Nepal: Bird flue scare puts poultry hub on high alert
The district- the hub of poultry industry in the country – in on high alert to prevent the outbreak of bird flu. A meeting, attended by the representative of the District Administration Offi ce (DAO) and District Livestock Services Office, held here today decided to ensure preventive measures to save the grosing industry from the looming crisis at hand.
Representatives of security agencies, poultry farmers, entrepreneurs, experts and other stakeholders took part in the meeting, which was chaired by CDO Ratna Raj Pandey.
It was decided to enforce quarantine, by managing sale and distribution of poultry products and feed. The government was urged to launch a nationwide campaign on the consumption of poultry products in light of the bird fle scare. Talks revolved around making the district based National Bird Disease Research Office and livestock services office more techncally competent so that the surveillance can be carried on a regular basis. Chitwan contributes to more than 50 per cent of the poultry industry in Nepal.
Compensation row disrupts culling operation
Jpaha: Culling began within a radius of three km in Mechinagar. Municipality -10 from Sunday. According to assistant Cdo Laxman Hamal, 1,472 chickens and four ducks were culled on the first day by 10 Rapid Response Teams.
Earlier, the poultry farmers disrupted the culling operation for five hours protesting insufficient amount of compensation. Public resentment is growing at the lack of preventivive measures even though the outbreak of bird flu was confirmed on Friday. The government has fixed the following compensation rates: Rs 500 for a locak chicken, Rs 250 for broiler, Rs 100 for backyard ones and 50 paisa for an egg. However, the aggrieved farmers are demanding Rs400 for a chicken, Rs 20, for a kg of poultry feed and Rs 4 for an egg.
China confirms second bird flu death this year
Two tests on the woman were positive for H5N1 avian influenza, said the ministry, which did not say how she might have contracted the virus.
On Saturday, the World Health Organization said a 2-year-old girl in northern China had tested positive for bird flu -- now the country's third confirmed case of the virus this month.
The girl fell ill on January 7 in central Hunan province and was taken to her home province of Shanxi in northern China, the state-run news agency Xinhua said. The report did not say how she became infected.
Since the end of 2003, the H5N1 virus has infected numerous species of birds in more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. It has not been found in birds in North or South America or the Caribbean, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Human-to-human transmission of avian flu is rare, but in some cases the virus has passed from poultry to humans. It has killed more than 200 people since 2003.
China reported its first human-to-human infection case in 2005. So far, 30 cases have been confirmed. Twenty of them have been fatal, according to Xinhua.
On Friday, China announced it was setting up a nationwide network to test for the virus.
A 27-year-old woman from eastern China has died of bird flu, Chinese authorities said, making her the second person to die this year from the deadly virus.
The woman fell ill on January 5 in Shandong province on the country's east coast and died on Saturday, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Two tests on the woman were positive for H5N1 avian influenza, said the ministry, which did not say how she might have contracted the virus.
On Saturday, the World Health Organization said a 2-year-old girl in northern China had tested positive for bird flu -- now the country's third confirmed case of the virus this month.
The girl fell ill on January 7 in central Hunan province and was taken to her home province of Shanxi in northern China, the state-run news agency Xinhua said. The report did not say how she became infected.
On January 5, a 19-year-old Beijing woman died of bird flu after handling poultry, officials said.
Xinhua said the woman bought nine ducks at a market in Beijing's neighboring Hebei province and cleaned their organs before falling ill.
Since the end of 2003, the H5N1 virus has infected numerous species of birds in more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. It has not been found in birds in North or South America or the Caribbean, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Human-to-human transmission of avian flu is rare, but in some cases the virus has passed from poultry to humans. It has killed more than 200 people since 2003.
China reported its first human-to-human infection case in 2005. So far, 30 cases have been confirmed. Twenty of them have been fatal, according to Xinhua.
On Friday, China announced it was setting up a nationwide network to test for the virus.
Luxury Rides Nissan
2 + 2/GT car: Nissan GT-R
Starting price: From $69,850
Power: 480-hp 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-6
2nd place : Bentley Continental GT Speed
3rd place: Aston Martin DB9
When was the last time you were able to watch a g-meter record in real time the lateral forces you were pulling in while cornering, braking, and accelerating? The crazy-quick (0 to 60 in 3.3 sec), capable GT-R offers, in addition to race-car performance, Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle status in all 50 states.
Benchmarked against the Porsche 911 Turbo, this car is serious business on a budget -- and manages out-run its more expensive all-wheel drive competitors, including the 911 Turbo, the Lamborghini Gallardo, and the Audi R8. It may not have the hand-honed feeling of a European sports car, but picking on a little plastic in the interior is like pointing out a small blemish on a supermodel.
2 + 2/GT car: Nissan GT-R
Starting price: From $69,850
Power: 480-hp 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-6
2nd place : Bentley Continental GT Speed
3rd place: Aston Martin DB9
When was the last time you were able to watch a g-meter record in real time the lateral forces you were pulling in while cornering, braking, and accelerating? The crazy-quick (0 to 60 in 3.3 sec), capable GT-R offers, in addition to race-car performance, Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle status in all 50 states.
Benchmarked against the Porsche 911 Turbo, this car is serious business on a budget -- and manages out-run its more expensive all-wheel drive competitors, including the 911 Turbo, the Lamborghini Gallardo, and the Audi R8. It may not have the hand-honed feeling of a European sports car, but picking on a little plastic in the interior is like pointing out a small blemish on a supermodel.
Ferrari Ruxury Rides
Two-seat sports car: Ferrari F430 Scuderia
Starting price: $277,456
Power: 4.3-liter, 503-hp V8
2nd place : Porsche 911 Turbo
3rd place: Chevy Corvette
If you can stomach the price, this is a scary-fast, insanely competent (0 to 60 in 3.5 sec), sexy purebred that makes operatic engine sounds unlike any other. Oh yes, and former Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher was crucial to its development.
Purists can argue about the superiority of a mid-engine V-8 Ferrari like the F430 vs. the big front-engine V-12 599 GTB, but my money goes to the playfulness of the mid-engine car. For those who prefer German, the 911 in any guise is unimpeachable, while Audi's R8 is the hottest new entrant. The Corvette, starting at $46,1000, is still the best deal around.
Two-seat sports car: Ferrari F430 Scuderia
Starting price: $277,456
Power: 4.3-liter, 503-hp V8
2nd place : Porsche 911 Turbo
3rd place: Chevy Corvette
If you can stomach the price, this is a scary-fast, insanely competent (0 to 60 in 3.5 sec), sexy purebred that makes operatic engine sounds unlike any other. Oh yes, and former Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher was crucial to its development.
Purists can argue about the superiority of a mid-engine V-8 Ferrari like the F430 vs. the big front-engine V-12 599 GTB, but my money goes to the playfulness of the mid-engine car. For those who prefer German, the 911 in any guise is unimpeachable, while Audi's R8 is the hottest new entrant. The Corvette, starting at $46,1000, is still the best deal around.
Axl Rose, Bruce Springsteen lend Mickey Rourke music for ‘The Wrestler’
Mickey Rourke called in a favor from old buddy Axl Rose of Guns N Roses for the soundtrack of 'The Wrestler.'
Despite his ‘years in the wilderness,’ Mickey Rourke is a pretty well-connected guy.
Throughout our conversation he is profane, very funny and casually drops in a “Francis Coppola” anecdote here, a “Sean Penn” story there.
In fact, in the course of our 15 minutes together, he also manages to throw in references to Dennis Hopper, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, “Chris” Walken and Harvey Keitel (the last four being his fellow alumnus from legendary NYC acting school, Actors Studio).
His friends are not restricted to the movie world either. During the making of his latest movie, “The Wrestler,” the former boxer pulled in a favour from old buddy Axl Rose of seminal 80s rockers “Guns N Roses,” who lent him one of the band’s songs “Sweet Child O’ Mine” for the soundtrack of the film.
“Axl Rose is a good friend of mine and actually, when I used to box, I used to come out to “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” but on our $5.5 million budget we couldn’t afford that music so he gave it to me,” said Rourke, “So that was something really special.”
Rourke was probably pretty glad to be able to help out. Director Darren Aronofsky insisted on having Rourke in the lead in place of the bankable Nicolas Cage. Rourke’s previous bad boy antics on set meant he was almost unemployable in Hollywood for 15 years and Aronofsky’s choice caused the film’s budget to be slashed by more than $10 million.
Mickey Rourke called in a favor from old buddy Axl Rose of Guns N Roses for the soundtrack of 'The Wrestler.'Despite his ‘years in the wilderness,’ Mickey Rourke is a pretty well-connected guy.
Throughout our conversation he is profane, very funny and casually drops in a “Francis Coppola” anecdote here, a “Sean Penn” story there.
In fact, in the course of our 15 minutes together, he also manages to throw in references to Dennis Hopper, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, “Chris” Walken and Harvey Keitel (the last four being his fellow alumnus from legendary NYC acting school, Actors Studio).
His friends are not restricted to the movie world either. During the making of his latest movie, “The Wrestler,” the former boxer pulled in a favour from old buddy Axl Rose of seminal 80s rockers “Guns N Roses,” who lent him one of the band’s songs “Sweet Child O’ Mine” for the soundtrack of the film.
“Axl Rose is a good friend of mine and actually, when I used to box, I used to come out to “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” but on our $5.5 million budget we couldn’t afford that music so he gave it to me,” said Rourke, “So that was something really special.”
Rourke was probably pretty glad to be able to help out. Director Darren Aronofsky insisted on having Rourke in the lead in place of the bankable Nicolas Cage. Rourke’s previous bad boy antics on set meant he was almost unemployable in Hollywood for 15 years and Aronofsky’s choice caused the film’s budget to be slashed by more than $10 million.
Bruce Lee's House Museum
Kung fu legend Bruce Lee's ex-home will be turned into a museum filled with martial arts weaponry.
You would expect a dead film icon’s house would hold some kind of special cachet; that a suitably wealthy fan would want to spend silly amounts of money to inhabit the ex-home of their favorite deceased film crush. After all, someone once spent $38,000 at auction to acquire a bible owned by Marilyn Monroe.
So, it comes as a bit of a surprise that late kung fu legend Bruce Lee’s old house almost suffered the ignominious fate of becoming a “seedy love motel,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Luckily, in the nick of time, a philanthropic Hong Kong tycoon (see above) has swooped in with a bid to turn the roundhousing marvel’s house into a tourist attraction.
The fate of the the two-storey town house in the suburb of Kowloon hung in the balance for years, until real estate and hotel tycoon Yu Pang-lin, who owns it, decided to donate it to the city of Hong Kong. It will be turned into a museum and Lee’s study and training hall will be recreated and filled with martial arts weaponry.
Lee was the star of kung fu classics like “Fist of Fury,” “Game of Death” and “Enter the Dragon.” He died in mysterious circumstances in 1973 at the age of 32.
Kung fu legend Bruce Lee's ex-home will be turned into a museum filled with martial arts weaponry.You would expect a dead film icon’s house would hold some kind of special cachet; that a suitably wealthy fan would want to spend silly amounts of money to inhabit the ex-home of their favorite deceased film crush. After all, someone once spent $38,000 at auction to acquire a bible owned by Marilyn Monroe.
So, it comes as a bit of a surprise that late kung fu legend Bruce Lee’s old house almost suffered the ignominious fate of becoming a “seedy love motel,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Luckily, in the nick of time, a philanthropic Hong Kong tycoon (see above) has swooped in with a bid to turn the roundhousing marvel’s house into a tourist attraction.
The fate of the the two-storey town house in the suburb of Kowloon hung in the balance for years, until real estate and hotel tycoon Yu Pang-lin, who owns it, decided to donate it to the city of Hong Kong. It will be turned into a museum and Lee’s study and training hall will be recreated and filled with martial arts weaponry.
Lee was the star of kung fu classics like “Fist of Fury,” “Game of Death” and “Enter the Dragon.” He died in mysterious circumstances in 1973 at the age of 32.
Kicking "Karate Kid"
LONDON, England - The original “Karate Kid” movie is the Mona Lisa of its genre. Teenage boy moves to new town with mum after dad dies, develops heavy crush on pretty girl — Elisabeth Shue — only to be beaten into a pulp regularly by her karate practising ex-boyfriend and his mates.
However, salvation is at hand in the form of his building’s handyman — Pat Morita’s noble and beautifully acted Mr Miyagi.
Miyagi knows a thing or two about karate and sets about teaching Daniel the proper way to use it by putting him to work waxing and painting things at his house.
Eventually all that “wax on, wax off” is revealed as a cunning ploy to get Ralph Macchio’s Daniel using the moves he needs but without the anger and hatred of his enemy.
It also has the benefit of teaching him patience and understanding, which is of course a big hit with Shue’s character.
It culminates with Daniel’s famous crane-kick victory after the badass ex-boyfriend has unleased some more nasty karate taught by his equally nasty teacher.
It makes you want to leap with joy and punch the air just thinking about.
However someone needs to start crane kicking the execs at Columbia Pictures, who are apparently in talks with Jackie Chan to remake the movie.
According to reports, Chan will mentor Will Smith’s son, Jaden, with the major difference being that the film will be set in Asia rather than California.
Cunningly the movie will be a co-production with state-run China Film Group, Variety reports, which would allow Columbia to bypass China’s annual quota of 20 film imports on a revenue-sharing basis.
Doesn’t sound at all cynical does it?
And therein lies the problem with just about every remake ever made: They’re about prostituting out a once great movie to old fans who don’t know better and a new generation who are barely old enough to tie their shoelaces let alone know there was an original.
Frankly, I’d rather burn my own eyes out with a hot poker than be duped into seeing another rubbish remake featuring a big-name star who is no patch on the original.
Just think Jude Law. He has been in two of the most nonsensical remakes ever, reprising Michael Caine’s role in “Alfie” and helping sully the name of the original Oscar-winning “All the Kings Men.” Moreover, he’s soon to feature in Guy Ritchie’s take on Sherlock Holmes — it’s a combination that has turkey written all over it.
Mark Wahlberg has an equally bad reputation when it comes to remake horrors, joining Tim Burton to butcher “Planet of the Apes” and Charlize Theron and Donald Sutherland in “The Italian Job” (what is it about Caine’s films?).
However, even they couldn’t top Gus Van Sant’s remake of “Psycho” with Vince Vaughan in the leading role. Vince Vaughan? Pass me that poker.
A “Karate Kid” remake can’t possibly better the original — the sequels were bad enough.
It all — sorry about the terrible pun — makes no sensei.
LONDON, England - The original “Karate Kid” movie is the Mona Lisa of its genre. Teenage boy moves to new town with mum after dad dies, develops heavy crush on pretty girl — Elisabeth Shue — only to be beaten into a pulp regularly by her karate practising ex-boyfriend and his mates.
However, salvation is at hand in the form of his building’s handyman — Pat Morita’s noble and beautifully acted Mr Miyagi.
Miyagi knows a thing or two about karate and sets about teaching Daniel the proper way to use it by putting him to work waxing and painting things at his house.
Eventually all that “wax on, wax off” is revealed as a cunning ploy to get Ralph Macchio’s Daniel using the moves he needs but without the anger and hatred of his enemy.
It also has the benefit of teaching him patience and understanding, which is of course a big hit with Shue’s character.
It culminates with Daniel’s famous crane-kick victory after the badass ex-boyfriend has unleased some more nasty karate taught by his equally nasty teacher.
It makes you want to leap with joy and punch the air just thinking about.
However someone needs to start crane kicking the execs at Columbia Pictures, who are apparently in talks with Jackie Chan to remake the movie.
According to reports, Chan will mentor Will Smith’s son, Jaden, with the major difference being that the film will be set in Asia rather than California.
Cunningly the movie will be a co-production with state-run China Film Group, Variety reports, which would allow Columbia to bypass China’s annual quota of 20 film imports on a revenue-sharing basis.
Doesn’t sound at all cynical does it?
And therein lies the problem with just about every remake ever made: They’re about prostituting out a once great movie to old fans who don’t know better and a new generation who are barely old enough to tie their shoelaces let alone know there was an original.
Frankly, I’d rather burn my own eyes out with a hot poker than be duped into seeing another rubbish remake featuring a big-name star who is no patch on the original.
Just think Jude Law. He has been in two of the most nonsensical remakes ever, reprising Michael Caine’s role in “Alfie” and helping sully the name of the original Oscar-winning “All the Kings Men.” Moreover, he’s soon to feature in Guy Ritchie’s take on Sherlock Holmes — it’s a combination that has turkey written all over it.
Mark Wahlberg has an equally bad reputation when it comes to remake horrors, joining Tim Burton to butcher “Planet of the Apes” and Charlize Theron and Donald Sutherland in “The Italian Job” (what is it about Caine’s films?).
However, even they couldn’t top Gus Van Sant’s remake of “Psycho” with Vince Vaughan in the leading role. Vince Vaughan? Pass me that poker.
A “Karate Kid” remake can’t possibly better the original — the sequels were bad enough.
It all — sorry about the terrible pun — makes no sensei.
The human smell: a powerful force?
The promise of transforming someone into a walking aphrodisiac may remain the holy grail of the perfume industry but the secret scent that can snare man or woman - or both - as yet remains elusive.
It is 50 years since the term pheromone was coined, but the jury is still out as to whether there are genuinely human smells which can elicit the most primitive subconscious urges in those around us.
While insects and animals respond automatically to chemical clues given off by their contemporaries and even have a special organ dedicated to the job of doing so, scientists have struggled to pin down a single component which has such a strong physiological effect on humans.
"We may never find a real human pheromone - our free will gets in the way," says Professor Tim Jacobs, of Cardiff University's School of Biosciences.
"But are there chemical signals which can influence behaviour? The answer is almost certainly yes."
Yet the professor warns: "We would do well to remember it's not all about sex."
What?
The key contender on the human pheromone front remains the old tale that women who live in close proximity for long enough synchronise their menstrual cycles.
This was first suggested in the early 1970s by Martha McClintock of Harvard University, and by the late 1990s she had found some evidence to support the hypothesis - but was unable to determine the chemical which had this effect.
"But this one I think is the most likely - and this could have a really good practical application," says Dr Tristram Wyatt, an Oxford University zoologist who has written an essay in Nature marking the fiftieth anniversary.
"If you could genuinely interfere with female hormones in this way and affect the menstrual cycle you could end up with an effective, sniffable contraceptive."
There is also some evidence that the smell of fear, which is well documented to elicit a response in animals, may have a human equivalent.
A study from New York tested the brain responses of volunteers who were given two sets of absorbent pads to sniff: the first contained the sweat of 40 people who were preparing to skydive for the first time, the second the perspiration of those who were not under any undue stress.
The skydivers' sweat did indeed produce signals in the parts of the volunteers' brains associated with fear, although it is unclear whether they did in fact feel scared.
Some potentially sinister applications have been read into this, particularly as the project was funded by the research section of the US Department of Defense.
On a more benign front, one study at least has suggested that some specimens of male sweat can calm women.
"By starting to understand how the brain responds to human chemicals - how it becomes stressed or de-stressed for instance - we are looking at a future where we could, potentially at least, effectively treat a number of conditions," says Ivanka Savic, a neuroscientist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Schizophrenia is another condition which might benefit from a better understanding of human pheromones, as anecdotal evidence suggests an uncanny ability to pick up on moods.
This may, it has been speculated, be the result of a heightened response to chemical signals.
Light may also be shed on autism, which conversely affects the ability to understand human emotion.
Back to basics
Nonetheless, unlocking sexual desire and decoding love is still what may pique the interest of the majority.
Some of the suggestions sound far from alluring: the smell emanating from lactating women, according to one study at least, increases fellow females' sex drive.
This could, researchers suggest, be because of the idea that in early communities it would make sense for women to have their children at the same time.
But much of the research has focused on two substances - one called androstadienone - mostly found in male sweat, the other estratetraenol, found in some women's urine.
Despite the fact that the original high-profile study on these was tainted by a conflict of interest, subsequent studies have show that androstadienone can send signals to women's brains - although whether this actually changes behaviour is a moot point.
It has been suggested that our ancestors' shift to full colour vision 25 million years ago was when we dispensed with pheromones as a way of detecting partners.
But smell clearly continues to play a role.
There is substantial evidence to suggest each of us individually emanates an exclusive smell on the basis of which prospective partners decide whether we are suitably genetically different to make a good potential partner.
"Once the initial contact has been made, chemical signals may then be exchanged," Professor Jacob suggests.
"This can lead to further bonding between the pair.
"Unfortunately all this doesn't seem to leave much room for romance."
The promise of transforming someone into a walking aphrodisiac may remain the holy grail of the perfume industry but the secret scent that can snare man or woman - or both - as yet remains elusive.It is 50 years since the term pheromone was coined, but the jury is still out as to whether there are genuinely human smells which can elicit the most primitive subconscious urges in those around us.
While insects and animals respond automatically to chemical clues given off by their contemporaries and even have a special organ dedicated to the job of doing so, scientists have struggled to pin down a single component which has such a strong physiological effect on humans.
"We may never find a real human pheromone - our free will gets in the way," says Professor Tim Jacobs, of Cardiff University's School of Biosciences.
"But are there chemical signals which can influence behaviour? The answer is almost certainly yes."
Yet the professor warns: "We would do well to remember it's not all about sex."
What?
The key contender on the human pheromone front remains the old tale that women who live in close proximity for long enough synchronise their menstrual cycles.
This was first suggested in the early 1970s by Martha McClintock of Harvard University, and by the late 1990s she had found some evidence to support the hypothesis - but was unable to determine the chemical which had this effect.
"But this one I think is the most likely - and this could have a really good practical application," says Dr Tristram Wyatt, an Oxford University zoologist who has written an essay in Nature marking the fiftieth anniversary.
"If you could genuinely interfere with female hormones in this way and affect the menstrual cycle you could end up with an effective, sniffable contraceptive."
There is also some evidence that the smell of fear, which is well documented to elicit a response in animals, may have a human equivalent.
A study from New York tested the brain responses of volunteers who were given two sets of absorbent pads to sniff: the first contained the sweat of 40 people who were preparing to skydive for the first time, the second the perspiration of those who were not under any undue stress.
The skydivers' sweat did indeed produce signals in the parts of the volunteers' brains associated with fear, although it is unclear whether they did in fact feel scared.
Some potentially sinister applications have been read into this, particularly as the project was funded by the research section of the US Department of Defense.
On a more benign front, one study at least has suggested that some specimens of male sweat can calm women.
"By starting to understand how the brain responds to human chemicals - how it becomes stressed or de-stressed for instance - we are looking at a future where we could, potentially at least, effectively treat a number of conditions," says Ivanka Savic, a neuroscientist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Schizophrenia is another condition which might benefit from a better understanding of human pheromones, as anecdotal evidence suggests an uncanny ability to pick up on moods.
This may, it has been speculated, be the result of a heightened response to chemical signals.
Light may also be shed on autism, which conversely affects the ability to understand human emotion.
Back to basics
Nonetheless, unlocking sexual desire and decoding love is still what may pique the interest of the majority.
Some of the suggestions sound far from alluring: the smell emanating from lactating women, according to one study at least, increases fellow females' sex drive.
This could, researchers suggest, be because of the idea that in early communities it would make sense for women to have their children at the same time.
But much of the research has focused on two substances - one called androstadienone - mostly found in male sweat, the other estratetraenol, found in some women's urine.
Despite the fact that the original high-profile study on these was tainted by a conflict of interest, subsequent studies have show that androstadienone can send signals to women's brains - although whether this actually changes behaviour is a moot point.
It has been suggested that our ancestors' shift to full colour vision 25 million years ago was when we dispensed with pheromones as a way of detecting partners.
But smell clearly continues to play a role.
There is substantial evidence to suggest each of us individually emanates an exclusive smell on the basis of which prospective partners decide whether we are suitably genetically different to make a good potential partner.
"Once the initial contact has been made, chemical signals may then be exchanged," Professor Jacob suggests.
"This can lead to further bonding between the pair.
"Unfortunately all this doesn't seem to leave much room for romance."
Earliest bird 'heard like an emu'
The earliest known bird, the magpie-sized Archaeopteryx lithographica, was able to hear like a modern emu.
In this respect at least, Archaeopteryx appears to have been more bird-like than reptile-like.
A team of scientists found the length of a part of the inner ear of birds and reptiles could be used to predict their hearing ability.
Details of the work appear in one of the journals of the UK Royal Society.
The researchers tested whether the length of the cochlear duct (part of the cochlea - the organ of hearing in animals, which lies in the inner ear) could be used to infer hearing ability in a group of modern birds and reptiles.
These included the barn owl, emu, alligator and green turtle.
They found that animals with a long cochlear duct tended to have the best hearing and vocal ability.
Modern bird species are known to possess relatively longer cochlear ducts than living reptiles.
A long cochlear duct is also an indicator of an individual's complex vocal communication, living in groups and even habitat choice. This appears to be true for both mammals and birds.
Dr Paul Barrett, a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum, commented: "In modern living reptiles and birds, we found that the length of the bony canal containing the sensory tissue of the inner ear is strongly related to their hearing ability.
"We were then able to use these results to predict how extinct birds and reptiles may have heard, and found that Archaeopteryx had an average hearing range of approximately 2,000 Hz.
"This means it had similar hearing to modern emus, which have some of the most limited hearing ranges of modern birds."
Previously, researchers have only been able to estimate how prehistoric animals heard sounds by examining the skulls of damaged fossils and relating the size of brain regions involved in hearing to hearing ability.
They did this using comparisons with a fossil's living counterpart.
However, the technique of modern computed tomography, or CT imaging, allowed Dr Barrett and his colleagues to accurately reconstruct the inner ear anatomy of various intact bird and reptile specimens.
The earliest known bird, the magpie-sized Archaeopteryx lithographica, was able to hear like a modern emu.
In this respect at least, Archaeopteryx appears to have been more bird-like than reptile-like.
A team of scientists found the length of a part of the inner ear of birds and reptiles could be used to predict their hearing ability.
Details of the work appear in one of the journals of the UK Royal Society.
The researchers tested whether the length of the cochlear duct (part of the cochlea - the organ of hearing in animals, which lies in the inner ear) could be used to infer hearing ability in a group of modern birds and reptiles.
These included the barn owl, emu, alligator and green turtle.
They found that animals with a long cochlear duct tended to have the best hearing and vocal ability.
Modern bird species are known to possess relatively longer cochlear ducts than living reptiles.
A long cochlear duct is also an indicator of an individual's complex vocal communication, living in groups and even habitat choice. This appears to be true for both mammals and birds.
Dr Paul Barrett, a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum, commented: "In modern living reptiles and birds, we found that the length of the bony canal containing the sensory tissue of the inner ear is strongly related to their hearing ability.
"We were then able to use these results to predict how extinct birds and reptiles may have heard, and found that Archaeopteryx had an average hearing range of approximately 2,000 Hz.
"This means it had similar hearing to modern emus, which have some of the most limited hearing ranges of modern birds."
Previously, researchers have only been able to estimate how prehistoric animals heard sounds by examining the skulls of damaged fossils and relating the size of brain regions involved in hearing to hearing ability.
They did this using comparisons with a fossil's living counterpart.
However, the technique of modern computed tomography, or CT imaging, allowed Dr Barrett and his colleagues to accurately reconstruct the inner ear anatomy of various intact bird and reptile specimens.
Electric Cars
Future Cars
For a century the gasoline engine has remained largely unchallenged, seeing off all pretenders to its crown. But with concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and a host of new contenders looming large in the rear view mirror, is the gasoline-fueled automobile due to be overtaken by a fleet of cleaner, leaner rivals?
SCIENCE THAT WILL CELL?
Hydrogen powered cars are emissions free -- expelling only drops of water from the exhaust -- and fuel-cell technology is proven. NASA has been using hydrogen to power space missions since the 1960s.
A fuel cell works by converting chemical energy into electrical energy which in turn powers the vehicle. Unlike electric cars, hydrogen-powered vehicles don't need recharging.
Earlier this year, Honda became the first manufacturer to complete production of the first commercial hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle -- the FCX Clarity -- which is powered by a 100-kilowatt V Flow fuel-cell stack.
But they are expensive -- "hundreds of thousands of dollars each," says Honda -- and only 200 have been made (by hand). Honda is leasing out the FCX to a variety of hand-picked customers, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis and Japan's Ministry of the Environment.
Dozens of motor manufacturers are currently designing new cars with fuel-cell technology.
As part of its 2009 centenary celebrations, the United Kingdom's Morgan Motor Company is developing the LIFECar -- a lightweight fuel-efficient car based on the chassis of the company's Aero 8 model.
The LIFECar is powered by a small fuel cell (22 kilowatts) which has been built by British defense contractor QinetiQ. It has a set of ultracapacitors which helps it to accelerate a lot faster -- zero to 60 miles per hour in six to seven seconds.
Malcolm McCulloch, leader of the Electrical Power Group at the UK's Oxford University is helping Morgan with the electric motors and power electronics on the car.
"At the moment we are still doing tests on the car, but it looks like it will be emitting around 50 grams of carbon per km equivalent, which is five times better than most vehicles will do now," McCulloch told CNN.
As the most abundant chemical element in the universe, hydrogen isn't about to run out, either.
Professor Rob Thring, Chair in Fuel Cell Engineering at the UK's Loughborough University, told CNN: "If you go out a buy a bottle of hydrogen today it will almost certainly be manufactured from natural gas -- which is not very green.
"But there is a better way. If you electrolyze water using electricity you've made from wind turbines, wave or solar, then you can say that you have completely carbon-free transportation."
VERDICT
Hydrogen fuel-cell cars aren't ready to surpass the gas engine. They are currently very expensive to produce and Honda says a mass-production model is still a long way off. But in the long term they could be the best option. Fuel-cell cars are an incredibly clean and efficient mode of transport.
"We need to build up the infrastructure in the same way that we did in the 1900s with petroleum," says Professor Thring. "The time it takes to roll out the infrastructure will depend on the incentive, but I think a significant proportion of the total vehicle fleet will be hydrogen fueled in ten years time."
John Turner, Research Fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado, U.S. says: "It's going to take a long time to build up a fuel-cell manufacturing base. But for a species that wants to maintain the viability of the planet, hydrogen is perfect."
OUR FRIENDS ELECTRIC?
Historically, electric vehicles have been seen as the slow, fiendishly uncool cousins of the gasoline car. And recent additions to the electric family, such as the REVA G-Wiz, launched in 2001, have failed to erase the rather negative connotations of going electric.
But the latest advances in battery technology could dramatically change the fortunes of electric cars. Powering cars with lithium-ion batteries is transforming their capabilities. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, require less maintenance and hold their charge much longer than old fashioned lead-acid batteries.
The Tesla Roadster, the much-hyped first fully electric sports car, is powered by a lithium-ion battery and is proof that the electric car has moved on.
With a full 3.5 hours charge, it will travel 250 miles. The Roadster will go from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 125 miles per hour. Less impressive is the price tag: around $100,000.
Hot on the heels of Tesla is the UK's Lightning Car Company, whose Lightning GT is even prettier than the Roadster and comes with a similar spec. It is even more expensive -- around $180,000 -- but does come with the option of a NanoSafe lithium titanate battery which can be charged in just 10 minutes.
While these cars aren't exactly within reach of most people, there are plenty of new companies -- including Chevrolet, with its forthcoming Volt -- that are lining up to sell motorists an affordable electric vehicle.
Founded in 2006 by two former Lotus engineers, Julian Wilford and Evert Geurtsen, the Nice Car Company has a fleet of two-, four-passenger and commercial vehicles, including the Mega City and the Mega MultiTruck.
The Mega City costs around $18,000 and has a range of 60 miles on a full charge of eight hours. That's perhaps a bit too pricey for the performance, but costs should come down as technology improves.
VERDICT
Oxford University's McCulloch says electric cars look like they might dominate the market in the coming years. "The advantage of batteries is that there is a ready infrastructure there," he said.
Renault's electric vehicle project director, Serge Yoccoz, told the International Herald Tribune recently that he expects electric vehicles to represent as much as 20 percent of the European market in 10 years.
And the UK Government's Committee on Climate Change has predicted -- perhaps rather boldly -- that 40 percent of cars on British roads will be electric by 2020 if tough greenhouse emissions targets are met.
But John Turner from the NREL isn't convinced that electric cars are the way to go in the long term.
"Batteries are a material intensive technology. As you buy more batteries, the costs don't necessarily go down," he said. "The nickel metal hydride battery they use in the [Toyota] Prius is a classic example. If the demand for nickel goes up, the price goes up."
For a century the gasoline engine has remained largely unchallenged, seeing off all pretenders to its crown. But with concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and a host of new contenders looming large in the rear view mirror, is the gasoline-fueled automobile due to be overtaken by a fleet of cleaner, leaner rivals?
SCIENCE THAT WILL CELL?
Hydrogen powered cars are emissions free -- expelling only drops of water from the exhaust -- and fuel-cell technology is proven. NASA has been using hydrogen to power space missions since the 1960s.
A fuel cell works by converting chemical energy into electrical energy which in turn powers the vehicle. Unlike electric cars, hydrogen-powered vehicles don't need recharging.
Earlier this year, Honda became the first manufacturer to complete production of the first commercial hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle -- the FCX Clarity -- which is powered by a 100-kilowatt V Flow fuel-cell stack.
But they are expensive -- "hundreds of thousands of dollars each," says Honda -- and only 200 have been made (by hand). Honda is leasing out the FCX to a variety of hand-picked customers, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis and Japan's Ministry of the Environment.
Dozens of motor manufacturers are currently designing new cars with fuel-cell technology.
As part of its 2009 centenary celebrations, the United Kingdom's Morgan Motor Company is developing the LIFECar -- a lightweight fuel-efficient car based on the chassis of the company's Aero 8 model.
The LIFECar is powered by a small fuel cell (22 kilowatts) which has been built by British defense contractor QinetiQ. It has a set of ultracapacitors which helps it to accelerate a lot faster -- zero to 60 miles per hour in six to seven seconds.
Malcolm McCulloch, leader of the Electrical Power Group at the UK's Oxford University is helping Morgan with the electric motors and power electronics on the car.
"At the moment we are still doing tests on the car, but it looks like it will be emitting around 50 grams of carbon per km equivalent, which is five times better than most vehicles will do now," McCulloch told CNN.
As the most abundant chemical element in the universe, hydrogen isn't about to run out, either.
Professor Rob Thring, Chair in Fuel Cell Engineering at the UK's Loughborough University, told CNN: "If you go out a buy a bottle of hydrogen today it will almost certainly be manufactured from natural gas -- which is not very green.
"But there is a better way. If you electrolyze water using electricity you've made from wind turbines, wave or solar, then you can say that you have completely carbon-free transportation."
VERDICT
Hydrogen fuel-cell cars aren't ready to surpass the gas engine. They are currently very expensive to produce and Honda says a mass-production model is still a long way off. But in the long term they could be the best option. Fuel-cell cars are an incredibly clean and efficient mode of transport.
"We need to build up the infrastructure in the same way that we did in the 1900s with petroleum," says Professor Thring. "The time it takes to roll out the infrastructure will depend on the incentive, but I think a significant proportion of the total vehicle fleet will be hydrogen fueled in ten years time."
John Turner, Research Fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado, U.S. says: "It's going to take a long time to build up a fuel-cell manufacturing base. But for a species that wants to maintain the viability of the planet, hydrogen is perfect."
OUR FRIENDS ELECTRIC?
Historically, electric vehicles have been seen as the slow, fiendishly uncool cousins of the gasoline car. And recent additions to the electric family, such as the REVA G-Wiz, launched in 2001, have failed to erase the rather negative connotations of going electric.
But the latest advances in battery technology could dramatically change the fortunes of electric cars. Powering cars with lithium-ion batteries is transforming their capabilities. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, require less maintenance and hold their charge much longer than old fashioned lead-acid batteries.
The Tesla Roadster, the much-hyped first fully electric sports car, is powered by a lithium-ion battery and is proof that the electric car has moved on.
With a full 3.5 hours charge, it will travel 250 miles. The Roadster will go from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 125 miles per hour. Less impressive is the price tag: around $100,000.
Hot on the heels of Tesla is the UK's Lightning Car Company, whose Lightning GT is even prettier than the Roadster and comes with a similar spec. It is even more expensive -- around $180,000 -- but does come with the option of a NanoSafe lithium titanate battery which can be charged in just 10 minutes.
While these cars aren't exactly within reach of most people, there are plenty of new companies -- including Chevrolet, with its forthcoming Volt -- that are lining up to sell motorists an affordable electric vehicle.
Founded in 2006 by two former Lotus engineers, Julian Wilford and Evert Geurtsen, the Nice Car Company has a fleet of two-, four-passenger and commercial vehicles, including the Mega City and the Mega MultiTruck.
The Mega City costs around $18,000 and has a range of 60 miles on a full charge of eight hours. That's perhaps a bit too pricey for the performance, but costs should come down as technology improves.
VERDICT
Oxford University's McCulloch says electric cars look like they might dominate the market in the coming years. "The advantage of batteries is that there is a ready infrastructure there," he said.
Renault's electric vehicle project director, Serge Yoccoz, told the International Herald Tribune recently that he expects electric vehicles to represent as much as 20 percent of the European market in 10 years.
And the UK Government's Committee on Climate Change has predicted -- perhaps rather boldly -- that 40 percent of cars on British roads will be electric by 2020 if tough greenhouse emissions targets are met.
But John Turner from the NREL isn't convinced that electric cars are the way to go in the long term.
"Batteries are a material intensive technology. As you buy more batteries, the costs don't necessarily go down," he said. "The nickel metal hydride battery they use in the [Toyota] Prius is a classic example. If the demand for nickel goes up, the price goes up."
Business
Bank of America gets another $20B
Bank of America will get another $20 billion from the U.S. government's bailout fund, with federal guarantees for another $118 billion in mortgage-backed securities on its balance sheets, the Treasury Department announced early Friday
The new arrangement provides additional capital for Bank of America in exchange for preferred stock with an 8 percent dividend, the Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced in a joint statement.
Bank of America has agreed to restrictions on executive pay and will be expected to adjust mortgages for troubled borrowers.
The FDIC will also extend its temporary loan guarantee program, which insures some debt beyond current limits, in exchange for expanded lending to consumers, senior government officials told reporters in a midnight briefing on the plan.
The deal also provides a backstop in case of "unusually large losses" on assets backed by real-estate loans. Most are being absorbed by Bank of America in its buyout of brokerage house Merrill Lynch, a $50 billion acquisition in the works since September. The assets will remain on the company's books, the feds said.
The $20 billion in funds from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) -- the $700 billion bailout fund created by Congress in October -- should be transferred to Bank of America later Friday, according to one of the officials. They did not say whether other troubled banks will need similar assistance.
"Each time we do one of these, we hope it's the last one we will ever have to do," one said.
Bank of America's shares fell 18.4 percent Thursday and have tumbled 36 percent so far this week. The company declined to comment.
Bank of America, which has already received $15 billion in government capital, including $10 billion set aside for Merrill Lynch, reportedly first approached the Treasury Department for help last month as losses mounted at the failing Wall Street firm. Government officials agreed to step in to avoid the merger's collapse, which would further roil the financial system.
The purchase, which was announced hours before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in mid-September, closed January 1.
Merrill Lynch's losses could top $10 billion, the Journal reported.
The deal would mark the second time the federal government has had to step in again to prop up a faltering financial institution. In November, officials injected another $20 billion into Citigroup, which had already received $25 billion, and agreed to backstop more than $300 billion in troubled assets.
Football
Last-gasp Berbatov goal puts United top
Dimitar Berbatov scored a last-minute goal to give Manchester United a 1-0 win at Bolton to put them top of the Premier League table for the first time this season.
Liverpool, who play Everton on Monday, lie a point behind in second place, while Chelsea and Aston Villa also rely on late goals to remain in third and fourth positions respectively.
United, who started with Carlos Tevez up front in place of the injured Wayne Rooney, had chances through Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo in the first half while Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen kept out Nemanja Vidic.
Kevin Davies then wasted a great chance to give Bolton the win and the game looked set for a draw until Bulgarian Berbatov headed home Tevez's cross to move the Red Devils one point clear of Liverpool at the top.
Meanwhile, Chelsea scored twice in the last six minutes as they came from behind to beat strugglers Stoke 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Didier Drogba was once again omitted from the squad but his replacement, Salomon Kalou, cleared the bar from six yards from a Frank Lampard cross early on.
Nicolas Anelka missed a chance just before the break, then Lampard saw a low shot saved by Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen as Chelsea dominated.
Stoke then shocked the Stamford Bridge faithful on the hour mark when James Beattie's deft touch found Rory Delap who lifted the ball over Petr Cech to give the visitors the lead.
Chelsea looked doomed to continue their poor home for this season, but Juliano Belletti's far-post header and Lampard's superb low drive in injury time gave Luiz Felipe Scolari's side the three points.
Villa also had to come from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light.
The home side broke the deadlock after 14 minutes when Carlos Edwards' free-kick found Danny Collins at the back post and he headed past a stranded Brad Friedel to register his first goal of the season.
James Milner's controversial goal levelled things on the hour. Ashley Young raced down the right to cross for Milner to head the ball home -- although replays showed the ball may have struck his arm.
Young was then given a straight red for a two-footed lunge before Gareth Barry converted a penalty after Paul McShane fouled Gabriel Agbonlahor.
In a good day for the top clubs, Arsenal also remained in touch in fifth place as they continued their recent revival with a 3-1 win at Hull City.
Emmanuel Adebayor put the visitors ahead with a looping header from Robin van Persie's deep corner, but Hull levelled in the 65th minute when Daniel Cousin headed firmly past Manuel Almunia after Bernard Mendy's cross took a slight deflection off Gael Clichy.
However, with nine minutes remaining Arsenal re-took the lead when van Persie's pass found Samir Nasri in space on the left and the Frenchman shot across goal into the corner of the net.
The Gunners then killed the game off five minutes from time when substitute Nicklas Bendtner played a one-two with an offside-looking Van Persie before finishing clinically. Arsenal almost added a fourth when Bendtner struck the post late on.
The result extended Arsenal's unbeaten league run to eigth matches and avenged their 2-1 home defeat by Hull earlier in the season.
Dimitar Berbatov scored a last-minute goal to give Manchester United a 1-0 win at Bolton to put them top of the Premier League table for the first time this season.
Liverpool, who play Everton on Monday, lie a point behind in second place, while Chelsea and Aston Villa also rely on late goals to remain in third and fourth positions respectively.
United, who started with Carlos Tevez up front in place of the injured Wayne Rooney, had chances through Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo in the first half while Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen kept out Nemanja Vidic.
Kevin Davies then wasted a great chance to give Bolton the win and the game looked set for a draw until Bulgarian Berbatov headed home Tevez's cross to move the Red Devils one point clear of Liverpool at the top.
Meanwhile, Chelsea scored twice in the last six minutes as they came from behind to beat strugglers Stoke 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Didier Drogba was once again omitted from the squad but his replacement, Salomon Kalou, cleared the bar from six yards from a Frank Lampard cross early on.
Nicolas Anelka missed a chance just before the break, then Lampard saw a low shot saved by Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen as Chelsea dominated.
Stoke then shocked the Stamford Bridge faithful on the hour mark when James Beattie's deft touch found Rory Delap who lifted the ball over Petr Cech to give the visitors the lead.
Chelsea looked doomed to continue their poor home for this season, but Juliano Belletti's far-post header and Lampard's superb low drive in injury time gave Luiz Felipe Scolari's side the three points.
Villa also had to come from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light.
The home side broke the deadlock after 14 minutes when Carlos Edwards' free-kick found Danny Collins at the back post and he headed past a stranded Brad Friedel to register his first goal of the season.
James Milner's controversial goal levelled things on the hour. Ashley Young raced down the right to cross for Milner to head the ball home -- although replays showed the ball may have struck his arm.
Young was then given a straight red for a two-footed lunge before Gareth Barry converted a penalty after Paul McShane fouled Gabriel Agbonlahor.
In a good day for the top clubs, Arsenal also remained in touch in fifth place as they continued their recent revival with a 3-1 win at Hull City.
Emmanuel Adebayor put the visitors ahead with a looping header from Robin van Persie's deep corner, but Hull levelled in the 65th minute when Daniel Cousin headed firmly past Manuel Almunia after Bernard Mendy's cross took a slight deflection off Gael Clichy.
However, with nine minutes remaining Arsenal re-took the lead when van Persie's pass found Samir Nasri in space on the left and the Frenchman shot across goal into the corner of the net.
The Gunners then killed the game off five minutes from time when substitute Nicklas Bendtner played a one-two with an offside-looking Van Persie before finishing clinically. Arsenal almost added a fourth when Bendtner struck the post late on.
The result extended Arsenal's unbeaten league run to eigth matches and avenged their 2-1 home defeat by Hull earlier in the season.
Entertainment
Stars converge for inaugural celebrations
John McCain tried to make Barack Obama's celebrity status a campaign issue last summer, but there's no debate about the president-elect's ability to draw famous and talented Americans to his inauguration.
Dozens of major celebrities will perform on several nationally televised shows, as well as 10 inaugural balls the evening after Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. president.
The celebration will open Sunday evening on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with a free concert so star-studded it's hard to choose a headliner.
Beyonce, Bono and Bruce Springsteen are on the list.
Other musical performers include Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder.
In addition, Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington will take the stage to deliver historical readings. More performers will likely be named.
Executive Producer George Stevens Jr. said the intention is "to root the event in history, celebrating the moments when our nation has united to face great challenges and prevail."
John McCain tried to make Barack Obama's celebrity status a campaign issue last summer, but there's no debate about the president-elect's ability to draw famous and talented Americans to his inauguration.Dozens of major celebrities will perform on several nationally televised shows, as well as 10 inaugural balls the evening after Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. president.
The celebration will open Sunday evening on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with a free concert so star-studded it's hard to choose a headliner.
Beyonce, Bono and Bruce Springsteen are on the list.
Other musical performers include Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder.
In addition, Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington will take the stage to deliver historical readings. More performers will likely be named.
Executive Producer George Stevens Jr. said the intention is "to root the event in history, celebrating the moments when our nation has united to face great challenges and prevail."
Entertainment
Madonna Photographs sell for $10,000 each
Two photographs of Madonna set to appear in a Christie's auction next month will probably sell for at least $10,000 each, according to estimates posted on the company's Web site.
One, a full-frontal nude black-and-white photograph of the singer, was taken in 1979 by celebrated American photographer Lee Friedlander for a series of nudes he was working on, said Milena Sales, a spokeswoman for the auction house.
Madonna was about 20 when the photograph, one of several, was taken.
A handful from the shoot appeared in Playboy magazine in 1985, Sales said. Christie's put price estimates for the photograph at $10,000 to $15,000.
The second photograph of Madonna was taken in the 1980s by Helmut Newton.
In the Newton photograph, which is in color, Madonna is wearing a short dress and black stockings with garters. The circumstances behind the photo shoot were not immediately clear.
The auction will take place in New York on February 12.
Two photographs of Madonna set to appear in a Christie's auction next month will probably sell for at least $10,000 each, according to estimates posted on the company's Web site.
One, a full-frontal nude black-and-white photograph of the singer, was taken in 1979 by celebrated American photographer Lee Friedlander for a series of nudes he was working on, said Milena Sales, a spokeswoman for the auction house.
Madonna was about 20 when the photograph, one of several, was taken.
A handful from the shoot appeared in Playboy magazine in 1985, Sales said. Christie's put price estimates for the photograph at $10,000 to $15,000.
The second photograph of Madonna was taken in the 1980s by Helmut Newton.
In the Newton photograph, which is in color, Madonna is wearing a short dress and black stockings with garters. The circumstances behind the photo shoot were not immediately clear.
The auction will take place in New York on February 12.
US Airways
Birds Hit US Airways at 3,000 feet
The flight, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, had barely reached 3,000 feet (914 meters) when pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger made the emergency call, National Transportation Safety Board member Kitty Higgins said at a news conference Saturday.
Higgins also quoted two of the flight's attendants who were interviewed by NTSB investigators. The two, who were not identified by name, were in jump seats at the front of the aircraft and heard a loud thud shortly after takeoff.
"It was a sound that neither one of them had ever heard before," Higgins said. "They said all the engine noise ceased. They described it as complete silence, like a library. They heard a passenger say, 'I think we hit birds.' "
Efforts to lift the Airbus A320 jetliner from the river began Saturday afternoon after delays due to icy conditions, Higgins said. She said it would be a tedious process that would take several hours.
The aircraft's right engine is still attached to the aircraft, and authorities were using sonar and a remote-operated underwater vehicle to search for the missing engine, Higgins said.
"Oh my God! It was a big plane, I heard a big boom just now, we looked up and the plane came straight over us and it was turning. Oh my God!" the man said.
The NTSB and other agencies are investigating not only what went wrong, but also what went right.
US Airways flight 1549 was airborne less than 90 seconds when the aircraft apparently collided with a flock of birds, according to a review of Federal Aviation Administration tapes and transcripts.
"This is cactus 1549, hit birds, we lost thrust in both engines," the flight's pilot told controllers at New York's LaGuardia International Airport at approximately 3:27 p.m. Thursday. "We're turning back towards LaGuardia."
The flight, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, had barely reached 3,000 feet (914 meters) when pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger made the emergency call, National Transportation Safety Board member Kitty Higgins said at a news conference Saturday.
Controllers immediately began preparations to clear a runway for an emergency landing, but less than a minute later, Sullenberger reported the aircraft wouldn't make it, Higgins said.
"We're unable. We may end up in the Hudson," he said, according to Higgins.
When a controller asked if the pilot wanted to try for an airport about six miles away in New Jersey, the pilot responded, "We can't do it."
The last communication from the plane to controllers, Higgins said, was the pilot saying, "We're gonna be in the Hudson."
Passengers, aviation experts and government officials have lauded Sullenberger and his crew for minimizing potential damage to the extent that all 155 passengers and crew members survived without major injuries. First responders were also praised for acting quickly to rescue the passengers in below-freezing temperatures.
Higgins also quoted two of the flight's attendants who were interviewed by NTSB investigators. The two, who were not identified by name, were in jump seats at the front of the aircraft and heard a loud thud shortly after takeoff.
"It was a sound that neither one of them had ever heard before," Higgins said. "They said all the engine noise ceased. They described it as complete silence, like a library. They heard a passenger say, 'I think we hit birds.' "
Efforts to lift the Airbus A320 jetliner from the river began Saturday afternoon after delays due to icy conditions, Higgins said. She said it would be a tedious process that would take several hours.
"The plane is full of water. In its current condition, it weighs about a million pounds," she said. The plan was to raise the aircraft a foot at a time, let water drain, then raise another foot for more water to drain, and so on, she said.
The aircraft's right engine is still attached to the aircraft, and authorities were using sonar and a remote-operated underwater vehicle to search for the missing engine, Higgins said.
The flight data and cockpit voice recorders -- both critical to determining exactly what happened during the brief flight Thursday -- remained Friday on the aircraft, which was still largely submerged in the Hudson River but was secured to moorings.
One caller said he saw the plane descend and reported hearing a loud noise shortly after the aircraft took off.
"I'm witnessing a airplane. It's going down. It's on fire," a man, calling from the Bronx, told a 911 operator at 3:29 p.m., three minutes after the plane left LaGuardia.
Authorities have not indicated the plane was on fire.
"Oh my God! It was a big plane, I heard a big boom just now, we looked up and the plane came straight over us and it was turning. Oh my God!" the man said.
Minutes later, at 3:33 p.m., a woman called 911 and reported seeing the plane in the water.
"A plane has just crashed into the Hudson River," she told a 911 operator. "A US Air big DC 9 or 10 has crashed into the Hudson River, about ... in. ... Oh my gosh!"
The NTSB and other agencies are investigating not only what went wrong, but also what went right.
"Having a successful ditching is a very rare event," Higgins said Friday.
"We'll not only celebrate what worked here, but also learn what worked. So many times you're only focused on what went wrong," she said. "A lot of things went right."
Technology
Millions of PCs Gets Virus Hijack
The Downadup or Conficker worm exploits a bug in Microsoft Windows to infect mainly corporate networks, where -- although it has yet to cause any harm -- it potentially exposes infected PCs to hijack.
A new sleeper virus that could allow hackers to steal financial and personal information has now spread to more than eight million computers in what industry analysts say is one of the most serious infections they have ever seen.
Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at anti-virus firm F-Secure, says while the purpose of the worm is unclear, its unique "phone home" design, linking back to its point of origin, means it can receive further orders to wreak havoc.
He said his company had reverse-engineered its program, which they suspected of originating in Ukraine, and is using the call-back mechanism to monitor an exponential infection rate, despite Microsoft's issuing of a patch to fix the bug.
"On Tuesday there were 2.5 million, on Wednesday 3.5 million and today [Friday], eight million," he told CNN. "It's getting worse, not better."
Hypponen explained to CNN the dangers that Downadup poses, who is most at risk and what can be done to stop its spread.
How serious is it?
It is the most serious large scale worm outbreak we have seen in recent years because of how widespread it is, but it is not very serious in terms of what it does. So far it doesn't try to steal personal information or credit card details.
Who is affected?
We have large infections in Europe, the United States and in Asia. It is a Windows worm and almost all the cases are corporate networks. There are very few reports of independent home computers affected.
What does it do?
It is a complicated worm most likely engineered by a group of people who have spent time making it very complicated to analyze and remove. The real reason why they have created it is hard to say right now, but we do know how it replicates.
How does it spread?
The worm does not spread over email or the Web. However if an infected laptop is connected to your corporate network, it will immediately scan the network looking for machines to infect.
These will be machines that have not installed a patch from Microsoft known as MS08-067. The worm will also scan company networks trying to guess your password, trying hundreds and hundreds of common words. If it gets in, even if you are not at your machine, it will infect and begin spreading to other servers. A third method of spreading is via USB data sticks.
How can I prevent it infecting my machine?
The best way is to get the patch and install it company-wide. The second way is password security. Use long, difficult passwords -- particularly for administrators who cannot afford to be locked out of the machines they will have to fix.
What can I do if it has already infected?
Machines can be disinfected. The problem is for companies with thousands of infected machines, which can become re-infected from just one computer even as they are being cleared.
The Downadup or Conficker worm exploits a bug in Microsoft Windows to infect mainly corporate networks, where -- although it has yet to cause any harm -- it potentially exposes infected PCs to hijack.
A new sleeper virus that could allow hackers to steal financial and personal information has now spread to more than eight million computers in what industry analysts say is one of the most serious infections they have ever seen.
Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at anti-virus firm F-Secure, says while the purpose of the worm is unclear, its unique "phone home" design, linking back to its point of origin, means it can receive further orders to wreak havoc.
He said his company had reverse-engineered its program, which they suspected of originating in Ukraine, and is using the call-back mechanism to monitor an exponential infection rate, despite Microsoft's issuing of a patch to fix the bug.
"On Tuesday there were 2.5 million, on Wednesday 3.5 million and today [Friday], eight million," he told CNN. "It's getting worse, not better."
Hypponen explained to CNN the dangers that Downadup poses, who is most at risk and what can be done to stop its spread.
How serious is it?
It is the most serious large scale worm outbreak we have seen in recent years because of how widespread it is, but it is not very serious in terms of what it does. So far it doesn't try to steal personal information or credit card details.
Who is affected?
We have large infections in Europe, the United States and in Asia. It is a Windows worm and almost all the cases are corporate networks. There are very few reports of independent home computers affected.
What does it do?
It is a complicated worm most likely engineered by a group of people who have spent time making it very complicated to analyze and remove. The real reason why they have created it is hard to say right now, but we do know how it replicates.
How does it spread?
The worm does not spread over email or the Web. However if an infected laptop is connected to your corporate network, it will immediately scan the network looking for machines to infect.
These will be machines that have not installed a patch from Microsoft known as MS08-067. The worm will also scan company networks trying to guess your password, trying hundreds and hundreds of common words. If it gets in, even if you are not at your machine, it will infect and begin spreading to other servers. A third method of spreading is via USB data sticks.
How can I prevent it infecting my machine?
The best way is to get the patch and install it company-wide. The second way is password security. Use long, difficult passwords -- particularly for administrators who cannot afford to be locked out of the machines they will have to fix.
What can I do if it has already infected?
Machines can be disinfected. The problem is for companies with thousands of infected machines, which can become re-infected from just one computer even as they are being cleared.
Science
Why so many minds think alike
Decades of research show people tend to go along with the majority view, even if that view is objectively incorrect. Now, scientists are supporting those theories with brain images.
A new study in the journal Neuron shows when people hold an opinion differing from others in a group, their brains produce an error signal. A zone of the brain popularly called the "oops area" becomes extra active, while the "reward area" slows down, making us think we are too different.
"We show that a deviation from the group opinion is regarded by the brain as a punishment," said Vasily Klucharev, postdoctoral fellow at the F.C. Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands and lead author of the study.
Participants, all female, had to rate 222 faces based on physical beauty on a scale from 1 to 8. Afterwards, researchers told each participant either that the average score was higher or that it was lower than her rating. Some participants were told the average rating was equal to her rating. The researchers then chatted with the participant before suddenly asking the participant to do the rating again. Most subjects changed their opinion toward the average.
The two leading theories of conformity are that people look to the group because they're unsure of what to do, and that people go along with the norm because they are afraid of being different, said Dr. Gregory Berns, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.
Berns' research, which he describes in the book "Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently," found that brain mechanisms associated with fear and anxiety do play a part in situations where a person feels his or her opinion goes against the grain.
Participants looked at projections of three-dimensional objects, and had to identify which shapes were similar. As with the new study in Neuron, participants tended to shift their opinion to the majority view, although in this case the problems had objectively correct answers. The effect was also more potent in this experiment because actors were in the room to simulate a group with a shared opinion, he said.
But brain images revealed participants were not lying just to fit in. Changes in the activation of the visual part of the brain suggest the group opinion actually changed participants' perceptions of what they saw.
One reason behind conformity is that, in terms of human evolution, going against the group is not beneficial to survival, Berns said. There is a tremendous survival advantage to being in a community, he said.
"Our brains are exquisitely tuned to what other people think about us, aligning our judgments to fit in with the group," Berns said.
The most famous experiments in the field were conducted by Solomon Asch in the 1950s. He found that many people gave incorrect answers about matching lines printed on cards, echoing the incorrect answers of the actors in the room.
But unlike Berns' finding that fear and anxiety relate to this effect, Asch saw conformity studies reflections of people's reliance on one another for knowledge of the world, experts say.
Decades of research show people tend to go along with the majority view, even if that view is objectively incorrect. Now, scientists are supporting those theories with brain images.
A new study in the journal Neuron shows when people hold an opinion differing from others in a group, their brains produce an error signal. A zone of the brain popularly called the "oops area" becomes extra active, while the "reward area" slows down, making us think we are too different.
"We show that a deviation from the group opinion is regarded by the brain as a punishment," said Vasily Klucharev, postdoctoral fellow at the F.C. Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands and lead author of the study.
Participants, all female, had to rate 222 faces based on physical beauty on a scale from 1 to 8. Afterwards, researchers told each participant either that the average score was higher or that it was lower than her rating. Some participants were told the average rating was equal to her rating. The researchers then chatted with the participant before suddenly asking the participant to do the rating again. Most subjects changed their opinion toward the average.
The two leading theories of conformity are that people look to the group because they're unsure of what to do, and that people go along with the norm because they are afraid of being different, said Dr. Gregory Berns, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.
Berns' research, which he describes in the book "Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently," found that brain mechanisms associated with fear and anxiety do play a part in situations where a person feels his or her opinion goes against the grain.
Participants looked at projections of three-dimensional objects, and had to identify which shapes were similar. As with the new study in Neuron, participants tended to shift their opinion to the majority view, although in this case the problems had objectively correct answers. The effect was also more potent in this experiment because actors were in the room to simulate a group with a shared opinion, he said.
But brain images revealed participants were not lying just to fit in. Changes in the activation of the visual part of the brain suggest the group opinion actually changed participants' perceptions of what they saw.
One reason behind conformity is that, in terms of human evolution, going against the group is not beneficial to survival, Berns said. There is a tremendous survival advantage to being in a community, he said.
"Our brains are exquisitely tuned to what other people think about us, aligning our judgments to fit in with the group," Berns said.
The most famous experiments in the field were conducted by Solomon Asch in the 1950s. He found that many people gave incorrect answers about matching lines printed on cards, echoing the incorrect answers of the actors in the room.
But unlike Berns' finding that fear and anxiety relate to this effect, Asch saw conformity studies reflections of people's reliance on one another for knowledge of the world, experts say.
Anti-Obama T-shirt
Boy Suspended for Wearing Anti-Obama T-shirt
The suspension of an 11-year-old Colorado student for sporting an anti-Obama message raises the question of whether the proponents of "free speech" in schools really believe in the concept...or understand it.
SURFING INTERNET
5 places to go (On the internet) before you die.
In today’s world where everyone has something to say and show the internet can never actually be a bore. When you can’t think of a link to click. Here are some places you can check out:
Be like us!
At www.clippings.com you can actually fabricate your own news stores and send it to your friends. Because the clippings look like they’ve just been cut out of a newspaper, the website is perfect for playing pranks. This site is recommended for degenerate liars, pranksters and anyone interested in journalism. Creating a major scandal was never easier than this. But please use the site with caution and understand the implications what you write can have. Trust us-the consequences can be pretty harsh!
Instant messaging instantly!
Suddenly realizing that your estranged companion has finally logged in to his/her Yahoo! Messaging Account is fun, realizing the computer you’re using doesn’t have Yahoo! is not. Hence, www.meebo.com exists to solve these small messaging nightmares. Meebo allows you to sign in to any of your famous instant messaging accounts (such as MSN, AOL or Yahoo!) through their browser window. No need to panic about not having nay of these big programs in your computer, now logging in just requires typing “meebo”.
Stumble on it!
A website fast catching on is www.stumbleupon .com. It makes great recommendations to users who download their toolbar and surf the net. Stumbleupon is a site that takes internet exploring to a new level, as it provides users with good choices from new websites that people have surfed through and added in their archives. Basically, stumbleupon is an online catalogue of websites that other people thought were worth seeing. The downloadable toolbar helps people with similar web interests connect, share and communicate as well. Just log-in and download the toolbar!
For the utterly bored!
The website www.bored.com is anything but what its name suggests. This website provides cool and easy things to do to pass time without feeling bored. There are fun games like warping celebrity photos, reading Charlie Brown comic strips and also links to other interesting sites like www.shockarcade.com, which has a plethora of free online video games for you to try. OK, granted that most of the things you’ll do at this site will be pretty useless, but the internet is not just a selling and advertising tool that you have to use for something productive. Sometimes we need to learn to have fun, and bored.com is a good place to look for it.
The End
It’s a single page. There are no links, no graphics, no color, no flashy banners, no advertisements, no downloads and no fancy technological creativity involved. It is neither important nor useless. It is neither true nor false. It feels nostalgic, yet it foretells the future. It is fast and easy to load, it is fast and easy to understand and it is fast and easy to let go. Unlike any other website in the world, it doesn’t have anything to tell us, but yet, in a way, it surmises the fate of the internet itself. It can frighten and fascinate you; it can make you laugh but still fill you with caution. It requires, above all, no introduction. Interested? Try www.shibumi.org/eoti.htm. trust us, you might just need this one day.
In today’s world where everyone has something to say and show the internet can never actually be a bore. When you can’t think of a link to click. Here are some places you can check out:
Be like us!
At www.clippings.com you can actually fabricate your own news stores and send it to your friends. Because the clippings look like they’ve just been cut out of a newspaper, the website is perfect for playing pranks. This site is recommended for degenerate liars, pranksters and anyone interested in journalism. Creating a major scandal was never easier than this. But please use the site with caution and understand the implications what you write can have. Trust us-the consequences can be pretty harsh!
Instant messaging instantly!
Suddenly realizing that your estranged companion has finally logged in to his/her Yahoo! Messaging Account is fun, realizing the computer you’re using doesn’t have Yahoo! is not. Hence, www.meebo.com exists to solve these small messaging nightmares. Meebo allows you to sign in to any of your famous instant messaging accounts (such as MSN, AOL or Yahoo!) through their browser window. No need to panic about not having nay of these big programs in your computer, now logging in just requires typing “meebo”.
Stumble on it!
A website fast catching on is www.stumbleupon .com. It makes great recommendations to users who download their toolbar and surf the net. Stumbleupon is a site that takes internet exploring to a new level, as it provides users with good choices from new websites that people have surfed through and added in their archives. Basically, stumbleupon is an online catalogue of websites that other people thought were worth seeing. The downloadable toolbar helps people with similar web interests connect, share and communicate as well. Just log-in and download the toolbar!
For the utterly bored!
The website www.bored.com is anything but what its name suggests. This website provides cool and easy things to do to pass time without feeling bored. There are fun games like warping celebrity photos, reading Charlie Brown comic strips and also links to other interesting sites like www.shockarcade.com, which has a plethora of free online video games for you to try. OK, granted that most of the things you’ll do at this site will be pretty useless, but the internet is not just a selling and advertising tool that you have to use for something productive. Sometimes we need to learn to have fun, and bored.com is a good place to look for it.
The End
It’s a single page. There are no links, no graphics, no color, no flashy banners, no advertisements, no downloads and no fancy technological creativity involved. It is neither important nor useless. It is neither true nor false. It feels nostalgic, yet it foretells the future. It is fast and easy to load, it is fast and easy to understand and it is fast and easy to let go. Unlike any other website in the world, it doesn’t have anything to tell us, but yet, in a way, it surmises the fate of the internet itself. It can frighten and fascinate you; it can make you laugh but still fill you with caution. It requires, above all, no introduction. Interested? Try www.shibumi.org/eoti.htm. trust us, you might just need this one day.
ENTERTAINMENT
King of Pop admitted to hospital 
Michael Jackson went to hospital suffering from dehydration and weight loss after jurors acquitted the singer of child molestation last month, his lawyer says.
"Michael Jackson was ill from time to time. In fact, people didn't realise he actually entered the hospital after the verdict," Jackson's lawyer Tom Mesereau told BBC radio in an interview.
"He was dehydrated, he had lost a tremendous amount of weight, he was having trouble keeping food down, he was terrified about what was going happen to his children and he had a recurring back problem," he added.
The child star turned superstar, whose Thriller album made him one of the world's best known entertainers, was visibly weak at the end of his four-month trial and his family said he had gone to bed after the verdict.
Mesereau said he had not spoken to Jackson in the last few weeks although the two had been in touch after the trial.
Jackson was acquitted last month of molesting a 13-year-old boy in 2003 as well as plying him with alcohol and conspiring to abduct the boy.
The singer faced nearly 20 years in prison if convicted.
Although cleared, music industry experts have questioned how the formerly unstoppable superstar can rebuild his career and work his way out of deep debt.
Mesereau insisted Jackson would not settle out of court if further allegations were made against him.
"I am concerned because he is a perpetual target. There still is a perception among some people that he ... doesn't want to go to court and will settle," said Mesereau. "We will be fighting any of these suits all the way if they happen."
Jackson's success as a pop singer had faded even before the trial as he became more reclusive and the media turned its attention to his dramatic physical changes and eccentric lifestyle.
Mesereau said he hoped nobody entered Jackson's home to spend the night to avoid future false claims.
"I advised Mr Jackson not to let any families in his home again," said the lawyer.
Travel And Tour
A View to die for
From Paanch Pokhari, a day's hike gets you to Dudhpokhari and another day's trek to Tillman's pass. Tillman's Pass leads to the other side of the Langtang range, the Kyanjin Gompa and Dhunche route. From the top of the hills bordering Paanch Pokhari, you can see Tillman's Pass with absolute clarity. Two massive peaks shelter the pass, a glacier that seems almost liquid.
A six hour bus ride from Kathmandu will get you to Chautara. Four hours if you are in a car or a bike.
What to take:
Everything but the kitchen sink, and if you have space for it, then that too. Sleeping bags, mats, cooking utensils, enough edibles to last for at least six days, water bottles, hiking boots with crampons (or snow boots although the weight will kill you), a compass and maps.
Cost:
If you stay for a day at Chautara and Lamidanda then possibly Rs 500, but while trekking, there are no shops to buy anything from.
Initially the hiking trail usually started from Chautara, but now, a dart road leads all they way up to Sano Kkhreni. Thronged with huge mounds of mud and holes two feet deep, even our motorbikes, required a fair bit of manoeuvring. A four wheel drive can easily be commissioned in Chautara though.
The real trail starts from Lamidanda in Sano Okhreni. The small village lies at the base of the first hill and even from here, the view left us speechless. The clouds spread out beneath us, a veritable blanket of vapour, almost as if it could be walked upon. And rising up above it in the distance was the magnificent Langtang range, glinting yellow like jagged teeth in the morning sun.
One word of warning, there is absolutely no water on the main walking trail. If you don't know the trail well, you need to get a guide from Sano Okhreni along because pretty soon even those five litres of water will run out and dehydration can set in.
Straight away, the hiking trail is steep but two or three of the average hills later, you are faced with one major hill. The trail is not so steep but what makes it worse is the hard, packed snow. If you don't have proper boots you could end up slipping along every step. Making it even worse is the fact that it runs alongside a steep cliff and a very lond drop.
Walking for maybe ten to twelve hours will bring you to Bhanjyang, and a small cowshed. Despite having a Global Positioning System (GPS), a compass and a map, we happened to get lost along the way and wandered for four hour in the underbrush, surrounded by short bamboo. We had been following a small one-person wide trail, which disappeared beneath an avalanche of snow. While lost in the jungle, we crossed literal landslides with just footholds and handholds, in the dark, with just five headlamps among the eleven of us. We finally managed to reach Bhanjyang, the trail and a clearing where we camped for the night.
What to take:
Everything but the kitchen sink, and if you have space for it, then that too. Sleeping bags, mats, cooking utensils, enough edibles to last for at least six days, water bottles, hiking boots with crampons (or snow boots although the weight will kill you), a compass and maps.
Cost:
If you stay for a day at Chautara and Lamidanda then possibly Rs 500, but while trekking, there are no shops to buy anything from.
Initially the hiking trail usually started from Chautara, but now, a dart road leads all they way up to Sano Kkhreni. Thronged with huge mounds of mud and holes two feet deep, even our motorbikes, required a fair bit of manoeuvring. A four wheel drive can easily be commissioned in Chautara though.
The real trail starts from Lamidanda in Sano Okhreni. The small village lies at the base of the first hill and even from here, the view left us speechless. The clouds spread out beneath us, a veritable blanket of vapour, almost as if it could be walked upon. And rising up above it in the distance was the magnificent Langtang range, glinting yellow like jagged teeth in the morning sun.
One word of warning, there is absolutely no water on the main walking trail. If you don't know the trail well, you need to get a guide from Sano Okhreni along because pretty soon even those five litres of water will run out and dehydration can set in.
Straight away, the hiking trail is steep but two or three of the average hills later, you are faced with one major hill. The trail is not so steep but what makes it worse is the hard, packed snow. If you don't have proper boots you could end up slipping along every step. Making it even worse is the fact that it runs alongside a steep cliff and a very lond drop.
Walking for maybe ten to twelve hours will bring you to Bhanjyang, and a small cowshed. Despite having a Global Positioning System (GPS), a compass and a map, we happened to get lost along the way and wandered for four hour in the underbrush, surrounded by short bamboo. We had been following a small one-person wide trail, which disappeared beneath an avalanche of snow. While lost in the jungle, we crossed literal landslides with just footholds and handholds, in the dark, with just five headlamps among the eleven of us. We finally managed to reach Bhanjyang, the trail and a clearing where we camped for the night.
The cowshed at Bhanjyang had two people and those were the only people we saw for the entire trek up. The next day's trek is steeper but you'll have a choice between a straight 60 degree climb, scrambling over boulders, or a long and leisurely beaten path. If you choose the longer route then you will need to camp for the night at Hille Bhanjyang. There is nothing to tell you that you have reached Hille Bhanjyang except two empty, long rectangular cowsheds.
If you choose the shorter, more arduous route, you can reach Narsinghpati by six or seven in the evening, provided you don't rest too much and that you started out fresh and early in the morning. Narshinghpati lies at the top of the Hille Bhanjyang hill. And from here, the mountains seem within touching distance. There is snow all around, not hard ice but soft powdery snow. There is a shed to sleepin, and even dry wood for a fire.
If you choose the shorter, more arduous route, you can reach Narsinghpati by six or seven in the evening, provided you don't rest too much and that you started out fresh and early in the morning. Narshinghpati lies at the top of the Hille Bhanjyang hill. And from here, the mountains seem within touching distance. There is snow all around, not hard ice but soft powdery snow. There is a shed to sleepin, and even dry wood for a fire.
The view from Narshinghpati is one to die for. Especially in the evenings, when the sun setting, it sends out bold rays of yellow light straight on the mountains, staining them in an ethereal yellowish-orange glow.
Three to four hours walk the next day will get you to Paanch Pokhari from Narsinghpati and a day's walk from Hille Bhanjyang. The trai is easier, not as steep and the snow isn't as slippery. Paanch Pokhari is magnificent. One big pond surrounded by four smaller ones, the five lie in a sheltered vale. There is a temple, from the base of which rushes out spring water. You can easily camp here for a day or two, if you manage to forage for firewood, although the evening winds can get really strong and chilly. Be prepared to run after your tent if you haven't pegged it properly.
From Paanch Pokhari, a day's hike gets you to Dudhpokhari and another day's trek to Tillman's pass. Tillman's Pass leads to the other side of the Langtang range, the Kyanjin Gompa and Dhunche route. From the top of the hills bordering Paanch Pokhari, you can see Tillman's Pass with absolute clarity. Two massive peaks shelter the pass, a glacier that seems almost liquid.From Narsinghpati and Paanch Pokhari, another perk is the night time sky. The stars came out in startling clarity. Huge twinkling masses, like fireflies strewn across a blanket of the darkest velvet. Lying there, on a yellow mat and staring up at the inky blackness of the sky perforated with a million twinkling globes, one realises how insignificant we humans are in the grand scheme of things.
Getting down is easier but not very. Snow makes it easy to lose your footing and slip. A walking stick should be your best friend if not, the foliage, creepers and shrubs. Coming down will take two days; a day to Bhanjyang and another to Lamidanda where you can recharge you batteries and interact with the friendly locals.
Get Googling
We’ve all heard a lot about Google. But if you are still among the very few who haven’t, then what in the real world have you been up to? With almost all of your search queries entertained by Google, it’s easy to limit Google to what it does best: online searching. But then again, to dismiss Google as a search engine would be like trying to cover the sun with you palm, only limiting your own online and offline convenience. Google is way more than ‘just’ a search engine. Just like an iceberg, the search engine is only the tip of the vast empire that is Google.
Here is some of the best Google services you can use. From the simple yet powerful image and photo organizer to the virtual atlas to a dedicated mail and chat client, enjoy the best Google has to offer.
Image handling: The Google Way
Thanks to digital cameras in every device imaginable, who hasn’t got loads of pictures stashed somewhere in their computer? The problem is not with storing, but with trying to find it when needed. Most of us don’t have a dedicated hard drive or an external one just to store pictures. So what to do when you’ve really got to see what you have on your computer? Well, the answer is simple: turn your computer inside out. Or just try Picasa. Picasa is ‘the’ software that looks up your computer and brings all your images and pictures in one sleek and intuitive interface. Picasa locates all your photos in your computer and allows you to view them in a single window interface. The best feature of this power-packed freebie has to be its collage making ability and its simple editing features. Try it: http://picasa.google.com/
What as Atlas!
So you’ve taken a fancy to geography. Thick atlas books and inaccurate globes are outdated. So what are the options for increasing your knowledge of the world? Google Earth is here for the rescue! Google most controversial release yet (on account of security), Google Earth is the best thing when it comes to viewing the 3D model of the Earth. With accurate satellite imagery. It brings the world’s geographic information to your desktop. With Google Earth, the possibilities are endless: zoom into your house and street, scan the presidential palaces of flaunt your knowledge of exotic places or just scan the horizons: you don’t know what you might discover. One word: download! http://earth.google.com/
Simplicity: the name of the game
Well, I’ve had just about everything with the free web mail sites that proclaim they’re the best in the world. It just might be true to some folks, but after countless hours I’ve wasted ‘testing’ their beta version and trying for the umpteenth time to upload the attachment. I’ve decided to make the switch. And what better alternative than Gmail! With over 5GB of online storage (and counting!), you surely won’t feel the need to delete those important mails ever again. Plus, the no-frills interface gives you the best aesthetic feel. The best thing about Gmail has to be its integrated chat feature: you can directly chat from the email page. No need to install an extra messenger client!
Get Published!
You have a way with words and all your friends praise your skills with the pen. But, with no one coming up to you with positive reviews and critiques and suggestions, you are finding it difficult to sustain that inner flame you have for writing. For starters stop writing; with a pen that is and start typing. To get more readers and to get ‘published’ try Google’s blog engine: Blogger (http://www.blogger.com). Blogger allows you to publish your thoughts online and maintain a blog space. And what more, with the advanced editing features you can make your blog as private as you want. It’s all up to you. If you want to share some of your pictures, Picasa has just the right tool to upload it to the net. Utilize its collaborative features, and build a class blog where everyone from your group or your class can post their entries to the blog.
We’ve all heard a lot about Google. But if you are still among the very few who haven’t, then what in the real world have you been up to? With almost all of your search queries entertained by Google, it’s easy to limit Google to what it does best: online searching. But then again, to dismiss Google as a search engine would be like trying to cover the sun with you palm, only limiting your own online and offline convenience. Google is way more than ‘just’ a search engine. Just like an iceberg, the search engine is only the tip of the vast empire that is Google.
Here is some of the best Google services you can use. From the simple yet powerful image and photo organizer to the virtual atlas to a dedicated mail and chat client, enjoy the best Google has to offer.
Image handling: The Google Way
Thanks to digital cameras in every device imaginable, who hasn’t got loads of pictures stashed somewhere in their computer? The problem is not with storing, but with trying to find it when needed. Most of us don’t have a dedicated hard drive or an external one just to store pictures. So what to do when you’ve really got to see what you have on your computer? Well, the answer is simple: turn your computer inside out. Or just try Picasa. Picasa is ‘the’ software that looks up your computer and brings all your images and pictures in one sleek and intuitive interface. Picasa locates all your photos in your computer and allows you to view them in a single window interface. The best feature of this power-packed freebie has to be its collage making ability and its simple editing features. Try it: http://picasa.google.com/
What as Atlas!
So you’ve taken a fancy to geography. Thick atlas books and inaccurate globes are outdated. So what are the options for increasing your knowledge of the world? Google Earth is here for the rescue! Google most controversial release yet (on account of security), Google Earth is the best thing when it comes to viewing the 3D model of the Earth. With accurate satellite imagery. It brings the world’s geographic information to your desktop. With Google Earth, the possibilities are endless: zoom into your house and street, scan the presidential palaces of flaunt your knowledge of exotic places or just scan the horizons: you don’t know what you might discover. One word: download! http://earth.google.com/
Simplicity: the name of the game
Well, I’ve had just about everything with the free web mail sites that proclaim they’re the best in the world. It just might be true to some folks, but after countless hours I’ve wasted ‘testing’ their beta version and trying for the umpteenth time to upload the attachment. I’ve decided to make the switch. And what better alternative than Gmail! With over 5GB of online storage (and counting!), you surely won’t feel the need to delete those important mails ever again. Plus, the no-frills interface gives you the best aesthetic feel. The best thing about Gmail has to be its integrated chat feature: you can directly chat from the email page. No need to install an extra messenger client!
Get Published!
You have a way with words and all your friends praise your skills with the pen. But, with no one coming up to you with positive reviews and critiques and suggestions, you are finding it difficult to sustain that inner flame you have for writing. For starters stop writing; with a pen that is and start typing. To get more readers and to get ‘published’ try Google’s blog engine: Blogger (http://www.blogger.com). Blogger allows you to publish your thoughts online and maintain a blog space. And what more, with the advanced editing features you can make your blog as private as you want. It’s all up to you. If you want to share some of your pictures, Picasa has just the right tool to upload it to the net. Utilize its collaborative features, and build a class blog where everyone from your group or your class can post their entries to the blog.
News
Obama family moves to Washington
US President-elect Barack Obama and his family have officially arrived in Washington DC in preparation for taking up residence at the White House.
Mr Obama's wife and their two daughters arrived first at the Hay-Adams Hotel, which overlooks the White House. Mr Obama later flew in from Chicago.
Malia, 10, and seven-year-old Sasha are due to start classes at the exclusive Sidwell Friends School on Monday.
The Obamas will move to the official presidential guest home on 15 January.
Blair House, which is located opposite the White House and has previously housed presidents-elect before their inauguration, is booked solidly until then, Bush administration officials said.
The Obamas arrived back at their home in Chicago early on Friday, following a 12-day family holiday in Hawaii, and began the move to Washington less than 48 hours later.
The Hay-Adams Hotel, built in 1928, stands across Lafayette Square from the White House, where the Obama family will take up residence following the inauguration ceremony on 20 January.
Security has been tightened around the hotel, with parking restricted in nearby streets until 15 January, according to city officials.
The Obamas are expected to stay in one of the historic hotel's luxury suites, which cost several thousand dollars a night, as their daughters start school.
Other children of prominent politicians to have attended the private Sidwell Friends School include Chelsea Clinton and the daughters of President Richard Nixon.
In the coming days, Mr Obama is expected to spend time with Congressional leaders, as they work on a multi-million dollar stimulus plan intended to aid the country's embattled economy.
The president-elect has also been invited to lunch at the White House on Wednesday, along with former Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and George Bush Senior.
Blagojevich row
Meanwhile, a row continues over the appointment of Roland Burris to fill Mr Obama's now-vacant Illinois Senate seat.
Mr Burris was picked by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is the subject of a criminal inquiry and has been charged with attempting to "sell" Mr Obama's seat to the highest bidder.
The governor - who denies any wrongdoing - has defied pressure from party leaders to step down and last week chose Mr Burris, the state's former attorney general, to fill the position.
Senate Democrats have said that while there are no questions about Mr Burris's personal integrity, they will reject anyone appointed by Mr Blagojevich.
The president-elect has said he agrees the Senate "cannot accept" a new senator chosen by Mr Blagojevich, adding that Mr Blagojevich himself should resign.
New Senate members will be sworn in on Tuesday, as the new session of Congress opens.
Mr Burris said on Saturday he still planned to go to Washington on Monday to take up the Senate seat, the Associated Press news agency reported.
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FDA: Diet Coke Plus Is A Minus
Traces of vitamins do not a health drink make.
If the label says it's healthy then it must be true.
Well, that's what Coca-Cola (nyse: KO- news- people) would love for its consumers to believe, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has other plans.
The regulatory agency issued a warning letter to the soft drink giant earlier this month explaining to the company that its label for Diet Coke Plus violates the FDA's guidelines for using the word "plus" and claiming that it provides "vitamins and minerals." While the drink does include trace amounts of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B, the FDA contends that those small amounts are not sufficient to make the claims.
Beyond that, the FDA said in its letter that it does not "consider it appropriate to fortify snack foods such as carbonated beverages."
Coca-Cola has been on a crusade to revamp its image from a purveyor of highly sweetened, fattening products to a more family-friendly image of low-calorie, nutritional drinks. While the company has had some success with its water and sports-drink products, it is still associated with its syrupy-sweet eponymous drink. Coke's website claims that it sells 700 low-calorie or no-calorie drinks throughout the world. Diet Coke Plus was added to its line of products in early 2007 and is sold in Britain, Guam and the United States.
The letter, issued on Dec. 10, and posted on the FDA website on Tuesday, gave Coke 15 days to reply with its plans for actions. The company said it plans to reply in early January and added, "We take seriously the issues raised by the FDA in its letter. This does not involve any health or safety issues, and we believe the label on Diet Coke Plus complies with FDA's policies and regulations."
Coke's violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act could mean hefty fines and a seizure of product from the pop king, but often these sorts of issues are resolved without incident.
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