travelling the world: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Bodybuilding.com - Strong Words, Vol. 1: New Titles In Health And ...

by Nick Collias Feb 27, 2013

Even the most computer-attached among us can usually point to a book or video that helped put us on the right path in fitness and strength training. Maybe yours was Arnold's New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, or a classic Robert Kennedy or Larry Scott title. Perhaps it was an obscure VHS that you wore out, or something you'd rather not admit to, but which still made you feel like you'd "gotten it" for the first time.

Even during the digital age, high-quality books and videos still set the bar when it comes to presenting comprehensive, well-sourced research and innovative training systems. In this new regular feature, we'll run down the latest promising new releases worthy of a place on your nightstand or coffee table. If you're looking for a way to turn your interest in training into a full-fledged education, they'll give you a good idea where to start.

Delavier's Anatomy for Bigger, Stronger Arms
by Frederick Delavier and Michael Gundill
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Price: $24.95

Who it's for: Anyone who believes a muscular physique begins with a strong knowledge of anatomy.

While definitely the most popular group of muscles for people to train, the arms are also the simplest, and they're arguably of much lower importance when compared to the muscles of the hips, legs, back, or core.

So I understand why legendary French illustrator Frederic Delavier, author of Strength Training Anatomy and a host of other titles, chose to focus on the arms in the second of his body part-specific training guides, after 2011's Core Training Anatomy. I just wish he'd hurry up and hit more body parts!

This book is chock-full of high-quality photos and illustrations done by Delavier himself. Demonstrating a deep practical and working knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics, Delavier and co-author Michael Gundill outline everything you need to know to build large, shapely arms.

A beginner can pick up this book and find the exercises, goal-setting guide, and arm workout programs they need to start their journey. Meanwhile, there is plenty of meat for the seasoned trainer, such as an impressive section on selectively training and understanding weak areas, common pathologies, and carryover into sport.

I have never seen a book that covered arm training at such a high level, yet was so simple to follow and beautifully illustrated. Anatomy for Bigger, Stronger Arms is without peer.
- Matt Biss

Anatomy For Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention
by Jay Dicharry, MPT, SCS.
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Price: $14.95

Who it's for: Athletes who don't think "runner" needs to be a synonym for "weak" or "slouched".

The sport of running is at a crossroads. On one hand, the chorus of voices in the fitness community advocating sprints and interval training, and dismissing distance running altogether, has never been louder. On the other, extreme feats like ultramarathons are exploding in popularity.

In Anatomy for Runners, Jay Dicharry, the director of the SPEED Clinic and the Motion Analysis Lab at the University of Virginia, offers an "approachable biomechanics text" outlining how one of the foundational human movements has devolved into "some crazy type of badge-of-courage sport in which you have to pound yourself into shape day-in and day-out until you emerge on top."

Lost somewhere among the endless miles runners are logging are basic ideas like form, conditioning, and risk assessment, all of which runners ignore at their own peril, Dicharry writes.

Stunningly, more than 80 percent of runners will sustain a running-related injury at some point in their lifetime, yet as he points out, the act of running itself has never been clinically proven to be bad for you. In response, Dicharry recalls his own checkered history with running and injury before laying out "how the musculoskeletal system responds to running, and how to optimize this relationship."

In a slim volume priced less than a bestselling novel, he offers up well-illustrated mobility and stability tests to assess form, corrective exercises to improve flexibility and strength?including weightlifting?and principled tips in regard to footwear, stretching, and trends like barefoot running.

While he seems to favor a minimalist or barefoot approach to running, Dicharry also grants that heel-strikers can run without injury, and offers recommendations to help them do so. That may seem a small concession, but by bringing them in, he succeeds in making Anatomy for Runners a necessary title for runners of all stripes.

Click here to read our interview with Jay Dicharry and see his exclusive strength training program for runners.
- Nick Collias

Power Speed Endurance: A Skill-Based Approach to Endurance Training
by Brian MacKenzie
Publisher: Victory Belt Publishing
Price: $39.95

Who it's for: Enterprising home-CrossFitters who both sprint and go the distance.

Like Jay Dicharry, Brian MacKenzie treats running and other endurance sports as skills that should be developed strategically, rather than simply by piling on volume.

However, MacKenzie, the creator of the CrossFit offshoot CrossFit Endurance, goes far beyond biomechanics in Power Speed Endurance, laying out a total approach to preparing for endurance running, rowing, cycling, swimming, or triathlons. In a large and lavishly illustrated manifesto, MacKenzie goes into deep detail about strength training and conditioning, athletic technique, programming, and even nutrition and performance fueling.

In short, MacKenzie advocates preparation for distance rather than through distance. While long-distance training has a place in his programs, it is something to be worked up to in the long-term. In the short term, "stamina work is done at 80 percent effort or above," in the form of intervals, time trials, technique drills, and CrossFit AMRAP onslaughts.

The goal, he says, is efficiency: "First, master the skill of movement to improve movement efficiency; second, slowly add higher intensity workouts to build strength and test the limitations of your technique; then, once you can maintain technique with intensity, add volume."

A narrative of injury-prevention and overall health runs deep through Power Speed Endurance. Both MacKenzie and T.J. Murphy, who contributes the forward, detail how their experiences with traditional endurance training left them injury-ravaged and fundamentally weakened. CrossFit was their savior, leaving them able to both run a race and walk comfortably afterward.

At about half the price of a monthly membership to a CrossFit gym, MacKenzie's volume is a valuable exercise reference for anyone considering making the change to that system, or to CrossFit Endurance. If you're considering doing those systems on the cheap at home or in a standard gym, the volume is doubly valuable; he offers comprehensive 6-week and 12-week introductory programs, both general and sport-specific.
- Nick Collias

Raising the Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-Up Bar Calisthenics (DVD)
by Al Kavadlo
Publisher: Dragon Door Publications
Price: $29.95

Who it's for: Bodyweight-movement enthusiasts looking for new challenges on the cheap.

You'd probably recognize Al Kavadlo by sight if you've seen one of his 150 or so instructional YouTube videos. In each of them, this lean, tat-covered strength coach calmly explains and performs incredibly difficult bodyweight feats of strength using playground equipment in New York City's Thompson Square Park.

Kavadlo's almost cartoonishly friendly demeanor and his focus on strict progressions make for a welcome contrast to the chest-pounding music video vibe of most other playground workout videos. He clearly wants to teach, not just show what he can do.

In Kavadlo's new DVD, Raising the Bar?a companion to the book of the same name?he lays out detailed progressions for a wide variety of pull-ups, dips, muscle-ups, handstands, and levers. He and his brother Danny (similar tats, but scowling rather than smiling) cover everything from the simple two-arm hang to advanced plyometric moves, ending each short lesson with a short freestyle exhibition showcasing goal movements like fist muscle-ups and behind-the-back clapping pull-ups.

The value of a guide like Kavadlo's is clear for anyone aiming for specific bodyweight goals like a one-armed pull-up or muscle-up. However, it's also valuable simply for preserving the idea that movements and skills, rather than numbers or body markers, are legitimate end goals.

This isn't a system that works if you do it once each week. It needs to be practiced and nurtured over years, but the ultimate reward isn't just strength or body composition. It's a new way to play.
- Nick Collias

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story
by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: $35

Who it's for: Diehard fans looking for the final word on the Austrian Oak.

Being an avid bodybuilding fan for most of my life, I was as giddy as a Japanese school girl rocking a Hello Kitty cosplay at Comic-Con when this was finally published. Total Recall is a revealing look at some of the details of the Austrian Oak's life and career development, offering plenty of memories and anecdotes from his early life that even fans like me missed over the years.

Coming from a damaged post World War II Austria, Arnold views America as a beacon of success and strength and vows to get himself there. He goes unabashedly after what he wants, taking obstacles out of his path with his indomitable will like a heat-seeking missile.

Arriving in America with only a gym bag in hand, Schwarzenegger uses his determination and cunning to build an empire founded on bodybuilding, movies, and business. Many gritty details from his film-making and politics come to light in Total Recall, but predictably, much of the dirty laundry remains hidden, with only glancing mentions of some of the obvious scandals already known to the public.

Having spent more time than most learning about Arnold, this new addition to the Oak's library brings enough new content to make it a worthwhile investment. It is an enjoyable read but feels cautious?you can only wonder what was left out. Maybe instead of Total Recall: My Unbelievable True Life Story it should be titled Total Image Control: The Inspiring Parts of my Life Story.
- Matt Biss

Know of a new book, ebook, or video we should review? Drop a line to nick.collias@bodybuilding.com.

About The Author

Nick Collias is the Senior Content Editor at Bodybuilding.com.

SUCCESS:

Your comment has been posted! Because comments are displayed from oldest to newest, it will appear on the last page.

ERROR:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer mattis varius nisi eu aliquet. Integer mattis.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Follow This Discussion by:
Email

Businesses signal a rise in investment plans

Reuters ? ? ? 5 hrs.

A gauge of planned U.S. business spending increased by the most in just over a year in January and new orders for long-lasting manufactured goods excluding transportation rose solidly, pointing to underlying strength in factory activity.

The Commerce Department said on Wednesday non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, jumped 6.3 percent, the biggest gain since December 2011, after slipping 0.3 percent in December.

Economists had expected this category to only rise 0.2 percent.

Durable goods orders excluding transportation increased 1.9 percent, the largest gain since December 2011, after increasing 1 percent in December. That was well above economists' expectations for a 0.2 percent gain.

However, overall orders for durable goods - items from toasters to aircraft that are meant to last at least three years - tumbled 5.2 percent as demand for civilian and defense aircraft fell sharply. Last month's drop was the first since August.

The strong rise in so-called core capital goods should bolster expectations for business spending on equipment and software to remain on an upward trend this quarter.

Still, the report is unlikely to change the Federal Reserve's very easy monetary policy stance.

Factory activity has cooled in recent months after helping to lift the economy from the 2007-09 recession. Sluggish domestic demand, tighter fiscal policy and slowing global growth are holding back manufacturing.

Last month, shipments of non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, used to calculate equipment and software spending in the gross domestic product report, fell 1 percent after being flat the prior month.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/businesses-signal-rise-investment-plans-1C8585250

andy whitfield kennedy demi moore roy oswalt kevin martin 2012 senior bowl chuck series finale

White House: No part in detainee release

(Photo: FOX News videos)

On Wednesday, a day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced its decision to release several hundred illegal immigrants from detention centers facing budget cuts, the White House stressed it had no hand in the decision.

Jay Carney, White House press secretary, told reporters at Wednesday's White House press briefing that "this was a decision made by career officials at ICE, without any input from the White House, as a result of fiscal uncertainty over the continuing resolution, as well as possible sequester." Sequester refers to the across-the-board spending cuts set to take effect March 1 in the absence of a federal budget.

Also on Wednesday, ICE, in what it said was news unrelated to the release of the detainees, announced that Gary Mead, the ICE official in charge of the agency's detention facilities, is retiring.

A day earlier the agency said it had released several hundred detainees housed at some of the nation's 250 detention centers in response to sequestration, which would cut billions out of the budget beginning this Friday. The decision immediately drew criticism from Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who called the move a publicity stunt.

Carney stressed that the several hundred detainees released were "low-risk, noncriminal detainees" and will still be monitored until their deportations?just under a less-expensive system.

ICE estimates that it takes about $165 per day to house illegal immigrants awaiting deportation. Some immigrants are held because they cannot afford to make bail, others because they have been deemed high-risk. Department of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano said the looming budget cuts threatened her agency's ability to maintain the 34,000 detention beds they are required to have by Congress.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that Mead had emailed his colleagues announcing his resignation.

ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said Mead was not resigning, but simply informing his colleagues of his long-planned desire to retire. "Gary Mead announced several weeks ago to ICE senior leadership that he planned to retire after 40 years in federal service and 6 years at ICE," Christensen wrote in an email to Yahoo News. "As planned, and as shared with ICE staff weeks ago, Mr. Mead will retire at the end of April.?

Under Mead's nearly four-year tenure, ICE has attempted to make its detention facilities less prisonlike. In some newer facilities, detainees have freedom of movement and do not have to wear traditional prison uniforms.

"We're not in the business of holding people for long-term punitive reasons, you know, serving a sentence," Mead told a reporter last year. "It was never our authority or responsibility to punish people or to correct their behavior. ? We have to treat them very differently than a state prison system or a county jail system would treat people in their custody."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/white-house-distances-itself-decision-release-detainees-ahead-211745750--politics.html

woody guthrie benson henderson 2012 dunk contest edgar vs henderson berkshire hathaway ufc 144 james jones

Apartment building on the rise in Brooklyn, Bronx - Real Estate Weekly

The number of units for Brooklyn and the Bronx has more than doubled in the last year, according to the NYBC.

New York City apartment builders are putting their money where the future is ? and that?s Brooklyn and the Bronx according to the latest review of building permits issued last year.

A New York Building Congress analysis of U.S. Census data found that the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) issued residential permits for 10,599 units in 1,011 buildings in 2012, a 19 percent increase (in units) from 2011 when 8,936 units were authorized in 997 buildings. The number of residential permits issued has increased 75 percent since 2009 when it hit a post-recession low of 6,057 units.

Brooklyn and the Bronx have seen the biggest resurgence, with the number of residential units authorized more than doubling there last year, according to the NYBC.

Brooklyn was first among the five boroughs with 3,353 units permitted (up from 1,522 units in 2011) followed by The Bronx with 2,552 units (up from 1,116 a year ago).

Queens, moved in the opposite direction. Residential permits fell from 3,182 in 2011 to 1,529 in 2012. As a result, Queens dropped to fourth of the five boroughs in 2012, after topping the list in 2010 and 2011.

Manhattan residential permits remained stable, going from 2,535 in 2011 to 2,492 in 2012. In 2010, just 903 units were permitted in Manhattan. Staten Island experienced a modest increase, from 581 units in 2011 to 673 in 2012.

Of the 10,599 housing units authorized in 2012, 86 percent are to be located in buildings that will house five or more families.

Two family buildings accounted for 6 percent of authorized units followed by 3-4 family buildings (5 percent) and single family homes (3 percent).
?In applying for new permits, the City?s residential developers are expressing renewed confidence in the City?s future, as are the banks that have once again started providing construction financing,? said Richard Anderson, president of the Building Congress.

?These positive indicators demonstrate that the residential sector will be a strong and growing source of spending and construction employment throughout the five boroughs.?

Despite the recent resurgence, residential permits remain far below the levels attained between 2005 and 2008, a four year period in which the DOB issued permits for more than 30,000 units.

At its 2008 peak, the DOB issued permits for 33,911 units in 2,434 buildings.

But residential construction activity is on the upswing with further growth anticipated in the coming years.

In its most recent construction forecast, released in October 2012, the Building Congress estimated that 10,000 residential units would be produced in 2012, followed by 12,500 units in 2013 and 15,000 units in 2014.

?The residential market is steadily climbing back from the doldrums of 2009 and 2010,? said Anderson.

?While we are likely to remain well below the peak attained in the middle of the previous decade, the latest data is encouraging nonetheless. ?

The estimated cost of construction per unit reached $98,000 in 2012, an increase of less than $1,000 per unit from 2011. Both Staten Island ($133,000) and Queens ($105,000) topped $100,000 per unit, while the cost per unit in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx fell within a range of $93,000 to $95,000.

The discrepancy in per-unit costs is a result of Staten Island and Queens being home to more one- and two-family construction projects, which are more expensive to build than multi-family housing.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Uh Oh Miley! Liam Hemsworth Cheated With January Jones?

Liam Hemsworth banged January Jones? Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have only been engaged about eight months, but things aren’t going well if the latest reports are true. The 23-year-old Australian actor reportedly cheated on the singer with 35-year-old “Mad Men” star January Jones. There are reports that January and Liam got “hot and heavy” at a pre-Oscar party this ...

Uh Oh Miley! Liam Hemsworth Cheated With January Jones? Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/02/uh-oh-miley-fiance-liam-hemsworth-cheated-with-january-jones/

notre dame football Bcs Bowl Chuck Hagel ncaa football CES russell wilson Pokemon

How to Prevent Hair Loss and Dandruff - about food, health, diets ...

A lot of people suffer from hair loss or dandruff. It is believed that these problems can occur due to genetics, weather condition, sensitive skin, stress.. However, there is a way to change something and improve the appearance of your hair.

1.To prevent hair loss one should follow a diet that includes a lot of raw foods that are rich in vitamins, enzymes, auxins (organic substances that act on cell growth), and wheat germ.

hair How to Prevent Hair Loss and Dandruff

2. For beautiful and healthy hair drink the juice from young barley, in doses 3 x 50 ml per day.
3. Wash your hair with a natural ?shampoo? which you have prepared yourself.
Needed: A young nettle (root) 20g, burdock (root) 20g.
BurdockRoot How to Prevent Hair Loss and Dandruff
Boil? the roots of young nettle and burdock during 10 minutes in 1 litre of water. Strain and wash the hair. After that, rub the hairy skin of the head with the earlier prepared mixture. Leave it in a bottle the following mixture for 10-14 days with daily agitation: 100g of burdock root, 50g of nettles, 50g of birch buds, 200 ml of alcohol (40/70%). Then strain the liquid and massage with it the scalp. This type of massage combats dandruff.

Source: http://wechoosehealthy.com/prevent-hair-loss-dandruff/

dez bryant Kitty Wells Marissa Mayer Jon Lord

Poland finds signs of horse meat at three warehouses

WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish authorities found signs of horse DNA in beef stored at three storage facilities after several countries pointed to Poland as one of the sources of tainted meat that has shaken up the European food industry.

Officials in Ireland, Britain, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic have reported that products such as burgers and lasagne contained horsemeat that originated from facilities in Poland.

Poland's General Veterinary Inspectorate said in a statement late on Wednesday it found three tainted samples from 121 tested, with 80 more to be examined.

Polish officials had previously said they found no signs of horse meat at all abattoirs tested.

A European scandal erupted last month when tests in Ireland revealed some beef products contained horse meat, triggering recalls of ready-made meals in several countries and damaging confidence in Europe's vast and complex food industry.

Poland exports 330,000 metric tons of beef products annually, or more than three-quarters of its total production, mainly to other European Union members.

(Reporting by Chris Borowski; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/poland-finds-signs-horse-meat-three-warehouses-081621401--finance.html

cleveland plain dealer john scott barry sanders barry sanders jimmie johnson juan pablo montoya crash chardon high school shooting

Daily Chronicle | Music, movie industry to warn copyright infringers

WASHINGTON ? Internet users who illegally share music, movies or TV shows online may soon get warning notices from their service providers that they are violating copyright law. Ignore the notices, and violators could face an Internet slow-down for 48 hours. Those who claim they?re innocent can protest ? for a fee.

For the first time since a spate of aggressive and unpopular lawsuits almost a decade ago, the music and movie industries are going after Internet users they accuse of swapping copyrighted files online. But unlike the lawsuits from the mid-2000s ? which swept up everyone from young kids to the elderly with sometimes ruinous financial penalties and court costs ? the latest effort is aimed at educating casual Internet pirates and convincing them to stop. There are multiple chances to make amends and no immediate legal consequences under the program if they don?t.

?There?s a bunch of questions that need to be answered because there are ways that this could end up causing problems for Internet users,? such as the bureaucratic headache of being falsely accused, said David Sohn, general counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington-based civil liberties group. But he added: ?There?s also the potential for this to have an impact in reducing piracy in ways that don?t carry a lot of collateral damage.?

The Copyright Alert System was put into effect this week by the nation?s five biggest Internet service providers ? Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Cablevision ? and the two major associations representing industry ? the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America.

Under the new program, the industry will monitor ?peer-to-peer? software services for evidence of copyrighted files being shared. Each complaint will prompt a customer?s Internet provider to notify the customer that their Internet address has been detected sharing files illegally. Depending on the service provider, the first couple of alerts will likely be an email warning. Subsequent alerts might require a person to acknowledge receipt or review educational materials. If a final warning is ignored, a person could be subject to speed-throttling for 48 hours or another similar ?mitigation measure.?

After five or six ?strikes,? however, the person won?t face any repercussions under the program and is likely to be ignored. It?s unclear whether such repeat offenders would be more likely at that point to face an expensive lawsuit. While proponents say it?s not the intention of the program, it?s possible the alert system will be used to initiate lawsuits.

The number of Internet users subject to the new system is a sizable chunk of the U.S. population. Verizon and AT&T alone supply more than 23 million customers.

For the recording industry, which blames online piracy for contributing to a dramatic drop in profits and sales during the past decade, the new alert system is a better alternative than lawsuits. In December 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America announced it had discontinued that practice ? which had been deeply unpopular with the American public ? and would begin working with the Internet providers on the alert system instead.

?We think there is a positive impact of (alert) programs like this, and that they can put money in the pocket of artists and labels,? said Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the trade group.

The Motion Picture Association of America estimates some 29 million people have downloaded or watched unauthorized movies or TV shows online, mostly using technology such as BitTorrent, a popular peer-to-peer protocol. Like its counterparts in the music industry, the MPAA says it believes people will stop when they understand it?s illegal and are redirected to legal ways of paying for downloads.

The alert system ?will help ensure an Internet that works for everyone by alerting families of illegal activity that has occurred over peer-to-peer networks using their Internet accounts and educate them on how they can prevent such activity from happening again,? Michael O?Leary, an executive for the MPAA, said in a statement Tuesday.

A primary question is whether the system will generate a significant number of ?false positives,? or cases in which people are accused of sharing illegal content but aren?t. One scenario is if a person doesn?t encrypt their wireless connection, leaving it open to a neighbor or malicious hacker that swaps illegal files. Another example might be if a person uploads a ?mashup? of songs or brief scenes from a movie ? content that wouldn?t necessarily violate the law but could get flagged by the system.

The Center for Copyright Information, which created the alert system, is responsible for producing the methods that companies will be allowed to use to catch pirates, but it said Tuesday it won?t release those details publicly. It said the system will rely on humans to review the entire content of every file to make sure it qualifies as material protected under copyright laws.

?This is an imperfect science,? said Yoshi Kohno, an associate professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington. ?The likelihood of a false positive depends on the diligence of the party doing the investigation.?

Bartees Cox, a spokesman for the consumer watchdog group Public Knowledge, says it will watching to ensure the program doesn?t evolve into imposing harsher punishments by Internet providers, such as terminating a person?s Internet access altogether if they are accused of being a prolific violator.

If a person believes they?ve been wrongly accused, they will have multiple chances to delete the material and move on without any repercussion. If the problem is chronic, they can pay $35 to appeal ? a charge intended to deter frivolous appeals but also one that can be waived. The center says it won?t require proof that a person is financially strapped.

The center?s director, Jill Lesser, said the goal is to educate the average Internet user, rather than punish them, and no one will see their Internet access cut off.

?This is the first time the focus has been on education and awareness and redirection to legal and authorized services and not on punitive measures or a carrot-and-stick approach,? she said.

Sohn said the effort will be a significant test whether voluntary measures can reduce copyright infringement.

?The long-term challenge here is getting users to change their attitudes and behaviors and views toward copyright infringement, because the technology that enables infringement ? computers, digital technology and the Internet ? that stuff isn?t going away,? he said.

Online:

http://www.copyrightinformation.org/the-copyright-alert-system

There are 35 hours, 20 minutes remaining to comment on this story.

Source: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2013/02/27/music-movie-industry-to-warn-copyright-infringers/acexw0m/

girl scouts printable bracket game change own stacy francis tournament brackets 2012 ncaa basketball tournament

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

China Plans To Expand 4M Broadband Coverage To 70% Of Its Internet Users

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) minister Miao Wei announced yesterday?(link via Google Translate)?that the Chinese government plans to increase the number of households with broadband access, and that more than 70 percent of China's Internet users will have 4M broadband service by the end of 2013. The initiative is part of the 2013 Broadband China project, which aims to increase FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) coverage by more 35 million households this year. In 2012, the number of households with FTTH increased 49 percent to 94 million, the MIIT said. The government also plans to expand the number of public wireless hotspots by 1.3 million this year, Miao said.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/pxe0QWU8cHs/

whitney houston funeral live pat buchanan slither slither naacp glen campbell

Eat too much? Maybe it's in the blood

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Bone marrow cells that produce brain-derived eurotrophic factor (BDNF), known to affect regulation of food intake, travel to part of the hypothalamus in the brain where they "fine-tune" appetite, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Shiga University of Medical Science in Otsu, Shiga, Japan, in a report that appears online in the journal Nature Communications.

"We knew that blood cells produced BDNF," said Dr. Lawrence Chan, professor of molecular and cellular biology and professor and chief of the division of diabetes, endocrinology & metabolism in the department of medicine and director of the federally funded Diabetes Research Center, all at BCM. The factor is produced in the brain and in nerve cells as well. "We didn't know why it was produced in blood cells."

Dr. Hiroshi Urabe and Dr. Hideto Kojima, current and former postdoctoral fellows in Chan's laboratory respectively, looked for BDNF in the brains of mice who had not been fed for about 24 hours. The bone marrow-derived cells had been marked with a fluorescent protein that showed up on microscopy. To their surprise, they found cells producing BDNF in a part of the brain's hypothalamus called the paraventricular nucleus.

"We knew that in embryonic development, some blood cells do go to the brain and become microglial cells," said Chan. (Microglial cells form part of the supporting structure of the central nervous system. They are characterized by a nucleus from which "branches" expand in all directions.) "This is the first time we have shown that this happens in adulthood. Blood cells can go to one part of the brain and become physically changed to become microglial-like cells."

However, these bone marrow cells produce a bone marrow-specific variant of BDNF, one that is different from that produced by the regular microglial cells already in the hypothalamus.

Only a few of these blood-derived cells actually reach the hypothalamus, said Chan.

"It's not very impressive if you look casually under the microscope," he said. However, a careful scrutiny showed that the branching nature of these cells allow them to come into contact with a whole host of brain cells.

"Their effects are amplified," said Chan.

Mice that are born lacking the ability to produce blood cells that make BDNF overeat, become obese and develop insulin resistance (a lack of response to insulin that affects the ability to metabolize glucose). A bone marrow transplant that restores the gene for making the cells that produce BDNF can normalize appetite, said Chan. However, a transplant of bone marrow that does not contain this gene does not reverse overeating, obesity or insulin resistance.

When normal bone marrow cells that produce BDNF are injected into the third ventricle (a fluid-filled cavity in the brain) of mice that lack BDNF, they no longer have the urge to overeat, said Chan.

All in all, the studies represent a new mechanism by which these bone-marrow derived cells control feeding through BDNF and could provide a new avenue to attack obesity, said Chan.

He and his colleagues hypothesize that the bone marrow cells that produce BDNF fine tune the appetite response, although a host of different appetite-controlling hormones produced by the regular nerve cells in the hypothalamus do the lion's share of the work.

"Bone marrow cells are so accessible," said Chan. "If these cells play a regulatory role, we could draw some blood, modify something in it or add something that binds to blood cells and give it back. We may even be able to deliver medication that goes to the brain," crossing the blood-brain barrier. Even a few of these cells can have an effect because their geometry means that they have contact with many different neurons or nerve cells.

He credits Urabe and Kojima (now with Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan) with doing most of the experiments involved in the research.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Baylor College of Medicine, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Hiroshi Urabe, Hideto Kojima, Lawrence Chan, Tomoya Terashima, Nobuhiro Ogawa, Miwako Katagi, Kazunori Fujino, Asako Kumagai, Hiromichi Kawai, Akihiro Asakawa, Akio Inui, Hitoshi Yasuda, Yutaka Eguchi, Kazuhiro Oka, Hiroshi Maegawa, Atsunori Kashiwagi, Hiroshi Kimura. Haematopoietic cells produce BDNF and regulate appetite upon migration to the hypothalamus. Nature Communications, 2013; 4: 1526 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2536

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/zYmXgzMIf6g/130226113824.htm

south carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails red tails heidi klum heidi klum

United Nations Environment Program (25.02.13) - France-Diplomatie

France welcomes the decisions adopted by the first universal session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program, which ended on February 22 in Nairobi (Kenya).

These decisions translate into concrete terms the commitment made at the Rio+20 Summit to strengthen and raise the profile of the United Nations Environment Program within the UN system, championed in particular by France, the EU, the African Union and numerous Asian and Latin American countries.

The proposal to rename the former governing council ?UN Environment Assembly? reflects the determination to ensure that the UN Environment Program serves as the body that will provide leadership and coordination within the UN system.

The goal is also to make the environmental pillar of the UN a model of democracy and openness to civil society by ensuring that it is fully involved in the development of policies and the conduct of various levels of discussions.

These decisions mark a major step toward the eventual creation of a world environment organization, which remains France?s ultimate objective.

Source: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/global-issues/sustainable-development-1097/events-2130/article/united-nations-environment-program

nick swisher jaco san jose sharks humber perfect game ufc 145 fight card ufc145 chimpanzee

arny photometry: Make Grand Entry With South Bend Limo

By: Jennefer Kadarshan

A limo contributes charm and style to all the arrivals in entrance of a grand casino. A VIP entry boosts up your confidence and impresses the other casino's visitors. The South Bend limo is a very popular transport automobile associated with important events or other activities where a sophisticated entry is a must. Rich people, celebrities and superstars generally used to travel by limos to the casino. Either offered by one of the limo companies or the casino itself, the high-class limo is now cost-effective to most of the individuals. As per the price range assigned, it is possible to seek the services of any chauffeured limo that meets individual choices and needs.
Before determining and booking the any Limousine service it is greatly advice to and checks out the limo and the interior to make sure it is cleaned and properly serviced, this will help you to decide, satisfy your needs and prevent future disappointments.
A weekend is expected to be all about fun, and you can appear in style with a south bend Indiana limousine. Whether you are in city or traveling from another state, an experienced limo company can take you to your casino without any hassle. Just forget about locating the casino on the GPS. Do not worry about finding the hotel or even vehicle parking. Sit with the relaxation in a stretch south bend limo with your buddies and relish the journey, while an experienced limo driver takes you to the casino.
A highly demanded limousine for casino services in South Band is the Lincoln stretch limousine. Due to its seductively sleekness and quality clients consider it appropriate for casino and party night outs. Elegant and high-class, the stretch limousine subsequently has got a spacious and flexible interior accommodating perfectly up to 10 passengers and put at their convenience fully stocked bars, leather interior, mood lights, air-conditioning, CD/DVD music, DVD and LCD monitors.
Hire the South Bend Limousine service for your party and casino nights. They are perfect for any occasion either you are celebrating a bachelors party or a corporate event. South Bend Limousine service has top notch limousines for your needs ranging from Chrysler to 15 seat Party bus. The rates are very attractive and easily affordable. They provide professional drives which are second to none. They are truly able to assist you in staying in your budget when other limo services cant do it. They are always strived to fulfill your needs at the time of your event or your memorable event. To feel the difference visit the website of South bend limo.

About the Author:
Platinum Limousine provides the top quality limousines at affordable and attractive rates in South Bend, Indiana and the surrounding areas. For more details visit online at http://sb-platinumlimo.com/

Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Travel-and-Leisure RSS Feed

| RSS feed for this author

Have A Great Time With Surfing World Package By: John | Feb 26th 2013 - Surfing world vacation is a great way of improving health and having fun at the same time. It is important to choose the surf package as per your skill level and budget.
Rexgo "" Removalist Sydney Makes Furniture Moving Enjoyable By: Jhadzmier Schroeder | Feb 26th 2013 - There may be a lot of reasons why you have to move. It may be your new workplace or you have to get closer to your family or be in proximity of such establishment. Whatever your reason may be, RexGo is here to be your knight in shining armor.
Why Rexgo "" Removalist Sydney Is Your Great Relocation Partner By: Jhadzmier Schroeder | Feb 26th 2013 - There may be a lot of reasons why you have to move. It may be your new workplace or you have to get closer to your family or be in proximity of such establishment. Whatever your reason may be, RexGo is here to be your knight in shining armor.
These Holidays Explore Different Shades Of Auckland By: Praveen K | Feb 26th 2013 - With changing times and lifestyles, the way of holidaying and vacationing has also changed. Now travelers wish to travel aboard, not only for business purposes, but also, for holidays.
The Delightful Way Of Moving In Sydney By: Jhadzmier Schroeder | Feb 26th 2013 - Are you currently in the middle of thinking what to do first to start up your relocation project? You may be standing inside your room trying to figure out what to pick up and what to leave behind in packing. Or may be, you are in your office and thinking of what how to move all your office ...
Executive Travel In York: The Services You Can Expect From A Car Rental Company By: Tony Adam | Feb 26th 2013 - While executive travels can be pretty busy and compact with a round-the-clock schedule, such travel can also be quite enjoyable as well, thanks to the car rental companies.
Cheapest Hotels In London, England By: Rechard Seymour | Feb 26th 2013 - London is a travellers delight thus there are many hotels in the city for the travellers to stay in London is a great place to travel for the people of the world who come to the city to enjoy its alive culture and its vibrant lifestyle. It is a city of cities because there is no one way ...
Resorts In Dehradun - A Luxurious Stay By: dipak darji | Feb 26th 2013 - Dehradun is the capital of Uttarakhand. There are a lot of city attractions that locals and tourists will enjoy. Touring the whole city can be tiring but you can pamper yourself by staying in one of their luxurious hotels.
Irrespective Of Your Income Bracket, The Hotels In Mumbai Are Sure To Fit Into Your Bills Of Needs By: Hooker Destinee | Feb 26th 2013 - It is a city which is compatible with income brackets diverse in range, extent, kinds and types. If money is not a cause of constraint, you can always check into one of the most lavish modes of accommodations wit topnotch draws of facility. Similarly, if you are on a budget, you are unlikely ...
Mumbai Hotels With Its Range And Diversity Reflect The Commercial And Cosmopolitan Culture Of The Ci By: Hooker Destinee | Feb 26th 2013 - The areas in vicinity of airport also offer quite a few plush means of living and accommodation. The so called budget hotels in Mumbai are to be found in its suburban areas.

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Site Navigation:

ArticleSnatch Authors:
For Publishers:
For Everyone:
Our Sites:

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Make-Grand-Entry-With-South-Bend-Limo/4454660

ke$ha earl csco big bend national park leon russell meredith vieira prop 8

Source: http://arny-photometry.blogspot.com/2013/02/make-grand-entry-with-south-bend-limo.html

george washington carver king cake fun. hepatitis c symptoms david bradley david foster wallace pinterest

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Ikea withdraws meatballs in more than 20 countries

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? Swedish furniture giant Ikea became entangled in Europe's widening meat scandal Monday, forced to withdraw meatballs from stores across Europe amid suspicions that they contained horse meat.

Stores in the U.S. and Canada were not affected, Ikea said.

The company reacted after authorities in the Czech Republic said they had detected horse DNA in tests of 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) packs of frozen meatballs that were labeled as beef and pork. The Czech State Veterinary Administration said it tested two batches of Ikea meatballs and only one of them contained horse meat. It did not say how much.

Meatballs from the same batch had been sent from a Swedish supplier to 12 other European countries ? Slovakia, Hungary, France, Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Ireland ? and would be pulled off the shelves in all of them, Ikea said.

Later Monday, the company expanded the withdrawals to stores in 21 European countries and in Hong Kong, Thailand and the Dominican Republic, all of which were getting meatballs from the same Swedish supplier.

Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson said that included most European countries, but not Russia and Norway, which use local suppliers. Stores in Poland and Switzerland use both local suppliers and the Swedish one, but would now only use locally produced meatballs, she said.

"This is an extraordinary effort to ensure that no one is worried," Magnusson told The Associated Press.

She added that two weeks ago Ikea tested a range of frozen food products, including meatballs, and found no traces of horse meat. The company plans to conduct its own tests to "validate" the Czech results, she said.

Ikea's North America branch said the U.S. stores get their meatballs from a U.S. supplier.

"Based on the results of our mapping, we can confirm that the contents of the meatballs follow the Ikea recipe and contain only beef and pork from animals raised in the U.S. and Canada," Ikea North America spokeswoman Mona Astra Liss said in a statement.

Ikea is known for its assemble-it-yourself furniture but its trademark blue-and-yellow megastores also have cafeteria-style restaurants offering Swedish dishes such as meatballs served with boiled or mashed potatoes, gravy and lingonberry jam.

European Union officials met Monday to discuss tougher food labeling rules after the discovery of horse meat in a wide range of frozen supermarket meals that were supposed to contain beef or pork. So far those foods include meatballs, burgers, kebabs, lasagna, pizza, tortelloni, ravioli, empanadas and meat pies, among other items.

Authorities say the scandal is a case of fraudulent labeling but does not pose a health risk.

Gunnar Dafgard AB, a family-owned frozen foods company in southwestern Sweden that supplies Ikea's meatballs in Europe, posted a brief statement on its website saying "the batch in question has been blocked and we are investigating the situation."

Spokesman Ola Larsson said the company was conducting its own DNA tests and wouldn't comment further until it has those results.

Sweden's food safety authority said it wasn't taking any action but was waiting for Czech authorities to specify the quantity of horsemeat detected.

"If it's less than 1 percent it could mean that they handled horsemeat at the same facility. If it's more, we assess that it's been mixed into the product," said Karin Cerenius of Sweden's National Food Agency.

The Czech authority said a total of 760 kilograms (1,675 pounds) of the meatballs were stopped from reaching the shelves. It also said it found horse meat in beef burgers imported from Poland during random tests of food products.

"Unfortunately, the testing method we use detects just the quality ... the presence or non-presence of horse DNA," said Jan Vana, a senior official at the State Veterinary Administration. "At the moment, we can't say the quantity of it."

Spanish authorities, meanwhile, announced that traces of horse meat were found in a beef cannelloni product by one of the brands of Nestle, a Switzerland-based food giant.

In a statement on its website, Nestle Spain said it was withdrawing six "La Cocinera" products and one "Buitoni" product from store shelves. It said it was taking the action after traces of horse meat were found in beef bought from a supplier in Spain and that it was taking legal action against the company.

Processed food products ? a business segment with traditionally low margins that often leads producers to hunt for the cheapest suppliers ? often contain ingredients from multiple suppliers in different countries, who themselves at times subcontract production to others, making it hard to monitor every link in the production chain.

Standardized DNA checks with meat suppliers or more stringent labeling rules on disclosing the origin of processed food's ingredients will add costs that producers will most likely hand over to consumers, making food more expensive.

The scandal has created a split in the European Union between nations like Britain, which see further rules as a protectionist hindrance of free trade under the 27-nation bloc's single market, and those calling for tougher regulation, including Austria and Germany.

"Consumers have every right to the greatest-possible transparency," German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner said.

At the meeting in Brussels, several EU agriculture ministers called upon the Commission, the bloc's executive arm, to speed up presenting a proposal on tougher regulation by this summer.

The scandal began in Ireland in mid-January when the country announced the results of its first-ever DNA tests on beef products. It tested frozen beef burgers taken from store shelves and found that more than a third of brands at five supermarkets contained at least a trace of horse. The sample of one brand sold by the British supermarket kingpin Tesco had more than 25 percent horse meat.

___

Associated Press writers Juergen Baetz in Brussels, Karel Janicek in Prague and Ciaran Giles in Madrid contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ikea-withdraws-meatballs-more-20-countries-211231901--finance.html

leon panetta luck

Remember webOS? LG Acquires webOS From HP, But Only Plans To Use It In Smart TVs

Image (1) rsz_webos-20.jpg for post 175804

Troubled operating system webOS isn't defunct yet. According to CNET, LG just acquired software, licenses and the team working on webOS from HP. LG plans to implement it in its smart TVs -- not in its phones. In yet another surprising event, Palm's OS will experience a third (or fourth) life.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/YXip_3mMQHA/

ron burgundy millennial media nit championship transcendentalism bells palsy channel 5 news uc berkeley

Centre left takes strong lead in Italy election: polls

ROME (Reuters) - The centre left is strongly leading in Italy's election, raising the chances of a stable pro-reform government in the euro zone's third largest economy, according to two telephone polls published after voting ended.

The polls on Sky and Rai television after voting ended at 3 p.m. (1400 GMT/9 a.m. ET) showed the centre left of Pier Luigi Bersani 5-6 points ahead of the centre right of former premier Silvio Berlusconi, with the anti-establishment movement of Genoese comedian Beppe Grillo taking third place.

The early polls cheered markets worried that the election could produce a weak, unstable government. Italian shares extended an earlier rally and bonds gained.

The poll for Sky television showed the centre left ahead by 5.5 points in the lower house and by six points in the Senate although the result there will depend on key battleground regions. In the most important, Lombardy, Sky said the centre left was tied with Berlusconi.

Sky had Bersani on 34.5 percent in the lower house, Berlusconi on 29 percent, Grillo on 19 percent and the centrist group of outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti slumping to 9.5 percent after a lackluster campaign that deeply disappointed his backers among foreign governments and investors.

The RAI poll showed a similar line-up, with the centre left six points ahead of Berlusconi in the lower house.

The spread between Italy's benchmark 10-year bonds and the German equivalent narrowed to less than 260 basis points after the poll results, in a sign of investor optimism that the centre left will be able to form a stable, pro-reform government.

The picture could change after computer projections of the result in both houses, expected shortly.

Italy's electoral laws guarantee a strong majority in the lower house to the party or coalition that wins the biggest share of the national vote.

However the Senate, elected on a region-by-region basis, is more complicated and the result could turn on a handful of regions, including Lombardy in the rich industrial north - which the polls showed was tied - and the southern island of Sicily.

Italy, the euro zone's third largest economy, is pivotal to stability in the region as a whole. The period of maximum peril for the currency was when Rome's borrowing costs were spiraling out of control at the end of 2011.

BITTER CAMPAIGN

A bitter campaign, fought largely over economic issues, has been closely watched by financial markets, anxious about the risk of a return of the kind of debt crisis that took the whole euro zone close to disaster and brought the technocrat Monti to office, replacing the scandal-plagued Berlusconi, in 2011.

Monti helped save Italy from a debt crisis, but the polls suggested few Italians see him as the savior of the country, in its longest recession for 20 years.

A surge in protest votes supporting Grillo's 5-Star Movement had raised uncertainty about the chances of a strong, stable government that could fend off the danger of a renewed euro zone crisis.

Grillo's movement rode a huge wave of voter anger about both the pain of Monti's tough austerity program and a string of political and corporate scandals. It had particular appeal for a frustrated younger generation shut out of full-time jobs.

"I'm sick of the scandals and the stealing," said Paolo Gentile, a 49-year-old Rome lawyer who voted for 5-Star.

"We need some young, new people in parliament, not the old parties that are totally discredited."

Bad weather, including heavy snow in some areas, was thought to have hampered the turnout in Italy's first post-war election to be held in winter. This could have favored the centre left, whose voters tend to be more committed than those on the right, which has strong support among older people.

The 76-year-old Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon, pledged sweeping tax cuts and accused Monti of being a puppet of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a media blitz that halved the lead of the centre left since the start of the year.

But many voters said they were sick of his broken promises and his campaign faltered at the end, with Grillo stealing some of his votes. The election could mark the end of a flamboyant two-decade career at the centre of the political stage.

Whatever government emerges will inherit an economy that has been stagnant for much of the past two decades and problems ranging from record youth unemployment to a dysfunctional justice system and a bloated public sector.

(Additional reporting by Stefano Bernabei, Steve Scherer, James Mackenzie and Giuseppe Fonte in Rome, Lisa Jucca in Milan and; Writing by Barry Moody; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/protest-votes-add-uncertainty-close-italy-election-070325879.html

san onofre paula deen birth control recall nick carter leslie carter aaron carter sister pfizer

Oscars have clear favorites, wild-card MacFarlane

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Some firsts and other rarities are possible at Sunday night's Academy Awards. But if the Oscars could be just a little less predictable, the show might really be one for the record books.

Ben Affleck's "Argo" looks like it will uniquely claim best picture without a directing nomination, while "Lincoln" filmmaker Steven Spielberg and star Daniel Day-Lewis are favored to join exclusive lists of three-time Oscar winners.

If some longshots came in, the night could produce two more three-time acting winners ? Sally Field from "Lincoln" and Robert De Niro for "Silver Linings Playbook."

We could also have the oldest or youngest acting winner ever ? 86-year-old "Amour" star Emmanuelle Riva and 9-year-old Quvenzhane (Kwa-VEHN-ja-nay) Wallis of "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

The ABC television broadcast itself could set some fresh highs or lows. Oscar overseers keep talking about pacing and trimming fat from a ceremony that's dragged on interminably, approaching four and a half hours one year. Can they keep it tight and lively enough that viewers don't think about gouging out their eyes around the three-hour mark?

And what about host Seth MacFarlane? He's a classy, low-key guy in person, with an old-fashioned Sinatra-style singing voice that he'll no doubt put to use in a show that's shaping up as a music-heavy, Broadway-style celebration of cinema.

Yet MacFarlane's career is built on pushing the envelope ? or crumpling it and tossing it in the trash ? as he's tested the boundaries of good taste with such brazen shows as his animated series "Family Guy" and last summer's obscenity-laden blockbuster "Ted," which earned him a songwriting Oscar nomination.

The result could be a fun night for younger, hipper TV audiences that Oscar organizers are courting but a crude awakening for traditionalists who like their Academy Awards to lean more toward the sacred than the profane. Or it could be that MacFarlane makes the most of the thankless task of shepherding the Oscars, striking a nice balance between respecting Hollywood and poking fun at it.

"I think a little bit of that injected into the mix will go a long way, but I do also have to be mindful, in this instance, of not losing the audience that's there every year," MacFarlane said. "It's a different audience from my own, but I do have to be respectful that they will be watching."

So maybe it's an Oscar show that's shaken, but not stirred up too much. That might suit one of the evening's special honorees, British super-spy James Bond, whose adventures will be the subject of a tribute to mark the 50th anniversary of his first big-screen outing in "Dr. No." Adele will perform her Oscar-nominated title tune to last year's Bond tale "Skyfall," while the show features Shirley Bassey, who sang the Bond theme songs for "Goldfinger," ''Diamonds Are Forever" and "Moonraker."

The show presents a salute to movie musicals of the last decade, with "Chicago" Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones and "Dreamgirls" winner Jennifer Hudson joining "Les Miserables" cast members that include best-actor nominee Hugh Jackman, supporting-actress front-runner Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter and Amanda Seyfried.

Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have lined up a bubbly mix of young and old Hollywood as presenters, performers and special guests ? from Barbra Streisand, Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda to "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe, "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart, and Robert Downey Jr. and his superhero colleagues from "The Avengers."

Along with front-runners Day-Lewis as best actor for "Lincoln" and Hathaway as supporting actress for "Les Miserables," the other favorites are Jennifer Lawrence as best actress for "Silver Linings Playbook" and Tommy Lee Jones as supporting actor for "Lincoln."

Day-Lewis would be only the sixth performer to earn three or more Oscars and the first to win three times as best actor. "Lincoln" also could make Spielberg just the fourth filmmaker to win three or more directing trophies.

Affleck's thriller "Argo" is in line for best picture after winning practically every top prize at earlier honors. Hollywood was shocked that Affleck was snubbed for a directing nomination, possibly earning the film some sympathy votes, particularly from actors, who love it when one of their own succeeds behind the camera.

The story of how Hollywood, Canada and the CIA teamed up to rescue six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis, "Argo" would become just the fourth film in 85 years to claim the top prize without a best-directing nomination and the first since 1989's "Driving Miss Daisy."

The best-picture prize typically ends the Oscar show, but this time, MacFarlane and Kristin Chenoweth will perform a closing number on the Dolby Theatre stage that producers Zadan and Meron called a "'can't miss' moment."

Keeping the wraps on whatever surprises they have in store has been a chore for them and MacFarlane.

"It's been difficult. The press, as you know, is very nosy and sneaky. They're always sniffing around trying to get any advance notice," MacFarlane said. "It's like (expletive) Christmas. Wait till Christmas morning. Don't spoil the surprise."

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/oscars-clear-favorites-wild-card-macfarlane-155150118.html

Ed Koch Groundhog Day 2013 What Time Is The Superbowl Caleb Moore House of Cards

Safety on everyone's mind at Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III speaks during a news conference before the start of the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Several spectators were injured when a car crashed into the catch fence during the Nationwide Series auto race on Saturday sending debris into the grandstand. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Emergency officials put out a fire from driver Kyle Larson's engine after his car hit the wall and safety fence along the front grandstands on the final lap of a NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Larson's crash sent car parts and other debris flying into the stands injuring spectators. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Injured spectators are treated after a crash at the conclusion of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Driver Kyle Larson's car hit the safety fence sending car parts and other debris flying into the stands. (AP Photo/David Graham)

A wheel, tire and suspension parts sit in the stands after crash on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Several fans were injured when large chunks of debris sailed into the grandstands after a car flew into the fence. (AP Photo/David Graham)

Kyle Larson (32) goes airborne and into the catch fence in a multi-car crash involving Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Parker Kligerman (77), Justin Allgaier (31) and Brian Scott (2) during the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? Raymond Gober parked his motorcycle outside Daytona International Speedway, climbed off and briefly considered bringing his helmet into the track.

"I was about to wear it in, but I knew everyone would be laughing at me," said Gober, a pastor from outside Atlanta.

Maybe not.

Safety was on everyone's mind before and during the Daytona 500 on Sunday, a day after a horrific wreck in a second-tier NASCAR series race hurled chunks of debris, including a heavy tire, into the stands and injured nearly 30 people.

With small spots of blood still soaked into the concrete seating area, the accident raised questions about the safety of fans at race tracks. Should fences be higher and sturdier? Should grandstands be farther from the track?

NASCAR has long been a big draw because of its thrilling speeds, tight-knit racing, frantic finishes and the ability to get so close to the action.

That proximity comes with some risk.

And after Saturday's 12-car melee on the final lap of the Nationwide Series opener, some questioned whether that risk outweighed the reward.

"These are the best seats in the house, but they're also dangerous," Gober said.

Gober was one of thousands of fans who returned to Daytona less than 24 hours after Kyle Larson's car flew into the fence, crumbled into pieces and sprayed parts at spectators.

Early in the 500-mile "Great American Race," a nine-car wreck took out several top contenders.

Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart and 2007 race winner Kevin Harvick were knocked out.

The wreck started when Kasey Kahne let off the gas to slow as they neared the first turn at Daytona International Speedway ? not too far from Saturday's near-disaster. Kyle Busch tried to do the same, but couldn't avoid contact.

Busch sent Kahne spinning across the track. Juan Pablo Montoya, 2010 race winner Jamie McMurray and defending series champion Brad Keselowski also were involved.

Thankfully, the wrecking cars stayed on the track. Things would be considerably different had they done the same Saturday.

"You don't have time to react, but I just remember thinking, 'This is gonna hurt,'" said Steve Bradford, of Dade City. "We were showered with debris."

Gober picked up a bolt that landed next to his left foot and plans to take it home as a souvenir from a crash that could have considerably worse.

He and Bradford have been coming to races at Daytona for years, always seeking out scalped tickets so they can get ultra-close to the cars zooming by at 200 mph.

Now, though?

"Needless to say, we won't be here next year," Bradford said ? meaning the seats, not the race.

He pointed at the upper level.

"Next year, we'll be up there," he said.

Not everyone felt the same way.

John and Andrea Crawford, of Streetsboro, Ohio, love sitting a few rows up. They were there Saturday and back again Sunday, just like so many in that seating section.

The area had rubber marks on seats hit by the tire. Several fans pointed out a chair bent backward, the spot one man was sitting when he got pummeled by the 60-pound tire and wheel.

"I'm not nervous," Andrea Crawford said. "It doesn't happen that much."

When Rick Barasso arrived at his seats, he noticed a few reporters and some tire marks. He asked what was going on and then couldn't stop smiling as he waved his friends over and shared details with them.

"These should be good seats," he said. "I mean, what are the chances?"

Maybe small, but there's little doubt the latest fallout could prompt NASCAR and track officials to consider changes ? at Daytona and elsewhere.

Daytona has plans to remodel the grandstands. Track President Joie Chitwood said Saturday's wreck could prompt sturdier fences or stands farther from the action.

"It's tough to connect the two right now in terms of a potential redevelopment and what occurred," Chitwood said. "We were prepared yesterday, had emergency medical respond. As we learn from this, you bet: If there are things that we can incorporate into the future, whether it's the current property now or any other redevelopment, we will.

"The key is sitting down with NASCAR, finding out the things that happened and how we deal with them."

Daytona reexamined its fencing and ended up replacing the entire thing following Carl Edwards' scary crash at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama in 2009. Edwards' car sailed into the fence and spewed debris into the stands.

"We've made improvements since then," Chitwood said. "I think that's the key: that we learn from this and figure out what else we need to do."

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford said Sunday that things should be done across auto racing. It was just 16 months ago that IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon was killed when his car crashed into a fence at Las Vegas.

"Maybe we need a double fence, one behind the other, with maybe a space in between to do something to stop this," Rutherford said. "There's a lot of things. I'm sure NASCAR and the IndyCar series are looking at everything to make it safer. What happened yesterday was a terrible thing.

"The drivers, we accept that. That's part of the game. We have to roll the dice and move on. But you don't want to involve the fans."

Chitwood said any fans who felt uncomfortable with their up-close seating for the Daytona 500 could exchange their tickets for spots elsewhere.

"If fans are unhappy with their seating location or if they have any incidents, we would relocate them," Chitwood said. "So we'll treat that area like we do every other area of the grandstand. If a fan is not comfortable where they're sitting, we make every accommodation we can."

Few fans seemed willing to relocate.

"Real NASCAR fans ain't scared," said Zeb Daniels, who was attending his fifth Daytona 500 with his daughter. "If we see anything coming to the fence, we'll hit the floor and pray."

So why take a chance?

"We come for the thrill, the excitement," Daniels said. "We can feel the heat, the tire rubber in our eyes."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-24-NASCAR-Daytona%20500-Safety/id-b21d05fdccac496e8ec80f076f5dc46f