appeared to die a quick and painless death.
"The birds, when they are showing signs of having been poisoned become a bit wobbly on their feet, they sit down and within 10 to 15 minutes they're dead," he told the Australian Broadcasting Coproration. He said it was particularly puzzling that the deaths were confined to seagulls. In Esperance, wattle birds, yellow throated miners and honey-eaters died.
Although many of the birds were found near the outflow pipes, Mr Morrison said the birds may already have ingested something toxic at a rubbish or landfall site before going there for water as they died.
The beach at Woodman Point, a popular sailing and fishing area, has been closed as a precaution until further notice. Officials do not expect the test results on the birds for a week. Dead birds are falling from the sky in Australia for the second time in seven months, raising fears of a possible public health threat... more -
Vanity Fair satirizes McCain
When the New Yorker came out with a cartoon on its cover of the Obamas as fist-bumping militants (complete with a burning flag), the blogosphere wondered if the magazine or someone else would come up with a satirical cover of John McCain. Well, Vanity Fair did just now.
The magazine posted a cartoon on its website featuring John McCain holding a walker with one hand and giving the fist bump to a pill-popping (well pill-holding) Cindy McCain. The Constitution burns in the fireplace of the Oval Office while a painting of George W. Bush hangs on the wall.
In a short accompanying article, Vanity Fair speaks of it's "affectionate rivalry" with the New Yorker. (They share a building and play softball against eachother).
"We had our own presidential campaign cover in the works, which explored a different facet of the Politics of Fear, but we shelved it when The New Yorker's became the "It Girl" of the blogosphere," Vanity Fair writes. "Now, however, in a selfless act of solidarity with our downstairs neighbors here at the Condé Nast building, we'd like to share it with you. Confidentially, of course." When the New Yorker came out with a cartoon on its cover of the Obamas as fist-bumping militants (complete with a burning flag), the b... more -
McMorning - news channels sell the right to McDonald's to place products in news s...
Several regional tv outlets in the states have begun to sell rights to McDonalds to place products on news desks whilst anchors read the news. Several regional tv outlets in the states have begun to sell rights to McDonalds to place products on news desks whilst anchors read t... more
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CBS edits McCain gaffe on Iraq
In an interview with Katie Curic this evening Sen. McCain, in response to Sen. Obama's assertion that conditions may have improved in Iraq regardless of the surge, claimed the Sunni awakening that pitted them against the Al Qaeda insurrection happened as a result of the surge. Stating it was a simple matter of historic fact McCain feigned to not understand how Obama could make such a gaffe. The only problem, or rather the latest problem, is the surge hadn't happened when the Sunnis turned against Al Qaeda in Iraq. In an interview with Katie Curic this evening Sen. McCain, in response to Sen. Obama's assertion that conditions may have improved in ... more
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Police officer tasers black youth to death
I mourn for this man and his family. Six months later, where is the justice??
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Nas to protest at “racist” Fox studios
Nas is turning his words into action as he’ll join ColorOfChange.org and MoveOn.org in delivering a 600,000-signature petition to the channel’s Manhattan studios tomorrow afternoon. The petition demands that Fox “end its pattern of racist attacks against Black Americans including presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.” Nas is turning his words into action as he’ll join ColorOfChange.org and MoveOn.org in delivering a 600,000-signature petition to the ... more
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Japanese iPhone has setting to protect women from 'upskirt' attacks
The iPhone 3G in Japan has a special feature unique to that country: the camera always makes a conspicuous 'shutter' sound when a picture is taken, even when the phone is set to 'silent' mode.
The loud shutter sound is supposed to deter voyeurs from taking sneaky pictures up women’s’ skirts - or down their tops.
In Japan, upskirt and downblouse shots have become increasingly popular with the advent of high-resolution camera phones.
As a result, all cell phones sold in Japan make a conspicuous shutter sound, or say the word “cheese” when a snap is taken, according to Nobuyuki Hayashi, a tech reporter based in Tokyo. On almost all new cell phones, the camera shutter sound can not be muted, Hayashi says.
“Some manufacturers have even put louder shutter sound,” he reports.
The shutter on the first iPhone sold in Japan could be muted in silent mode; an anomaly that many wondered whether Apple would correct in the iPhone 3G, Hayashi says.
Apple did: The shutter sound cannot be turned off, even in silent mode, Hayashi says.
Is it not a little scary that so-called 'upskirts' are such a phenomenon in Japan (and elsewhere, no doubt) that local phone technology has to find ways to protect women from such abuse?
The iPhone 3G in Japan has a special feature unique to that country: the camera always makes a conspicuous 'shutter' sound when a pict... more -
Batman released after being arrested, accused of assaulting mother and sister
Batman star Christian Bale has been questioned by police over allegations he assaulted his mother and sister the night before the European premiere of his film, ``The Dark Knight,'' British media reported Tuesday.
Update: Bale has now left the London police station at which he was being questioned. The Sky.com article discusses Bale's demeanour on the night he is alleged to have assaulted his family members - he was interviewed by a reporter after it is said to have happened, who talks to Sky about his conduct that night.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Showbiz-News/Batman-st...
Batman star Christian Bale has been questioned by police over allegations he assaulted his mother and sister the night before the Euro... more
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