Sun Visor will keep your passengers glued to the tube whether you are chauffeuring your children around or carpooling to the office. It has a 7″ LCD screen with 16:9 aspect ratio, DVD/CD player, SD card reader and even a USB port to plug in your computer. The Sun Visor Theater comes with a built-in TV Tuner (Receiver). This means that you and your buddies can catch your favorite morning news show on the way to work.
Wow Wee introduces the world’s first radio controlled flying insect! FlyTech’s RC DragonFly flaps its wings like a real dragonfly for unique flying action. Thanks to the lightweight construction, the Dragonfly can flutter, soar, dive-bomb and glide and its carbon-fiber structure should be hard enough survive from crashes and rough landings.
This bottle opener can be a real life saver (your life) in any college party and sometimes you might need some “shopping assistant”.
Stussy has released their new 2007 Spring Collection catalog. Some of the items are new stickers, a multi-purpose case, and a few new logo tees. More pics after the break!
The picture shown above is the latest item by Kaws’s Original Fake line - the Cat Teeth Bank. It will be released this weekend at Original Fake in Tokyo. FYI, the cat teeth design has become signature design by Kaws over the past few months.
Purchaze received the Nike Air Max 1 “Skulls Pack” in the Classic Green/Barely Grey-Medium Grey Colorway, the Nike Air Max 90 360 “Skulls Pack” in the Black/Black-Classic Green Colorway. Also in two new Nike Court Force Premium (Low and Hi) in the White/White-Voltage Yellow Colorway!
More pictures after the Jump.
Adidas has launched some new products as part of their Spring/Summer 2007 Materials of the World Series. The products include a limited Edition Adidas Samba Germany and a Adidas Women Jacket Germany.
This is the New Balance M670 with new colorway. The sneaker features black, white, and grey featuring a leather toe box, suede upper, and a patent leather back heel. It can be used for casual wear and for semi-formal occasions.
Reebok has decided to release Easter themed Reebok Pumps for the upcoming holiday. These Easter Pumps look very nice and the splatter effect ties the shoe together. Be on the look out for these in April.
Via Nice Kicks
Classic Kicks will release some hoodies under their in-house label Reine et Roi for Spring 2007. They come in 3 different colors and will be available next week only at Classic Kicks, NYC. Phone orders are also accepted! More pics after the jump!
HypeBeast via Kicksaholic
A funny thing happens to people when they get hypothermia. Many of them strip off their clothes as one of their last acts before they die. This is common phenomena among fatal hypothermia cases and is known as ‘paradoxical undressing’. Why in the world would someone who is literally freezing to death take of their clothes?
Here’s the answer from SurvivalTopics.com.
Now the key to what causes paradoxical undressing. Vasoconstriction occurs when the smooth muscles within the vasculature contract. This effort requires a steady input of energy in the form of glucose from the body’s energy stores. However, due to a lack of blood now traveling to these muscles, they eventually tire. As the muscles of the constricted blood vessels run out of energy, they fatigue, relax, and open up. This is known as vasodilation.
With vasodilation of the blood vessels, an infusion of warm blood from the core of the body rushes into the peripheral extremities. This causes the hypothermia victim to feel overly warm and to start shedding layers of clothing, contrary to the reality that their body temperature is continuing to drop.
The victim’s warm blood rushing from their core, coupled with the removal of warm clothing, causes their body temperature to fall even faster. This serves to hasten death from hypothermia and results in another case of paradoxical undressing.
Last Thursday Hallmark launched a new line of cards for more serious topics, such as depression, eating disorders and cancer. The 176 card collection, called Journeys, is now carried in their 3800 Gold Crown stores. Cynthia Musick, the editorial director who oversaw Journeys, said the cards’ writing provides more personal messages of support, encouragement and hope.
Nothing says you care like a $3.00 card that took 5 minutes to pick out.
“Cancer is a villain who doesn’t play fair … but it can’t dim your spirit, and it can’t silence prayer.”
A cheesy cancer rhyme! Ugh…
Now, I live in Kansas City, so I have dear friends and family who work at Hallmark and I like some of the things that company does. Like provide a paycheck to some of my friends and family. I also really like their ‘Fresh Ink’ cards. But this seems like gross profiteering off of people’s most troublesome sorrows.
I’d also like to add that if I’m ever clinically depressed and someone buys me a greeting card specifically addressing my depression in a rhyming manner, I might just end it all right there in front of them.
Just like KU950, the Symbian-based LG KS10 Smartphone also has built-in support for high-speed internet access through 1.8MBps HSDPA, allowing high-quality TV streaming and seamless web browsing experience. The phone already comes with built-in web browser with the ability to save browsed pages, sort, capture web pictures, zoom in/out web page, and search for keywords on page. Moreover, this stylish slider handset offers a 2.4-inch 240×320 TFT LCD display, 3G and Bluetooth connectivities, an integrated 2.0 megapixel camera module with autofocus and secondary VGA camera for video telephony purpose, and built-in MP3 player with support for MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+ formats.
Here’s a few more detail and better picture (above) of GlobalSat’s upcoming GH-615 GPS Wristwatch. Mainly designed as a personal assistant for professionals, athletes, lap runners, hikers, parachutists, and such, the watch comes with a built-in GPS functionalities powered by SiRF Star III chipset. It is capable of calculating your speed, distance covered, and more; as well as storing up to 100 locations on its internal memory so you can easy return to the previous points using a simple graph of navigation. Furthermore, thanks to the IPX7 water resistant compliance, you’d still be able to keep track on your exercise even under the heavy rain.
Here goes the latest virtual surround speaker from Yamaha, the YSP-900 model. This speaker is designed to be used with 32-inch TVs. It can simulate different audio models, such as 2.1 or 5.1-channel sound system. Furthermore, it incorporates audio sensors function which is able to precisely focus the output sound on your exact location in the room. Check the image below for more detail on this impressive feature.
Mio A501 is the latest Pocket PC Phone from Mio. Scheduled to hit the market in March this year, it sports a 240×320 display, TI processor, integrated 2 megapixel camera module, USB port, and SD/MMC card slot. The handset also has built-in GPS capabilities, thanks to the integrated SiRF Star III GPS receiver chipset. Furthermore, weighs at just 135 grams, this quad-band GSM phone is equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, 1050mAh battery, and pre-installed Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC Phone Edition AKU 3.5 operating system.
DoCoMo Japan has a new guest… the N703iµ cell phone from NEC. Being one of the slimmest handset in the world (just 11.4mm thick), this 3G-capable phone features an integrated 1.3 megapixel camera module, “Privacy Angle” function that won’t let other people next to you to take a peek on your display, and up to 630 minutes of standby time. Probably not the best phone in the world, but you should check out those 49 LEDs on the cover. They can display a different icon for various phone states, including incoming calls, emails, text message, and more.
Acer currently offers a cheap Vista-ready laptop for you, the TravelMate TM2480 model. The good thing, this 14.1-inch widescreen notebook already comes pre-loaded with Windows Vista Basic operating system, so you don’t have to purchase the OS separately. Priced at just $539.99, it features an Intel Celeron M 420 (1.60GHz) processor, a 512MB of DDR2 main memory, an 80GB of hard drive, and a DVD/CD-RW combo drive. Probably not the best machine for Vista (my TravelMate 3274WXMi is way much better) and you may still need to upgrade to Vista Home Premium to taste the whole delicious features of the Vista OS, but at least you don’t have to pay too much bucks for playing around with Vista.
Nokir (yes, that’s “R”, not “A”), a China-based company, has successfully developed a cell phone which looks like Nokia N73. Called E828, this clone features a 2.6-inch QVGA touchscreen display (an advantage from ordinary display on N73), an integrated 2 megapixel camera module, microSD card slot, built-in MP3/MP4 player, and pre-loaded Java games. However, it lacks of Bluetooth connectivity and obviously, an English instruction manual.
Britney Spears has more than lost it. After a full day of reports of whether or not she was in rehab she showed up in Los Angeles with a freaking BALD HEAD. Britney showed up at a tattoo parlor in Sherman Oaks with a shaved bald head. She needs to get in rehab if she wasn’t and get on some anti-depressants. So sad that Kevin Federline is looking like the sane one now.
There is always a market for anything connected with a celebrity….even their dead hair. Allie is Wired is reporting that the salon where Britney Spears shaved her head at is selling the dark locks on Ebay. Also included is her Red Bull can and Bic lighter.
My guess, is that US Weekly, In Touch, OK, Star or some other celebrity magazine will purchase the hair and have it tested for drugs - so they can officially report on what drugs she’s been taking!
I believe Allie is right on with her prediction. And honestly it will be very intriguing to see what drugs she was on when she decided to become Sigourney Weaver in Alien.
The current bidding as of this posting is $1,100,000.00 dollars which for the non math geeks is just over $1 million dollars. View the Ebay Auction for Brit’s hair. The bidding will only last for two more days. Look for the final bidding to reach nearly $2 million dollars or possibly $5 million if a big investor comes in.
Here is what the Ebay listing says:
This is the auction you have been waiting for. I am selling the hair as well as the 3/4 full can of Redbull Britney Spears was drinking and her blue Bic Lighter. I am selling this on behalf of Esther and her family.
We are offering it for sale here at what we feel is a realistic price. This is a piece of history that can not be duplicated.
CRAM Magazine, a free, user driven .pdf publication, just released it’s third issue. My Getting Fit with Aristotle post appears on page 14.
I also had What Happens to Your Body if You Drink a Coke Right Now? appear in issue #2. I like the guys at CRAM, and it’s a good mag. The magazine is young, in fact they’re younger than Healthbolt.net, which is really saying something.
I do have to apologize to Tim Forden, CRAM’s editor, for still having nothing in to him for his contributors page. It’s my loss really, I could be tooting my own horn, but instead I just have my byline.
Anyway, cruise over there and give them some luvin’.
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Reading on Saturday as Chelsea cruised into the FA Cup quarter finals with a 4-0 win over Norwich. Elsewhere, two other Premiership sides will have to replay as Arsenal stumbled against Blackburn and Middlesbrough drew with Champioship side West Brom.
Click here for FA Cup 5th round match highlights
Man Utd 1-1 Reading
Reading forced a replay against Manchester United on Saturday with a 1-1 draw after a Brynjar Bjorn Gunnarsson header cancelled out Michael Carrick's opener in a scrappy affair in front of over 70,000 supporters at Old Trafford.
Chelsea 4-0 Norwich
Chelsea cruised into the quarter-finals with a 4-0 victory over Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The result was a bit harsh on Norwich however, as they fought bravely and only conceded two of their goals in stoppage time.
WBA 2-2 Middlesbrough
Championship side West Bromwich Albion twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Premiership side Middlesbrough in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn
Brad Friedel pulled off a wonderful double save in the dying minutes to earn his side a replay as they held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday
Watford 1-0 Ipswich
Damien Francis scored a late winner as Premiership Watford edged past 10-man Ipswich to book their place in the last eight of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win. Championship Ipswich - who had George O'Callaghan sent off just before half-time - will count themselves unlucky not to have forced a replay.
Why waste matches or butane when you can spark up your smoke with solar energy? The Sun Light focuses the power of the sun on your smoke using a small parabolic reflector and in about 5 seconds, you will be smoking with solar energy. Sun Light comes in the colours of the rainbow and costs only $10.
“The power of plasma is now equipped for any lamp or light. This plasma lightbulb features a base that can be screwed into any standard lamp socket, so you can bring mesmerizing purple plasma beams into any room. The bulb’s rays are drawn to your fingertips and respond to your every touch.”
“Relieve some work-related stress by launching miniature executives into the air with the Boss Toss. Load little plastic executives into the plastic shooting device and pull the trigger. You and your co-workers will have a great time flinging corporate cronies into each other’s cubicles.”
The trailers and television spots for this film gave me the impression that it was going to be another “Harry Potter” or, more appropriately, another “Chronicles of Narnia”. You know, a movie where a group of adorable kids travel to a beautiful fantasy world and engage in a slew of amazing adventures, jam-packed with gorgeous special effects and CGI from start to finish.
Well, that’s not what this movie is like at all, but I’m sure that everyone who read the book (ie: not me) already knew this. So, even though this movie is only somewhat similar to what the marketing campaign promised, is it any good? Yeah, actually, it’s pretty good.
Jess (Josh Hutcherson) is a young boy with a gift for creative art but is constantly forced to repress his imagination by his father (Robert Patrick), who wants him to “keep his head out of the clouds”. Things change when a new girl, Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb), arrives at school. Leslie is the daughter of two fiction authors and has a wild imagination. Gradually, she helps Jess set his imagination free and the pair become fast friends. Together, Jess and Leslie create their own fantasy world known as Terabithia, where they use their imaginations to escape from reality as well as devise means to conquer their own personal problems.
At first I was disappointed with the film because I felt like I’d been snookered by a very misleading marketing campaign. Then, as I began to understand the real point of the movie, I came to appreciate it. For the most part, anyway.
“Bridge to Terabithia” is for kids, more-so than “Narnia” and “Harry Potter”. It is not crawling with special effects like the trailers imply (in fact, just about all the special effects in the film are shown in the trailers), but instead is a much more personal tale about two close friends growing up and making the most of the time they have together. For at least the first half of the film, yes, the entirety of the plot is basically two kids frolicking in the woods and having imaginary adventures. Kind of like live action role-players, only okay, because they’re children and not mentally-stunted 30 year-olds.
I was a bit “Meh” through the first half. I could tell it was a good movie for kids, and I’m sure if I’d been a ten year old I would’ve been having a great time, but I didn’t feel like I was in the right target audience. Then the big twist happened halfway through and I was in shock. I won’t say any more about it for those of you who don’t want spoilers, but I will say that it was an emotionally thrashing moment which hits you like a bus (if you haven’t read the book or had it spoiled for you, anyway). It was here where I understood the movie’s true lesson, or at least, the dominating one: treasure every moment of your childhood and never let the good memories escape.
It’s kind of hard to talk about the movie (the parts I really liked, anyway), because I don’t want to spoil it. So I’ll talk about something else.
The special effects provided by Walden Media (the “Lord of the Rings” people), as sparingly as they’re used, are up to their usual standards of quality. The fantastic creatures and landscapes which make-up Terabithia are quite cartoonish, but they’re supposed to represent the imagination of a child, so it’s perfectly appropriate.
There’s also the acting from the two lead kids, which impressed me quite a bit. AnnaSophia Robb shines brightest as the wild and rambunctious one, not coming off anywhere near as annoying as characters of her archetype usually do. Josh Hutcherson also carries his role quite well, playing a boy with a strong imagination but crippling amounts of responsibility. The kids who played the supporting characters, such as school bullies and what-not, aren’t so notable. They’re your typical child actors, so I’m not going to rag on them for being underwhelming.
One of the film’s other lessons is one I felt rather strongly about: kids, use your freaking imaginations! In this age of video games where fantasies are mass-produced by corporations and kids are getting out and playing with each other less and less, a movie that comes along and inspires kids to play “pretend” is quite welcome. It was always my favorite game, growing up. The film captures what having fun as a kid and using your imagination is like, and as an adult whose not allowed to do that anymore, I almost found myself longing for simpler (and more fun) times.
So if you’re expecting sword, sorcery and epic quests from “Bridge to Terabithia”, I’m sorry, but you aren’t going to find them here. Now, if you have kids and you want to inspire them to go outside and play, then this is more up your alley.
I first encountered Ghost Rider back in the early 90’s at, oh, age 8 or 9. What drew me to the character was pretty much what draws everyone to the character, at least at first. Ghost Rider looks really, really cool. Flaming motorcycles, blazing skulls, black leather, chains…visually, Ghost Rider is like an awesomeness overload. So, of course, Ghost Rider on the big screen, in live action, is a sight to behold. Visually-speaking, that is. As we all know, a movie can’t survive on visuals alone, and while I still enjoyed the heck out of this flick, I won’t deny it had some troubles.
At a young age, stunt cyclist Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage) sold his soul to Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) to save the life of his ailing father. Mephistopheles betrayed him and vowed to one day return to take what is his. Years later, Johnny Blaze has become America’s top stunt cyclist, yet he feels something is missing. His old flame, Roxanne Simpson (Eva Mendez), walks back into his life and Johnny suddenly believes he has gotten his second chance. Not quite. Someone else has come back into his life, Mephistopheles, who forces Johnny to fulfill his end of the bargain. Johnny is suddenly and painfully transformed into the skull-faced Spirit of Vengeance: Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider is charged with the task of hunting down and destroying Mephistopheles’ rebel son, Blackheart, and his trio of elemental demons. At stake are the souls of a thousand evil men, enough to tip the balance of power. Johnny is joined by the Caretaker (Sam Elliot), a mysterious guide who knows more than he lets on.
Screen writer and Director Mark Steven Johnson deserves some serious credit; he really knows his stuff when it comes to Ghost Rider. This movie manages to pack in nods and elements from just about every era of the Marvel comic, fusing the different versions of the character into a sort of hybrid “Ultimate Ghost Rider” (ironically, Ghost Rider has yet to appear in Marvel’s “Ultimate” line of comics). You’ve got Johnny Blaze, the 70’s Ghost Rider, who dresses like Danny Ketch, the 90’s Ghost Rider, with references to Carter Slade, the Western Ghost Rider who predated them both (though, in the comic continuity, had nothing to do with the Ghost Rider curse). There are lots more additions, including Danny’s classic “Penance Stare” and Johnny’s Hellfire shotgun which he used during the “Blaze” comic series in the 90’s (when he went through that brief cyborg phase). It’s like a total Ghost Rider orgasm.
Yet, despite working with so many decades worth of material, Johnson crafted a very strong script which gets just about everything right. Some of the more convoluted aspects of the Ghost Ride are ignored (though not contradicted), such as Noble Cale and Zarathos. But this is a 90 minute movie, so some content shearing is all-together expected. Oddly, they choose to refer to Ghost Rider’s creator as “Mephistopheles” rather than “Mephisto” (his name from the comics), but I just assume that choice was made because the former name is more well-known amongst the general public.
The script is strong and the story and characters stay true to their roots…so what could possibly be wrong with this film? Unfortunately, the problem lies with most of the cast. Nicholas Cage wouldn’t have been my first choice for the character, though he isn’t so awful as Johnny as he is unremarkable. He interjects moments of his trademarked weird sense of humor, which lightens things up (as cool as Ghost Rider is, he’s not one to take seriously) but simultaneously takes you out of the experience because all you can think is “Wow, that’s vintage Nicholas Cage”. Eva Mendez is also a rather weak link, mostly because she’s a pretty weak actress. It’s almost as if Johnson knew this and tries to make up for her flat, amateurish acting with lots of plunging necklines and booty shots. It helps but…not a whole lot. Wes Bentley also delivers an underwhelming performance as Blackheart, delivering some cheesy dialogue a bit too poorly for it to even have comedic value.
So, “great script, bad acting”. What is there left to tip the scales? The aforementioned “Holy crap, Ghost Rider looks awesome!” factor comes into play right about here. While the CGI isn’t up to Lord of the Rings standards, I found it to be more than acceptable. Every scene with Ghost Rider is joyous, thanks not only to how cool he looks but to his downright lunatic personality. Ghost Rider cackles like a madman with an extremely sinister edge to him. This isn’t the friendly Ghost Rider from the 70’s, this guy is nuts. The bits where he blazes down the street in his flaming chopper, melting parking meters and igniting the gas tanks of parked cars is just absolute eye candy. Johnny Cage may come across as a bit weak, but Ghost Rider has enough personality for the both of them.
I suppose the only weak point of the visuals stem from the only weak point of the script: no seriously balls-to-the-wall fight sequences. The bits where Ghost Rider drives up skyscrapers and sets fire to everything in sight are plenty adrenaline-pumping, but the villains in the movie leave a bit to be desired. The Elemental Demons fair very poorly against Ghost Rider, being seriously out-matched, so none of them provide any real sport. There’s Blackheart, but most of that final battle is between him and Johnny Blaze.
Still, there’s always the sequel and the possibility of some more worthy villains, such as Vengeance. And I do so hope they make about a million of these, just so long as the Johnny Blaze-to-Ghost Rider ratio leans decidedly more in the direction of Ghost Rider.
This is a great popcorn flick and an almost all-around worthy adaptation of the comic.
The Nike Jordan 1 Mid is an unrevealed model by the Jordan brand. The sneaker features some classic colors and looks really simple and just good. release date is still unknown.
Reebok has released two new pairs of Question Lows. The first pair is a classic white/black that looks like an older pair of Questions, the 2nd pair brings some of the Undefeated flavor with its bright colors and different materials.
Here is a sample pic of the upcoming Nike Air Max 95 with black/silver colorways. It is schedule to be release on spring/summer 2007.
If you, like yours truly, spend a lot of time by your computer, then you have probably felt at least once a burning pain in your eyes, or blurry vision. Thankfully, there are small exercises or things you can to help reduce this pain and prevent CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome).
Do you spend a lot of time in front of the computer?
Ever rub your eyes and want to stop working?
You may be experiencing Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), the official diagnosis given to a range of symptoms that include:
- burning
- dry and strained eyes
- headache
- neck ache
- blurred vision
CVS, more commonly known as computer eyestrain, is due to over- or misuse of computer monitors, bad lighting and other environmental and ergonomic factors.
Stubborn, persistent, and regular physical discomfort due to one or more of these symptoms cuts your productivity sharply over time.
Another small tip that I use from time to time is close your eyes once in a while and roll them around with your eyelids closed. This helps maintain your eyes humid and also lets them rest a little bit.
Via lifehacker
A lot of people (specifically males) are trained from birth to believe that feelings are a sign of weakness. We’re always told not to let our feelings “get in the way.”
I find this to be a ridiculous concept. If you take into account all the factors that can affect your health, the way you “feel” is certainly not near the bottom of that list. In fact, I’d say it was rather near the top.
Being in a chronic state of fear or frustration can put huge amounts of stress on your body and the systems it uses to keep you running smoothly. Ignoring or flat out denying the way you feel about a situation is destructive and it’s a time bomb.
Your feelings may come out later as a heart attack or mental breakdown, but at some point or another your feelings will express themselves. It’s just a question of how and when.
So, take control of this process of feeling manifestation. I’m not suggesting you can control your feelings, but I am suggesting that you recognize them, validate them and then you can “deflect” or “redirect” that energy into something productive.
1. Label your feelings, rather than labeling people or situations.
“I feel impatient.” vs “This is ridiculous.”
“I feel hurt and bitter”. vs. “You are an insensitive jerk.”
“I feel afraid.” vs. “You are driving like a idiot.”
2. Take responsibility for your feelings.
“I feel jealous.” vs. “You are making me jealous.”
3. Use those feelings to help them make decisions.
“How will I feel if I do this?”
“How will I feel if I don’t?”
4. Feel energized, not angry.
Use your anger to help you feel energized to take productive action.
5. Practice getting a positive value from your negative emotions.
Ask yourself: “How do I feel?” and “What would help me feel better?”
6. When possible, avoid people who invalidate you, or don’t respect your feelings.
This may not ever be possible, but when it is, it will save you lots of grief.
“This cigarette is free, but there’s one catch! It’s gonna ruin your smoking career. Be Smart Just Quit!” By Tony (Two Hawks), San Jose, California, USA.
From the site:
TheArtOfQuitting.com is a creative platform for still-smokers. It’s a place where you can find and share the inspiration to quit. Because to keep smoking is easy, but to quit and stay that way is an art. Submit your quit-smoking statement. Do it to motivate yourself and to inspire others.
This is an absolutely brilliant idea. Focusing your energies on something else while quitting is an effective strategy for some people and I can see this kicking off an art habit while dropping a deadly habit.
Augment your energy with NightCove. NightCove is designed to render you better-quality sleep and to make you feel more refreshed in the morning. By using LED technology, it emits wavelengths, intensity and variations of light, which affect the brain’s production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. With programmable modes for falling asleep, napping and waking, the NightCove uses colors to mimic dawn and dusk guiding users in and out of wakefulness.
According to the latest UNICEF report, American children are among the worst off in the industrialized world. The United States ranks at the bottom, along with Great Britain, when it comes to the well-being of our children.
The U.S. ranked dead last among 21 “developed” nations for health and safety. The report measures six categories: material wealth, health and safety, education, peer and family relationships, behaviors and risks, and young people’s own subjective sense of well-being. “The United Kingdom and the United States find themselves in the bottom third of the rankings for five of the six dimensions reviewed,” UNICEF said in a summary to the report, titled “Child Well-Being in Rich Countries.” The Netherlands places in the top ten in all categories to come out on top in this report, followed by Sweden, Denmark and Finland. These northern European countries kick our collective butt.
But what about our Gross National Product, you might ask? Americans have lots of money, right? The report concluded that there was no obvious relationship between levels of child well-being and per-capita gross domestic product.
You mean it’s not all about having the most STUFF after all? One teen interviewed stated that Britain and the U.S. focus on materialism, while people in “less developed” countries are “hungry” for education and a feeling of self accomplishment. “The Czech Republic, for example, achieves a higher overall rank for child well-being than several much wealthier countries including France, Austria, the United States and the United Kingdom.”
Better late than never…
Its been a long time coming but Purchaze finally got it together. You dont know whats going on there? Short hint: They worked for a long time on a total new layout and a own programmed shop system. Finally now its faster, better and easier for all worldwide customers to find out whats new there and some more informations what you should know about them! And more features coming very soon. Go now and check them out. You can expect loads of new stuff coming up over the next few weeks. Enjoy and spread the news…
Science has known for decades that biological clocks govern the behavior of everything from humans to lowly bread mold. These ticking timekeepers hold the key to many diseases, annoy passengers on intercontinental flights and can mean life or death for small creatures trying to survive in nature.
Despite the importance of biological clocks, their mechanisms have remained unclear. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Georgia has produced the first working model that explains how biological clocks work.
"When the clock goes awry in mammals, it can lead to many diseases, ranging from cancer and sleep disorders to heart and lung disease," said Jonathan Arnold, a professor in the department of genetics and leader of the research. "It is very important that we know how the clock works at the molecular level."
The research will be published this week in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Arnold's co-authors on the paper were members of a UGA interdisciplinary team, though several have now moved on to other positions. They include: Heinz-Bernd Schuttler, professor of physics and astronomy at UGA; Yihai Yu, a former graduate student in physics, now working in industry; Wubei Dong, a postdoctoral fellow in Arnold's lab in genetics; Cara Altimus, a former UGA undergraduate now a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University; Xiaojia Tang, a doctoral student in Shuttler's lab; James Griffith, Arnold's research coordinator, who is supported by funds from the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Melissa Morello, also a former UGA undergrad, now a student at the Medical College of Georgia; and Lisa Dudek, also a former undergraduate in physics and now a graduate student at UCLA.
Because of the importance of biological clocks to survival and health, evolution has built them into an astoundingly diverse array of organisms, including bacteria and humans. These clocks make it possible for organisms to "tell time," even in the absence of such stimuli as temperature changes or daylight.
The UGA team discovered how three genes in Neurospora crassa—bread mold—make such a clock tick at the molecular level. The paper in PNAS describes how to identify genetic networks and show how the tools of systems biology can yield insights into what makes the clock tick.
"Much of what we know about the biological clock comes from the study of Neurospora," said Arnold, "so the insights on this clock mechanism are likely to provide insights into clocks of other organisms."
The discovery also has broad implications for understanding biochemical signaling and other regulatory processes in cells, said Arnold.
Before this research, there has been little experimental support for any of the many existing models of the biological clock. The UGA team studied actions of three genes in Neurospora: white-collar-1, white-collar-2 and frequency. The team found that the products of these three genes constitute the building blocks of a biological clock. The discovery crosses species boundaries, since human beings have a gene analogous to white-collar-1.
A number of human diseases are associated with genes under control of the biological clock. For instance, a gene called PAI-1 is involved with early-morning heart attacks. Another gene called DBP affects sleep cycles. Both are controlled by clock genes.
"One of the most interesting parts of the research is that the biological clock shows how a complex trait can emerge from the interaction of even a small number of gene regulatory elements," said Arnold.
Source: University of Georgia
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