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This weekend marks the opening of 'The Smurfs,' a film based on the popular Saturday morning cartoon and Belgian comic strip. If you don't already know, Smurfs are small blue creatures from Smurf Village who often throw the word "smurf" into every sentence. (For example: Moviefone is the best smurfing website on the Internet.)

Hopefully this won't come as a shock to our Smurf demographic, but Smurfs do not hold a monopoly on blue-colored characters in films. So, to celebrate the opening of their new flick, we decided to compile the best blue roles ever. (And yes, there are more than just 'Avatar' characters).

'X-Men': Mystique, Beast and Nightcrawler
We couldn't decide who was the best of these three mutants, so we came up with a simple solution: include them all. Although Mystique's shapeshifting abilities allow her to take any appearance, her natural look is all blue. As for the other two, Beast is a big blue, well, beast, with superhuman strength and agility, and Nightcrawler is a blue mutant with the ability to teleport.

'Yellow Submarine': Blue Meanies
Perhaps the most evil blue people on this list, the Blue Meanies set out to take over Pepperland, a place filled with music. Of course, the Beatles, along with their doppelgangers, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, help bring peace to the town and make friends with their now-former enemies.

'Avatar': The Na'avi
Ah yes, the Na'avi. The creatures native to Pandora have endured countless parodies since James Cameron introduced them to the world back in 2009. But no matter what you think of the movie, you have to admit that there are some perks of being a Na'avi, like standing 10 feet tall and having the ability to fly a Toruk

'Doug's 1st Movie': Skeeter Valentine
Honk! Honk! You probably forgot there was a 'Doug' movie, didn't you? Well, if you didn't (and we have nothing but love for die-hard 'Doug' fans), then here's a quick refresher: Skeeter Valentine was Doug Funnie's best friend (and a very blue best friend at that), best known for making a "honk" noise every time he entered the room.

'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory': Violet Beauregarde
Poor Violet Beauregarde turned into a blueberry after eating the Three-Course-Dinner Gum. Granted, she was a huge brat, so we never felt that bad for her. And yeah, we know she isn't technically "blue" in this film -- it's closer to violet (hence the line "you're turning violet, Violet!") -- but it's good enough for our list.

'The Fifth Element': Diva Plavalaguna
We know what you're thinking: Who the heck is Diva Plavalaguna? For those who don't remember, she's the blue opera singer who's entrusted with guarding the four elements. We may not know a lot about her, but one thing's for certain: She's got some serious pipes.

'Aladdin': The Genie
Everyone's thought it at some point: I wish I had a genie that would grant me three wishes. Unfortunately, the closest you're likely to get to that dream is watching 1992's 'Aladdin,' which features Robin Williams as the Genie. Not only was this genie absolutely hysterical, he was blue, which makes him a perfect candidate for this group.

'Watchmen': Dr. Manhattan
While he may have ultimately been set up by another superhero, Dr. Manhattan was still pretty badass. Having been accidentally disintegrated during a science experiment, the man once known as Jon Osterman returned as Dr. Manhattan. He not only could glow bright blue, he could clone himself and destroy his enemies without lifting a finger.

'Megamind': Megamind

This animated comedy starring Will Ferrell as the alien Megamind made a boatload at the box office ($321 million). Megamind was a super-intelligent creature with a blue dome the size of the aliens' heads in 'Mars Attacks.'

'Winnie the Pooh': Eeyore
Winnie the Pooh's favorite donkey is closer to gray, but his Debbie Downer personality forced us to include him.

'Arrested Development': Tobias Fünke
Don't worry, there wasn't an 'Arrested Development' movie made while you were sleeping (wouldn't that be nice?). We just wanted to include Mr. Tobias Fünke on this list in case the film based on the cult television show ever does get made. For those unfamiliar with 'A.D.,' Tobias Fünke (played by David Cross) is an aspiring actor who decides to try out for Blue Man Group and ends up spending a good amount of time decked out in blue paint.

Who is your favorite blue character?
Mystique from 'X-Men'49 (14.6%)
Beast from 'X-Men'4 (1.2%)
Nightcrawler from 'X-Men'23 (6.8%)
Blue Meanies from 'Yellow Submarine' 7 (2.1%)
The Na'avi from 'Avatar'24 (7.1%)
Skeeter Valentine from 'Doug's 1st Movie'8 (2.4%)
Violet Beauregarde from 'Willy Wonka'5 (1.5%)
Diva Plavalaguna from 'The Fifth Element'15 (4.5%)
The Genie from 'Aladdin'59 (17.6%)
Dr. Manhattan from 'Watchmen' 23 (6.8%)
Megamind from 'Megamind'11 (3.3%)
Eeyore from 'Winnie the Pooh'25 (7.4%)
Tobias Fünke from 'Arrested Development'83 (24.7%)

Images courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Sony.


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Picture Archive: West Virginia, 1940s

To become a state, West Virginia had to learn how not to secede.

A coal miner finishes work in Omar, West Virginia.

The 35th state turns 150 years old today.

West Virginia—often considered the northernmost of the southern states and the southernmost of the northern states, since it straddles the Mason-Dixon Line—was the result of a split decision.

Back when it was all Virginia, the mountainous, industrial-leaning western half and the rolling, plantation-filled eastern half didn't see eye-to-eye for much of the 1800s—a situation that came to a head around the Civil War.

John Brown's 1859 raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry—an attempted slave revolt—was quelled, bloodily, in less than two days. But it may have fueled Confederacy-leaning constituents and led to renewed vigor for Virginia's secession.

The western half of the state balked. And at the beginning of the 1860s it broke free, declaring itself its own entity and calling Virginia's secession illegal.

President Lincoln signed the West Virginia statehood bill on the last day of 1862. On June 20, 1863, West Virginia officially became a member of the Union—and the only state formed by a presidential proclamation.

Adopted in the state's constitution as part of the state seal, West Virginia's motto became "Mountaineers are always free."

Today, it's a state largely known for its coal industry, which began taking shape in the 1800s. Production skyrocketed in the new state as industry increased at war's end. By 2012, West Virginia coal accounted for about 15 percent of the country's total electricity.

This image of a coal miner in Omar, West Virginia—taken by staff photographer B. Anthony Stewart—was published in the May 1944 issue of National Geographic magazine, in a story titled "Coal: Prodigious Worker for Man."

"Stamped on His Face Are the Years of His 'Nights' Underground," reads the caption for the photo. "Work done, he is on his way to the lamphouse to leave his battery for recharging. Next he will visit the bathhouse, but, scrub as he will, he cannot entirely remove the black badge of his craft."

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Queen’s Diamond Jubilee: 10 things you need to know about the Duke of Edinburgh

More from Vidya Kauri | @VidyaKauri

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh  on June 2, 1953 — the day the Queen was crowned at Westminter Abbey.

Official celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee take place in Britain over the long weekend of June 1-4. In the next 30 days, the National Post will count down to that date and beyond with a special series looking at Her Majesty’s 60 Glorious Years. We will be highlighting the work of some of our best journalists who have written about the Queen, her role in Canada and society, and the future of the monarchy. We will also have quizzes and special features about people and places connected to Royalty. Today, the National Post’s Vidya Kauri with 10 things you need to know about the Duke of Edinburgh.

1. Prince Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh, was born on June 10, 1921 on the Greek island of Corfu. He is the oldest living great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria. His mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was Queen Victoria’s great-granddaughter. She moved to Greece to live with his father, Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Constantine of Greece. When the Greek monarchy was overthrown in 1922, George V, the Duke’s father’s cousin, sent a Royal Navy ship to rescue them. Prince Philip, who was one year old at the time, was carried to safety in an orange box.

2. During the Second World War, his mother stayed in Athens and sheltered a family of Jewish refugees who were running away from the Nazis. For this she was later recognised as “Righteous Among the Nations” at the Yad Vashem (Holocaust Memorial) in Jerusalem. She also founded an order of Greek Orthodox nuns called the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary.

3. The Duke of Edinburgh left Gordonstoun School in 1939 and joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet. While at Dartmouth he won the prize for being the best Cadet in his year of entry. He joined HMS Ramillies in Colombo in 1940 as a Midshipman. He had an active career in the Navy for 14 years after which he earned his Royal Air Force wings in 1953.

4. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip first met at his cousin’s wedding in 1934. Princess Marina of Greece was getting married to the Duke of Kent, Princess Elizabeth’s uncle. The wedding between the Queen and Prince Philip was held in Westminster Abbey on Nov. 20, 1947. It was attended by 2,000 invited guests. Guests included the King and Queen of Denmark, the King and Queen of Yugoslavia, the Kings of Norway and Romania, and the Shah of Iran. The Prince had two stag parties the night before his wedding — the first was at The Dorchester hotel to which the press were invited and the second was with his closest friends at the Belfry Club.

5. The Queen and Prince Philip have four children and seven grandchildren. Their children are Prince Charles, born in 1948, Princess Anne, born in 1950, Prince Andrew, born in 1960, and Prince Edward born in 1964.

6. The Prince is notorious for making outrageous comments in public. The UK’s Daily Mirror and the Independent celebrated his 90th birthday last year by publishing 90 of his “classic gaffes.” One of the quotes published by the Mirror was made in 2003 to the President of Nigeria, who was wearing his national dress: “You look like you’re ready for bed,” said Prince Philip. He had previously told a British student in China in 1986, “If you stay here much longer, you’ll go home with slitty eyes.” In 1987, the Prince bemoaned, “I never see any home cooking. All I get is fancy stuff.” In March, the Prince proved he still possessed a cheeky sense of humour when he asked a 60-year-old man in a mobility scooter, “How many people have you knocked over this morning on that thing?”

7. The Duke of Edinburgh was persuaded by his old headmaster, Kurt Hahn, to initiate an award scheme for young people. The Duke launched a pilot award scheme ‘For Boys’ in 1956. Since then about seven million young people, boys and girls, in 132 countries have received Duke of Edinburgh Awards. The aim of the award is “to help young people develop a sense of responsibility to themselves and to their communities. The concept of The Award is one of individual challenge. It offers young people a balanced, non-competitive program of voluntary activities which encourages personal discovery, growth, self-reliance, perseverance, and responsibility.”

8. The Duke enjoys painting landscapes in oils. He is also concerned about the conservation of nature and served as the first president of the World Wildlife Fund in 1961. He is now president emeritus. His role includes chairing meetings, annual conferences and visits to WWF projects around the world like the Panda Captive Breeding Centre in Wolong, China.

9. When Prince Philip turned 90 last year, he told the BBC, “I reckon I’ve done my bit. I want to enjoy myself for a bit now with less responsibilities, less frantic rushing about, less preparation, less trying to think of something to say. On top of that, the memory’s going. I can’t remember names. Yes, I am just sort of winding down. I am getting rid of things.”

10. In December 2011, Prince Philip spent four nights in a hospital after complaining of chest pains. Doctors discovered a blocked artery and performed a minor emergency operation to improve his blood flow.

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Blue Jays' tough loss to Rangers summed up by Jose Bautista meltdown

More from John Lott | @LottOnBaseball

Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista represented the winning run against the Texas Rangers on Sunday before striking out, resulting in some choice words for the home plate umpire.

Toronto Blue Jays' tough loss to Texas Rangers summed up by Jose Bautista meltdown

TORONTO – The umpire called it a strike. TV replays showed he was correct. So did a website that logs detailed data on pitch location.

But Jose Bautista, standing at the plate representing the potential winning run, disagreed, and said so. Umpire Gary Darling let him have his say. Two pitches later, after a swinging strikeout, Bautista exploded at Darling, who promptly ejected him during a close-range exchange that featured references to bovine excrement.

It was, as manager John Gibbons said later, only one at-bat in a game the Toronto Blue Jays lost 6-4, and there were others that were equally important. But Bautista’s belligerence came in the ninth inning, with runners on second and third and a big crowd tasting a comeback. And it revived the debate about his periodic rants against the men who call balls and strikes.

After the game, a reporter asked Gibbons whether he thought Bautista’s frustration boiled over because he struck out in a crucial situation.

“Ask him when you get in [the clubhouse]. I’m sure he’s pretty honest,” Gibbons said.

But Bautista sent word through a media relations official that he “declined” to discuss the matter.

The Blue Jays blew a 4-0 lead and a chance to sweep the Texas Rangers. But when Rangers closer Joe Nathan came on in the ninth, a walk, error and sacrifice bunt brought up Bautista and amplified the anticipation among nearly 43,000 fans.

Darling called Nathan’s first pitch, a slider, a strike. Bautista blustered. Next came a fastball, up and in. Bautista tried to check his swing. Strike two. Then another slider, low and outside. Bautista bent, swung, missed, straightened and erupted.

I wish I could narrow it down and just get rid of that, and kind of move on and be able to throw the ball where I want to

After Darling ejected him, Bautista tossed his bat, helmet and elbow pad onto the infield and stalked off., which tracks pitch data, showed that the disputed first pitch was clearly in the lower quarter of the strike zone.

Said Nathan: “That’s a pitcher’s pitch. That’s a strike in baseball. I’m not going to say it was borderline, I think it was a strike.”

Occasionally last year and during spring training, and again on opening night, Bautista aimed glares and pointed remarks over his shoulder as he left the plate after disputed strikeouts. He avoided ejection. Since then, he has held his temper, at times showing admirable restraint on calls that were questionable.

Bautista told reporters on April 4 that after he argues a call, he checks video and finds that the umpire was wrong 70% to 80% of the time.

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

“Sometimes I have trouble more than other players dealing with my production being affected by somebody else’s mediocrity,” he said then. “It’s just the way I am as a person. It’s a tougher pill to swallow for me sometimes.”

Sunday’s outburst was noteworthy because it was so egregious — Bautista has rarely gone jaw to jaw with an umpire — and because it was the first after two months of calm.

Gibbons was asked whether he is concerned about Bautista developing a problematic reputation with umpires.

“It doesn’t help him, that’s for sure,” the manager replied. “But it really hasn’t been a problem this year. Today he kind of blew up. You look over the season, it hasn’t been an issue.”

Happening when it did, and as it did, the Bautista ejection left almost 43,000 fans buzzing about it as they headed for the exits moments later. They had also seen the inevitable regression of the Jays’ bullpen, which had worked 16 stellar innings over the previous two games.

Although starter Josh Johnson held Texas to three runs in five innings, he threw 107 pitches and walked four. He developed a blister on his middle finger in the fourth inning, but said it did not contribute to his erratic fastball command.

“I was kind of all over the place,” Johnson said. “I wish I could narrow it down and just get rid of that, and kind of move on and be able to throw the ball where I want to.”

For the most part, he did that in his previous start, his first off the disabled list, when he worked seven innings and allowed one earned run in San Francisco.

The Rangers tied the score 4-4 against Jays reliever Juan Perez with an unearned run in the sixth – backup catcher Josh Thole made a wild throw on a steal attempt that brought a runner in from third – before Neil Wagner and Dustin McGowan yielded solo home runs to Adrian Beltre and David Murphy in the next two innings.

Both Wagner and McGowan had worked in Saturday’s 18-inning victory. Gibbons said he had no choice but to use them again, while saving newly arrived Todd Weber for long relief in case the game went into extra innings.

The Jays scored all of their runs after two were out in the third. Three scored on Adam Lind’s home run off Texas starter Justin Grimm.

After working the ninth, Weber was sent back to Buffalo. Darren Oliver will be activated Monday when the club opens a seven-game trip to Chicago and Texas. Tuesday will bring another roster move when Chien-Ming Wang comes aboard to make his Jays debut.

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Derek Drouin’s gold medal caps Canada’s historic performance at world track and field championships

The gold medal was No. 8 for the Canadian team to cap a thrilling best-ever showing. ‘We came here to kick ass,’ said the head coach. ‘We kicked ass’

Everything you need to know about Andrew Wiggins and Canada’s chances at the FIBA Americas Championship

The FIBA Americas Championship, which will determine which countries on this side of the Atlantic qualify for the Olympics, starts on Monday in Mexico City

Could Marcus Stroman reclaim a spot in the Blue Jays' rotation? Manager John Gibbons says it's possible

John Gibbons had been skeptical. But now even the Blue Jays’ manager dares to savour the fantasy Marcus Stroman is peddling

Usain Bolt gets run down by Segway following his 200-metre win at world championships

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Apple and Walmart have no business casting stones

The reigning plutocrats of Apple and Walmart might want to check their mirrors and their consciences before reaching for rocks to heave at Indiana and its citizens

Walmart will pose no threat to Toronto's Kensington Market

Walmart and Kensington Market will serve different needs. If you want to shop for vintage furniture, exotic spices, and loose-leaf teas, you go to the Market; if you want a pack of socks and a new plastic Brita filter, you go to Walmart.

Pepper spraying Black Friday shopper was fighting for cheap Xbox, police say

In Los Angeles, authorities were reviewing security tapes to track down a Hispanic woman in her 30s who pepper-sprayed a crowd at a Walmart as customers swarmed for Xboxes on sale late Thursday, Los Angeles police Sergeant J. Valle said

Black Friday 2011: Shopping extravaganza creeps into Thanksgiving

by Mira Oberman Brawl over a two dollar item in Chicago Toys R Us sells $160 playset for $32 Target, Kohl’s and Macy’s opened at midnight VERNON HILLS, Illinois, — The line to get into Toys R Us in time for Black Friday ‘doorbuster’ sale prices was moving painfully slowly, but Michelle Steiner was cheerful […]

Black Friday pepper-spray attack at Walmart injures 20 as violence mars Thanksgiving sales

Twenty people, including children, received minor injuries after a woman reportedly pepper-sprayed other shoppers at a Los Angeles-area Walmart store on Thursday as late-night Black Friday sales began in the United States and Canada

Hospital calls 911 after senior slips and falls at its door

When Doreen Wallace, 82, fell in the entrance of Greater Niagara General Hospital, she expected help. Instead, she had to wait 28 minutes for an ambulance

Post Picks: A closer look at Obama’s state of the union address

In today’s edition: Full Comment discusses last night’s state of the union address, and Wal-Mart comes out swinging with plans for Canadian expansion. Here is what you need to know on Jan. 26. ‘Win the future’ Full Comment editor Kelly McParland, and contributor David Frum weighed in on last night’s Obama’s state of the union […]


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Staunton Subaru, a central VA Subaru dealership, stocks safety award-winning Subaru Impreza.
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To improve the look and handling of the Subaru WRX STI, Agency Power has developed these performance racing springs.
By Edwards Subaru Hyundai
Edwards Subaru is marking down all 2010 Subaru's left in stock below cost. Subaru has annouced incentives end Jan. 31, 2011 and every unit needs to be sold.
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For the second consecutive year Subaru has been recognized as the only automotive manufacturer with a 2011 TOP SAFETY PICK winner in every vehicle class in which it competes by the Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).
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For the year 2011, the new Subaru Impreza offers many useful features to ensure comfort and safety for all passengers as well as the driver. To learn more about this new vehicle, visit our site at www.subaruofplano.com or contact us at 469-619-0538.
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Kelley Blue Book, the leading provider of new and used vehicle information, has announced that Subaru has been awarded 2011 Best Retail Brand and the Subaru Outback has also been named a Top 10 Best Resale Model at the KBB Best Resale Value Awards.
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Miguel Nicolelis will use EEG sensors in a high-profile demo.

Miguel Nicolelis will use EEG sensors in a high-profile demo.

Exclusive Q&A: World Cup Kickoff Looms for Demo of Brain-Controlled Machine

Kelly is a staff writer at Science.

During the World Cup next week, there may be 1 minute during the opening ceremony when the boisterous stadium crowd in São Paulo falls silent: when a paraplegic young person wearing a brain-controlled, robotic exoskeleton attempts to rise from a wheelchair, walk several steps, and kick a soccer ball. The neuroscientist behind the planned event, Miguel Nicolelis, is familiar with the spotlight. His lab at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, pioneered brain-computer interfaces, using surgically implanted electrodes to read neural signals that can control robotic arms.

Symbolically, the project is a homecoming for Nicolelis. He has portrayed it as a testament to the scientific progress and potential of his native Brazil, where he founded and directs the International Institute of Neuroscience of Natal. The press has showered him with attention, and the Brazilian government chipped in nearly $15 million in support.

But scientifically, the project is a departure. Nicolelis first intended the exoskeleton to read signals from implanted electrodes, but decided instead to use a noninvasive, EEG sensor cap. That drew skepticism from Nicolelis’s critics—and he has a few—that the system wouldn’t really be a scientific advance. Others have developed crude EEG-based exoskeletons, they note, and it will be impossible to tell from the demo how this system compares. A bigger concern is that the event could generate false hope for paralyzed patients and give the public a skewed impression of the field’s progress.

As his team prepares for the 12 June kick, Nicolelis gives Science a hint of the technology under the hood, and defends his decision to arrange such a conspicuous debut for a tool still in the early stages of development. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: Getting down to the last few weeks before the kick, how is the project progressing?

A: The scientific, the clinical, and the technological milestones have been concluded, so we’re pretty happy. Our eight patients have all experienced walking in the exo[skeleton]. They all had sensations that made them report that they felt like they were walking by themselves.

Q: What’s your primary goal with this demonstration?

A: My primary goal is to disseminate the passion for science around the world. I want people to know that in a country like Brazil that is well known for football, you can also do high-level science, and that high-level science can be produced by a global collaboration, in a nonprofit consortium.

Q: Are you hoping to demonstrate anything to the scientific community?

A: Not in the stadium. We are going to demonstrate a very beautiful thing, but the demonstration for the scientific community will come in the papers that will come afterward. … But we are not preparing this for peer review. This is a show for the world.

Q: How does a person move the exoskeleton, and what can they control?

A: The person has to imagine movements, and these movements are translated into commands that enact the movements in the exo. It’s a concept that we published way back in 2002 called shared control. Part of the higher order decision is done by the brain, and the low-level movement is enacted by the robot. [High-order decisions include] “start walking,” “stop walking,” “accelerate,” “slow down,” “turn left,” “turn right,” “kick the ball.”

Q: How is this system different from other exoskeletons out there?

A: There are several differences. I don’t know any other exoskeleton that is taking commands from the patient’s brain to be activated, move and stop, kick a ball, turn.

Number two is this thing that we call artificial skin. … When the foot touches the ground, there is a wave of signals that are generated, and they are delivered to the arms of the subject through a shirt that contains small mechanical vibration devices. The patients’ brains, after a few sessions of training, associate these vibrations in the arms with either movements of the leg or touching the ground. So we documented plasticity in the brain of the patient.

That feedback creates a higher order control loop that allows them to perform much better than if they didn’t have the feedback. Besides the improvements in motor performance, they have a much more vivid sensation that instead of being carried by a machine, they are literally doing it themselves.

Q: What if the brain signals the person gives on the field, under pressure, are different from the signals in previous tests?

A: We created a virtual reality room in our lab here in São Paulo where a soccer stadium is simulated while they’re doing the task. So we put the noise of football fans celebrating, we put flashes of lights. … If you can do this EEG task while listening to Turkish football fans, like they did, which are the loudest fans in the world, this crowd in Brazil will look like an elementary school class in comparison. Even if they’re screaming with the full strength of their Brazilian lungs, it doesn’t get close to the Turkish guys, I can tell you. We measured.

Q: You originally intended to use implanted electrodes. Why the shift to EEG?

A: When I saw the results of other groups that published invasive technologies in humans, they were really mediocre and not worth the risks of implants. So I decided that it was good, in the case of locomotion, to start with the known phase of technology. We saw that we had a new algorithm for EEG that could do more than I thought we could do before.

Q: You have been critical of using EEG in neuroprosthetics.

A: Yes, I was—and I am—for upper limb control, if you want to reproduce every detail of the kinematics. That is a bogus debate, because I’m doing locomotion, which is a completely different movement.

For the upper limbs, everybody knows that if you’re inside the brain, you get much better results in terms of predicting the entire trajectory. I published tons of papers on this. I pioneered the field, so I know what this is about. Unfortunately, in the U.S. there is such a belligerent, competitive environment. Some neuroscientists cannot take the fact that we are doing something different.

Q: Some have expressed concern that a very high-profile demonstration might give the public an unrealistic expectations.

A: Francis Collins, the director of NIH [the National Institutes of Health], was visiting our lab 2 weeks ago. He was in Brazil and he made a point to come over here just to see that. And he loved it. He said it was a really great idea to profile science in a big sports event, to give something different to the public, for the entire world to see how well science can do and what great things we can expect in the future. So you can ask him directly. He was here, he gave a press conference to the entire Brazilian press lauding the effort and emphasizing that after 20-some years that NIH funded me in the United States, he was very proud and happy to see that a clinical application had come out of this.

We need to make kids love science, and we need to give back to society a feeling that we are doing something with the taxpayer’s’ money. So I think the complaints you get are from people that could not make it to this stage, because they didn’t have quite a good enough idea to make it. There’s a name for it, in English, too. You can find it in the dictionary. We have it in Portuguese here. It’s called sour grapes.

I wouldn’t have been able, perhaps, to do this in the United States today, because its hypercompetitive climate is basically killing basic science and the possibility of doing daring demonstrations like this. I’m trying to showcase the importance of science for society and what it can do for mankind.

Q: Are you concerned that people watching won’t understand how much control the person has over the movement of the exoskeleton?

A: No, because I have been very vocal and very open here in Brazil and all over, showing what is real, what is a possibility right now. This is just to raise awareness for the fact that we have 20 to 25 million people paralyzed around the world, and that science, if properly funded and supported, can do something about it. If we start now—this is just a symbolic first kick—we may be able to do something in the next few years.

Q: When the last game of the World Cup is played, what’s next for your team?

A: After we sleep for 2 weeks once we get this done, we’re going to go back to work. … We have mountains of data that nobody has ever seen. So we’ll be writing a lot of papers and then we’ll be working with the patients to perfect other details of the exoskeleton and to get more clinical data from them.

Q: Brazil will host the Olympics in 2016. Do you have any plans for a demonstration there?

A: Oh, sure. We have plans. Our good friends would love to know them, but we’ll tell them in due time. … I’ll let the critics have one more month of good sleep.

An abridged version of this interview appears in the 6 June issue of Science.

Posted in Brain & Behavior, People & Events


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The rogue software can silently spy on users' bank account details and demand a ransom for regaining access to files.

05:44, UK, Tuesday 03 June 2014

The National Crime Agency is warning computer users they have two weeks to protect against a "powerful computer attack".

It comes as US officials held a press conference accusing a Russian hacker of masterminding the scam and raking in £60m.

Two pieces of malware software known as GOZeuS and CryptoLocker are at the centre of the alert.

People are being warned to make sure their security software and operating system are both up to date, and to run scans to check for any problems.

Important files should also be backed up, said the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).

The malware typically infects a computer via attachments or links in emails.

US Accuses Russian Hacker Evgeniy Bogachev Of $100m Fraud

If a user clicks on one of them, the malware silently monitors activity and tries to capture any private information, such as banking details.

"(The links or attachments) may look like they have been sent by genuine contacts and may purport to carry invoices, voicemail messages, or any file made to look innocuous," the NCA warned.

"These emails are generated by other victims' computers, who do not realise they are infected, and are used to send mass emails creating more victims."

The agency said GOZeuS (also known as P2PZeuS) was responsible for hundreds of millions of pounds of fraud globally.

Sky's Technology Correspondent Tom Cheshire said: "We should all be concerned. It goes specifically after financial information, and if that is over a certain threshold it starts stealing it very silently without you necessarily noticing."

The second threat comes from the Cryptolocker malware, activated if the first attack is not profitable enough.

It locks a user out of their files, for example photos or music, and threatens to delete them unless a "ransom" of several hundred pounds is paid.

More than 15,500 computers in the UK are infected and "many more" are at risk, according to the NCA.

Stewart Garrick, a senior investigator with the NCA, told Sky News the threat was mainly against individuals or businesses running Windows-based computers.

"It's utterly indiscriminate - it doesn't care what machine it falls on.

"It's there purely for the criminals to harvest your money direct from your bank account, or by demanding a ransom to get your files back."

FBI action in the US had weakened the network of affected computers, said the NCA, "meaning that action taken now to strengthen online safety can be particularly effective".

Thirty-year-old Russian Evgeniy Bogachev is the alleged leader of the gang behind the attacks, FBI executive assistant director Robert Anderson told a news conference in Washington DC.

"They (the FBI) have disrupted the network and taken control of it," said Sky's Tom Cheshire.

"So when the hackers try to speak to the computer that's affected, that line of communication has been cut off.

"You now have a chance to clean up. The first thing you should do is update your operating system - especially if you're on Windows, then look to scan your computer for viruses and it should be able to find it."

For more information visit www.getsafeonline.org/nca.

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Chrome 25 Beta for Android Adds Support for Flexbox, Dynamic CSS Units, CSS Filters and More

The latest Android release is great for developers as well

Chrome 25 Beta for Android is great news for users, who hadn't seen something new since early 2012, but it's great news, perhaps even more so, for developers as well. Since Chrome 18, the version in the Android stable channel, came out, Google has been hard at work adding new features.

Those features have been dumped all at once with Chrome 25 Beta, unlike the gradual progression on the desktop. In fact, developers should be familiar with most of the new things already from the desktop version.

There's now support for CSS Filters which enable web apps to manipulate images, i.e. apply all sorts of effects to give images the vintage, Instagram look (if you're into that sort of thing). This feature is prefixed.

Chrome 25 Beta for Android also brings support for the latest iteration of the Flexible Box (flexbox) Layout Module. The latest draft specs came out last summer and major browsers were quick to add support for them.

Also new is support for the vw, vh and vmin viewport units for CSS. These dynamic units are similar to simple percentage units in CSS, but they depend on the size of the viewport alone, not the size of their parent elements.

In that same vein, the latest Android Chrome adds support for CSS calc() which makes it possible to use mathematical expressions instead of actual units. This opens up a lot of new possibilities for web designers.

IndexDB has been unprefixed, meaning web developers can be assured that the database replacement works in a consistent way across devices, on the desktop and on the web.

Google also updated the way it resizes text to make it more readable on small screens. The feature is now in line with the method used by other browsers, meaning web developers have a better idea of what to expect and what viewers get when they zoom in on pages.

Hot right now  ·  Latest news


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UC Davis Home Page

News and Information

NMR Scan Shows if Precious Wine Is Spoiled

August 27, 2002

Some bottles of wine are worth thousands of dollars. But if oxygen has leaked past the cork, it could be thousand-dollar vinegar -- and there's no way to tell without opening the bottle. Now chemists at the University of California, Davis, can check an unopened bottle for spoilage using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the same technology used for medical MRI scans.

Natural bacteria in wine use oxygen from the air to turn alcohol into vinegar, or acetic acid. If a wine bottle is securely corked, the small amount of air in the bottle is quickly used up. If the cork is leaky and air gets in, the vinegar flavor eventually becomes strong enough to make the wine undrinkable.

NMR scans of wine show distinct peaks for water, ethanol and acetic acid, said Matthew Augustine, an associate professor of chemistry at UC Davis. That means you can measure the amount of each component,

Augustine and graduate student April Weekley designed equipment to put whole bottles of wine into one of their powerful magnets, so that they could scan a whole bottle without opening it. The instrument can detect acetic acid at less than one-tenth the amount that would spoil a wine, Augustine said.

They tested bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon wine from the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology's collection. Bottles from 1950, 1960 and 1968 were spoiled, while bottles from 1956, 1970 and 1977 were likely still drinkable, Augustine said. Although the oldest wine had the highest level of acetic acid, there was no relationship between age and alcohol content or likelihood of being spoiled. Examining the corks for apparent leaks also did not give useful clues about the quality of the wine, he said.

Augustine thinks that the technology, for which a patent has been filed, could be useful for auction houses and buyers specializing in high-end wines. It could also be adapted to look at other components of wine responsible for flavor, color, aging qualities and potential health benefits.

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A young girl plays with a white unicorn that has a blue and green glowing horn

Walmart Launches First-Ever Toy Week with Top Toys, Holiday Layaway & Force Friday

Aug. 27, 2015 – Walmart is gearing up for the 2015 holiday season by kicking off its first-ever Toy Week with a sneak peek at some of the top toys for the holidays as chosen by kids.
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18,000 people evacuated from China's pipeline blast district

English.news.cn   2013-11-23 15:30:29

Photo taken with a mobile phone shows the site of a pipeline explosion in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Nov. 22, 2013. A fire broke out and the blast occurred around 10 a.m. in the Huangdao District when workers were repairing a petroleum pipeline which broke and resulted in an oil leakage around 3 a.m. Casualties remained unknown. (Xinhua)

In pictures: Pipeline blast in E China, maintenance underway

In pictures: Pipeline blast in E China

In pictures: site of pipeline blast in Qingdao

QINGDAO, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 18,000 people have been evacuated from a district in east China's port city of Qingdao, where an oil spill-triggered blast has killed at least 47 people, local authorities said Saturday.

The local government distributed 2,000 candles to residents in Huangdao District on Friday night after oil leaked from a Sinopec pipeline, flowed into the municipal pipe network, and caused an explosion at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.

Water, gas and electricity were cut off in parts of the district after Friday's blast. The local government distributed 40,000 servings of free food for breakfast and lunch on Saturday.

It has also provided water for local residents since Friday night, with an additional 17 tonnes of vegetables allocated to the local market.

So far, electricity has been restored in all but two communities in the district, the local government said.

Pipeline that leaked in use for 27 years: Sinopec

QINGDAO, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The pipeline that leaked crude oil and caused a deadly blast on Friday in east China's port city of Qingdao has been in use for 27 years, Sinopec said on its microblog Saturday.Full story

Sinopec chairman apologizes over deadly explosion

QINGDAO, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sinopec's board chairman Fu Chengyu made an apology on Saturday over an oil pipeline explosion in east China that has killed at least 44 people and vowed to find out the cause. Full story

Medical specialists sent to China's oil pipeline blast areas

BEIJING, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- A team of medical specialists has been sent to the oil pipeline explosion area in the coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Full story

Oil pipeline blast kills 35 in east China

QINGDAO, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 35 people were killed and 166 others injured after a leaking pipeline caught fire and exploded on Friday morning in the coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province, local authorities said.

Among the 166 injured, 65 are in serious conditions, according to a comment posted on Friday night on the official microblog of the Qingdao municipal health bureau on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging service. Full story

Xi urges on search for blast survivors

BEIJING, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday asked for maximum effort in the search for survivors of an oil pipeline blast that killed at least 35 in east China's Shandong Province.

Xi asked local authorities to spare no effort to rescue the injured, find the cause of the accident and strengthen safety.

Premier Li Keqiang also urged local authorities to improve inspection and supervision and make sure safety procedures are followed. Full story

Editor: Hou Qiang
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Sunday, October 30, 2011

THE BEST (AND REST) OF KIMBA, Episode 36: "Monster of Petrified Valley"

This episode has gradually grown on me over time. Watching it cold, you're likely to find special guest star Colosso the Brodo Bird (Ray Owens) more than a little irritating, rather like an oversized Bubba Duck without the latter's childish charm (or all those pop-culture references). Despite the effort to put something of a "smiley spin" on it, the ep's ending is definitely a downer. With repeated viewings, however, you'll begin to notice, and appreciate, some good voice-acting performances and to become intrigued by the ep's slightly different "take" on the overarching theme of Kimba's introduction of "civilization" to the jungle. Kimba has nothing but good intentions here, to be sure, but Colosso might legitimately be considered one of the "victims" of the the former's determined push for a "new jungle order." If you squinch up your eyes long enough to "see red," you might even catch a glimpse of an inherent critique of cultural imperialism, of the nasty fallout that often results from a "clash of cultures," especially when one side holds all the important cultural advantages. "Petrified Valley" isn't a classic, but there's more substance than one would expect in what basically amounts to a series of (theoretically) comical misunderstandings.

In eps like "Petrified Valley," "City of Gold," and "Legend of Hippo Valley," Kimba appears to be completely unaware of certain "local myths and legends." You'd hope that it would take something less than a crisis (the danger to peril-braving Charley [Ray Owens] and Harley [Gilbert Mack] Cheetah, who appear to be "splitting the difference" of the standard "Cheetah" character between them) to get Kimba up to speed on what are, after all, potential sources of trouble and rancor in and around his kingdom.

Kimba's typical reactions to stories of monsters, spooks, and legends are relentlessly rational. It's amusing to note, though, that he's at least willing to accept the possibility that a monster of some sort might be menacing Charley and Harley. Dan'l, by contrast, immediately ridicules the notion -- a rather amusing face-turn coming from a character who was so quick to attribute earthquakes to the Devil in "The Gigantic Grasshopper."

So who told Kimba how to get to Petrified Valley, anyway? Did Pauley impart the info between sneezes but we somehow missed it?

The voice of Harvey Hedgehog (Billie Lou Watt) seems a little different here, a little higher-pitched than normal, though it's pretty much of a "tomato"/"tomahto" distinction. This will be one of little Harvey's biggest roles, so it makes sense to bring him on stage early in the proceedings, even if it's just for a "Chinese restaurant menu" gag.

Keep those rumbling rocks at the entrance to Petrified Valley in mind; you're seeing them for a reason. The Narrator helpfully tells us what anyone can plainly see, namely, that some sort of gas is responsible for the paralyzed state of the other animals in the Valley (who include among their number "dead ringers" for Cassius and Gargoyle G. Warthog). This makes Kimba's realization of the danger less impressive than it should have been. Perhaps the Narrator's spiel should have been replaced by Kimba doing some verbal, off-camera detective work to figure out what is going on. Not that Kimba himself seems to have much to worry about from the gas -- he does fall down for a moment, only to just as quickly right himself. Do I sense a cut here?

Colosso's sudden, and suitably dramatic, appearance on the scene begs a thunderingly obvious question -- why isn't HE affected by the gas? We learn in just a little while that he lives in a cave, but even that location wouldn't be safe, since the gas issues forth from "cracks and crevices" in the Earth, presumably including subterranean ones. It seems irritatingly convenient that the only two critters who don't seem to mind the miasma are precisely the ones we need to get the main plot moving.

Kimba's brief laughing jag is a wonderful "humanizing" moment for our jungle prince. He's flashed a good sense of humor in past episodes, to be sure, but that was always tempered by the essential seriousness of his character and the burden of his civilizing task. Here, we're suddenly reminded that he is just a kid, or at most an adolescent, and therefore prone to laugh at silly sights despite himself. (Billie Lou's performance of the laughter is great, too.) Kimba then frees the trapped, and extremely embarrassed, Colosso by nearly killing him with a giant boulder. Too funny.

Could it be that Colosso isn't aware of the effects of the gas, despite having lived in Petrified Valley for so many years? "I guess I just paralyzed [Charley and Harley] with fear"... so how does he explain all those other animals lying around? As we'll see, obliviousness is probably Colosso's most distinctive character trait. Scrooge should have saved his irritated comment re Bubba: "I know, I know -- he does'nae understand!" for the Brodo Bird.

So what sort of critter is Colosso, anyway? We get a hint when Dan'l tells the story of the Brodo Birds and their forced exile from Madagascar. The Brodos developed in isolation, so it is quite possible that they are direct descendants of some sort of prehistoric creature. My best guess is that the Brodos are an evolved form of Archaeopteryx, the "missing link" between reptiles and birds. The episode confuses the issue a bit by showing Colosso slavering over flowers and a would-be meaty tidbit (Harvey Hedgehog), leaving open the question of whether he is a plant-eater or a meat-eater.

I am extremely grateful that the Titan crew did not try to "sing over" the chorus of children's voices during the singing sequence. In this case, it made sense to preserve the original Japanese background chorus of "Sing a Human Song" from "A Human Friend." The downside is that we get an additional earful of Colosso's maddening "Lo-Lo-Lo" song. I believe that the term "earworm" was invented for just such situations as this.

Kimba's generous but misguided attempts to "enable" Colosso's, er, eccentricities begin to backfire in a major way just as "the rainy season" kicks in. In truth, it's rather tough to assess the amount of "blame" that Kimba deserves for bringing Colosso back to the jungle with him. The problem is that we never actually saw the conversation in which Kimba made, and Colosso presumably accepted, the offer of jungle citizenship. Did Kimba, remembering Colosso's earlier lament that he "[wished he] had some friends," mistakenly take Colosso's benign (read: oblivious) indifference for acceptance of the offer? Or did Colosso leap at the chance to leave? For this to be a tragedy -- and it ultimately turns out to be one -- we really need to see the moment in which the fatal mistake was made. Barring that, Kimba's efforts to make Colosso feel at home seem like thoughtful gestures that simply don't work out the way they ought to.

Ironic, isn't it, that a representative of the very species that "felled"... er, "got rid of"... er, "took care of"... the Brodos comes to Colosso's defense when everyone else is ready to run the clueless creature out of Dodge without a second thought. Extra points go to Harvey for being so forgiving, but wouldn't landslides in the Valley in past "rainy seasons" have been an issue long before this? This reminds me of the DICK TRACY villain The Mole, who suddenly began having trouble with melting snow flooding his hideout at the exact moment when Tracy was trying to track him down.

Once you get another glimpse of the wabbly rocks in Petrified Valley, you just know what the denouement is going to be. Dan'l can "Monday-morning QB" all he wants about his belief that Colosso "would have wanted" to be "felled" on his doorstep, but Kimba's yell of despair at Colosso's fate is the true end of the ep. There's no question that Kimba feels some share of responsibility for what happened to the Brodo, that he regards the incident as one of his few outright failures. The fact that Kimba probably can't put his paw on exactly why he should feel at fault for what is basically an unfortunate accident makes his "roar of regret" all the more painful. It's another great example of how this "kids' cartoon," despite all the editorial attempts to soften the blows, was able to tackle big ideas and powerful emotions with remarkable thoughtfulness and subtlety.

Up next: Episode 37, "Legend of Hippo Valley."

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Nip and Tuck: Older Adults Opt for Cosmetic Surgery

Posted by mayonewsreleases, Nov 19, 2012

ROCHESTER, Minn. — While cosmetic surgery can't turn back time, a growing number of older adults are opting for surgery to help eliminate wrinkles, reshape breasts or suction out pockets of fat. The November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers this trend and the most popular surgeries.

In 2011, about 350,000 adults older than 55 had some type of cosmetic surgery. That number is expected to increase as the baby boomer population ages.

Cosmetic surgery presents the risks that are normally associated with surgery. But overall good health is a more important consideration than age. Healthy older adults who have a facelift have no greater risk of complications than younger people. However, chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes may make cosmetic surgery riskier.

Attitude and expectations are important, too. Cosmetic surgery doesn't cure dissatisfaction with a person's body or life. Patients who are happy with their overall life and seek surgery to improve one aspect of their body are more likely to be satisfied with the results. It may take six months before final results are apparent, and scars may take longer to improve in appearance.

Facelifts, breast surgery and liposuction:

  • A facelift can remove deep wrinkles and saggy fat deposits that create tired-looking eyes and jowls under the jawline. After surgery, the face will be bruised for four to six weeks. Returning to a normal appearance will take longer. Results are long lasting, especially when patients maintain a healthy weight.
  • One of the most common breast surgeries in older adults is revising previous breast implants, which can deflate or require replacement or removal. Some women opt for a breast lift, which moves the nipple and areola higher and removes excess skin tissue. Results are generally long lasting but can be affected by aging and fluctuations in weight.
  • Liposuction removes fat from the specific areas where it won't go away even with weight loss and maintenance of healthy weight. After surgery, the skin appears smooth when patients have good skin tone and elasticity. But in older adults, skin can be thin and lose its elasticity. In that case, skin may appear loose after liposuction.

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call 800-333-9037 (toll-free), extension 9771, or visit Mayo Clinic Health Letter Online.

Media Contact: Ginger Plumbo, 507-284-5005 (days),

Tags: cosmetic surgery, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota news release, News Release

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Students help Oklahoma governor welcome holiday season

About 1,500 students show up at the Oklahoma Capitol to decorate artificial trees throughout the building. Many stay to watch the governor preside over the lighting of a 30-foot artificial tree on the south steps outside the Capitol.
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT Modified: November 30, 2012 at 3:00 pm •  Published: November 30, 2012

The holiday season has arrived at the state Capitol.

Gov. Mary Fallin, with the first gentleman and Santa Claus standing nearby, capped off a day of decorating and festive activities by lighting the state Capitol Christmas tree Thursday evening on the south steps outside the Capitol.

An estimated 1,500 students decorated 36 small Christmas trees throughout the Capitol a couple of hours before more than 2,000 LED lights were lit on the 30-foot-tall artificial tree.

In addition, 100 evergreens in the State Capitol Park were lighted. The trees were donated by the Weyerhaeuser Co. Foundation.

Before the ceremony, Fallin said her Christmas wish for Oklahomans is for everyone to live in peace and happiness.

“My hope is that next year will be even a better year for everyone in Oklahoma,” she said.

Fallin said she and her husband, Wade Christensen, will spend Christmas Eve at the Governor's Mansion, with as many as 70 family members arriving early and staying late.

“Each of our family members brings their favorite dish, and we love to have a big family dinner,” she said. “We'll have a casual evening, watch the different Christmas shows and talk a lot.”

Christmas Day will be a little quieter, with just the immediate first family members gathering at the mansion, she said.

Tree review

Earlier Fallin and state schools Superintendent Janet Barresi looked at the each of the trees placed along four floors of the Capitol.

“It's fun to go look at the individual trees and see the creativity, the imagination,” Fallin said.

Barresi must have enjoyed seeing the tree decorated by Deer Creek Middle School. At the top of the tree sets an A, which eighth-grader Mollie Patrick said was the score her school received from the new A-F evaluation for public schools that was released last month by the state Board of Education. Some school superintendents and teachers have been critical of the grading system.

Continue reading this story on the...

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Oklahoma State football: Three questions with Cowboys coach Mike Gundy

by John Helsley Published: October 13, 2012
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Oklahoma State escaped with a 20-14 victory over Kansas Saturday. Cowboy coach Mike Gundy talked about the why the Cowboys struggled offensively, the mindset of the team entering the game and the decisive roughing the kicker play that helped seal the OSU victory.

Did your recent success against Kansas affect the team's focus coming into this game?

“I would like to say no, but it's one of those circumstances that I don't know if anybody really knows. They practiced pretty well, and I thought their intensity was good. That's really the only way we can really gauge what their thought process was. This is an unusual team, because we've got some really mature guys, and some really young guys. They're split pretty good. (There are) first-year guys have to play some. In situations like this, when you're more mature, you kind of push through it. But when you're young in certain areas, that adjustment's more difficult.”

Why wasn't the running game able to get going?

“They were more physical up front in the running game than we were, just from an outsider looking in. It looked like over the last four years, in this style of offense, there have been certain games that we've played that we just pounded people running the ball, even when maybe even us or other people didn't think we could, and then there are certain games where it just looked bad. And in my opinion, today it just looked bad.”

How big was Quinn Sharp taking the hit for the roughing the kicker penalty when it looked like KU would get the ball back with the chance to take the lead?

“I can't deny that when that happened, I was glad that we didn't have to go back out there and try to stop their offense that had some momentum at that particular time.”

by John Helsley
OSU Reporter Sr.
John Helsley grew up in Del City, reading all the newspapers and sports magazines he could get his hands on. And Saturday afternoons, when the Major League Game of the Week was on, he'd keep a scorecard for the game. So the sports appeal was was...
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• ‘The President And The Madman,’ Monday At Meeting House

    James A Garfield is not a name that springs to mind when we most Americans think about the country’s Presidents. While Garfield had a long and successful career as a Congressman, and also as a Civil War general, his short term in office doesn’t resonate like Kennedy's Camelot does. On Monday, March 10, at 7:30 pm, Newtown Historical Society will examine Garfield’s career in “The President and The Madman.” Gordon Williams will present the free program at Newtown Meeting House

  • American Brass Quintet Returning For Friends Of Music-Sponsored Concert, March 16

    Recently declared the 2013 recipient of the Chamber Music America’s highest tribute — The Richard J Bogomolny National Service Award, for significant and lasting contribution to the field — American Brass Quintet is considered an icon in the brass world. Newtown Friends of Music (NFM) will welcome American Brass Quintet to town on Sunday, March 16. The quintet will perform at 3 pm on the stage of Edmond Town Hall as part of NFM’s 2014-2015 season, its 36th year of presenting classical music.

  • Pastel Program Next For SCAN

    The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) will have Shauna Shane painting in pastel at its next meeting-program, on Wednesday, March 12. Her subject will be a figure. The program will be in the lower level of Newtown Meeting House. A professional painter for more than 34 years, Ms Shane is represented in collections in the US and around the world, including the governor’s portrait in the State Capitol in Helena, Montana. Selected in 2010 as Resident Artist at the New Britain Museum of American Art, Ms Shane began her career as Resident Artist at Yellowstone National Park. She is Signature Member of Connecticut Pastel Society, and an Elected Artist Member of Lyme Art Association and CT Plein Air Society.

  • Kidologie Already Getting Ready For Summer; Second Annual Event March 16 At Reed School

    It’s not too early to start planning your child’s summer activities. Families who attend “Kidologie” Gets Ready for Summer Children’s Fair can have fun with free live entertainment, activities, and giveaways, while learning about resources for things to do when the last bell of the school year rings. The 2nd Annual Event is scheduled for Sunday, March 16, at Reed Intermediate School, from 11 am to 3 pm.

  • Genealogy: 'Getting There Is Half The Fun'

    The March meeting of Newtown Genealogy Club will be at C.H. Booth Library on Wednesday, March 12, at 7 pm. The speaker this month will be club member Harlan Jessup, who will call his talk “Getting There is Half the Fun.” He will speak about genealogy libraries in Connecticut and the Hudson Valley. Mr Jessup will focus not just on the state libraries, but on other resources and libraries as well.

  • Workshops, Class Preview At Resiliency Center

    The Resiliency Center of Newtown has added two events to its schedule, both coming up within the next week. A new series of classes will also begin within the week. The first program, on Tuesday, March 11, is a community yoga session; and the second special event, on Thursday, March 13, is an EFT/Tapping Workshop. In addition, Positive Discipline of Western CT will be holding introductory classes at The Resiliency Center through March for anyone who may be interested in taking the six-week course beginning April.

  • 2014 Arts Festival Call To Artists

    The Newtown Arts Festival has issued a Call to Artists for its 2014 event. Now in its third year, the festival has attracted an average of 4,000 visitors each of its first two years. Set for September 13-14, the festival takes place on the Fairfield Hills campus. The festival is juried in order to ensure success by limiting the number of booths per category and to maintain the arts festival goals, according to the application. Organizers look for handmade, original, unique and creative work and talents.

  • Positive Discipline To Be Keynote Address For PEU 2014; Additional Workshop Topics Announced

    The Newtown Parent Connection, Inc., in partnership with Brookfield CARES, announces the return of its popular, parent education day Parent Empowerment University (PEU). This year’s sessions will be offered Saturday, March 22, at Newtown Middle School. PEU is offered to parents and caregivers who wish to be proactive and learn positive parenting strengths for raising children of all ages. This year’s keynote speaker is Jane Nelsen, EdD, LMFT, noted author and accomplished educator in the field of Positive Discipline. Her topic is “How to Empower Your Children and Yourselves!” Among the guest speakers this year are Mary Ronan, Maggie Ronan Gavin and Charlie Manos; additional speakers and their topics will be announced.

  • Sandy Ground Playground Build Updated, 5K Fundraiser Planned

    The Sandy Ground Project was established by the New Jersey Fireman’s Benevolent Association last year. Its mission is to build 26 playgrounds along the coast of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut in towns hit by Hurricane Sandy. Each playground honors and honors and provides a lasting memory of the 26 children and teachers who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Milford will be home of one of those playgrounds. To be located at 150 Gulf Street, it will be built this month in memory of 6-year-old James Mattioli. Volunteers are sought to help build the playground, and runners are sought for a 5K fundraiser planned for the morning of the playground's ribbon cutting.

  • Calderbank Speaking About Speaking At WWF, March 12

    The Working Women’s Forum, an association of local professionals and entrepreneurs, will feature “Refining Your Public Speaking: Deliver Your Message Effectively” with Newtown resident and IT professional Alenda Calderbank on Wednesday, March 12, at The Villa Restaurant. Networking and light dinner begin at 6 pm, followed by the guest speaker. Many people find public speaking to be daunting, and have been discouraged from pursuing opportunities in order to avoid it, according to Ms Calderbank, a member of Toastmasters since 2005. In her talk, she will describe ways to get comfortable speaking before a group.


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search > New York local places > New York bars/clubs

Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 12:10 AM

Summer is finally upon us New York City, and if you haven't guessed by the weather, this has been one of the best for us thus far. Once summer rolls around in Manhattan, folks are constantly on the prowl for the next best party, and these soirees don't get any better than when Independence Day rolls around. But this year there's a bit of a curve ball as everyone's favorite holiday in the summer falls on a Wednesday. We still have the day off, so this means that kick-ass parties are taking place on Tuesday, July 3rd. This year, one of the most talked about events in New York City for 4th of July is taking place at the Highline Ballroom for the massive musical event featuring the one and only DJ Yoshi - Party for Your Independence! If you're looking to hit the dance floor and cut a rug for hours on end, there's no better party to attend this year. Yoshi's signature style of play is known to keeps folks in light spirits with a unique blend of Top 40, mashups, hip-hop and more, so be prepared to put those dancing shoes on and don the red, white and blue this July. This Tuesday, July 3rd, there's only one thing you should be worrying about - and that's a Party For Your Independence.

For more information please visit:
Or call: 212-724-3900

431 W 16th St New York, NY 10011, 10011    google map | yahoo map

• Location: Highline Ballroom, New York, Other

• Post ID: 31182965 newyork is an interactive computer service that enables access by multiple users and should not be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider. © 2015


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Silverman: Change In Preseason Philosophy Started With Joe Namath

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

By Steve Silverman
» More Columns

Training camp used to mean the start of an intense and brutal period for all players.

It’s by no means a vacation in the modern era of football, but it is a far gentler and less abusive time than it was during the 1960s and ‘70’s.

From both a logical and health-related point of view, that makes sense. But from a fundamental perspective, players are not prepared to play as well – especially at the start of the season – as they were several generations ago.

Here’s how you can notice the difference in preparation. The emphasis on training camp was making sure all players were performing at a peak level come the opening game of the season. While opening day in football has never had the same emotional meaning for fans as its equivalent in baseball, there is an easily distinguishable difference to the football played in the first week of the regular season and the football played in the preseason.

In past generations, the difference was that players would go for 60 minutes in the first week of the season and backups were relegated to the bench. In those days, starters would play hard in the preseason but were limited in how long they would play in games.

In the current era, players often will play hard in one preseason game per summer for a quarter or a half. That’s almost always the third preseason game. The rest of the time, the established veterans are playing to keep from getting injured.

It shows in the tackling. Players are not hitting as much during preseason – either in practices or games — and that has an impact on tackling in games during the first month of the season. Players will either go for the concussive shoulder hits that result in big-time knockdowns or they will drag down ball carriers and receivers.

It results in a lot of sloppy play that gets corrected in September.

By the second month of the season, the tackling starts to improve. Knockout-type hitters like Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers will still go for the big hits at the appropriate time, but they usually are not as reckless as they are in the first month of the season.

Drag down tacklers get taken to task by their coaches as they go over each error on film day after day in practice. These problems usually get corrected or players lose their jobs.

Instead of playing their best football of the year at the start of the regular season, today’s players are much more likely to play at an elite level about a month into the season.

The idea that teams use training camp to get ready for the regular season is basically folly. Teams use the preseason to keep players from getting hurt. Coaches and general managers don’t want to chance season-ending injuries in the preseason.

That only makes sense. During the 1960s and ‘70s, teams would lose players in preseason games and just mark it up to being part of the game.

That’s no longer the case. Logic has taken over. Nobody wants to see a franchise quarterback chase down a linebacker who has intercepted a pass and then get hurt while trying to make a tackle. Yet that’s what happened to Joe Namath during the prime of his career with the Jets. He threw a pass that Detroit Lions linebacker Mike Lucci intercepted in a 1971 preseason game and he tore up his knee trying to make a tackle.

When asked about it, Namath said he only knew how to play at “full speed.”

There have been many preseason injuries that have resonated throughout the NFL, but that’s one that coaches and general managers remember. The Jets’ ’71 season was basically ruined before it started – they went 6-8 — and that’s when the idea of not putting players at risk in the preseason first started to surface.

The sacrifice is that the game is not played at its highest level at the start of the season. However, that’s a small price to pay for any team that wants to compete for 16 weeks and on into the postseason.

Preseason injuries are useless and debilitating. No team can afford them and that’s why most teams are willing to sacrifice the preseason.


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Menendez On Prostitution ‘Smears’: They’re ‘Absolutely False…Bottom Line’

Lawyer Linked To Sen. Says Stopping Security Contract Is Motivating Allegations
Sen. Robert Menendez (file/credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Sen. Robert Menendez (file/credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez said allegations that he engaged with prostitutes in the Dominican Republic are false “smears.”

The Democrat said he has done nothing wrong.

“The smears that right wing blogs have been pushing since the election and that is totally unsubstantiated. It’s amazing to me that anonymous, nameless, faceless individuals on a website can drive that type of story into the mainstream, but that’s what they have done successfully,” Menendez told CNN. “Now, nobody can find them, no one ever met them, no one ever talked to them, but that’s where we are at. So, the bottom line is all of those smears are absolutely false, and that’s the bottom line.”

Menendez met with reporters Monday evening for the first time since the allegations spread after the FBI last week raided the offices of a Florida ophthalmologist, Dr. Salomon Melgen, who also was the senator’s biggest political donor in his re-election campaign last year.

Menendez acknowledged that he flew on the Melgen’s private plane to the Dominican Republic and addressed allegations that he didn’t pay for the trips.

“I was in a big travel schedule in 2010 as the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, plus my own campaign getting ready for re-election and in the process of all of that it unfortunately fell through the cracks that our processors didn’t catch, making sure that we paid. When it came to my attention that payment had not taken place, I personally paid for them in order to meet my obligation,” Menendez said.

But he denied meeting with prostitutes and blamed that allegation on political enemies.

The allegations first appeared on a conservative website just before last November’s election but did not make their way to major media outlets until last week.

Meanwhile, a lawyer in the Dominican Republic has also dismissed allegations that he and Menendez attended parties with under-aged prostitutes.

Attorney Vinicio Castillo Seman said allegations published in the U.S. media and on the Internet are a smear campaign to scuttle a port security contract sought by a company controlled by Melgen.

Melgen’s Florida offices were recently searched by federal agents. His attorney says he’s done nothing wrong.

An anonymous tipster has circulated emails accusing Menendez of having sex with prostitutes, including at least one under 18, in 2009 and 2010. Some encounters allegedly occurred on Castillo’s yacht.

Castillo said Monday the allegations are  “absurd.”

Share your thoughts in the comments section below…

(TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


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Cheryl Deem

Tea and other spices are sold in the spice market in Istanbul, Turkey.  (file/credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

FDA: Rodent Hair, Salmonella Detected In Some Imported Spices

Testing of imported spices between 2007 and 2010 also showed that spices were twice as likely as other inspected foods to be contaminated with salmonella.


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How to play

Pick the team you think will win each matchup on Friday, April 5, Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7.

Select the most correct picks to win a pair of season tickets for the team of your choice! See official rules for complete details.

Challenge your Friends:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Must be a legal resident of the 50 U.S., D.C. or Canada (excluding Quebec) and of legal age of majority in jurisdiction of residence (and at least 18 years of age). Ends upon completion of the final MLB game scheduled to start on Sunday, April 7, 2013. In no event will more than 1 Prize be awarded. Void in Quebec and where prohibited. See Official Rules, which govern, for complete details including tiebreakers.


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Scholarships for Healing Retreats at Historic Adirondack Sites

By on

Creative Healing Connections has several full and partial scholarships available for two upcoming arts and healing retreats for women living with cancer and other chronic illnesses on September 21st to 23rd and September 28th to 30th, 2012 at Great Camp Sagamore National Historic Landmark in the Adirondacks.

Creative Healing Connections also offers scholarships for two arts and reintegration retreats for women veterans. Those retreats are August 6th to 8th and 13th to 15th, 2012. The retreat for female military spouses is sold out this year.

The retreats provide participants an opportunity to meet other North Country women living with similar challenges in a peaceful natural setting and to engage in a wide variety of activities designed to enhance quality of life. Experiences include everything from nature walks, yoga and massage to learning to express oneself through the arts.

The retreats for women with cancer and chronic illness are held at Great Camp Sagamore, the former wilderness retreat of the Vanderbilts located on Newcomb Lake. The retreats for women veterans take place at Wiawaka Holiday House on Lake George, the country’s oldest retreat site for women.

Women love the camaraderie, the shared stories, and being in a safe place where one can freely express feelings and gain wisdom from others. Take an opportunity to write songs, tell stories, paint, dream, journal, and dance. Join a community who will listen to your story as it unfolds, a community to support your healing and celebrate your growth. Retreat leaders and facilitators will guide you through the experience.

For more information go to or contact the director, Martha Spear, at 518-390-3899. Contributor to this site, Wanda Burch, is a staff member of Creative Healing Connections, Inc. and leads workshops in imagery and dreamwork. Further information on staff at each of the retreats is also available on the website.

This opportunity is partially underwritten by a grant from Adirondack Medical Center Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Foundation Northeastern New York Affiliate and many other generous donors.

More information: call Martha Spear at 518-390-3899, or email

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June 09, 2008

Obama's plan to tax the rich won't work

Businessweek discusses Obama's plan to increase the marginal tax rate back to the level under Bill Clinton and before the Bush tax cuts

Of the 149 million households filing federal income taxes for 2006, some 3% reported income between $200,000 and $500,000; fewer than 1% claimed income above half a million dollars.

The Bush administration instituted a federal tax cut for all taxpayers. Among other changes, the lowest income tax rate was lowered from 15% to 10%, the 27% rate went to 25%, the 30% rate went to 28%, the 35% rate went to 33%, and the top marginal tax rate went from 39.6% to 35%

Many people believe that increasing the marginal rate will collect more revenue from the the rich or for the government in general. Historically it does not matter if the top marginal rate is 90% or 25% the government collects 19.5% of GDP. The only way to get more tax revenue is to increase GDP. Such as a concerted effort to accelerate a manufacturing and construction revolution using new systems and technology.

Economists of all persuasions accept that a tax rate hike will reduce GDP, in which case Hauser's Law says it will also lower tax revenue. That's a highly inconvenient truth for redistributive tax policy, and it flies in the face of deeply felt beliefs about social justice. It would surely be unpopular today with those presidential candidates who plan to raise tax rates on the rich – if they knew about it.

Although Hauser's Law sounds like a restatement of the Laffer Curve (and Mr. Hauser did cite Arthur Laffer in his original article), it has independent validity. Because Mr. Laffer's curve is a theoretical insight, theoreticians find it easy to quibble with. Test cases, where the economy responds to a tax change, always lend themselves to many alternative explanations. Conventional economists, despite immense publicity, have yet to swallow the Laffer Curve. When it is mentioned at all by critics, it is often as an object of scorn.

Because Mr. Hauser's horizontal straight line is a simple fact, it is ultimately far more compelling. It also presents a major opportunity. It seems likely that the tax system could maintain a 19.5% yield with a top bracket even lower than 35%.

The fact that no matter what the rates and brackets all that can be obtained is 19.5% that argues for as simple a tax code as possible for getting that 19.5%.

The fair tax
or a
Relatively flat tax

The wealthier someone is then the more control they can have over their financial profile. Money can be shifted between income, corporate profits, dividends and capital gains and new income can be shifted between jurisdictions.

Tax brackets 1971-1978

1975 Median income 11,800 Mean income 13,779
Someone making 5 times the median income. Would be in the 60k-70k range.
(equal to someone now making 200,000).
Tax rate would be 53-55%.

1965 Median income was $6900 Five times that was 35,000 for 50-53% tax rate.

CBO analysis of long term taxes

Heritage examination of taxes

Comparing some tax burdens between countries

Comparing top marginal individual and corporate tax rates

Historical lessons of lower tax rates

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Monday, February 9, 2009

What to do with Terrell Owens?

Bottom line: the Cowboys were a joke this season. They have many things they need to change before they can even think about making the playoffs.

One of the biggest looming decisions is whether or not the Cowboys should keep TO. I personal think he is a waist of money and plays like he has no heart, and would rather see the Cowboys go down a little in talent, to improve on chemistry and work ethic.

TO is not all of the problem, but attitudes and play like his are. I think its time the Cowboys show that it doesn't matter how big of a contract you have, there will be consiquences to stupid actions, play, and statements.

What do you think?

evomehtloof said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NFL Draft said...

In fact, as long as each team have made efforts, are hard, we will certainly have hope that, NFL Shop even failed, there would be no any regrets.

Sportsbook Online said...

Find the Best Online Sports book Website for your online betting. Enjoy our Sports book, Live Betting, Casino, Poker & Horse betting etc.


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Uber Offers On-Demand Weddings In San Francisco

Originally published on June 27, 2014 7:59 am

Good morning. I'm David Greene. Thinking about tying the knot in San Francisco this weekend? Look no further than Uber. That's right. In honor of Pride Week, the transportation service is offering on-demand weddings in the Bay Area. Uber will provide an on-site notary for license purposes. And if you haven't written your vows, Uber will provide those too. Uber says nuptials can happen between noon and six p.m. tomorrow. And quote, "from arrival to I do will take 45 to 60 minutes." You're listening to MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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NIC students back, administrators dunked

North Idaho College greeted hundreds of students back with the annual Day of Welcome event Tuesday, Aug. 26. Students had an opportunity to check out clubs and activities on campus while eating barbecue and playing games.

Pictured is NIC President Joe Dunlap being dunked by NIC Vice President for Business and Finance Chris Martin. Dunlap and the NIC vice presidents participated in the NIC Presidential Plunge this year. The contest measured how much food the departments for each vice president could accumulate for the NIC Food Pantry, which is opening its doors for the first time this fall. Over 1,000 food items were gathered to stock the shelves. Martin earned dunking rights since his department gathered the most food.

Posted: Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014

Email ArticleEmail

Find us on:
Go To Our Facebook Page Go To Our Twitter Page Go To Our Instagram Page Go To Our You Tube Videos Page Go To Our Flickr Photos Page

NIC Communications and Marketing Contacts

Tom Greene,
Communications Coordinator
(208) 665-2759 or

Stacy Hudson,
Communications and Marketing Director
(208) 769-7819 or

Mark Browning, Vice President for Communications and Governmental Relations
(208) 769-3316 or

News Search


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Nissan among the top global green brands for 2014

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan has again risen in the ranks of the world's greenest brands. The company improved its position to fourth place in Interbrand's Best Global Green Brands report, up from fifth last year. The survey cited Nissan's leadership in electric vehicles, ambitious EV infrastructure plan and its support for the sustainability goals of governments. The green brand report ranks brands based on a company's environmental practices and customers' perceptions of their eco-friendliness and social impact.
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Contact Us

AxeWound Vocalist Liam Cormier Says They Wanted to Write ‘Fun Songs About Satan’ for Their Debut Album

Stache Media

AxeWound is the latest metal supergroup to emerge on the scene and as their new album, Vultures, proves, they set out to not just bang some heads, but have some fun.

The band features guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck of Bullet for My Valentine and lead vocalist from Liam Cormier of the Cancer Bats, along with drummer Jason Bowld of Pitchshifter, guitarist Mike Kingswood of Glamour of the Kill and ex-Rise to Remain bassist Joe Coput.

If you like Slayer, Sepultura and other thrashed-out metall, you’ll love AxeWound. As Cormier explained to Noisecreep, it may have been a shift in gears for the boys, but they were up than up to the challenge.

Liam, this record is a great listen. Was as it as much fun it seems to have made this record?

Definitely. That was the main thing going into it. When Matt played me the songs he said, ‘This is going to be super fun, super heavy, and kind of something that I don’t do with Bullet. And I’m sure you don’t do with Cancer Bats.’ So that’s kind of how we approached it in the studio – kind of the opposite of what we do with our bands – but not being too serious about it and still making it riff.

How did you approach the writing?

When it came to like the theme lyrically, I wanted to cover all those bases of things I really like. Fun songs about Satan, you know, try to be as evil as possible, but also try and be political and cover all the fun bases when you think about old school metal.

What kind of metal fan were you growing up?

I actually got into metal more through hardcore. I grew up more with punk. As I got older, people would say, you need to check out Obituary, and All Out War and all these other bands. Talking to Matt, while recording, I told him that a lot of this stuff reminded me of mid-’90s hardcore, and he was like, oh, I loved Strife. I saw them open for Sepultura. So we were right on the same page.

Watch ‘Cold’ Video

Was it fun to work with Matt?

It was rad because we knew each other from touring, but I stayed at his house for a whole week during this project so I saw a much different side of him, the bro side, doing this record. On tour everyone is hanging out, but for this we really learned a lot about each other just by working hard.

So how does this band fit in the other bands?

With this project, Matt was saying that this should not come before Cancer Bats because he couldn’t have it come before Bullet. But the more we worked, the more we realized that we wanted to make this really work on some level; it was just too much fun. So at festivals, we’d be doing double duty doing sets for both bands and it’s been great – exhausting, but great.

What’s the fan response been like?

The response has been awesome. Cancer Bat fans are really rad so they totally got it. But now we have Bullet fans checking us out and vice versa. Both bands are helping each other. We love the Bullet fans. They’re very cool.

Was there a show that really got you into music, metal, punk or otherwise?

I saw Rancid and Rocket From the Crypt when I was like 15. I was living in Nashville and it was just people losing their minds. I was like oh my god – I’m gonna be punk for life! And these were not kids bands – they were a bunch of badass adults. I loved that. Nashville has a good punk scene. I lived there a couple of years in high school – it’s where I got into the crustier side of punk. There was a really great scene down there. But I also saw GWAR down there and some other weird metal because a friend had radio show at Vanderbilt University.

AxeWound’s debut album, Vultures, is out now via Search and Destroy and available on iTunes and Amazon.

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Pop Evil Partner With Ex-UFC Champion Frank Mir

John Ricard

Pop Evil recently joined forces with former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, and both parties enjoy a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship.

The band teamed up witht Mir to promote their crunchy, guitar-propelled new single, ‘Last Man Standing,’ alongside his main event fight against Miro “Cro Cop” Filipovi at UFC 119. The song plays in the background of a video of Mir training at his Suffer Training Center in Las Vegas. You can watch the footage of Mir, who is pretty much a human tank, training to ‘Last Man Standing.’ Poke around while you’re there, since the band and the fighter are giving away some loot, including a signed Dean guitar and shirts from Mir’s Suffer apparel line.

Mir’s training — and perhaps the music he listened to in order to help adrenaline through his veins — had the best possible dividends. He won last Saturday’s fight by KO in the third round.

“We are excited to debut our new single with such an amazing UFC fighter. Frank Mir is a proven warrior, and we are proud to have him as a fan of Pop Evil,” exclaimed Pop Evil vocalist Leigh Kakaty. Mir chose the song because once he heard the song, he “immediately wanted to be a part of this. Pop Evil has a great sound and I think they are about to blow up!”

‘Last Man Standing’ appears on Pop Evil’s ‘War of Angels,’ which will be out this winter via Universal Republic.

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