Kamis, 31 Maret 2011
Royal wedding: Kate Middleton leads the pack in Top Trumps style stakes
In the game, which goes on sale today, Kate has a 'style icon' score of 20, which beats Posh by two points and makes her invincible in the category.
The makers of the game, Winning Moves UK, have reportedly said they placed Kate above Victoria in the 'style' category because she is 'well on her way' to having an enduring role as a fashion icon.
Some of the royal couple's guest list have also been rated in five categories: VIP, age, style icon, celebrity press and big day rating – which ranks them according to their place in the proceedings on 29 April.
Unsurprisingly, William and Kate both have a big day rating of 100.
Other famous faces in the deck include Princess Diana, David Beckham, Elton John, and even the owner of Kate’s local pub John Haley, although he is 'out-trumped' by the bride's mother Carole Middleton.
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, even makes an appearance despite not being invited to the wedding, with the card's makers giving her a big day rating of 0.
Other less human additions to the pack include the Queen's corgies, and Kate's wedding dress and ring.
As part of their package, Winning Moves is also offering one couple the chance to be showcased in a customised Top Trumps version of their own wedding.
To win, the couple will have to convince the company in under 50 words why their wedding "is so special".
Fiona Hortopp, head of marketing at Winning Moves UK, said: "Top Trumps is part of British life and synonymous with all things cool in Britain. That’s why we have decided that the Royal Wedding is cool - a classic tale of a young girl meeting her Prince.
"At Top Trumps we think very carefully about what packs we produce. We constantly get welcome suggestions from the public suggesting ‘great’ pack ideas, but this one grew on its own.
"The Royal Wedding is a unique and rare event – and a great reason to celebrate. By producing this pack, we are developing something that is also rare, collectable, and uniquely British, as there are only a limited number being produced," she said.
Other card companies, Cartamundi, Gibson Games and Richard Edward have also released versions of Royal Wedding playing cards which include unique photos of William, Kate and the Royal Family, and some even with gold edging.
Source: Yahoo
Radiation Traces Found in U.S. Milk
WALL STREET JOURNAL: The U.S. government said Wednesday that traces of radiation have been found in milk in Washington state, but said the amounts are far too low to trigger any public-health concern.
The Environmental Protection Agency said a March 25 sample of milk produced in the Spokane, Wash., area contained a 0.8 pico curies per literlevel of iodine-131, which it said was less than one five-thousandth of the safety safety guideline set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The EPA said it increased monitoring after radiation leaked from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. It expects more such findings in coming days, but in amounts "far below levels of public-health concern, including for infants and children."
Iodine-131 has a half-life of about eight days, meaning levels should fade quickly. "These findings are a minuscule amount compared to what people experience every day," the agency said.
For example, a person would be exposed to low levels of radiation on a round trip cross country flight, watching television, and even from construction materials," Patricia Hansen, an FDA senior scientist, said in a written statement distributed by the EPA late Wednesday.
The FDA last week said it will block imports of Japanese milk products and certain other foods produced in the area around the Fukushima nuclear facility because of concerns about radiation contamination.
An EPA spokesman said that while the agency isn't certain that the iodine-131 found in the sampled milk came from Fukushima, its discovery is "consistent with" what the agency knows has been released so far from the damaged nuclear reactors there.
"We know we don't normally see iodine-131 in milk. We know there's been an incident where it's been released," the spokesman said. "And now we're seeing it."
Dairy industry officials stressed that products remained safe.
"Consumer safety is the highest priority for dairy farmers and dairy foods companies, and today's report by EPA and FDA confirms that our nation's dairy products continue to be safe to eat and drink," said Rob Vandenheuvel, general manager of the Ontario, Calif.-based Milk Producers Council, which represents dairies in Southern and Central California. "We recognize the concerns of our consumers, and the U.S. dairy industry will continue to work closely with federal and state government agencies to ensure that we maintain a safe milk supply."
Wow!!! Better be careful.
Wow: 12 year-old gives birth during school trip
A twelve year old girl has given birth to a baby girl during a school trip according to reports.
"Neither the girl nor her family had realised she was pregnant, and there were no external signs to show it," a spokesman for the health services said, adding he did not know how many months pregnant the girl had been.
"Neither the girl nor her family had realised she was pregnant, and there were no external signs to show it," a spokesman for the health services said, adding he did not know how many months pregnant the girl had been.
The girl, from Groningen in the north of the Netherlands, was on a day out on Tuesday last week with her classmates where she began to feel violent stomach pains, the spokesman said.
A supervisor thought the pains suspicious and alerted the emergency services.
When ambulance staff arrived they saw the girl was on the point of giving birth and rushed her to a nearby building where she had her baby.
Both "are doing well" in the maternity ward of a Groningen hospital, the spokesman said.
A social worker has been charged with looking after the welfare of the baby, he said, adding that this was standard practice in the Netherlands in such cases.
A social worker has been charged with looking after the welfare of the baby, he said, adding that this was standard practice in the Netherlands in such cases.
Is Ipad2 worth $2,000?
They generally looked at me, baffled. "What do you mean, $2,000? I thought they started at $500."
But I figure $2,000 is the minimum that Steve Jobs's new toy is going to cost me.
How come?
Simple. If I don't spend that $500, I'll invest it.
Historically, the stock market has produced average long-term returns of maybe 5% a year above inflation. (More on this below.)
At that rate, in 10 years' time my $500 will have grown to about $800. That's in today's dollars—after inflation. In 15 years it'll be about $1,000, and in 30 years, $2,000.
I figure I'll be retiring in about 30 years, which is when I'm going to need lots of capital. I can have the iPad now, or about $2,000 then.
Thanks, but I'll take the $2,000.
(If I were younger the iPad would cost me even more. If you're 30 or younger and you just bought one, congratulations: It probably cost you about $3,000.)
Yes, I typically do these mental calculations, at least in the back of my mind, for most things. A "$50" lunch at Morton's really costs $200. A "$5,000" trip to Bali: $20,000. And so on. It tends to cut down on the spending. I typically come back from the mall with no bags, gleefully clutching my future millions. (Warren Buffett, as Jason Zweig reminded us over the weekend, takes a similar view.)
As you can imagine, I get some funny looks when I tell people how I think. But, oddly, a lot of people go further. They get defensive, or angry, or downright hostile. "Oh, that's just absolutely ridiculous," they say, glaring.
But is it?
I'd argue it's the conventional, "here and how" thinking about money that's ridiculous. And that the sticker price on each item—the "$500" iPad and so on—is grossly misleading.
It doesn't reflect the fundamental truth about our lives: We're short of capital.
Maybe not today, or this year or even this decade. But if you're like most people, you're going to have less money over the course of your life than you would like. The average 65-year-old is going to live another 20 years so after retiring, and many people will live for 30 or more.
So, one way or another, you are already rationing your capital across your lifespan, whether you realize it or not.
If you choose to spend a dollar today, you are actively choosing not to have four dollars, or six, or even eight later.
For someone age 40, each dollar you spend is actually costing you about $4. Even if you're in your mid-50s, each dollar you spend is actually taking about $2 out of your retirement fund.
And for somebody age 20, for whom the money can grow for at least 45 years, each dollar is actually costing you nine.
This is real.
I've had a lot of reader response after writing last week about the scary math of retirement.
Tens of millions of Americans have saved too little to retire in comfort. Just to provide an income of $1,000 a year in retirement, you'll probably need to save about $20,000. Someone who wants their savings to provide them with just $25,000 a year in retirement is going to need about half a million dollars, and you can do the math from there.
The reality? Fewer than half of all workers have set aside even $25,000. Forty-six percent have less than $10,000. And just 59% are currently saving for their retirement at all.
Even when you factor in the value of home equity, most people are falling a long way short of where they want to be. The consequences are going to be grim.
In the circumstances, I like to think in a way that balances present wants and future needs. Sure, I can go out for lunch. But I should be aware of what I won't have as a result.
It's a balance. I don't want to die poor, and I don't want to live miserably and die rich either.
When I point out how much people are raiding from their retirement accounts in order to spend today, some people question the numbers.
I'll concede you might not get a real return of 5%, the historic average, from equities at today's prices. The stock market seems pretty expensive by some measures.
But even at, say, 4%, money doubles in less than 20 years and triples in less than 30. A 30-year-old is still spending at least $2,000 of his retirement stash on his $499 iPad 2.
And even if the market is expensive now, it will presumably offer better value at some point in the future. That would generate better opportunities for even higher returns. Those who invested during the crash two years ago have made big bucks.
And in some ways, my numbers actually understate the true cost of the money we spend today.
First, a lot of people aren't even maxing out their 401(k) and individual retirement account contributions each year. So they're missing out on tax breaks, and maybe a company match, as well. For someone in that position, their new iPad didn't just cost them $2,000 or $3,000. It may have cost them thousands more.
Second, I'm just looking at the compound returns up until the age of 65 or 70. In truth the capital you have then should continue to grow, even if at a lower rate. So the true cost of things may be even higher.
And there's a third issue.
So far, I've only talked about the calculations for one-off expenses.
Many of our bills are recurring, monthly expenses. Like a cellphone. Or cable. Or car-lease payments.
And when you run the same calculations on recurring costs, the figures go parabolic.
That $100 cable bill? Over 20 years, when you factor in the lost investment returns, that's going to cost you about $40,000. Over 30 years, about $80,000.
And over 35 years, $100,000.
Think of it as a factor of 1,000.
That $400 monthly car lease: $400,000. A $50 cellphone bill: $50,000.
Yikes. No surprise that I don't have a personal cellphone. Or premium cable.
As for the iPad? I don't need one anyway. I've been pleasantly surprised by my "UnPad," my hacked NookColor. I turned it into an Android Tablet only as an experiment, but it's turned out to be much better than I expected.
Runs loads of Android apps, fits in my coat pocket. And, unlike Mr. Jobs's marvel, it only cost me $800.
That's $200 on the sticker, and $600 in lost interest. What a deal!
!WALL STREET JOURNAL
Student suspended from fraternity for having sex with girl on university roof -- Pictures
The University of Southern California, in the US, said the student could also face further disciplinary action.
Pictures of the pair having sex on top of the university's 12-storey School of Education in broad daylight were circulated on the internet and went viral.Continue reading to see the pictures of the students in act. *Parental Discretion is advised.
The woman involved was not a student at USC.
The university said it was investigating whether the actions of the male student "constituted a violation of university policies that prohibit unauthorised access to building roofs."
Denzil Suite, USC Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, told the university's Daily Trojan newspaper: "To say that we are disappointed in this type of behaviour does not begin to capture the seriousness with which we regard this type of activity.
"While I cannot speak to specific actions which will be taken with any individual, suffice to say that this type of conduct cannot go unaddressed."
A statement from the student's fraternity, Kappa Sigma, said he was suspended for "conduct unbecoming of a Kappa Sigma and a gentleman."
Below are the dirty pictures of the 'weirds' in the act
A statement from the student's fraternity, Kappa Sigma, said he was suspended for "conduct unbecoming of a Kappa Sigma and a gentleman."
Below are the dirty pictures of the 'weirds' in the act
Death Rumours: Jackie Chan Takes Action
In 2004, he called the re-election of Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian “the biggest joke in the world,” drawing Taiwanese ire that lasted for years. Two years ago in mainland China he remarked that he “wasn’t sure if it’s good to have freedom or not,” leading to the formation of a Facebook group calling for him to be shipped to North Korea. And last August, he created so much controversy with a tweet about the Manila hostage crisis that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead—Hong Kongers accused him of siding with the Philippine police—that the actor, a Hong Kong native, had to issue a public apology.
The latest buzz: an Internet rumor that Mr. Chan has died of a heart attack. “RIP Jackie Chan” was trending on Twitter for much of Wednesday and Thursday.
“In the old days, I might get angry when they write some wrong things,” an alive-and-well Mr. Chan said Wednesday. “I don’t care anymore.” (Though he said the Twitter hoax—he joined a string of celebrities, from Bill Cosby to Justin Bieber, to have been a victim of a death rumor—did affect his friends: “Everybody called me,” he said. “My friend was crying.”)
Now the martial-arts star is trying to draw more-positive attention: He’s organizing “Love Without Borders,” a three-hour charity concert to benefit the Salvation Army and those affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The April 1 event, on which Mr. Chan is spending one million Hong Kong dollars (US$130,000) of his own money, will feature actors and singers from across Asia, including singer Alan Tam and Chinese-American rapper Jin. The entrance fee to the concert, held at Victoria Park, is HK$20, but people can donate more. All proceeds go to the Salvation Army.
The concert is not just about raising money, Mr. Chan says: It aims to unite the region in sending a message of encouragement to the people of Japan—“helping neighbors,” he calls it.
“It tells them that the whole of Asia, the whole world cares,” he says. The theme song written for the concert, “Succumb Not to Sorrow,” was inspired by a work of early-20th-century poet Miyazawi Kenji about the strength of the Japanese people in the face of hardship.
Love Without Borders may be the largest fund-raiser, but it’s certainly not the only one. Among the many others: ”Pray for Japan,” Sunday at Discovery Bay Plaza, featuring local performers like Jing Wong, the Sun Eskimos and 31G; a charity show at TakeOut Comedy Club, also Sunday, with proceeds from the HK$200 tickets going to the Red Cross; and a benefit concert by 11-year-old rock-guitar prodigy Yuto Miyazaki for Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund, April 14 at the Four Seasons.
Mr. Chan, 56, has been involved in charity work for 25 years, since a near-death experience during the filming of “Armour of God” in Yugoslavia in 1986. Attempting to jump from a castle to a tree, he instead fell head-first onto rocks and suffered a brain hemorrhage that required surgery.
While he recovered, Mr. Chan says, he realized he was just doing “movie, movie, movie,” and told himself, “I should do something else.” So in 1988 he started the Jackie Chan Foundation to fund scholarships, initially in Hong Kong and later in Japan and Hawaii as well.
Mr. Chan says he’s also paid for the construction of 24 schools in Sichuan to replace those destroyed in the 2008 earthquake—and got a thank-you letter Tuesday from 700 students at one of them.
“You do something that makes you sleep well,” he says. “I am not a superman, but I do what I can.”
Thanks to Wall Street Journal
He's back!! Arnold Schwarzenegger Developing New Cartoon, Comic Book
The action star-turned-California governor announced on Wednesday that he's co-developing a cartoon and comic book series with famed Spider-Man co-creator and former Marvel Comics chief, Stan Lee.
To be titled "The Governator," the show and comic series will combine Schwarzenegger's big screen heroics (in myriad films such as "Terminator 2" and "True Lies") and real life, inventing a storyline in which, after leaving office, he decides to bring his battles far beyond California's budget.
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Lee broke down the inspiration behind the series, and gave some insight into what Arnold fans can expect:
"The Governator is going to be a great superhero, but he'll also be Arnold Schwarzenegger," Lee told the magazine. "We're using all the personal elements of Arnold's life. We're using his wife [Maria Shriver]. We're using his kids. We're using the fact that he used to be governor. Only after he leaves the governor's office, Arnold decides to become a crime fighter and builds a secret high-tech crime-fighting center under his house in Brentwood."
And it's going to be a pretty impressive crime-fighting center, indeed; Schwarzenneger enthused about his cartoon self's impressive array of aquatic transportation.
"I love the idea of a control center below my house with a path so that boats and submarines can go right into the ocean," he told EW.
Since leaving office in January, Schwarzenegger has talked about his desire to return to the world of entertainment. In January, he spoke of how he has to adjust his roles now that he's gotten older.
"In the future I have to adapt my roles to my age," he told an Austrian Newspaper. "Clint Eastwood also has done it in the same way. Extreme fighting or shooting is not possible anymore. I want to be more encouraged as an actor and I believe that I can manage this challenge. I am like a sponge, which is absorbing all the knowledge and always be willing to learn all new things."
Rabu, 30 Maret 2011
April 2011 is here
HAPPY NEW MONTH! from us.
Sabtu, 26 Maret 2011
Laughter, music may lower blood pressure
(Health.com) -- Listening to your favorite tunes or funny jokes could lower your blood pressure, perhaps even as much as cutting salt from your diet or dropping 10 pounds, according to the preliminary results of a small study presented Friday at American Heart Association meeting in Atlanta.
In the study, Japanese researchers found that people who took part in bimonthly group sessions built around music or laughter lowered their systolic blood pressure (the top number in the reading) by an average of five to six points after three months. By contrast, the average blood-pressure reading in a control group that received neither therapy didn't budge.
Though relatively modest, blood-pressure reductions of the size seen in the study have been linked to a 5% to 15% lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke, says Michael Miller, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, in Baltimore.
"I think there's definitely a physiological effect going on, some sort of mind-heart connection," says Miller, who was not involved in the new study but has conducted similar research.
Health.com: 12 ways to fight stress and help your heart
Researchers at the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine randomly assigned 90 men and women between the ages of 40 and 74 to receive hourlong music or laughter sessions every other week, or no therapy at all.
In the music sessions, participants listened, sang, and stretched to their choice of Japanese pop, classical, or jazz. (They were also encouraged to listen to music at home.) The laughter sessions included listening to humorous Japanese storytelling somewhat akin to stand-up comedy and laughter yoga, a practice of faking laughter until it feels natural.
After three months, the average systolic blood pressure in the music and laughter groups had dropped by 6 mmHg and 5 mmHg, respectively, whereas there was no change in the control group. What's more, measurements taken immediately before and after each therapy session revealed short-term dips of 6 mmHg to 7 mmHg associated with each session.
The three-month decline is in the range of what could be expected in someone adopting a low-salt diet, losing 10 pounds, or taking a blood-pressure-lowering medication, Miller says.
Health.com: 25 foods with tons of hidden salt
He adds, though, that music and laughter alone aren't sufficient to treat high blood pressure. "This is a great natural tool to improve your health, but I wouldn't recommend replacing medication," Miller says. "Although it could increase your likelihood of going off medication or reducing the dosage."
How, exactly, music and laughter might benefit blood pressure remains unclear. The lead study researcher, Eri Eguchi, says that by promoting relaxation the therapies may lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can contribute to high blood pressure.
And in a previous study, Miller and his colleagues showed that both laughing and listening to upbeat music improved the function of the inner lining of blood vessels, causing them to expand by 30%. (Watching or listening to unnerving movies or music -- such as the opening scenes of "Saving Private Ryan"-- had the opposite effect.) Nitric oxide released in response to laughter or music might be the "magic compound" that dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, Miller suggests.
Health.com: Tricks to lower blood pressure
Vera Brandes, director of the research program in music and medicine at Paracelsus Medical University, in Salzburg, Austria, says that music and laughter may affect blood pressure through different pathways. Music is believed to influence the parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the body and slows the heart rate, she says, but more research is needed to understand how humor affects a person's emotional -- and, in turn, physical -- response to stress.
"Even though the effects of music or laughter did not differ significantly in size, the mechanisms are probably only partly the same," Brandes says.
Eguchi presented her findings at the American Heart Association's annual conference on nutrition, physical activity, and metabolism. Unlike the studies published in medical journals, the research has not been thoroughly vetted by other experts.
Copyright Health Magazine 2010
Are you ready for Earth Hour 2011?
Wowzas: $312 million to be won in Friday's Mega Millions lottery
One lucky winner in New York chose the right numbers in Friday night's Mega Millions lottery, which has a jackpot of $312 million, the New York Lottery said Saturday.
The winning ticket was sold at Coulson's News Central in Albany, New York.
If the winner chose the cash option when buying the ticket, he or she will receive a one-time, lump-sum payment of $198 million. That amount reflects all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.
Friday night's winning numbers were 22, 24, 31, 52 and 54. The Mega Ball number was 4.
No one has yet come forward to claim the prize, the New York Lottery said.
Mega Millions is played in 42 states and is the biggest jackpot game in the country, according to the lottery.
*who could that be?
Top Money Making Degrees
Are you a student or aspiring? If yes, then take out time to see some degrees that might give you all the money and edge you need after school.
When it comes to making money, education can really pay.
In fact, according to PayScale's 2010-2011 College Salary Report, $100,000 in annual income separates a petroleum engineering major ($157,000) from the average music major ($57,000) at the mid-career mark.
Don't like engineering? Don't despair. There are plenty of high-paying degrees to choose from.
Using PayScale's 2010-2011 College Salary Report, we've identified 8 money-making college degrees:
- Business Administration
- Health Care Administration
- Finance
- Information Systems
- Paralegal Studies
- Criminal Justice
- Accounting
- Information Technology
Degree #1: Bachelor's in Business Administration
Mid-Career Salary: $70,600*
As a whole, business-related majors enjoyed the biggest salary bumps over the past year, according to Andrea Koncz, employment information manager for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Current business administration majors are seeing an average starting salary offer of $44,171. Market research analyst and advertising sales agent positions are typical career paths for business administration majors. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, research analysts earned $67,500 in 2009, while sales agents earned $53,190.Degree #2: Bachelor's in Health Care Administration
Mid-Career Salary: $60,800
Health care is the biggest and fastest growing sector of the economy. While you might start out as an office manager in a doctor's office, earning roughly $40,000, some grads use work experience and sometimes a master's to become medical services managers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the job paid $90,970 in 2009.Degree #3: Bachelor's in Finance
Mid-Career Salary: $91,500
Want to make money? It helps to study it. According to NACE's Winter 2011 Salary Survey report, starting salary offers for finance grads rose nearly two percent this year to $50,535. Typical careers for finance grads include personal financial advisors and budget analysts. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, financial advisors typically earned $94,180 in 2009, while budget analysts earned $69,240.Degree #4: Bachelor's in Information Systems
Mid-Career Salary: $87,100
Many information systems majors find careers in business and technology, two high-paying options to say the least. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the top ten percent of computer systems analysts earned $119,170 in 2009. The agency lists a bachelor's degree as the most common qualification for the job.Degree #5: Bachelor's in Paralegal Studies
Mid-Career Salary: $51,300
Salaries are growing for paralegals, who are taking on many responsibilities that lawyers used to handle. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the top ten percent of paralegals earned $75,700 in 2009. For an even quicker entry into the profession, consider earning an associate's degree or certificate in paralegal studies.Degree #6: Bachelor's in Criminal Justice
Mid-Career Salary: $58,000
The war on terror has increased our need for criminal justice majors to fill positions at home and abroad. This includes everyone from private security guards to U.S. customs agents. To use just one high-paying example, the top ten percent of police supervisors earned $116,340 in 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.Degree #7: Bachelor's in Accounting
Mid-Career Salary: $77,500
What recession? In the past year alone, accounting majors have seen their average starting salary offer rise 2.2 percent to $49,022, according to NACE's Winter 2011 Salary Survey report. What's more, 47 percent of accounting majors received a job offer prior to graduation in 2010, according to a separate NACE study. Getting an accounting degree is a great first step to becoming a financial manager. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, finance managers typically earned $113,730 in 2009.Degree #8: Bachelor's in Information Technology (IT)
Mid-Career Salary: $79,300
Studying IT is a great way to graduate with the cutting edge skills you need to get a high-paying salary in today's digital age. Typical careers include computer programmers and database administrators. Computer programmers earned $74,690 in 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, while database administrators earned $74,290.*Unless otherwise noted, salary info comes from PayScale's 2010-2011 College Salary Report, which tracks full-time employees in the U.S. who possess a bachelor's degree and no higher.
Info Thanks to !Yahoo
Health: FDA clears first melanoma drug
The federal health agency approved the injectable drug, called Yervoy, for late-stage or metastatic melanoma. Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, but the FDA has only approved two other drugs for advanced melanoma. The newest of those drugs was cleared more than 13 years ago. Neither drug has been shown to significantly extend patient lives.
Known chemically as ipilimumab, the biotech drug only worked in a small segment of patients studied, and on average they lived just four months longer than patients given older medications. But experts say the drug is an important milestone in treating melanoma, which is often unresponsive to therapy.
"Clearly this is not a home run, but it's a solid base hit," said Tim Turnham, director of the Melanoma Research Foundation. "And because we see other things in the pipeline, we think this the first in a series of important new therapies for melanoma."
Ipilimumab is part of a group of targeted cancer medicines that harness the body's immune system to fight off cancer, rather than attacking the disease with outside chemicals like chemotherapy. The drug works by blocking a molecule linked to melanoma called CTLA-4, which interferes with the protective activity of white blood cells. When the molecule is blocked, the cells behave normally and help fight off cancer.
Yervoy carries several side effects related to its effect on the immune system, including: diarrhea, swelling of the colon, rash and fatigue. It can cause fatal immune system reactions. The most frequent severe reactions included inflammations of the colon and small intestine, liver, and skin, as well as nerve damage and endocrine disease. Those side effects usually occurred during treatment, but some occurred after treatment ended.
The FDA said severe to fatal immune reactions occurred in 12.9 percent of patients during clinical trials. The agency is requiring Bristol-Myers Squibb to create a risk evaluation strategy designed to identify and reduce the severe risks associated with the drug.
Mike Brockey of Frederick, Md., was diagnosed with late-stage melanoma in 2008 and tried both conventional and alternative medicines before starting therapy with ipilimumab last September. He received four infusions of the drug every three weeks through November, which is the recommended dosing regimen. Though the drug took time to work, he says his latest scans show that his tumors are inactive.
"This is the first time in two years I had a sense that anything was going in the right direction," Brockey said.
Melanoma is the fastest growing form of cancer in terms of new diagnoses. Researchers attribute the acceleration to longer life expectancies among the elderly and increased use of indoor tanning by the young.
About 68,000 people in the U.S. were diagnosed last year and 8,700 patients died, according to the American Cancer Society.
FDA approved the drug based on a Bristol-Myers study of 676 people with advanced, inoperable melanoma who had already failed two other treatments, giving them a very short life expectancy. They were given one of three treatments: ipilimumab by itself, ipilimumab combined with another immune-stimulating treatment, or the immune-stimulating treatment alone.
Average survival was 10 months with ipilimumab versus just more than six months for the others. But a very small group of patients survived longer than six years, suggesting that with more study the drug could be targeted to those who will respond the most.
About 85 percent of patients had little response to the drug. Researchers say the response rate should improve as the drug is used earlier in the disease cycle.
"I think the direction this is headed is toward intervening earlier, when patients' immune systems are still intact, rather than waiting until they are so sick," said Dr. Anna Pavlick, director of the New York University's melanoma program. Pavlick, a spokeswoman for the Skin Cancer Foundation, helped conduct several early-stage trials of ipilimumab.
On Monday Bristol-Myers reported that ipilimumab also improved survival times when used as a first-line treatment against advanced skin cancer in patients who hadn't taken any other treatments. These patients are generally less sick than those first studied by the company and could see even longer survival times. Bristol said it would release those findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in June.
Bristol said it would disclose pricing details of the drug later.
Citi Investment Research analyst John Boris estimates ipilimumab could reach total sales of $960 million by 2015.
Ipilimumab is one of several key medications Bristol is counting on to sustain its business in coming years. Like most drugmakers, the New York-based company faces a wave of patent expirations that will expose key drugs to generic competition. The company will lose patent protection for both its blood thinner Plavix, the world's second-best-selling drug, and for the high blood pressure drug Avapro in the first half of 2012.
In afternoon trading, shares of Bristol-Myers added 2.1 percent, or 56 cents, to $26.98.
____
AP Health Writer Marley Seaman contributed to this story from New York.
Royal wedding: Prince William's Bachelor Party is underway
Prince William's bachelor party is reportedly set for this weekend, according to UsMagazine.com.
A royal aide told the tabloid's European Bureau Chief Omid Scobie: "It's top, top secret but the dates have been marked off in the diary and security knows every detail. For privacy reasons we can't reveal locations, but there will be plenty of booze and some legendary activities."
What kinds of legendary activities? Us has no idea, however "Good Morning America" previously speculated that the fete would include speedboats, wake boards and waterskis on the English Channel (isn't it a little cold for that?), followed by a pub crawl at bars only accessible by boat or foot. About 20 guys are expected to be in attendance.
Prince Harry put together the festivities, along with the brothers' best friend and "bad influence" Guy Pelly. The New York Times tracked down Pelly in February and asked him about the plans:
"I am afraid I cannot comment," he said with a sly grin, followed by a burst of laughter, in reply to the bachelor party question. Mr. Pelly, a veteran of the cat-and-mouse game so furiously played here by reporters trying to squeeze leaks from the royal entourage, is famous for never, ever, betraying his confidences.One thing that might, kind of, possibly be for sure is an appearance by Snoop Dogg. In November, Mr. Dogg announced that he recorded a song for the occasion and intends to perform it as part of the festivities.
! Huffingtonpost
Final 'Oprah' to air May 25
Winfrey announced live on the show in November 2009 that she would end its run after 25 years. She has since launched cable's Oprah Winfrey Network.
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" has been in reruns for the past few weeks. But Winfrey tweeted Thursday that she was "hard at work planning the final shows" and that new episodes would begin April 7.
The final episode brings an end to what has been television's top-rated talk show for more than two decades. It airs in 145 countries worldwide.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Kamis, 24 Maret 2011
How to win contests and sweepstakes
Thousands of contests and sweepstakes are available online. Giant corporations and local businesses are handing out computers, jewelry, shopping sprees, vacations, smart phones, cars, houses, boats and cold, hard cash.
You can win small prizes (burger, T-shirt), unique prizes (walk-on role on a TV show) and incredibly useful prizes (a year's worth of health insurance).
Yes, there are scams out there, and we'll talk about ways to avoid them, but there are plenty of real chances, too. Just ask Michelle Troutt, who in five years has won 22 vacations, cash, and countless other items.
Her best win: $100,000 in a contest celebrating the 100th anniversary of Hershey's Kisses. The prize also included an appearance on a special segment of "Deal Or No Deal" back in 2007, with a chance to earn $100 million. (She didn't.)
Here's the beautiful part: The win was a "second-chance drawing." Because none of the three grand-prize game pieces was redeemed by consumers, the candy manufacturer drew its winners from 3-by-5 cards sent in by savvy sweepers.
"That's all I did: one entry," says Troutt, who lives near Fort Worth, Texas.
How can you get that lucky? Read on.
It's not just luck
First, a clarification: A contest requires some kind of "skill," even if that's just the ability to download a picture of your kid. A sweepstakes is strictly a game of chance, i.e., you don't have to do anything to enter except enter. However, I'll be using the words interchangeably, just as folks who call themselves "sweepers" also enter contests.
Second: It's not just luck. Serious sweepers know how to enter. They watch for local contests, which tend to have fewer entries. They pay close attention to the rules; for example, "a 150-word essay" does not mean 50 words, or 500 words.
They enter as often as they're allowed, which can mean daily. They recognize which contests probably won't be won outright and immediately enter second-chance drawings.
Such behaviors were once described as the "three P's": patience, persistence and postage. Although some old-schoolers still enter only by mail, the Internet has made it a lot easier to sweep.
Why would companies give all this stuff away? To get attention, of course. Contests and sweepstakes encourage brand loyalty, promote new items and attract potential customers.
Of course, they're also a great way to collect data. Some contest organizers require only a name and e-mail, while others ask for addresses, phone numbers and even information on buying habits. That's why you should open an e-mail account just for these entries.
"You do get spammed. There's no way around it," says Patti Osterheld of SweepSheet, who has won furniture, nearly three dozen trips, numerous savings bonds, a piano, a trio of iPod Touches, thousands of dollars in cash and a year's worth of gas, milk and Starbucks coffee over the past two decades.
Watching for red flags
Osterheld deletes, unopened, any e-mail whose subject line doesn't include the word "congratulations!"But be wary of any "Congratulations!" e-mails for contests you don't remember entering. Many sweepers keep spreadsheets or other records of their entries (who could remember so many on his own?).
Those who subscribe to SweepsU.com can use the site's "sweeps management system." This tool keeps track of what you've entered, notifies you of deadlines and reminds you to enter as often as you're allowed.
Other signs of scam contests are e-mails that:
- Promote contests from other countries.
- Are written in poorly spelled or ungrammatical English.
- Ask for a bank-account number so your "winnings" can be deposited.
- Require a credit-card number to pay shipping and handling for your prize.
The "If it seems too good to be true" rule applies, even to what looks like a reputable company. To wit: the Facebook gift card scam of spring 2010. If you have questions about a contest, go to the organizer's home page or Facebook page -- directly, rather than by clicking on an e-mail or social media link -- to see if it's legit. Hint: Ikea wasn't offering $1,000 gift cards.
Read more..... How to find contests
!MSN
Easy steps to make $1 million
MONEY Magazine: Remember that old Steve Martin joke about the secret formula for becoming a millionaire?
"First, get a million dollars ..."
Okay, getting the odometer on your investment portfolio to click over into seven digits isn't quite that easy. Only 7% of American households ever manage it, according to research firm Spectrem Group -- though it's certainly not for lack of desire.
While $1 million may not be worth what it was back when Martin was a wild and crazy guy in the late '70s, achieving that iconic number still has profound allure. It means that you're ahead of the game. You're assured a baseline retirement security. You've arrived.
Martin may have oversimplified, but the reality is that getting your portfolio to the $1 million mark is not nearly as difficult as you may think, even if you've managed to put away only a fraction of that amount so far. You just have to understand how to operate the three basic levers of wealth building: how much time you have to work with, how much you save, and how you invest that savings.
The slightest tug on one or two of these levers can dramatically affect your path to $1 million. Use our calculator to pinpoint when you're likely to become a millionaire based on your current situation and investing returns.
Lever 1: How Much Time You Allow
When you think about getting rich, what jumps to mind? Saving more money? Getting that money to work harder for you? Sure, those are critical elements. But they're not nearly as important as time: How long you allow dictates how you pull the other two levers -- which is why you want to estimate your schedule before going on to the next sections. Sometimes you can't play with the time lever -- your kids will go to college when your kids go to college. But in certain cases, it's possible to control the clock.
Say you're now 45, want to retire at 62 with a million bucks, and have $250,000 saved. You've got 17 years. If you were saving $15,000 a year, adjusting for 3% inflation (meaning you put away $15,000 in year one, $15,450 in year two, and so on), and were able to earn 4% a year in real terms (7% before inflation), you wouldn't get there.
But if you delayed retirement by just two years, you'd hit the mark. As Chris Dardaman, head of Brightworth, a financial planning firm in Atlanta, says: "It's not the end of the world if you can't save as much or invest as well as you want -- as long as you save and invest longer."
In part, how long it'll take to become a millionaire depends on where you are now. If you already have $500,000 saved, it might take only 10 to 15 years, in inflation-adjusted terms, provided you sock away $10,000 to $15,000 a year and your investments outpace inflation modestly.
But even if you're only a tenth of the way there -- like the typical worker who's been investing in a 401(k) for 10 to 20 years, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute -- you can make it in two decades or less, if you save a good chunk of income or earn a decent return.
Of course, that's the dilemma. While the ability to save more is within your control, the ability to generate a certain return isn't 100% in your hands. And as your time horizon shrinks, so too will your ability to accurately predict how your investments are likely to perform. So let time determine which of the two other levers -- savings or investing- -- you pull harder.
If you want to get to seven figures in 10 years or less: Seriously ramp up savings
With only a few years to invest, there's a significant risk that even a seemingly safe investment strategy could fall short of your expectations, because of the wide range of possible outcomes.
For example, according to computer models run by Ibbotson Associates, a moderate 60% stock/40% bond strategy could result in annualized returns of as much as 16% over the next 10 years, but it could also result in worst-case losses of nearly 1% a year. While that gain would certainly speed things up, a sustained loss -- even a modest one -- could be devastating given your time frame.
So if your self-imposed deadline for achieving $1 million (or any financial goal) is tight, instead of banking on optimistic returns, you're better off trying to boost your savings as much as possible. Then invest in a balanced mix of 50% stocks and 50% bonds that can be expected to beat inflation by a modest two or three percentage points a year.
If you're willing to wait more than ten years: Invest more aggressively
The longer you have to invest, the greater chance you give the market to smooth out any ups and downs. Back to that 60%/40% portfolio: Over 20 years, the annualized spread could narrow to gains between 2% and 14%. So you could even take on a little more risk -- increasing your equity exposure, say -- for the possibility of better returns.
The single most important thing you need to know about building wealth: You're far better off being a dogged saver who's a mediocre investor than being a below-average saver who can knock the socks off the S&P 500.
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Lord have mercy! quake hits Myanmar near China and Thailand borders
(CNN) -- A powerful earthquake hit Myanmar Thursday near its borders with China, Thailand and Laos, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake hit in eastern Myanmar, about 55 miles (89 km) north of Chiang Rai, Thailand, the survey reported.
It had a magnitude of 6.8, the survey said, revising the estimate down from an initial reading of 7.0.
One person was killed by a roof collapsing in Chiang Rai, Thailand's MCOT network reported, and tremors were felt in the capital Bangkok, 479 miles (772 km) south of the epicenter.
It was a relatively shallow quake, which can be very destructive.
The Geological Survey initially said the quake had a depth of 142 miles (230km), but it later revised its estimate to say the quake was 6 miles (10 km) deep, putting it fairly close to the surface.
An aftershock hit about half an hour later, with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 and a depth of 6 miles, the USGS said.
The center of the quake was 365 miles (589 km) northeast of Rangoon, the former capital of Myanmar.
It was 104 miles (168 km) south-southwest of Yunjinghong, Yunnan, China.
A destructive tsunami is not expected, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, has been badly hit by natural disasters in the past few years.
A powerful cyclone in 2008 left an estimated 100,000 people dead, and another one two years later left 70,000 people homeless, the United Nations estimates.
The quake was significantly less powerful than the one that hit Japan two weeks ago, causing a tsunami, leaving thousands dead or missing, and prompting fears of a nuclear meltdown.
It was roughly comparable in magnitude and depth to last year's Haiti earthquake, which measured 7.0. More than 200,000 people died in the Haiti earthquake, and millions were affected.
That quake's center was only 9 miles below the surface and near congested population centers. Scientists said if the quake had been centered deeper down, the damage would not have been as severe.
Julian Assange WikiLeaks Movie in the works
Plans are under way for Andrew Fowler's book, "The Most Dangerous Man in the World," to be turned into a movie. The Australian reporter first interviewed Assange last May, and his investigative biography is due out later this year.
Josephson Entertainment and Michelle Krumm Productions jointly optioned the movie rights.
Assange, 39, is the founder of WikiLeaks, a whistle-blowing website that revealed classified information. He's in London, where he's battling extradition to Sweden over sex-crime allegations.
!Huffingtonpost
*I'd sure be checking out the movie - one thing I know*.
Royal wedding: Ten-year-old lands invite
A 10-year-old survivor of the recent floods in Queensland, Australia, has landed an invitation to the wedding of the year.
Zander Locke met Prince William when the soon-to-be wed prince visited the small town of Ipswich as part of his three-day tour of the areas devastated by floods and Hurricane Yasi.
While chatting with flood victims, rescuers and clean-up volunteers during his stay, William was apparently charmed by young Zander, who upon shaking hands with the prince declared that he would never wash his hand again.
Zander’s wedding invitation prompted a hint of jealousy from Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale, who jibed: "All the best for the wedding and I'm looking forward to going to the wedding," as he welcomed the prince in front of about 2,000 invited guests.
It remains to be seen if Zander and his family will actually attend the big event on April 29.
"If we could win the lottery I can make it,” Zander told the Australian Associated Press. He may not need jackpot levels of cash, but the trip to London would still cost a bundle. Flights from Ipswich to London currently cost at least £1,350. And then there is the issue of finding lodging in the UK's capital. Perhaps Princess Di's brother will cut Zander a deal on his £11,000-per-person 'Wedding Tour' package.
Sadly, with the floods that have destroyed much of their hometown, it is certainly reasonable to assume that the Locke family might have more immediate obligations and costs to attend to.
! YahooUk
T-Mobile announces iPad 2 prices
If you're signing up as a new customer, the price goes up to £229.
For that, you'll be getting the 16GB iPad 2, and you'll be signing up for a 2-year data plan which is £25 a month for existing T-Mobilers and £2 more for new customers.This buys you 1GB of data a month, plus 1GB to use in T-Mobile's declared "quiet time" of 12am - 10am.
So, as an existing customer your total outlay over the 2 years would be £799 and as a new member of the T-Mobile club, it would be £877.
For a tablet that retails at £499, you need to ask yourself just how badly you need the 3G data - and consider that your network may now allow hotspot sharing using your iPhone with iOS 4.3.
If you do want to take the T-Mobile plunge, it will be taking orders online and on the phone from 5pm on 25 March.
© copyright Pocket-lint 2010
No heat for Qatar 2022 World Cup
He said the artificial cloud will move by remote control, made of 100 percent light carbonic materials, fuelled by four solar-powered engines and it will fly high to protect direct and indirect sun rays to control temperatures at the open playgrounds.
He said the initial model of the cloud cost $500,000 but the cost will decrease upon launching the commercial models which could also be used at beaches, car parking by using the mobile phone.
* Ok, Qatar here we come for the high tech showdown.
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Facebook booting underage users
And such popularity only balloons once the teens grow older: roughly 64% of 13-year-olds are social networking; between the ages of 14 to 17, that figure jumps to 82%, says Pew.
But that doesn't mean Facebook isn't trying to stop kids from becoming addicted to the network at such a young age (though indoctrination does have its benefits!).
According to a report by the Daily Telegraph, Facebook is kicking out roughly 20,000 underage users per day.
In a meeting with Australia's cyber-safety committee, Facebook's chief privacy adviser Mozelle Thompson agreed that underage users were taking advantage of the site. After all, any user no matter his or her age can register for the site by simply lying when signing up -- Facebook has no mechanisms to detect whether a teen is telling the truth or not.
"It's not perfect," said Thompson.
However, Facebook's privacy czar did argue that Facebook is trying to stop these young'ins from continuing to use the site.
"There are people who lie. There are people who are under 13 [accessing Facebook]," Thompson said. "Facebook removes 20,000 people a day, people who are underage."
Of course, that's a fraction of the nearly 600 million users on Facebook, but underage users have become a growing concern for the network, especially as it faces increased pressure from regulators -- whether in Australia or the U.S.
Last April, Senators Franken, Bennet, and Schumer penned a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over privacy issues related to collecting the personal data of users. This month, Sen. Franken stepped up pressure on the world's largest network, with support from even more Congressional colleagues.
This time the focus was specifically on "users between 13 to 17 years of age."
"Facebook's new privacy policy would endanger the privacy and safety of children as young as 13. Under Facebook's policy, 13 million users under the age of 18 may be allowed to share their personal information just like adult users," Franken argued.
"These younger users are the most vulnerable to predators on Facebook and the rest of the Internet and it should be impossible for them to inadvertently share their phone numbers and home addresses with anyone."
And that's not even taking into consideration the users who are younger than 13.
Props: CNN
Bigfoot Video Rejuvenates Mystery
The above Bigfoot video clip filmed this week in North Carolina has had everyone talking about the mythical and debatable creature.
A resident of Shelby, North Carolina, Thomas Byers, emailed his local news station after he saw what he claims was Bigfoot crossing the road he was on. The incident was recorded on Golden Valley Church Road in Rutherford County North Carolina on Tuesday night.
In his email, Byers said, "It ran across the road and into the woods right in front of us and I was able to film it. In the short video you can hear it snarl or growl at me."
Byers went on to describe the smell of mysterious being, saying, "One thing I know is the smell of it was horrid. It smelled like a cross between road kill and a skunk. And it did not like the fact that I was there on the road with it. In the video you can hear it snarl or growl at me as it crosses the road."
Rabu, 23 Maret 2011
Royal wedding: why Prince and Kate Meddleton should have a Pre-Nup
Broadcasters are vying for 3D rights to the event that an estimated 3 billion people will watch, and the bride, a 29-year-old university graduate, favours a car to get her to the church on time rather than a horse-drawn, gold and glass carriage used by princesses of yore.
Apparently it is Kate and Will, and not The Firm (as the royal family is known), who are calling the shots. As well, both his and her families are paying for the wedding. Given the guest list is as long as Regent Street, you have to imagine Mr and Mrs Middleton, who are in the party pieces mail-order business, are relieved that the ancient custom of a bride's parents footing the bill has gone the way of dowries and shortbread-tossing. The couple have even lived together. As they said on the occasion of their engagement, there are no surprises.
But for Ms Middleton and her intended to boast a truly modern marriage, they will need a prenuptial agreement. My advice is to get one drawn up without delay. Kate needs to put it on her to-do list alongside ''order cake'' and ''choose tiara''.
Even regular couples, unencumbered by centuries of accumulated wealth, might benefit from a prenup. The benefits include clarity about what happens if the marriage breaks down. The right time to consider a prenup is when Mr and Ms Average are in love and hold each other in high esteem, because when a marriage unravels, volatile emotions can take over.
The couple contemplating marriage would need to engage lawyers for the prenup to be binding. Many often work best with collaborative lawyers. In collaborative law, clients and their lawyers work together to resolve a dispute without going to court. The aim is to reach a fair agreement while minimising costs, delays and stress.
The skill of collaborative lawyers is to help the couple decide how they might configure their lives as they evolve together. For example, what arrangement they might want should they separate while the wife is home looking after children, not in paid work, and therefore financially dependent on her husband.
But when you are marrying the second in line to the British throne, with all its attendant risks and rewards, it's different. If the fairy tale fractures and the wedding ends in divorce, will Kate keep the recycled heirloom sapphire engagement ring, as normally happens? Will it be a standard 50-50 property split? William has got rather a lot to lose.
If there is wealth to protect or assets stitched up in trusts and other elaborate structures, and the parties need clarity on who gets what on separation, then it is best to have a binding financial agreement. If it does go horribly wrong, at least Kate will have her financial arrangements sorted out, avoiding costly litigation and further emotional distress.
There will be those who say prenups corrupt what marriage is supposed to stand for, that a prenup is preparing for a broken home.
I am no agony aunt - I'm a family law specialist - but marriage throws many curve balls, and a great number of unions end in divorce.
Having a prenup is not that different to taking out an insurance policy on your house. And keep in mind that the House of Windsor is not known for longevity when it comes to marriage. All but one of the Queen's four children have divorced.
Prenups were recognised as enforceable in English divorce law for the first time last year. In October, the Supreme Court ruled that a prenuptial agreement carried "decisive weight" in the case of German paper company heiress Katrin Radmacher. The decision left her £105 million fortune intact. It reduced her ex-husband Nicolas Granatino's court settlement from £5.5 million to £1 million.
According to the heiress, the couple signed the prenup, which prevented either from benefiting financially if the marriage ended, to prove they were marrying for love alone.
The British court's decision has altered the landscape of divorce settlements - and paved the way for any royal prenup to have clout.
Kate and Will might not need any convincing. In a recent poll of 1000 people, reported in The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland, nearly half of 18 to 24-year-olds said they wanted a prenup.
With an agreement in place, both Kate and Will have a chance of living happily ever after, whether they are living in the palace together or not.
Props: Theage!
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