Where to live for better health

DID you know you can prevent health problems by simply changing location? 
 
Some medical conditions are better suited to certain geographic regions than others. We take a look at seven health concerns and the best places to avoid them.

Migraines
Triggers: A range of things can bring on a migraine, including stress, smoke, loud noises, sunlight, toxins and extreme weather conditions (such as changes in barometric pressure from storm fronts or extreme cold or humidity). "A lot of migraine triggers are very specific to the person," says Dr Ronald McCoy, spokesperson for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). Talk to your GP about what sets you off.

Move to: any location where your triggers are less common. Unsure? Try shadier, quieter, less polluted areas with more moderate weather patterns.

Appendicitis
Triggers: A Canadian study found that exposure to air pollution might increase your risk of developing appendicitis, as pollutants can cause inflammation. The condition was worse during summer (when people are more likely to be outdoors), and mostly affected men.
Move to: anywhere with lovely, fresh air. Avoid smoggy urban or industrial areas and if you do live there, stay indoors on bad days.

Mosquito-borne diseases
Triggers: Debilitating diseases like Dengue fever and Ross river fever are more prevalent in hot, tropical climates and northern parts of Australia. Mosquitoes also proliferate when wind speed is low and there are pools of water available for breeding. Heavy rainfall or flooding can also cause an outbreak in non-tropical areas.

Move to: a cooler, dryer, less humid area where mosquitoes don't thrive (generally, any state south of Queensland). Avoid mossies during wet weather by staying indoors at dawn and dusk, covering up and steering clear of swamps and ponds.

Arthritis and musculoskeletal problems
Triggers: Some research shows that rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may worsen in colder and/or more humid climates. Others show that environmental exposure to things like pollution, hairspray, cosmetics and airports may trigger autoimmune diseases.

Move to: warm, fresh, less populated areas away from airports, major roads and highways. "Often aches and pains are less of a problem in warmer climates," says Dr McCoy. "That's why when people retire they often got to a climate they find easier to deal with."

Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Triggers: A new Australian study found that greater sun exposure and higher levels of vitamin D may protect against multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease of the brain and spinal cord.
Move to: sun-drenched regions where you can't help but manufacture vitamin D. During extended wet periods, boost your D through diet and supplements.

Pneumonia
Triggers: A Canadian university researcher found that prolonged exposure to high pollutant levels from things like car exhaust fumes and industrial air pollution can lead to hospitalisation for pneumonia, especially in older people.
Move to: less polluted regions away from busy roads and industrial areas. Boost your immune system with a healthy diet and exercise.

Stroke
Triggers: We know that the most common risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure (hypertension), which can be exacerbated by obesity, diabetes and stress, but you may not know that getting treatment within 60 minutes of a stroke can prevent disability and lead to better health outcomes.
Move to: an area where you have access to fresh fruit and vegetables, opportunities for exercise (such as parks and gyms) and good hospitals and medical help.

Source : Where to live for better health

The world's happiest country - Gallup Inc Poll

THE world's happiest people aren't in Qatar, the richest country by most measures. 
 
They aren't in Japan, the nation with the highest life expectancy. Canada, with its chart-topping percentage of college graduates, doesn't make the top 10.

A Gallup Inc poll released of nearly 150,000 people around the world says seven of the world's 10 countries with the most upbeat attitudes are in Latin America.

Many of the seven do poorly in traditional measures of well-being, like Guatemala, a country torn by decades of civil war followed by waves of gang-driven criminality that give it one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Guatemala sits just above Iraq on the United Nations' Human Development Index, a composite of life expectancy, education and per capita income. But it ranks seventh in positive emotions.

"In Guatemala, it's a culture of friendly people who are always smiling,'' said Luz Castillo, a 30-year-old surfing instructor. "Despite all the problems that we're facing, we're surrounded by natural beauty that lets us get away from it all.''

Source : The world's happiest country - Gallup Inc Poll

Man discovers wife's affair, moves into a tree

A MAN in India has been living in a tree for nine months since finding his wife in bed with a neighbour. 
 
The husband, known only as Sanjay, was shocked to discover the lovers together when he returned home from work in March.

After his wife, Tara, then walked out to live with her parents, Sanjay, 25, climbed a guava tree in the village where his family live.

He has stayed there since and says he will climb down when his wife says sorry and returns to him.
"Whenever we try to bring him down, he threatens to commit suicide," said his mother.
The police have not yet been informed. His sister said: "As long as he is safe there, we are happy for him."
The family have brought him food to eat since guavas went out of season.

Source : Man discovers wife's affair, moves into a tree

Top 10 Tech Innovations of 2012

1. GOOGLE GLASSES
Created under the moniker Project Glass, Google's wearable technology was finally seen in the real world in April on the face of Google co-founder Sergey Brin

2. MINIATURE TABLETS
Small tablets became big business this year, starting with a little something from Google and finishing with a handbag-friendly number from Apple

3. LYTRO CAMERA
It's the camera that lets photographers change a photo's focus after it's been captured and it arrived in Australia this year. The Lytro camera, created by Australian Ren Ng, makes sophisticated technology easy to use, as it contains a series of tiny lenses that capture light from all angles

4. PHONES GO LARGE
Big phones are now big business. The tech trend started last year but went mainstream in 2012. From the HTC One X, with its 4.7-inch display, to Motorola's new 4.7-inch RAZR HD, smartphones edged closer to tablet size. Even Apple joined the trend, upping the iPhone's screen to 4 inches, and Nokia produced its first 4.5-inch screen on the Lumia 920. Samsung retained its crown as size leader, however, with the Galaxy Note II boasting a 5.5-inch screen.

5. 4G SPREADS
Not only did many more smartphones and mobile modems start supporting 4G this year, but Telstra and Optus delivered Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks to more areas. Telstra's 4G coverage now extends more than 5km outside Australian CBDs and will reach 66 per cent of the population by mid-2013.

6. MACS SEE RETINA
Laptops chips, drives and lids get the most upgrades, but Apple this year focused on the screen. Unveiled in June, the 15-inch MacBook Pro became the first Apple Mac to receive a Retina screen, so-named because users are unable to see individual pixels up close. The screen features more than five million pixels, giving it a resolution sharper than a TV. The technology has since been passed on to the smaller 13-inch MacBook Pro.

7. MUSIC-STREAMING SERVICES
Music no longer has to be stockpiled. From 2012, it can just as easily be streamed. Subscription music service Rdio kicked off the trend with a quiet launch in January, though it was joined by Rara just days later, and by big-name service Spotify in May. Telstra's MOG, Sony's Music Unlimited, Nokia Music and Microsoft's Xbox Music are also dancing to the same tune now, all for a monthly subscription fee.

8. CONNECTED CAMERAS

Cameras finally dropped their pretensions and joined the internet revolution this year. Some fully embraced the trend, including Samsung's Galaxy Camera that offers the latest Google Android software and, for the first time, a built-in 3G connection for instant sharing. Similarly, the Nikon Coolpix S800c features a wi-fi connection and Android apps. Other cameras simply offered an optional wi-fi connection, including the Canon 5D Mk III, while internet-ready memory cards upgraded the rest.

 9. INSTAGRAM BOOM

The future will be documented in vintage photographs, thanks to Instagram. This photo app, launched in 2010, boomed in more ways than one. It launched on the Google Android system, announced it had attracted 30 million users and was bought by Facebook in a $1 billion deal in April. Rather than turning users off, the announcement only boosted its popularity. More than 100 million photographs had been cut into squares, filtered and shared by July and that figure jumped to 150 million by August.

 10. OLED TELEVISION SCREENS

Unveiled in January and seen at tradeshows ever since, organic light-emitting diode televisions represent a giant leap in TV technology. The OLED screens offer significantly brighter pictures, higher contrast, smaller screen borders and significantly thinner forms. Samsung's 55-inch screen was just 4mm thin, while LG's was just 9mm. Neither TV arrived in large numbers before the end of the year, however, making this one to watch in more ways than one.

 Source : Top 10 Tech Innovations of 2012

How soon could U.S jobless rate reach 6.5%?

The Federal Reserve says it will keep interest rates near zero until unemployment reaches 6.5%, but some economists say the central bank may have to consider changing its policy sooner than it thinks.

The Fed's economic forecast suggests that the U.S. jobless rate won't hit its new target until mid-2015, which most economists think is close to the mark.

That's 30 months out. The unemployment rate now is 7.7%, so the Fed's target rate is 1.2 percentage points away. That's how much the rate has fallen in 14 months, from September 2011, when it was 9%.

If the unemployment rate takes 30 months to reach 6.5%, that would be more than twice as long as it's taken for the rate to fall by the same amount, points out Dean Maki, U.S. economist at Barclays.

If the Fed's economic forecast proves right, it will be because many of the 4 million-plus people who have left the labor force since 2007 begin looking for work again, says Maki.

Source :  How soon could jobless rate reach 6.5%?

23 keys to build healthy financial habits

While you're assessing career, relationships and parenting these holidays, don't forget to add improving your financial decision-making to the list.

Money doesn't buy happiness but it can certainly help. And the key is building healthy financial habits.
Have a look through some of our top thought-starters to help create a new financial you.

1. Create a financial plan and spend some time each week reviewing it to make it happen. With every transaction, top of mind should be "how does this fit in with my financial goals?"

2. Take five minutes to review your main accounts each day. Ensure all charges are accurate and review any purchases you may regret later.

3. Every week, review all transactions to maintain goals.
 
4. Review accounts monthly to make sure all bills are paid on time. If the funds aren't there, alert the institution to an expected payment date or work out a payment plan.

5. When creating an annual financial plan, create quarterly milestones. For example, if the plan is to pay off $10,000 from the mortgage in 12 months then by month three, you should have $2500 paid off. If not, readjust the plan, move the goal or play catch-up.

6. Set your finances on autopilot. Set up every recurring expense using BPay or via direct debit.

7. Create a goal statement: My intention is to ... in order to achieve financial freedom.

8. Save 10 per cent of income for savings and retirement.

9. Cut non-mortgage debt to less than 15 per cent of income.

10. Read or watch the financial media to keep abreast of emerging financial issues.

11. Be mindful of emotional impulse spending.

12. Spend more time with those who are where you want to be financially. It helps you compare how you operate while helping you make changes along the way.

13. Every day, daydream and feel what it will be like when you reach your financial goals: debt free, 6-12 months of emergency fund savings ... whatever it is, dream about it, talk about it, write about it and make it happen.

14. Give back. This can be with your time or money. Give back to others less fortunate than you to maintain a good sense of priorities.

15. Declutter your finances. What are some things that you're paying for (magazine subscriptions, extra trips to the make-up counter, techie impulse buys) that leech money?

16. Don't stress about the past. Leave financial regrets behind. Commit to learning from mistakes to avoid making them again.

17. Don't compare yourself to others who are in a better position. They had to work to get where they are and if you take anything from their situation, it should be you can one day be financially free yourself.

18. Make some hard decisions about spending. The more insight you have, the better decisions you'll make.

19. Find ways to earn more money. Develop multiple streams of income. Things like a part-time job or a home-based business.

20. Sell anything you haven't touched in six to eight months and use the proceeds to pay down debt or plug into savings.

21. Discuss your financial plans for the coming year with your partner or spouse. Make sure you are both onboard with goals and how you will address setbacks.

22. Give children gifts that will last long past the next birthday. Create, or add money, to an education fund.

23. Consolidate your super funds

Source : 23 tips to get your finances in order

Neither side can win: Syria Vice president

SYRIAN Vice President Faruq al-Sharaa says neither his government nor the rebels fighting to overthrow it can win a decisive victory in the 21-month conflict. 
 
His comments came as the regime launched air strikes for the first time against a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, drawing condemnation from both Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and the Hamas rulers of Gaza.

"No opposition can end the battle militarily, just as the security forces and army cannot achieve a decisive conclusion," Sharaa told the pro-Damascus Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar on Sunday.

"Every day that passes, we are moving further away from a military or political solution, " said Shara, who is the most prominent Sunni Muslim in the Alawite minority-dominated regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

"We must position ourselves to defend Syria's existence. We are not in a battle for an individual or a regime.
"The various opposition forces, whether armed or civilian, or linked to foreign powers, cannot claim they are the sole legitimate representatives of the Syrian people," he added, referring to the decision of Arab and Western governments last week to recognise the armed opposition.

Full Story: Neither side can win: Syria Vice president

3 Secrets to Celebrate Christmas Without Stress

CHRISTMAS isn't always fun. Depending on the year you've had, the relationship with your family and how much money is in the bank, lots of us find it easy to feel stressed out and overwrought at this time of year.  [Lucy Kippist news.com.au]

According to what Dr John Demartini a Human Behavioural Expert shared,  below are secrets to avoiding the most stressful parts of the festive season.


Ignore the pressure to buy lots of presents

Be realistic to yourself about how much you want to spend this year and also, how much you can really afford. Don’t exaggerate what is not within your means. Figure out a budget and then make a list of the people that you want to buy for and then divvy it up

 

 

Keep some time for yourself

 

Schedule some time in for yourself over the Christmas break and try not to say yes to everything. Also, be specific about your availability. There is nothing wrong with telling people ahead of time that you’re planning to drop by and only stay for an hour, or even less. Fill your day with inspiring stuff, don’t just commit to other people’s plans. You’ll enjoy the season a lot more

 

Avoid awkward conversations

 

Come up with a witty remark or two, so that you can greet the question without feeling pressured to open up. You can also list the benefits or the positives of this area of your life and the year you’ve had.

For example, you might not have a partner this Christmas but it has freed you up for seeing lots of friends and given you greater flexibility with your plans,” he said.

Christmas isn’t always a happy time for everyone, particularly if you have lost a loved one during the year. And while you can never replace that person, and you will always feel a gap where they have been, it’s important to remember them in a positive way.

 

Demartini suggests giving yourself time to think about the parts of that person that you really miss and the types of things that they brought to your Christmas celebration. Then try and bring those things to the event yourself, or just talk about them.

“You can also spend a bit of time thinking about what you’d like to say to them if they were still here and have a quiet conversation with them in your heart and your head. It’s like sending them a Christmas wish.”

*****MERRY CHRISTMAS****** 

 

Dad dies dancing Gangnam Style in UK

A FATHER-OF-THREE has died in front of his wife after dancing to Gangnam Style at his office Christmas party in the UK. 
 
Eamonn Kilbride, 46, was performing the energetic dance by Korean popstar PSY at the Thwaites Brewery party in Blackburn, Lancashire when he suddenly fell to the ground.
His wife Julie, who was there celebrating her birthday, tried to perform CPR but to no avail. He died of acute heart failure.

Mrs Kilbride told The Sun newspaper that her husband was "a great family man" who she had been married to for 23 years.

“I want people to know how he would help anybody whether it was a life-long friend, or someone he had just met," she said. “Eamonn was always the life of the party and loved dancing.

“We were having a fantastic time at the Christmas party and Eamonn had just finished dancing to Gangnam Style. He was up on stage and entertaining everybody.

“He said he had a bit of a pain and just collapsed," she said. “I tried to revive him until the ambulance got there, but by the time he got to the hospital he was gone.”

Mr Kilbride had three children, Laurajade, 22, Jack, 21, and Conor, 18, who are all at university.

Source: British father dies after dancing to Gangnam Style at Christmas party

Justin Bieber targeted in murder-for-hire plot

Two New Mexico men arrested in a murder-for-hire plot were planning to strangle and castrate pop star Justin Bieber and his bodyguard, according to KRQE-TV.

Mark Staake, 41, and his 23-year-old nephew Tanner Ruane were arrested late last month in Vermont. They were accused of plotting to kidnap and kill four people on behalf of Dana Martin, who is serving two life sentences for the 2000 rape and murder of a Vermont girl in 200. Staake met Martin in Las Cruces state prison.

Tuesday, KRQE, citing investigators, said the Canadian performer and his bodyguard were two of the targets.

Investigators told the station Staake and Ruane allegedly planned to first travel from New Mexico to Vermont and kill two witnesses to Martin's crime, then hit Bieber.
The plot allegedly was planned for when Bieber performed sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 27 and 28. Police said the 45-year-old Martin was obsessed with Bieber and has a tattoo of him on one of his legs.

Police said Martin directed the would-be hit men to strangle Bieber and the others with a paisley tie, Martin's "calling card," KRQE said. But he apparently changed his mind and ratted out Staake and Ruane before they could act.

Staake was arrested in Vermont on outstanding warrants, but police let Ruane go. Police recorded phone calls Ruane made to Martin from New York, telling him "disappointed he couldn't carry out the murders," KRQE writes.

New York police arrested Ruane, who had pruning shears and what the CBS affiliate describes as "murder tools."

Source :  Justin Bieber targeted in murder-for-hire plot

Impersonation of Serena Williams was 'racist'

CAROLINE Wozniacki has shocked fans by performing what is being called a "racist" impersonation of Serena Williams. 
 
During an exhibition match against Maria Sharapova in Brazil, Wozniacki stuffed her chest and skirt with padding and pranced out onto the court, inciting laughter from the crowd.
She said at a press conference later that day that she was poking fun at her friend and fellow tennis player, Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.

"I really love the crowd here, they're open and they have a lot of fun," Wozniaki, 22, told reporters.
While some members of the crowd lapped up the performance, others are calling the Dane's performance a "racist" attack.

One blogger on Tumblr posted: "...this isn’t 'harmless fun' as one article described it. its racist. out and outright racism. mocking and making fun of the bodies of black women for a laugh? real funny, stupid white girl. real real funny."

Full Story :  Impersonation of Serena Williams was 'racist'

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES ROCKET OVER JAPAN

NORTH Korea has carried out a widely criticised rocket launch, seen by many in the international community as a disguised ballistic missile test, just days before the first anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-il. 
 
North Korea confirmed that it had launched a long-range rocket, saying it had succeeded in its mission of placing a satellite in orbit, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
"The launch of the second version of our Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite from the Sohae Space Centre... on December 12 was successful,'' KCNA said "The satellite has entered the orbit as planned,'' it added.

The New York Times said the launch demonstrated that new leader Kim Jong-un was pressing ahead to master the technology needed to deliver a nuclear warhead on intercontinental ballistic missiles,

Source :  NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES ROCKET OVER JAPAN

Obama says U.S. will recognize Syrian opposition

WASHINGTON — President Obama announced on Tuesday that he was recognizing the new Syrian opposition council as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people, tightening U.S. ties to the group as Syrian President Bashar Assad's grip on power appears to be slipping.

Obama, who announced the move in an interview with ABC News, made the decision ahead of an international conference on the crisis scheduled to start on Wednesday in Morocco.

"We have made the decision that the Syrian opposition coalition is now inclusive enough, is reflective and representative enough of the Syrian population that we consider them the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people in opposition to the Assad regime," Obama said.

Source :  Obama says U.S. will recognize Syrian opposition

Water-babies: Nine-month-old twins swim backstroke

THEY are too young to walk, talk or even crawl, but tiny twins William and Ellenita Trykush can swim a length of a 25-metre pool at just nine months old.
 
The water babies love gliding up and down on their backs, kicking their legs to propel them along.
And as the video above shows, they even smile while they're swimming. Their achievements are even more astonishing given that they were born by emergency caesarean six weeks early.

The twins' extraordinary talent emerged during a family holiday to Cyprus in October when they began to swim under water, unaided and without armbands.
On their return to Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK, their mother Charlotte, 35, took them to the local baby pool where they both suddenly set off on their backs.

"First they did five metres, then a width at seven metres, and then a length of 12 metres," said French-born Mrs Trykush, a former swimming coach. "There was hardly anyone in the adult pool, so I suggested to their teacher that we try the big pool. They did an entire length with me swimming underneath them on my back to make sure they were all right."

Mrs Trykush and her husband Victor, 49, are both youth workers. Mr Trykush now has half an eye on the Olympics for his talented son and daughter. He said: "We won't push them but it would be amazing to see them at the 2028 Games."

 

  

 Water-babies: Nine-month-old twins swim backstroke

Australian Police warn: Don't use Apple maps, it's dangerous

POLICE are warning motorists not to rely on Apple's new mapping system on its popular iPhones after a number of motorists were directed into life-threatening situations. 
 
iPhone users who have upgraded to the system’s new iOS 6 operating system are at risk of ending up off the beaten track, police have warned.

The alert follows revelations that the mapping system lists Mildura in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, about 70km away from the actual location of Mildura.
Local police have been called to assist distressed motorists who have become stranded within the Murray-Sunset National Park after following directions on their Apple iPhone.

Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, putting lives at risk.

Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception.
Police have contacted Apple in relation to the issue and hope the matter is rectified promptly to ensure the safety of motorists travelling to Mildura.

Anyone travelling to Mildura or other locations within Victoria should rely on other forms of mapping until this matter is rectified, police warned.

Have you been given bad directions? Write your comment

 

 Australian Police warn: Don't use Apple maps, it's dangerous

 

Japan on alert as window opens for NKorea

JAPAN says it's on full alert over North Korea's planned rocket launch despite a suggestion from Pyongyang that it could delay the much-criticised move. 
 
North Korea says the launch, originally scheduled for December 10-22, could be changed "for some reasons", giving no further details.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing a government official in Seoul, said on Sunday the North had stopped all preparations at the launch site in the country's northwest.
Japan has deployed missile defence systems to intercept and destroy the rocket if it looks set to fall on its territory.

"We are taking all possible measures for vigilance," Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told reporters as he entered his office on Monday before the launch window opened at 7am (0900 AEDT).
Defence Minister Satoshi Morimoto says Tokyo will keep a close eye on developments despite the comments from North Korea.

"We don't think enough changes are occurring to change our posture," he said.
"We will maintain our current posture unless North Korea issues a formal notice or announcement" on the delay, he said.

Source: Japan on alert as window opens for NKorea

Mexican-American singer killed in crash

THE wreckage of a plane carrying Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera has been found in northern Mexico and there are no survivors. 
 
The Lear Jet was flying on Sunday from south from Monterrey to Toluca, in the centre of the country and was carrying six other people besides the singer, said Antonio Gonzalez, mayor of the town of Iturbide, near the crash site.

Radio contact with the plane was lost shortly after take-off.
Rivera, 43, was a Californian of Mexican origin, best known for her music in genres known as Banda and Norteno. Her records have sold 15 million copies.

Her Facebook page has more than 2.4 million 'likes'. On YouTube, one of her videos has been seen nearly five million times.
Rivera also has won several Billboard Latin Music awards.

Source: Mexican-American singer killed in crash

PSY apologizes for viral anti-American lyrics

(CNN) -- Is this the end of "Gangnam Style" mania?

Korean pop star PSY -- who rose to fame through his YouTube record-breaking video "Gangnam Style" -- apologized Friday for anti-American lyrics he rapped back in 2004.

That performance resurfaced on CNN's iReport and then circulated widely online. It included lyrics calling for the death of American troops serving in Iraq, not long after news of the brutal slaying of a South Korean hostage by Iraqi insurgents -- an incident which sparked anti-American sentiment in South Korea.

In his apology, PSY said his performance had been emotionally charged and was a response to events in the war in Iraq.

"I understand the sacrifices American servicemen and women have made to protect freedom and democracy in my country and around the world," he said in a statement.

He said the song "was part of a deeply emotional reaction to the war in Iraq and the killing of two Korean schoolgirls that was part of the overall anti-war sentiment shared by others around the world at that time."

The girls were struck and killed by a U.S. military vehicle.

PSY continued: "While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self, I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted. I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words.

"While it's important that we express our opinions, I deeply regret the inflammatory and inappropriate language I used to do so."

Full Story :  PSY apologizes for viral anti-American lyrics

WARNING - CFA firefighters in Victoria could run out of diesel

A DIESEL shortage has hit Victoria prompting concerns the CFA could be hindered in the fight against fires over the summer months. 
 
Shell's Geelong refinery, one of only two in Victoria, has had production problems since last Tuesday, reducing the state's diesel supply by 50 per cent.

A CFA spokeswoman yesterday said it had enough diesel to fill its tanks and trucks over the weekend but was unable to say what would happen if the shortage continued.
"Plans are in place to manage fuel," the spokeswoman said.

Shell spokesman Paul Zennaro said it had had production issues at the Geelong refinery but that it had quarantined diesel supplies for emergency services.

He apologised for any inconveniences.



Full Story :  WARNING - CFA firefighters could run out of diesel

Man 'leaves pit bull (Dog) to watch over his 10-month-old baby'

DOGS can do many things, but have you ever heard of a pit bull terrier being left to babysit a 10-month-old. 
 
James R Irvine, 41, of Palm Coast, Florida, has been charged with child neglect after he allegedly left his son home alone with the dog, Orlando WESH reported.

Stray dogs learn to drive vehicles

Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies allege that Irvine went out for a drink. The baby's mother, whose name has not been released, told authorities that she was at work on Friday night (in the US) and had left Irvine, her boyfriend, to care for their child, NBC Miami reported.

The baby's mother has told police that she called Irvine several times before 11pm. When he finally answered, he allegedly said he was "watching the game" before hanging up on her, according to a sheriff's report obtained by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

The woman came home to find Irvine urinating on himself while attempting to get in through the garage. She told police that Irvine admitted he had been out drinking, but claimed he hadn't really left their son alone because the "pit bull was watching the baby."
The mother reportedly found her child crying alone in a room with the door shut. The dog was reportedly sitting outside.

The woman contacted police and Irvine was arrested about 12:30am on Saturday.
Police said Irvine claimed he had been home all Friday evening but a bartender at a local bar, however, told officers that she saw Irvine at around 9:30pm that night, the sheriff's report states. She also noted that he did not pay his tab.
Irvine was taken into custody. He was released on $1500 bail.

Source :   Man 'leaves pit bull (Dog) to watch over his baby'

Metropolitan Police release pictures of man who fell from sky

POLICE have released pictures in the hope of identifying a man whose body reportedly fell from the sky. 
 
The body of the man, believed to be a stowaway, fell from the under carriage of a commercial flight to London's Heathrow Airport in September, the Daily Mail reported.

London's Metropolitan Police, who were called to Portman Avenue, Mortlake, which lies on the south bank of the River Thames at 8am on Sunday, September 9, following reports that a body had fallen from the sky, have released two images of the man in the hope of identifying him.

He is believed to be African and aged between 20 and 30 years old and "substantial inquiries" failed to identify the man.

It is thought the man’s body dropped from the aircraft undercarriage as the plane came in to land. Residents reported to police that they heard a loud bang as his body hit the road.

Full Story :  Metropolitan Police release pictures of man who fell from sky

Britain to allow gay marriages in churches

BRITAIN will announce plans next week to allow gay marriages in churches and other religious buildings, officials say, although Prime Minister David Cameron insists no faith group would be forced to hold them. 
 
Culture Secretary Maria Miller will unveil ministers' responses to a consultation earlier this year, which will propose that religious organisations should be able to "opt-in" to hold same-sex weddings, according to a government source.

Amid strong opposition from the Church of England and Roman Catholics, however, as well as many members of Cameron's Conservative Party, Miller will stress that no religious groups will be forced to conduct gay weddings.

"I'm a massive supporter of marriage and I don't want gay people to be excluded from a great institution," Cameron told reporters during a visit to a car factory on Friday.
"But let me be absolutely 100 per cent clear, if there is any church or any synagogue or any mosque that doesn't want to have a gay marriage it will not, absolutely must not, be forced to hold it.
"That is absolutely clear in the legislation.

"Also let me make clear, this is a free vote for members of parliament but personally I will be supporting it."
Gay couples have had the right to hold a civil partnership since 2004 but campaigners have pushed for full equality with heterosexual couples.

The Church of England repeated its opposition in a statement on Friday.
"We believe that redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships will entail a dilution in the meaning of marriage," it said.

In its submission to the public consultation in June, the Church said legalising gay marriage could force it out of its traditional role of conducting weddings on behalf of the state.
However, the Quakers welcomed Friday's news, saying they had been campaigning since 2009 for all marriages in Quaker meeting houses to be legally valid.

"We are waiting for the law to catch up," said recording clerk Paul Parker, adding, "For Quakers, this is an issue of religious freedom and we don't seek to impose this on others."

Source: Britain to allow gay marriages in churches 

 

image credit : independent.co.uk

Coffee from an elephant's gut fills a $50 cup

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Thailand (AP) — In the lush hills of northern Thailand, a herd of 20 elephants is excreting some of the world's most expensive coffee.

Trumpeted as earthy in flavor and smooth on the palate, the exotic new brew is made from beans eaten by Thai elephants and plucked a day later from their dung. A gut reaction inside the elephant creates what its founder calls the coffee's unique taste.

Stomach turning or oddly alluring, this is not just one of the world's most unusual specialty coffees. At $1,100 per kilogram ($500 per pound), it's also among the world's priciest.
For now, only the wealthy or well-traveled have access to the cuppa, which is called Black Ivory Coffee. It was launched last month at a few luxury hotels in remote corners of the world — first in northern Thailand, then the Maldives and now Abu Dhabi — with the price tag of about $50 a serving.

The Associated Press traveled to the coffee's production site in the Golden Triangle, an area historically known for producing drugs more potent than coffee, to see the jumbo baristas at work. And to sip the finished product from a dainty demi-tasse.

In the misty mountains where Thailand meets Laos and Burna, the coffee's creator cites biology and scientific research to answer the basic question: Why elephants?

"When an elephant eats coffee, its stomach acid breaks down the protein found in coffee, which is a key factor in bitterness," said Blake Dinkin, who has spent $300,000 developing the coffee. "You end up with a cup that's very smooth without the bitterness of regular coffee."

The result is similar in civet coffee, or kopi luwak, another exorbitantly expensive variety extracted from the excrement of the weasel-like civet. But the elephants' massive stomach provides a bonus.

Source :  Coffee from an elephant's gut fills a $50 cup

US public offered prizes for python hunt

 PEOPLE in Florida will have their mettle tested as the wildlife service seeks help in eradicating the giant Burmese python. 
 
The public has been asked to join in a month-long hunt for the invasive species, which, lacking natural predators, snacks on native birds, deer, bobcats and other large animals, some of them protected.
Cash prizes up to $US1,500 ($A1,400) will be up for grabs in the January program of "harvesting" the giant snakes, organised by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"Increasing public awareness about Burmese pythons and how this invasive species is a threat to the Everglades ecosystem, including native wildlife, is the goal of the 2013 Python Challenge," a statement said.
The environmental challenge is open not only to "python permit holders" but also ordinary members of the public.

A Burmese python was found for the first time in Florida's Everglades swamp in 1979, where it may have been abandoned by a pet owner. It has taken 21 years to become an established species there.
There are now hundreds of thousands of the snakes slithering across southern Florida. In August, University of Florida scientists examined a record 5.36-metre specimen that had 87 eggs.

Source: US public offered prizes for python hunt

Seattle marijuana advocates mark Washington's new cannabis laws

• Washington state first in US where it is legal to smoke pot
• Legislation approved by voters in the US general election
• Marijuana use for any purpose still a federal crime

MARIJUANA advocates have rejoiced by lighting joints under Seattle's iconic Space Needle as Washington became the first state in the US where it is legal to smoke pot for recreational purposes. Washington state had been among 20 US states to allow the uses of marijuana for physician-approved medicinal purposes.

A voter approved law legalising same sex marriage also came into force on Thursday, with some 300 licences issued to gay couples in the first hours after the law went into effect at midnight.

Supporters of gay marriage were equally jubilant about their new law with many lining up for hours to be among the first to get same sex marriage licences at midnight.

Because the state has a three-day waiting period, the earliest that weddings can take place is Sunday.
Washington was one of three states, along with Maine and Maryland, to approve same-sex marriage in the November elections.

They joined New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia that have previously enacted laws or issued court rulings permitting same-sex marriage.

Source : Seattle marijuana advocates mark Washington's new cannabis laws

Head to the moon for a mere $700m

A TEAM of former NASA executives is launching a private venture to send people to the moon for a price that is definitely out of this world.

 

For $US1.5 billion ($1.4 billion), the newly formed business is offering countries a two-person trip to the moon, either for research or national prestige.

NASA's last trip to the moon was 40 years ago. The United States was the only country that landed people there, beating the Soviet Union in a space race to the moon that transfixed the world.

But once the race ended, there has been only sporadic interest in the moon. US President Barack Obama cancelled NASA's planned return to the moon, saying America had already been there.

But the firm has talked to other countries, which are showing interest in going, said former NASA associate administrator Alan Stern, who is president of the new Golden Spike Company. Mr Stern said he's looking at countries like South Africa, South Korea, and Japan.

"It's not about being first. It's about joining the club," Mr Stern said.

 

Soure: Head to the moon for a mere $700m

Wave hits Japan after Pacific quake

A ONE-metre-high tsunami has hit Japan's northeast coast, the country's meteorological agency says. 
 
The wave was recorded in Ishinomaki, a city in Miyagi prefecture that was badly hit by the tsunami of March 2011, which killed thousands.

Earlier, a strong earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan in the same region that was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 and struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Miyagi prefecture. The epicentre was 10km beneath the seabed.
Initial warnings said the tsunami could be as high as 2m.

There is no tsunami warning current for Australia or neighbouring nations.
NHK television broke off regular programming to warn that a strong quake was due to hit shortly before the earthquake struck. Afterward, the announcer repeatedly urged all near the coast to flee to higher ground.

YouTube video has begun to appear showing the streets flooded with worried residents.

Full Story :  Wave hits Japan after Pacific quake

If technology is so important, why are IT wages flat?

Unemployment for IT is well below national rates, but average wages have increased less than a half percent a year over the past decade

Despite information technology's ever increasing role in the economy, IT wages remain persistently flat. This may be tech's inconvenient truth.

A still sluggish U.S. economy gets most of the blame for this wage stagnation, but outsourcing and automation all have a role, say analysts.

[ Find out the topics and issues affecting tech's biggest names and news makers as revealed in the IDGE Insider CEO interview series. | Stay ahead of the key tech business news with InfoWorld's Today's Headlines: First Look newsletter. | Read Bill Snyder's Tech's Bottom Line blog for what the key business trends mean to you. ]

"IT salaries have not really kept pace with inflation," said Victor Janulaitis, the CEO of Janco Associates, which reports on IT wage compensation.
In 2000, the average hourly wage was $37.27 in computer and math occupations for workers with at least a bachelor's degree. In 2011, it was $39.24, adjusted for inflation, according to a new report by the Economic Policy Institute.

[See related: In a symbolic shift, IBM's India workforce likely exceeds U.S.]

That translates to an average wage increase of less than a half percent a year. In real terms, IT wages overall have gone up by $1.97 an hour in just over 10 years, according to the EPI. It gathered data from the Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of households conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But here's another data point. Yoh Services, a professional staffing firm for skilled IT workers, keeps a running index of hourly technology wages. In its latest measure for week 12 of 2012, the hourly wages were $31.45 and in 2010, for the same week, at $31.78.

The worker who earned $31.78 in 2010 would need to make $33.71 today to stay even with inflation, according to the government's Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator. Yoh has data going back over 10 years, and in most years hourly wages have run in the $30 to $32 dollar range.
Joel Capperella, vice president of marketing for Yoh, said companies are making more use of contracted labor, allowing organizations to source during periods of high demand, "and run virtual just-in-time talent supply chains."

Capperella said there is a correlation between temporary professional wages and salaried wage workers "because historically temporary demand increases have preceded an increase in permanent employee demand," he said.

"However this recovery period has been so sluggish that the industry has not seen the correlation between an increase in contracted labor indicating that an increase in permanent jobs is imminent," said Capperella.
Analysts say high-demand skills will have rising wages. Capperella, for instance, said the supply of IT pros that also know the agile development methodology is very low compared to the demand, and those workers will "command a very high hourly and salary rate."

John Longwell, vice president of research at Computer Economics, said that "it would be fair to say that the globalization of markets for goods and services is helping restrain wages across many sectors, including the IT sector."
But Longwell also cautions against overstating the impact of IT offshoring.

Source :  If technology is so important, why are IT wages flat?

Philippine typhoon death toll nears 300

STUNNED parents searching for missing children examined a row of mud-stained bodies covered with banana leaves while survivors dried their soaked belongings on roadsides a day after a powerful typhoon killed nearly 300 people in the southern Philippines.

 

Officials fear more bodies may be found as rescuers reach hard-hit areas that were isolated by landslides, floods and downed communications.

At least 151 people died in the worst-hit province of Compostela Valley when Typhoon Bopha lashed the region on Tuesday, including 78 villagers and soldiers who perished in a flash flood that swamped two emergency shelters and a military camp, provincial spokeswoman Fe Maestre said.

Disaster-response agencies reported 284 dead in the region and 14 fatalities elsewhere from the typhoon, one of the strongest to hit the country this year.

About 80 people survived the deluge in New Bataan with injuries, and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who visited the town, said 319 others remained missing.

Source : Philippine typhoon death toll nears 300

South Africa hip-hop rapper gets 20 yrs in prison for Killing

A SOUTH African judge has sentenced a hip-hop star and his co-accused to 20 years in prison for the killings of four schoolchildren in a drag-race crash.

The South African Press Association reported on Wednesday that Magistrate Judge Brian Nemavhidi handed down the sentences to Molemo Maarohanye, best known by his stage name Jub Jub, and Themba Tshabalala. The judge previously ruled that the men had been driving under the influence of drugs at the time of the March 8, 2010, crash.

The crash in Soweto also seriously injured two other schoolchildren.
Jub Jub is one of the most recognisable artists in South Africa. Thousands of high school students protested during his bail hearing in May and riots erupted when he was granted bail.

Source : South Africa hip-hop rapper gets 20 yrs in prison for Killing

Dogs can sniff out lung cancer

DOGS are surprisingly adept at sniffing out lung cancer, results from a pilot project in Austria published on Wednesday suggested, potentially offering hope for earlier, life-saving diagnosis.

 

"Dogs have no problem identifying tumour patients," said Peter Errhalt, head of the pulmonology department at Krems hospital in northern Austria, one of the authors of the study.

The test saw dogs achieve a 70-per cent success rate identifying cancer from 120 breath samples, a result so "encouraging" that a two-year study 10 times larger will now take place, Errhalt said.

The results echo anecdotal evidence of odd canine behaviour when around cancer sufferers and are backed up by the results of similar small studies, including one by German scientists in 2011.

The ultimate aim is not however to have canines stationed in hospitals, but for scientists to identify what scents the dogs are detecting, explained Michael Mueller from the Otto Wagner Hospital in Vienna, who collaborated on the pilot project.

This in turn could help scientists reproduce in the long term a kind of "electronic nose" - minus the wagging tail - that could help diagnose lung cancer in the early stages, thereby dramatically improving survival rates, Mueller said.

 

Source :  Dogs can sniff out lung cancer

 

World Richest Black Woman: Folorunsho Alakija from Nigeria

Oprah Winfrey has lost her long-held title as the richest black woman in the world to a Nigerian oil tycoon, according to a report by an African business magazine.


Edging out Oprah is Folorunsho Alakija, a 61-year-old woman from Nigeria who is reportedly worth at least $3.2 billion, or roughly $500 million more than Oprah's $2.7 billion net worth, Ventures Africa reported.

Alakija is the founder and owner of Famfa Oil, which owns a 60 per cent interest in OML 127, an offshore oil field that produces roughly 200,000 barrels of oil per day and is worth an estimated $6.44 billion.

Also a fashion designer and philanthropist, Alakija is married and has four grown sons, as well as one grandchild. She owns at least $100 million in real estate and $46 million private jet, Ventures Africa reported.

Born into a wealthy Nigerian family, Alakija started out as a secretary in the mid 1970s at the now defunct International Merchant Bank of Nigeria.

Several years later, she quit her job and moved to London, where she studied fashion design. She later returned to Nigeria and launched her fashion line, Supreme Stitches, which caters to upscale, high-society women.

While she was building her name as a fashion designer, Alakija in 1993 applied for an Oil Prospecting License -- an expensive permit that allows for oil exploration in a specified area.

The Nigerian government granted her request and allocated a 617,000-acre block of land to Alakija for oil exploration -- but she knew nothing about finding and extracting oil.

So in September of 1996, she appointed Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited -- a subsidiary of Texaco -- to act as a technical adviser for her business.

In 2000, Star Deep Petroleum determined that Alakija's land contained an excess of one billion barrels of oil. When this was discovered, the Nigerian government tried to re-acquire half of the oil-rich block it had sold to Alakija.

The Nigerian government was successful and Alakija lost control of all but 10 percent of her oil company until 2012, when Nigeria's highest court reversed the government's actions.

With Alakija now back in control of 60 percent of the oil company, her net worth has shot up to $3.2 billion, an estimate that Ventures Africa calls extremely conservative.

Alakija's sons now run Famfa Oil and her husband, Modupe Alakija, is the chairman of the company.

She recently purchased a $102 million property at One Hyde Park in London, as well as a Bombardier Global Express 6000 jet, which she bought earlier this year for $46 million.

Her charity, Rose of Sharon Foundation, gives out small grants to widows and orphans.



Source : The richest black woman in the world: Folorunsho Alakija from Nigeria

Nasa to send new rover to Mars

The US space agency (Nasa) says it will launch a new rover to Mars in 2020. 

The vehicle will be based on its Curiosity robot, which landed on the Red Planet in August.
Nasa expects to re-use many of the technologies that worked so successfully in getting the one-tonne spacecraft down into the huge equatorial bowl known as Gale Crater.

This included a rocket-powered crane that lowered Curiosity to the surface on nylon cords.
The announcement of a follow-up robot was made at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, the world's largest annual gathering for Earth and planetary scientists, and a major showcase for Nasa-led research.

Full Story :  Nasa to send new rover to Mars

Dublin's 'godfather' killed in gang war

A SENIOR figure in Ireland's criminal underworld has been chased down the street and shot to death near his Dublin home, two years after surviving a similar assassination bid. 
 
In the latest chapter of a long-running feud involving Irish Republican Army die-hards, Eamon Kelly, a 65-year-old gang chief dubbed "The Godfather" by Dublin's tabloid press, was shot up to six times as he fled from a lone gunman, a police detective told The Associated Press.
The Real IRA paramilitary group was suspected of the hit.

Read more : Dublin's 'godfather' killed in gang war

Vanishing African savannahs threaten lions

AFRICA'S savannahs, and the lions that have found their home there, are disappearing at an alarming rate, plummeting two thirds over the past 50 years, a study has found. 
 
Using new satellite data, Duke University researchers estimated that as few as 32,000 lions now live on the continent's savannahs, down from nearly 100,000 in 1960.

The declines were particularly dire in West Africa, where human populations have doubled over the past three decades, according to the study published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation. It said fewer than 500 lions remain in the region.

Full Story : Vanishing African savannahs threaten lions

'World's oldest' person dies aged 116

The woman who was listed as the world's oldest person has died in a US nursing home, aged 116.

Besse Cooper died peacefully on Tuesday afternoon at Monroe, east of Atlanta, Georgia, according to her son Sidney Cooper.

Cooper said his mother had been ill over the weekend with a stomach virus, then felt better on Monday.
On Tuesday he said she had her hair set and watched a Christmas video, but later had trouble breathing.

Full Story : 'World's oldest' person dies aged 116

Woman's running nose revealed to be leaking brain fluid

For four months, doctors believed one Arizona woman’s running nose was allergies.  The truth turned out to be a much more horrifying scenario – brain fluid was leaking out of her nose.
According to the University of Arizona department of surgery, whenever Aundrea Aragon bent over, clear liquid would run out of her nose.

“I was scared to death and desperate,’’ Aragon said. “I knew it could not be allergies. The fluid would come out like a puddle.’’

Full Story : Woman's running nose revealed to be leaking brain fluid

Prince William and Kate announce they are expecting first baby

Palace officials announced Monday that the duchess and Prince William are expecting an heir to the throne.
The recurrent headline had become increasingly persistent in recent months, with the slightest lump in dress fabric or change in hairstyle generating a frenzied round of pregnancy rumors.
This will be the first grandchild for both the royal and Middleton families.

Full Story :  Prince William and Kate announce they are expecting first baby

NATO set to send missiles to Turkey’s border

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen confirmed on Monday that the military alliance is expected to deploy Patriot missiles to Turkey's border as a preventive measure against spillover from Syria’s civil war.

Rasmussen told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that he anticipates that foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday would make a decision the same day and expects them to “respond positively” to the Turkish requests.

Full Story : NATO set to send missiles to Turkey’s border

Now, tigers to be assigned UIDs

KOLKATA: Getting a UID is no longer just a unique human right. Tigers can have it too.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) issued a guideline on Monday, proposing to assign a unique identification (UID) number to each tiger captured through camera traps. The NTCA wants to create a national repository of camera-trap photographs of tigers, and the UIDs will help cut out duplication and give the big cats an exact headcount. Tigers in the Sunderbans, for instance, will have the prefix 'Su' before a number while those in the northeast hills will have 'NE'. Tigers are identified on the basis of stripe patterns obtained through the camera trap images.

Full Story :  Now, tigers to be assigned UIDs