Study: Each 9-degree temperature increase hikes headache risk 8 percent.Warmer weather and changes in atmospheric pressure may cause headaches and migraines, rather than pollution, researchers said Monday.
A U.S. research team showed that each temperature increase of 5 degrees Celsius — about 9 degrees Fahrenheit — appeared to increase the risk of severe headaches by nearly 8 percent compared to days when the weather was cooler.
Air temperature, humidity and barometric pressure are often cited as a reason for headaches but until now there has been little concrete evidence to back this, Kenneth Mukamal of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and colleagues said.His team studied than 7,000 men and women diagnosed with a headache or migraine at the hospital emergency room between May 2000 and December 2007.
Weather conditions vs. environmental factorsThey used meteorological and pollutant monitors to analyze air temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, fine particulate matter, black carbon and sulfur dioxides during the three days prior to the hospital visits and then later on.
"In other words, our study design was able to directly compare weather and air pollution conditions right before an emergency room visit with those same factors measured earlier and later the same month," Mukamal said.
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Migraine pain a matter of degrees March 9: A hospital study in Boston showed the chances of getting a migraine go up with each degree of increase in temperature. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Nightly NewsThe study found that of all the environmental factors tested, higher air temperature in the 24 hours before a hospital visit was most closely associated with headache symptoms.
Lower barometric pressure also appeared to be a trigger, though the association was not as strong. There was no evidence that air pollutants played a role in sparking headaches, but bigger studies are needed to exclude this as a problem, the researchers added.
The findings published in the journal Neurology suggest the weekly forecast could help people ready their medication to ward off headaches.
"We wanted to find out if we could verify this 'clinical folklore,'" Mukamal said in a statement. "These findings help tell us that the environment around us does affect our health, and in terms of headaches, may be impacting many, many people on a daily basis."
The reason is unclear but researchers know warmer weather leads to lower blood pressure, and there is good evidence migraines are related to changes in blood flow around the brain, Mukamal added in a telephone interview.
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Apple touch-screen Netbook rumors heat up
Take this for what you will, but the Apple rumor mill is churning with word that the company has a touch-screen Netbook in the works that will hit the market in time for back-to-school sales later this year.Citing an article by the Chinese-language Commercial Times, DigiTimes reported Monday that "Taiwan-based Wintek will supply touch panels for Apple's new Netbook, and shipments will start in the third quarter this year." DigiTimes also claimed that Quanta Computer will manufacture the new device.
Now Dow Jones Newswires has posted an updated story that expands on the DigiTimes report. "The mini laptop computers will likely have monitor screens that are between 9.7-inches and 10-inches," an unnamed source told Dow Jones. Another person added, "Other specifications and functions are still under evaluation." The report also claimed Wintek would make the touch-screen displays and Quanta would assemble the new computers.
Chiming in on the rumor, Engadget posted a mock-up of an Apple Netbook that has a keyboard. Meanwhile, Silicon Alley Reporter stuck with its earlier speculation that Apple will simply do a larger version of the iPod Touch (it's calling the device the iPod Touch HD).
Personally, I'd rather see Apple go with a more straightforward Netbook approach that simply adds some Apple design flair to 10-inch Netbooks already on the market, with three models ranging in price from $599-$799.
Of course, Apple could just bring the price down on the MacBook Air and indeed bulk up the iPod Touch to differentiate its "Netbook" from other Netbooks already flooding the market.
Ferguson cools talk of quintuple
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was quick to play down talk of his side winning the quintuple after their Carling Cup final win over Spurs. They have won the Club World Cup as well and are still chasing the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.Ferguson said: "I'm not getting carried away with it, only the media will. We will keep our feet on the ground.
"We could go to Fulham in the FA Cup, the ball comes off someone's backside and we are out of that one."
United centre-back Rio Ferdinand echoed his manager's sentiments as he refused to speculate on the Old Trafford club's potential for a historical season.
"We do not speak about that stuff [the quintuple]," he told Radio 5 Live.
Ben Foster has come through two cruciate ligament injuries and you have to have something inside you to do that
Sir Alex Ferguson
"We'll take each game as it comes. We've got an important game on Wednesday [at Newcastle] and fingers crossed we can get a good result there.
"We don't get ahead of ourselves and think of which silverware we are going to win next."
But Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes there is no reason why United cannot win an unprecedented haul of trophies.
"They have got a big chance - they are the team to beat for sure," said Redknapp after their 4-1 defeat on penalties.
"They have a fantastic squad. They have one cup already, it looks as if the league is going their way and you wouldn't bet against them in the Champions League and the FA Cup."
Goalkeeper Ben Foster was the United hero, making two fine saves during the game and then saving Jamie O'Hara's penalty in the shoot-out.
And Ferguson is confident Foster can go on to cement his place as the number one stopper at the club.
"The future is his," added the Scot. "The present belongs to Edwin Van der Sar, that is obvious, but that performance can only strengthen my opinion of Ben's ability and his own self-confidence.
"He is a strong character - he has had to be. He has had to come through two cruciate ligament injuries and you have to have something inside you to do that."
United's assistant manager Mike Phelan paid tribute to Foster and his team-mates for keeping alive the club's hunt for an unprecedented quintuple.
"In the end it came down to the goalkeepers and our one made a great save," said Phelan.
"Ben has been unlucky with the odd injury this season, but we know he's got quality and he can be a Man Utd goalkeeper.
PHIL MCNULTY BLOG
There is no reason why Man Utd cannot make this their greatest campaign
"It is important he gets games for us and what happened can only help us.
"It was a hard game and both sets of players were shattered at the end, they were cramping but they kept going and it's a good feeling when you win on penalties."
Foster, playing in only his seventh game of the season for United, was delighted to play his part in the win.
"I felt good from the start. I haven't played many games which isn't great, but it was great of the gaffer to give me a chance," said Foster.
"All the lads are heroes, they had to knock in the penalties and they looked super-cool, they all looked like they were going to score.
"If they hadn't, we wouldn't have our medals. I'm delighted we managed to win."
In an innovative move, the 26-year-old admitted that watching Spurs players take spot-kicks on goalkeeping coach Eric Steele's iPod after extra-time had helped him during the penalty shoot-out.
"We have done a lot of research into the way each player is going to put their penalty," said Foster.
"We went into the shoot-out as well prepared as possible.
"We have had things to look at over the last couple of days and before the shoot-out, you can see me looking at an iPod with Eric Steele.
"It had actual video on it and showed where players put things."
He added: "Eric brought it when he came to the club. I have never seen anything like it. It is a fantastic tool for us."
Hey, Rihanna, don't fall into the same trap I did
Leave him, Rihanna!
One Bronx woman who said she endured bruises and bite marks for eight years from her husband said she sees herself in the young singer - and urged the Barbados beauty to steer clear of ex-beau Chris Brown.
It doesn't look like Rihanna is ready to listen.
She and the man who's accused of beating her remain holed up inside Sean (Diddy) Combs' house near Miami Beach, People magazine reported and sources have confirmed.
"I understand her, I would have done the same at 21," said the woman, who said she's been hiding from her husband since leaving him in 2001. She asked to be identified only as Mary, which is not her real name.
"It goes around and around. It may happen again and she may go back and it may happen over and over and she may continue to go back," said Mary, who was 26 when she first met the charming 23-year-old man who would become her husband.
Within months, red flags went up.
"It started with shoving, pushing, grabbing. And that escalated to punching," she recalled. "He would say 'I'm sorry, I won't do this again,' and then he would."
That year, he popped the question. "I was so willing to ignore my own feelings. I thought I could change him," she said.
They got married four years later and had two children together. Regular beatings and rapes continued, she said.
"He said, if you just do what I tell you to do I wouldn't have to punish you,'" she said. "That became the theme throughout the entire relationship. Then the punishments became more severe."
He forced her to perform sex acts to get money for diapers for their kids, she said, and he threatened her with guns.
By September 2001, she had had enough. Mary took her kids and ran to a shelter, later moving away to a different state.
The photo of Rihanna's battered face from an alleged Feb. 8 beating brought back painful memories.
"I also had black and blues, but they were where you couldn't see them - on my thighs, stomach, back. There would be bite marks too," she recalled.
Mary said she hopes Rihanna gets domestic violence therapy.
"It is dangerous for her to stay with him because he made a clear and lasting illustration of what he is capable of doing to her," she said.
One Bronx woman who said she endured bruises and bite marks for eight years from her husband said she sees herself in the young singer - and urged the Barbados beauty to steer clear of ex-beau Chris Brown.
It doesn't look like Rihanna is ready to listen.
She and the man who's accused of beating her remain holed up inside Sean (Diddy) Combs' house near Miami Beach, People magazine reported and sources have confirmed.
"I understand her, I would have done the same at 21," said the woman, who said she's been hiding from her husband since leaving him in 2001. She asked to be identified only as Mary, which is not her real name.
"It goes around and around. It may happen again and she may go back and it may happen over and over and she may continue to go back," said Mary, who was 26 when she first met the charming 23-year-old man who would become her husband.
Within months, red flags went up.
"It started with shoving, pushing, grabbing. And that escalated to punching," she recalled. "He would say 'I'm sorry, I won't do this again,' and then he would."
That year, he popped the question. "I was so willing to ignore my own feelings. I thought I could change him," she said.
They got married four years later and had two children together. Regular beatings and rapes continued, she said.
"He said, if you just do what I tell you to do I wouldn't have to punish you,'" she said. "That became the theme throughout the entire relationship. Then the punishments became more severe."
He forced her to perform sex acts to get money for diapers for their kids, she said, and he threatened her with guns.
By September 2001, she had had enough. Mary took her kids and ran to a shelter, later moving away to a different state.
The photo of Rihanna's battered face from an alleged Feb. 8 beating brought back painful memories.
"I also had black and blues, but they were where you couldn't see them - on my thighs, stomach, back. There would be bite marks too," she recalled.
Mary said she hopes Rihanna gets domestic violence therapy.
"It is dangerous for her to stay with him because he made a clear and lasting illustration of what he is capable of doing to her," she said.
Why Arsenal should sack Arsene Wenger if they finish sixth
If Arsenal played five-a-side they would walk away with the title.
But they were booed off again after the home draw with Fulham and they'll struggle while they lack balance in their side.
Finishing sixth is now a distinct possibility and if that's the case, Arsene Wenger isn't the man to take them forward. They are fifth now, two points above Everton, and it would be a catastrophic failure coming sixth and missing out on the Champions League.
Andrey Arshavin was out of position on the right and the Gunners have too many square pegs in round holes. Fulham were worthy of a point and teams now go to the Emirates believing they can get a point.
But they were booed off again after the home draw with Fulham and they'll struggle while they lack balance in their side.
Finishing sixth is now a distinct possibility and if that's the case, Arsene Wenger isn't the man to take them forward. They are fifth now, two points above Everton, and it would be a catastrophic failure coming sixth and missing out on the Champions League.
Andrey Arshavin was out of position on the right and the Gunners have too many square pegs in round holes. Fulham were worthy of a point and teams now go to the Emirates believing they can get a point.
Snoop Dogg appears at Nation of Islam convention
Rapper Snoop Dogg made an appearance Sunday at the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours Day convention, praising Minister Louis Farrakhan and suggesting that he is a member of the movement.Snoop, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, gave a $1,000 donation to the Nation and said he will always seek the minister out.The rapper called himself the "leader of the hip-hop community" and said it was his first Saviours Day event. He told followers that he would share the information he gathered with other musicians."When you get a speech from Minister Farrakhan it's about a mirror, it's about looking at yourself," the rapper later told The Associated Press. "It's about seeing yourself and what you can do to better the situation ... We're doing a lot of wrongs among ourselves that need correcting."When asked by the AP if he planned to convert and become a member of the Chicago-based Nation of Islam, Snoop said he has already joined in the movement."I'm already in the Nation, that's why I'm here," he said. "I'm an advocate for peace. I've been in the peace movement ever since I've been making music. My whole thing is not about really trying to push my thing on you. It's just about the way I live, and I live how I'm supposed to live as far as doing what's right and representing what's right. That's why I was here today."The rapper did not elaborate on when he'd joined the Nation. Messages left for Nation of Islam officials were not immediately returned Sunday. Attempts to reach the rapper's publicist were unsuccessful.During the speech Sunday, Snoop sat on stage behind Farrakhan clapping and nodding.Snoop declined to say how long he would be in the Chicago area or whether he was working on any projects. His last album, "Ego Trippin,"' was released in March 2008.Farrakhan has long held relationships with famous rappers and hip-hop artists. He has hosted and spoken at hip-hop conventions, encouraging peace between rappers.Rapper Doug E. Fresh also attended the convention but didn't speak publicly. Rapper T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, appeared via recorded video. He told followers that education is the key to success.
Facebook as an enterprise cloud platform?
On the surface, it sounds like an odd couple: Facebook, one of the most recognizable successes in the Web 2.0 firmament, and Zuora, a start-up with a suite of subscription commerce products based on the software as a service model.
But Zuora is betting on a computing trend: that as more applications move to the cloud in coming years, the the natural corollary is that developers will follow the money and necessarily move in the same direction.
Even on Facebook.
"There are 140 new applications a day on Facebook because it's so easy and so viral a platform," Zuora CEO Tien Tzuo said. "But is anyone making money on Facebook?"
Probably not many. While developers have built profitable businesses on cloud-based platforms, such as Amazon Web Services, Salesforce.com's Force.com, and Google AppEngine, the same can't be said of Facebook. That's a source of no small amount of frustration for developers hemmed in by Facebook's restrictions on placing ads on the service (not to mention the relatively low advertising rates for in-application ads on the service.)
That does not preclude the possibility that someone will find a way to unlock the potential of the so-called Facebook Economy. But so far, it's more of a scenario than a reality. Tzuo, who is about to give it a shot, argues that if each active user on the service had a $1 monthly subscription, that scenario could turn into a reality with more than $1 billion in annual subscription revenue.
So it is that on Monday, Zuora is debuting a cloud-based service at the Demo conference. The product, called Z-Commerce, consists of different modules that a developer can use to set up and manage a subscription service on Facebook. Z-Commerce also comes with pre-built widgets that can get plugged into existing Facebook apps without the need for additional code work.
For its part, Zuora assumes responsibility for the back-end arrangements, including billing and payments. The ambition is large: to attract enough Facebook developers to the idea and transform their applications into subscription services. If enough of them conclude that this is an idea whose time has come, Tzuo believes that Facebook can actually evolve into an enterprise cloud computing platform.
A tall order, to be sure. Still, I'm sure Mark Zuckerberg wouldn't have any issues if that came even halfway true.
But Zuora is betting on a computing trend: that as more applications move to the cloud in coming years, the the natural corollary is that developers will follow the money and necessarily move in the same direction.
Even on Facebook.
"There are 140 new applications a day on Facebook because it's so easy and so viral a platform," Zuora CEO Tien Tzuo said. "But is anyone making money on Facebook?"
Probably not many. While developers have built profitable businesses on cloud-based platforms, such as Amazon Web Services, Salesforce.com's Force.com, and Google AppEngine, the same can't be said of Facebook. That's a source of no small amount of frustration for developers hemmed in by Facebook's restrictions on placing ads on the service (not to mention the relatively low advertising rates for in-application ads on the service.)
That does not preclude the possibility that someone will find a way to unlock the potential of the so-called Facebook Economy. But so far, it's more of a scenario than a reality. Tzuo, who is about to give it a shot, argues that if each active user on the service had a $1 monthly subscription, that scenario could turn into a reality with more than $1 billion in annual subscription revenue.
So it is that on Monday, Zuora is debuting a cloud-based service at the Demo conference. The product, called Z-Commerce, consists of different modules that a developer can use to set up and manage a subscription service on Facebook. Z-Commerce also comes with pre-built widgets that can get plugged into existing Facebook apps without the need for additional code work.
For its part, Zuora assumes responsibility for the back-end arrangements, including billing and payments. The ambition is large: to attract enough Facebook developers to the idea and transform their applications into subscription services. If enough of them conclude that this is an idea whose time has come, Tzuo believes that Facebook can actually evolve into an enterprise cloud computing platform.
A tall order, to be sure. Still, I'm sure Mark Zuckerberg wouldn't have any issues if that came even halfway true.
Microsoft kicks lesbian from Xbox Live
SOFTWARE giant Microsoft has banned a woman from its Xbox live service because she listed herself as a lesbian in her profile.
Consumerist magazine has reported that 'Teresa' got shedloads of abuse from other players and in the end the gay haters shopped her to the Vole. Microsoft took the liberated and enlightened view that it didn't want anyone to mention sex. Ever.
Games were all about shooting and carving people up and not about thinking about two women pleasuring each other.
"Any use the text or comments that anyhow indicates the sexual orientation of the gamer, gay or straight, will result in a ban," said the Vole.
Consumerist magazine has reported that 'Teresa' got shedloads of abuse from other players and in the end the gay haters shopped her to the Vole. Microsoft took the liberated and enlightened view that it didn't want anyone to mention sex. Ever.
Games were all about shooting and carving people up and not about thinking about two women pleasuring each other.
"Any use the text or comments that anyhow indicates the sexual orientation of the gamer, gay or straight, will result in a ban," said the Vole.
Rihanna Photographed in Mexico
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Rihanna has resurfaced.
After being shuttled to various locations over the past two weeks to protect her privacy, the 21-year-old star was photographed this weekend on the beach in Punta Mita, Mexico. She previously logged short stints in Los Angeles and her native Barbados.
Photos of her south-of-the-border sojourn first ran in today's print edition of the New York Daily News and were later obtained by E! News. She does not appear to show any of the bruising that was so clearly visible in her leaked police photo.
The images were reportedly snapped at a private villa on Saturday, a day after she celebrated her milestone birthday in L.A. Aside from a few backseat shots, it's the first time Rihanna's been photographed in public since the Feb. 8 altercation with Chris Brown that left her hospitalized.
Yesterday the L.A. district attorney's office said the investigation was still open and no decision on charges has been made.
After being shuttled to various locations over the past two weeks to protect her privacy, the 21-year-old star was photographed this weekend on the beach in Punta Mita, Mexico. She previously logged short stints in Los Angeles and her native Barbados.
Photos of her south-of-the-border sojourn first ran in today's print edition of the New York Daily News and were later obtained by E! News. She does not appear to show any of the bruising that was so clearly visible in her leaked police photo.
The images were reportedly snapped at a private villa on Saturday, a day after she celebrated her milestone birthday in L.A. Aside from a few backseat shots, it's the first time Rihanna's been photographed in public since the Feb. 8 altercation with Chris Brown that left her hospitalized.
Yesterday the L.A. district attorney's office said the investigation was still open and no decision on charges has been made.
Baby died after 'mother's kiss'
A newborn baby girl may have died when her mother kissed her, an inquest in Lancashire has heard.
Jennifer Schofield was 11 days old when her vital organs failed after contracting a strain of herpes in November 2006.
The baby's mother, Ruth, 35, of Binyon Court, in Lancaster, transmitted the virus by kissing her or breastfeeding.
Coroner Dr James Adeley recorded a narrative verdict, and said nobody was blamed for failing to spot the virus.
The inquest heard the infection herpes simplex virus (HSV) was the type passed on through a cold sore.
'Totally devastated'
Mr Adeley said Miss Schofield probably caught HSV in the late stages of her pregnancy after she developed flu-like symptoms days before giving birth.
Jennifer became unwell and and died in Lancaster Royal Infirmary in December.
Miss Schofield has since been campaigning to raise awareness of the condition, which kills an estimated six babies a year in the UK.
She has written to the prime minister asking for more literature to be put in clinics about the illness.
She added: "I have been left totally devastated and heartbroken by the death of Jennifer. The pain has not lessened.
"More needs to be done as this can happen to anyone without them knowing about it."
Jennifer Schofield was 11 days old when her vital organs failed after contracting a strain of herpes in November 2006.
The baby's mother, Ruth, 35, of Binyon Court, in Lancaster, transmitted the virus by kissing her or breastfeeding.
Coroner Dr James Adeley recorded a narrative verdict, and said nobody was blamed for failing to spot the virus.
The inquest heard the infection herpes simplex virus (HSV) was the type passed on through a cold sore.
'Totally devastated'
Mr Adeley said Miss Schofield probably caught HSV in the late stages of her pregnancy after she developed flu-like symptoms days before giving birth.
Jennifer became unwell and and died in Lancaster Royal Infirmary in December.
Miss Schofield has since been campaigning to raise awareness of the condition, which kills an estimated six babies a year in the UK.
She has written to the prime minister asking for more literature to be put in clinics about the illness.
She added: "I have been left totally devastated and heartbroken by the death of Jennifer. The pain has not lessened.
"More needs to be done as this can happen to anyone without them knowing about it."
T.I. Returns to Court to Rap About Responsibility
Here's something you don't see everyday: A rap superstar was in court but this time he wasn't answering any charges. Instead, T.I. returned to the Georgia Supreme Court to speak to teenage kids about the importance of education, responsibility, among other things.
"You can see from me that nobody is too rich, too famous, too cool, too good-looking or too young to make a mistake and pay a price for it," said T.I. "More important than the mistake you make, though, is what you are able to take away from that mistake. How can you use that mistake to ensure you will never make a similar mistake again?"
T.I. begins a one-year federal prison term for illegal weapons possession next month.
"You can see from me that nobody is too rich, too famous, too cool, too good-looking or too young to make a mistake and pay a price for it," said T.I. "More important than the mistake you make, though, is what you are able to take away from that mistake. How can you use that mistake to ensure you will never make a similar mistake again?"
T.I. begins a one-year federal prison term for illegal weapons possession next month.
Manchester United Ace Cristiano Ronaldo: Inter Wanted Me
The Portuguese has revealed how close he came to wearing the Nerazzurri shirt, and he has insisted that the Red Devils have more chances to progress in the Champions League.Vince Masiello
27 Feb 2009 09:00:19
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FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show on Tuesday night as Manchester United travelled to San Siro to face Inter in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.Beneamata goalkeeper Julio Cesar had to perform miracles to keep him at bay and ensure the tie will be decided at Old Trafford.“Julio Cesar truly did great things - his saves were superb,” Ronaldo told the Corriere dello Sport.“I was impressed by [Davide] Santon; he is a really interesting lad and a great footballer. [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic is a great striker and a reference point for Inter. Our defenders will need to be very focussed to stop him at Old Trafford.“However, if we will play as well as we did in the first leg, I’m sure we will go through.”Former Inter midfielder Luis Suarez has recently admitted that Inter kept a close eye on Ronaldo in the past and could have signed him before United pounced in 2003.“It was a long time ago and I don’t even remember it well,” asserted Ronaldo. “I was 17 or 18 and someone mentioned the possibility of a move to Inter.“I can’t really recall what they were saying, but we did discuss it. Then Manchester United arrived and I came here.”Vince Masiello, Goal.com
27 Feb 2009 09:00:19
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Teams
Inter
Manchester United
Players
Cristiano Ronaldo
FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show on Tuesday night as Manchester United travelled to San Siro to face Inter in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.Beneamata goalkeeper Julio Cesar had to perform miracles to keep him at bay and ensure the tie will be decided at Old Trafford.“Julio Cesar truly did great things - his saves were superb,” Ronaldo told the Corriere dello Sport.“I was impressed by [Davide] Santon; he is a really interesting lad and a great footballer. [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic is a great striker and a reference point for Inter. Our defenders will need to be very focussed to stop him at Old Trafford.“However, if we will play as well as we did in the first leg, I’m sure we will go through.”Former Inter midfielder Luis Suarez has recently admitted that Inter kept a close eye on Ronaldo in the past and could have signed him before United pounced in 2003.“It was a long time ago and I don’t even remember it well,” asserted Ronaldo. “I was 17 or 18 and someone mentioned the possibility of a move to Inter.“I can’t really recall what they were saying, but we did discuss it. Then Manchester United arrived and I came here.”Vince Masiello, Goal.com
Arsenal trail Valencia defender ahead of summer shake-up
Arsene Wenger is trailing Valencia defender Raul Albiol, 23, as he looks to launch a major shake-up of his defence this summer.
Arsenal also enquired Albiol's teammate Carlos Marchena in January.
Meanwhile, Salomon Kalou has admitted it would be a "dream" to play for Arsene Wenger and hinted that he might quit Stamford Bridge in the summer.
The Arsenal boss tried to sign the Chelsea forward last summer but a £6million bid was turned down.
"Arsene Wenger said he thought of signing me? That's an honour for me," Kalou told setanta.com.
Arsenal also enquired Albiol's teammate Carlos Marchena in January.
Meanwhile, Salomon Kalou has admitted it would be a "dream" to play for Arsene Wenger and hinted that he might quit Stamford Bridge in the summer.
The Arsenal boss tried to sign the Chelsea forward last summer but a £6million bid was turned down.
"Arsene Wenger said he thought of signing me? That's an honour for me," Kalou told setanta.com.
Barack Obama to pull US troops out of Iraq by 2010
President Barack Obama is to announce that he will withdraw the bulk of US troops from Iraq by the end of August 2010.
Obama budget plan eyes climate, clean energy
President Barack Obama's first budget plan moves aggressively to tackle climate change and shift the nation from reliance on foreign oil to green energy. President Barack Obama's first budget plan moves aggressively to tackle climate change and shift the nation from reliance on foreign oil to green energy.
The proposed budget released Thursday by the White House would rely on $15 billion a year, beginning in 2012, from auctioning off carbon pollution permits to help develop clean-energy technologies, such as solar and wind power. But Congress has yet to write a bill that would regulate heat-trapping gases and collect that money.
Across the government, Obama's commitment to dealing with climate change is apparent.
There's more money at NASA for space-based monitoring of greenhouse gases, expanded support at the Energy Department for finding ways to economically capture carbon emissions from coal-burning power plants, and more money for the Interior Department to mitigate the impact of climate change on public lands and wildlife.
The document also asks Congress to approve an additional $19 million for the Environmental Protection Agency to measure how much climate-related pollution industries are releasing.
The administration "will work expeditiously" to get Congress to approve an 83 percent reduction in global warming emissions by mid-century, the budget document says.
The administration's success on global warming will depend on a second set of priorities outlined in the budget document to reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels, including oil and coal, by quickening the transformation to renewable energy and development of technologies to help people use less energy.
The budget would impose a new excise tax and fees on companies that take oil and natural gas from federal waters and reimposes a tax — again largely targeting the oil industry — to pay for cleaning up Superfund sites.
The budget calls for "significant increases" in cutting-edge research into renewable energy, including solar, wind and geothermal sources and ways to produce non-corn ethanol, and eventually a gasoline-like fuel, from plants.
"By investing in groundbreaking research, making homes and businesses more energy efficient and deploying solar, wind, biomass and other clean energy, this budget will help ensure that America once against leads the world in confronting our global economic, energy and climate challenge," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
The budget calls for collecting $646 billion between 2012 and 2019 from the auctioning of greenhouse pollution allowances under a yet-to-be enacted plan to combat climate change. Democratic leaders in Congress hope to produce a climate bill this year, but there is disagreement over whether allowances should be auctioned to given to carbon-intensive industries to hold down costs.
House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio criticized Obama's auction plan, calling it "a carbon tax which will increase taxes on anyone who uses electricity, anyone who drives a car." But White House officials who briefed reporters on the budget said large portions of the money from the auctions would be used to help people offset higher energy costs.
The proposed budget released Thursday by the White House would rely on $15 billion a year, beginning in 2012, from auctioning off carbon pollution permits to help develop clean-energy technologies, such as solar and wind power. But Congress has yet to write a bill that would regulate heat-trapping gases and collect that money.
Across the government, Obama's commitment to dealing with climate change is apparent.
There's more money at NASA for space-based monitoring of greenhouse gases, expanded support at the Energy Department for finding ways to economically capture carbon emissions from coal-burning power plants, and more money for the Interior Department to mitigate the impact of climate change on public lands and wildlife.
The document also asks Congress to approve an additional $19 million for the Environmental Protection Agency to measure how much climate-related pollution industries are releasing.
The administration "will work expeditiously" to get Congress to approve an 83 percent reduction in global warming emissions by mid-century, the budget document says.
The administration's success on global warming will depend on a second set of priorities outlined in the budget document to reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels, including oil and coal, by quickening the transformation to renewable energy and development of technologies to help people use less energy.
The budget would impose a new excise tax and fees on companies that take oil and natural gas from federal waters and reimposes a tax — again largely targeting the oil industry — to pay for cleaning up Superfund sites.
The budget calls for "significant increases" in cutting-edge research into renewable energy, including solar, wind and geothermal sources and ways to produce non-corn ethanol, and eventually a gasoline-like fuel, from plants.
"By investing in groundbreaking research, making homes and businesses more energy efficient and deploying solar, wind, biomass and other clean energy, this budget will help ensure that America once against leads the world in confronting our global economic, energy and climate challenge," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
The budget calls for collecting $646 billion between 2012 and 2019 from the auctioning of greenhouse pollution allowances under a yet-to-be enacted plan to combat climate change. Democratic leaders in Congress hope to produce a climate bill this year, but there is disagreement over whether allowances should be auctioned to given to carbon-intensive industries to hold down costs.
House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio criticized Obama's auction plan, calling it "a carbon tax which will increase taxes on anyone who uses electricity, anyone who drives a car." But White House officials who briefed reporters on the budget said large portions of the money from the auctions would be used to help people offset higher energy costs.
What's the Best Diet? Eating Less Food
Low fat, low carb, high protein - there's a diet plan of every flavor. And if you're one of the millions of people who struggle with weight, you've probably tried them all, likely with little success. That wouldn't surprise Dr. Frank Sacks, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and lead author of a new study published in the Feb. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, whose findings confirm what a growing body of weight-loss evidence has already suggested: one diet is no better than the next when it comes to weight loss. It doesn't matter where your calories come from, as long as you're eating less. (Read about environmentally friendly food.)
"We have a really simple and practical message for people: it's not so much the type of diet you eat," says Sacks. "It's how much you put in your mouth."
In the analysis of 811 obese patients from Massachusetts and Louisiana, participants were randomly assigned to one of four heart-healthy diets: low fat or high fat, with either average or high levels of protein. All four regimens also included high amounts of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and substituted saturated fat, found in foods such as butter and meat, with unsaturated fat, found in vegetable oil and nuts. The participants were encouraged to exercise 90 minutes a week. (See the top 10 food trends of 2008.)
On average, the study participants lost about 13 lb. after six months of dieting, or about 7% of their starting weight, regardless of which diet plan they followed. At the one-year mark, the dieters had regained some of the lost weight, and after two years, average weight loss was about 9 lb. Only about 15% of participants were able to lose 10% of their body weight or more. Across the board, however, patients lowered their risk of diabetes and reduced blood levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) while increasing good cholesterol (HDL) and overall heart health.
Catherine Loria, one of the study's co-authors and a nutritional epidemiologist with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which funded the study, was encouraged by the findings. "People do have to choose heart-healthy foods," she says, but "I think the beauty of the study is that they have a lot of flexibility in terms of the dietary approach."
But that's where the trouble begins. It's hard enough to figure out what to eat. Eating less of it is even harder. Researchers had hoped to get study participants to eat 750 calories less than they expended each day - an objective that proved unsustainable. Dieters adhered to the initial plan for the first several weeks, but by the six-month mark, they were consuming only 225 calories less than they expended - about a third of the goal - according to a calculation based on overall weight loss. "It's very difficult to reduce your calories enough to really sustain a lot of weight loss," Loria says. (See pictures of facial yoga.)
One failure of most diet plans is that people get hungry and quit, says Sacks, who acknowledges that the sudden reduction of 750 calories in his study was perhaps too steep. "I think what that teaches us is that maybe it's better to make a more gradual change in intake," says Sacks. "That's what I recommend to my patients: let's try to pick a gradual or realistic reduction in calories that's not going to make you really hungry a lot and that you can sustain day after day."
But eating less, however simple it may sound, is hardly a one-man job. Some nutrition experts argue that the balance of responsibility needs to fall more heavily on society at large. Martjin Katan, a professor of nutrition and health at Amsterdam's VU University, wrote an accompanying editorial that analyzed the merits of the diet study. He suggests that focusing on individual diet plans of any kind may be misguided, and that only community-wide change will truly be able to stem the tide of obesity. He points to a small town in France that tapped all of its residents to solve the problem - building more outdoor-sports facilities and creating walking routes, hosting cooking classes and even intervening with at-risk families. After five years, obesity among children was down to 8.8%, less than half the rate of neighboring towns. That success, he writes, "suggests that we may need a new approach to preventing and to treating obesity and that it must be a total-environment approach."
It's a useful lesson for American adults, two-thirds of whom are overweight or obese. Long-term weight loss has proved frustratingly elusive for many obese individuals, but study after study has shown that community and peer support help people take off weight - and keep it off. In this study, the participants who took advantage of group and individual counseling offered as part of the diets had far greater success than those who chose to go it alone. Over the course of two years, participants who went to at least two-thirds of the counseling sessions dropped about 22 lb., 13 lb. more than the average of the entire study population. "Losing weight and sustaining it for two years is difficult," Sacks says. "To help people do that, they need some level of support to keep their motivation and focus."
But the bottom line, according to most obesity experts, is to set realistic goals. Expect what is achievable: a 250-lb. person isn't likely to slim down to supermodel proportions in her lifetime, but she may be able to lose 10 or 20 lb. A moderate 5% or 10% reduction in body weight can significantly improve health, by lowering cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. For many doctors who work with obese patients, the goal is not thinness but well-being - and, ultimately for the patient, self-acceptance.
As for the secret to losing weight? There is none. "It's basic physiology," Loria says. "Eat fewer calories than you expend."
See 9 kid foods to avoid.
See pictures of what makes you eat more food.
View this article on Time.com
Related articles on Time.com:
What's the Best Diet? Eating Less Food
Do Diet Foods Lead to Weight Gain?
Which Are Worse: Calories from Carbs or Fat?
Can Sugar Substitutes Make You Fat?
The Myth of Moderate Exercise
"We have a really simple and practical message for people: it's not so much the type of diet you eat," says Sacks. "It's how much you put in your mouth."
In the analysis of 811 obese patients from Massachusetts and Louisiana, participants were randomly assigned to one of four heart-healthy diets: low fat or high fat, with either average or high levels of protein. All four regimens also included high amounts of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and substituted saturated fat, found in foods such as butter and meat, with unsaturated fat, found in vegetable oil and nuts. The participants were encouraged to exercise 90 minutes a week. (See the top 10 food trends of 2008.)
On average, the study participants lost about 13 lb. after six months of dieting, or about 7% of their starting weight, regardless of which diet plan they followed. At the one-year mark, the dieters had regained some of the lost weight, and after two years, average weight loss was about 9 lb. Only about 15% of participants were able to lose 10% of their body weight or more. Across the board, however, patients lowered their risk of diabetes and reduced blood levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) while increasing good cholesterol (HDL) and overall heart health.
Catherine Loria, one of the study's co-authors and a nutritional epidemiologist with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which funded the study, was encouraged by the findings. "People do have to choose heart-healthy foods," she says, but "I think the beauty of the study is that they have a lot of flexibility in terms of the dietary approach."
But that's where the trouble begins. It's hard enough to figure out what to eat. Eating less of it is even harder. Researchers had hoped to get study participants to eat 750 calories less than they expended each day - an objective that proved unsustainable. Dieters adhered to the initial plan for the first several weeks, but by the six-month mark, they were consuming only 225 calories less than they expended - about a third of the goal - according to a calculation based on overall weight loss. "It's very difficult to reduce your calories enough to really sustain a lot of weight loss," Loria says. (See pictures of facial yoga.)
One failure of most diet plans is that people get hungry and quit, says Sacks, who acknowledges that the sudden reduction of 750 calories in his study was perhaps too steep. "I think what that teaches us is that maybe it's better to make a more gradual change in intake," says Sacks. "That's what I recommend to my patients: let's try to pick a gradual or realistic reduction in calories that's not going to make you really hungry a lot and that you can sustain day after day."
But eating less, however simple it may sound, is hardly a one-man job. Some nutrition experts argue that the balance of responsibility needs to fall more heavily on society at large. Martjin Katan, a professor of nutrition and health at Amsterdam's VU University, wrote an accompanying editorial that analyzed the merits of the diet study. He suggests that focusing on individual diet plans of any kind may be misguided, and that only community-wide change will truly be able to stem the tide of obesity. He points to a small town in France that tapped all of its residents to solve the problem - building more outdoor-sports facilities and creating walking routes, hosting cooking classes and even intervening with at-risk families. After five years, obesity among children was down to 8.8%, less than half the rate of neighboring towns. That success, he writes, "suggests that we may need a new approach to preventing and to treating obesity and that it must be a total-environment approach."
It's a useful lesson for American adults, two-thirds of whom are overweight or obese. Long-term weight loss has proved frustratingly elusive for many obese individuals, but study after study has shown that community and peer support help people take off weight - and keep it off. In this study, the participants who took advantage of group and individual counseling offered as part of the diets had far greater success than those who chose to go it alone. Over the course of two years, participants who went to at least two-thirds of the counseling sessions dropped about 22 lb., 13 lb. more than the average of the entire study population. "Losing weight and sustaining it for two years is difficult," Sacks says. "To help people do that, they need some level of support to keep their motivation and focus."
But the bottom line, according to most obesity experts, is to set realistic goals. Expect what is achievable: a 250-lb. person isn't likely to slim down to supermodel proportions in her lifetime, but she may be able to lose 10 or 20 lb. A moderate 5% or 10% reduction in body weight can significantly improve health, by lowering cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. For many doctors who work with obese patients, the goal is not thinness but well-being - and, ultimately for the patient, self-acceptance.
As for the secret to losing weight? There is none. "It's basic physiology," Loria says. "Eat fewer calories than you expend."
See 9 kid foods to avoid.
See pictures of what makes you eat more food.
View this article on Time.com
Related articles on Time.com:
What's the Best Diet? Eating Less Food
Do Diet Foods Lead to Weight Gain?
Which Are Worse: Calories from Carbs or Fat?
Can Sugar Substitutes Make You Fat?
The Myth of Moderate Exercise
IT admin stole students' nude Facebook pics, cops say
As if we need more proof that people will post anything to social networking sites, we now have this: A former computer administrator at the University of Massachusetts is facing charges he illegally obtained nude pictures of some 16 students by breaking in to their Facebook accounts.
Robert T. DeCampos Jr., 30, of Dartmouth, Massachusetts was arraigned on 13 misdemeanor counts of unauthorized access to a computer and one felony count of larceny over $250, according to news reports. They cited court documents that claimed DeCampos used the students' email accounts to gain access to their personal Facebook accounts. From there, he was able to download nude and partially nude photos that had been posted there.
Police searching DeCampos's apartment found a flash drive containing the photos of the woman obtained during a two-day period in October. Investigators also allegedly discovered "attempted 'upskirt' photos of unsuspecting women" shopping at electronics retailer Best Buy, where DeCampos worked part time.
DeCampos was sacked from his admin job on October 20, four days after the alleged trespasses were discovered. He previously spent two years as the computer manager for the Dartmouth police, ending in 2006.
Robert T. DeCampos Jr., 30, of Dartmouth, Massachusetts was arraigned on 13 misdemeanor counts of unauthorized access to a computer and one felony count of larceny over $250, according to news reports. They cited court documents that claimed DeCampos used the students' email accounts to gain access to their personal Facebook accounts. From there, he was able to download nude and partially nude photos that had been posted there.
Police searching DeCampos's apartment found a flash drive containing the photos of the woman obtained during a two-day period in October. Investigators also allegedly discovered "attempted 'upskirt' photos of unsuspecting women" shopping at electronics retailer Best Buy, where DeCampos worked part time.
DeCampos was sacked from his admin job on October 20, four days after the alleged trespasses were discovered. He previously spent two years as the computer manager for the Dartmouth police, ending in 2006.
Facebook to let users give input on policies
NEW YORK - Facebook is trying its hand at democracy.
The fast-growing online hangout, whose more than 175 million worldwide users could form the world's sixth-largest country behind Brazil, said Thursday that those users will play a "meaningful role" in deciding the site's policies and voting on changes.
Facebook is trying to recover from last week's policy-change blunder, which prompted tens of thousands to join online protests. At issue was who controls the information, like photos, posts and messages, that people share with their friends on the site.
As Facebook becomes an integral part of its users' daily lives, a place to muse about everything from relationships to root canals, they understandably worry about who gets access to their private information and whether it could end up in the wrong hands.
On Thursday, founder Mark Zuckerberg sought to reassure users that they own their information, not Facebook. And in a broader step, the company also said its users will get a hand in determining the various policies — such as privacy, ownership and sharing — by reviewing, commenting and voting on them before they are put in place.
If more than 7,000 users comment on any proposed change, it would go to a vote. It would be binding to Facebook if more than 30 percent of active users vote. Based on Facebook's current size, that would be nearly 53 million people. By comparison, a group created to protest Facebook's new terms has roughly 139,600 members as of Thursday.
"As people share more information on services like Facebook, a new relationship is created between Internet companies and the people they serve," Zuckerberg said in a statement. "The past week reminded us that users feel a real sense of ownership over Facebook itself, not just the information they share."
Zuckerberg said the purpose of Facebook is to make the world more transparent by giving people the power to share information, and as such Facebook itself should be transparent as well.
It is unusual, but not entirely unprecedented, for companies to let users help shape their governing policies. LiveJournal, a social diary site that's part blog, part social network, let users share their thoughts on a proposed set of user policies last year — though it didn't go as far as calling for a vote.
Earlier this month, the site quietly updated its terms of use — its governing document — sparking an uproar after popular consumer rights advocacy blog Consumerist.com referred to them as "We Can Do Anything We Want With Your Content. Forever."
After tens of thousands protested, Facebook decided to revert to its previous user policies while it figured out how best to update them.
The latest controversy was not the first time Facebook angered its users, who have come to expect a sense of privacy even as they share things with friends. From its start as a college students-only site five years ago, Facebook has always billed itself as a guarded place that gives its users control over who can access their profiles, posts and even list of friends. But there have been several hiccups along the way.
In late 2007, a tracking tool called "Beacon" caught users off-guard by broadcasting information about their shopping habits and activities at other Web sites. After initially resisting, the company ultimately allowed users to turn Beacon off. A redesign of the site last year also prompted thousands to protest, but in that case Facebook kept its new look.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Facebook is privately held. Microsoft Corp. bought a 1.6 percent stake in the company in 2007 for $240 million as part of a broader advertising partnership.
The fast-growing online hangout, whose more than 175 million worldwide users could form the world's sixth-largest country behind Brazil, said Thursday that those users will play a "meaningful role" in deciding the site's policies and voting on changes.
Facebook is trying to recover from last week's policy-change blunder, which prompted tens of thousands to join online protests. At issue was who controls the information, like photos, posts and messages, that people share with their friends on the site.
As Facebook becomes an integral part of its users' daily lives, a place to muse about everything from relationships to root canals, they understandably worry about who gets access to their private information and whether it could end up in the wrong hands.
On Thursday, founder Mark Zuckerberg sought to reassure users that they own their information, not Facebook. And in a broader step, the company also said its users will get a hand in determining the various policies — such as privacy, ownership and sharing — by reviewing, commenting and voting on them before they are put in place.
If more than 7,000 users comment on any proposed change, it would go to a vote. It would be binding to Facebook if more than 30 percent of active users vote. Based on Facebook's current size, that would be nearly 53 million people. By comparison, a group created to protest Facebook's new terms has roughly 139,600 members as of Thursday.
"As people share more information on services like Facebook, a new relationship is created between Internet companies and the people they serve," Zuckerberg said in a statement. "The past week reminded us that users feel a real sense of ownership over Facebook itself, not just the information they share."
Zuckerberg said the purpose of Facebook is to make the world more transparent by giving people the power to share information, and as such Facebook itself should be transparent as well.
It is unusual, but not entirely unprecedented, for companies to let users help shape their governing policies. LiveJournal, a social diary site that's part blog, part social network, let users share their thoughts on a proposed set of user policies last year — though it didn't go as far as calling for a vote.
Earlier this month, the site quietly updated its terms of use — its governing document — sparking an uproar after popular consumer rights advocacy blog Consumerist.com referred to them as "We Can Do Anything We Want With Your Content. Forever."
After tens of thousands protested, Facebook decided to revert to its previous user policies while it figured out how best to update them.
The latest controversy was not the first time Facebook angered its users, who have come to expect a sense of privacy even as they share things with friends. From its start as a college students-only site five years ago, Facebook has always billed itself as a guarded place that gives its users control over who can access their profiles, posts and even list of friends. But there have been several hiccups along the way.
In late 2007, a tracking tool called "Beacon" caught users off-guard by broadcasting information about their shopping habits and activities at other Web sites. After initially resisting, the company ultimately allowed users to turn Beacon off. A redesign of the site last year also prompted thousands to protest, but in that case Facebook kept its new look.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Facebook is privately held. Microsoft Corp. bought a 1.6 percent stake in the company in 2007 for $240 million as part of a broader advertising partnership.
Arsenal, Arshavin asks for more time to be up to speed
Andrey Arshavin admits he needs time to adapt to the pace of the Premier League after making his Arsenal debut in Saturday's 0-0 draw against Sunderland.
"I am doing everything I can to be fully fit as soon as possible," The Daily Mail reported he said. "If I played on Saturday in the Russian Premier League, I think I would have been okay but the English Premier League is quicker. So I will have to see how long it takes me to be up to speed."
"I enjoyed my debut in front of so many spectators but am disappointed we did not get the result," added Arshavin. "Sunderland played very defensive."
"I am doing everything I can to be fully fit as soon as possible," The Daily Mail reported he said. "If I played on Saturday in the Russian Premier League, I think I would have been okay but the English Premier League is quicker. So I will have to see how long it takes me to be up to speed."
"I enjoyed my debut in front of so many spectators but am disappointed we did not get the result," added Arshavin. "Sunderland played very defensive."
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