8 Old Wives Tales: Which Should You Believe?

8 Old Wives Tales: Which Should You Believe?



Just like your mom didn't need a thermometer to know if you had a fever, we bet your grandmother or other homegrown expert didn’t let the lack of a medical degree stop her from issuing health directives. But which of them are worth following?

1. Grandma's wisdom: Ginger is good for upset stomachs.
Science says: Yes. Good evidence shows ginger reduces nausea.

2. Grandma's wisdom: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Science says: Granny's overstating this fruit's potency. Still, the peel is a good source of quercetin, an important antioxidant that, studies suggest, helps lower blood pressure, fight asthma and allergies, and prevent heart attacks.

PLUS: 10 Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow at Home

3. Grandma's wisdom: Honey speeds healing.
Science says: Yes. Mild to moderate burns (but not other types of wounds) heal faster if you spread honey on them -- maybe because it creates a moist, antibacterial environment that promotes tissue growth.

© 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation

4. Grandma's wisdom: Put butter on a burn.
Science says: No. There's no evidence of a benefit from butter.

PLUS: 19 Weight Loss Secrets From Around the World

5. Grandma's wisdom: Sleeping in air-conditioning can give you a chill.
Science says: She may be onto something. Air conditioners dry out the protective layer of mucus along nasal passages, which likely allows viruses to infect you more easily. Viruses reproduce faster inside a cold nose too.

6. Grandma's wisdom: If you go out with wet hair, you'll catch a cold.
Science says: Maybe. Some research indicates (but doesn't prove) that a wet head helps cold viruses take hold, by tightening blood vessels in the nose and making it harder for white blood cells to reach the viruses and fight them off.

PLUS: 7 Tricks to Drop Pounds

7. Grandma's wisdom: Swimming after eating can lead to cramps and drowning.
Science says: Not exactly, but not completely wrong either. After you eat, blood gets shunted to your digestive tract and away from exercising muscles. That can lead to a buildup of lactic acid in your muscles, so swimming a few laps too soon after lunch could cause a sudden (though not fatal) cramp.

8. Grandma's wisdom: Chocolate gives you pimples.
Science says: Not quite. Chocolate bars might trigger an acne flare-up, but if so, the culprit is probably the sugar, milk, and gooey fillings, not the cocoa.

What was the story with Tiger's Buddhism bracelet?

At the end of Sunday night's Golf Channel interview with Tiger Woods, interviewer Kelly Tilghman made note of the bracelet Woods wore on his left wrist. From the official transcript:



KT: I noticed you're wearing a bracelet, can we see it?
TW: Yeah.

KT: What does it mean?
TW: It's Buddhist, it's for protection and strength and I certainly need that.

KT: When did you start wearing it?
TW: Before I went into treatment.

KT: Will you be wearing it during the Masters?
TW: Absolutely.

KT: For the rest of your life?
TW: Absolutely.

(View the interview in its entirety here at The Golf Channel.)

The bracelet itself isn't the big deal; you can pick one of those up at the mall for five bucks (Amazon has hundreds of "Buddhist bracelets" for those who want to be like Tiger.) It's what the bracelet represents -- the idea of remembering one's "core values" -- that makes it significant.

Certainly, it's not uncommon for people embroiled in scandal to suddenly wrap themselves in religion as a way of deflecting criticism. Prisoners and politicians alike often turn to religion when their worldly deeds come crashing down around them. So it's understandable to view Woods' embracing of Buddhism, Sunday and at his Feb. 19 press conference, as a cynical ploy for sympathy.

Thing is, Woods publicly professed his connection to Buddhism long before the scandal broke. In a May 2008 Reuters interview shortly after the birth of his second child, Woods noted that he adhered to tenets of Buddhism such as meditation:

"I practice meditation -- that is something that I do, that my mum [sic] taught me over the years. We also have a thing we do every year, where we go to temple together," he said. "In the Buddhist religion you have to work for it yourself, internally, in order to achieve anything in life and set up the next life. It is all about what you do and you get out of it what you put into it. So you are going to have to work your butt off in every aspect of your life."


And as he admitted Sunday, he's got plenty of work ahead.

Also, the conspiracy-minded -- or those with too much time on their hands -- will note that Woods doesn't have a wedding ring on, and will surely scream that it's the sign of marital apocalypse. Not so, at least not based on that alone. Tiger never wears his wedding ring on the golf course, and as the photo at right shows, he apparently doesn't wear it when he's out with his family, either.

That photo is from last year's Cal-Stanford game, taken just days before the news of his initial affair broke. Tiger got roundly booed at that game, but it was because he was a Stanford alum, not for any other reason. No, the really bad news for Tiger was still a few days away. Hopefully, for the sake of his family and his golf game, the worst days are now behind him

EARTHQUAKE AT KUALA TRENGGANU,MALAYSIA

Mild earthquake hits Tasik Kenyir area
A mild 2.6-magnitude earthquake shook the Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu area at 11.10pm Wednesday (03.10.2010).





The earthquake was the second in more than 20 years.

The quake had an epicenter at 43km Southwest of Kuala Terengganu and 22km West of Kuala Berang.

According to Bernama, Dr Mohd Rosaidi Che Abas, director of the Malaysian Meterological Department's (MMD) Geophysics and Tsunami division said that "the earthquake last night may have been linked to the one that happened 20 years ago or the release of tectonic gas from the gas bearing basin or the plate tectonic setting in Terengganu."

He added that in the 1980s, Kenyir was hit by a 4.6 magnitude earthquake when the Kenyir Dam was being filled.

Dr Rosaidi mentioned that since it was the first case in 20 years, his department will work closely with the Mineral and Geosciences Department to find the actual cause of the quake.

He said that people shouldn't worry as a 2.6 scale earthquake was a mild one.

Prius with stuck accelerator glides to safe stop

A California Highway Patrol officer helped slow a runaway Toyota Prius from 94 mph to a safe stop on Monday after the car's accelerator became stuck on a San Diego County freeway, the CHP said.

Prius driver James Sikes called 911 about 1:30 p.m. after accelerating to pass another vehicle on Interstate 8 near La Posta and finding that he could not control his car, the CHP said.

"I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny... it jumped and it just stuck there," the 61-year-old driver said at a news conference. "As it was going, I was trying the brakes...it wasn't stopping, it wasn't doing anything and it just kept speeding up," Sikes said, adding he could smell the brakes burning he was pressing the pedal so hard.

A patrol car pulled alongside the Prius and officers told Sikes over a loudspeaker to push the brake pedal to the floor and apply the emergency brake.

"They also got it going on a steep upgrade," said Officer Jesse Udovich. "Between those three things, they got it to slow down."

After the car decelerated to about 50 mph, Sikes turned off the engine and coasted to a halt.

The officer then maneuvered his car in front of the Prius as a precautionary block, Udovich said.

In a statement, Toyota said it has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the incident.

Toyota has recalled some 8.5 million vehicles worldwide — more than 6 million in the United States — since last fall because of acceleration problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius.

Toyota owners have complained of their vehicles speeding out of control despite efforts to slow down, sometimes resulting in deadly crashes. The government has received complaints of 34 deaths linked to sudden acceleration of Toyota vehicles since 2000.

One of the crashes claimed the life of a CHP officer last August.

Off-duty CHP Officer Mark Saylor was killed along with his wife, her brother and the couple's daughter after their Lexus' accelerator got stuck in La Mesa.

The Toyota-manufactured loaner vehicle slammed into a sport utility vehicle at about 100 mph, careened off the freeway, hit an embankment, overturned and burst into flames.

Date-rape drugs, illegal online pharmacies on rise

Date-rape drugs -- so called because they render victims unconscious or provoke memory loss, facilitating rape -- were increasingly easy to obtain, the International Narcotics Control Board said in its annual report Wednesday.

"The 'date-rape drug' phenomenon is evolving rapidly, as sexual abusers attempt to circumvent more rigorous drug controls by using substances not restricted by the international drug conventions," it noted.

Rohypnol, the best known date-rape drugs, is subject to strict checks, but others like GHB, ketamine, an anaesthetic, and GBL, a solvent, are becoming more and more common and are easily available through legal channels.

This is a "worrying" development, the Vienna-based agency said, calling on governments and drug-makers to raise awareness and introduce dyes and flavourings in these narcotics to make them more visible to potential victims.

Abuse of prescription drugs -- including morphine, codeine and methadone -- has also spread in recent years to become a "major concern" in many countries, with the number of users even surpassing the combined figure of cocaine, heroin and ecstasy users in places such as the United States, the INCB said.

"Almost all countries are confronted with trafficking in and abuse of prescription drugs ... in many countries, prescription drugs are the second or third most abused category of drugs," it said.

In parts of Europe, 15 percent of students were believed to use sedatives or tranquilisers without a prescription, the UN-affiliated agency said.

"Despite the fact that the abuse of prescription drugs is a fast-growing global problem, it continues to be difficult to obtain comprehensive data on the actual level of abuse of such drugs," it noted however.

Rarely associated with health risks, the non-medical use of pain medicine was "underreported and not adequately studied" and remained a "hidden problem," the board said.

A related issue was the emergence of illegal Internet pharmacies and telephone call centres -- many of them based in India -- allowing abusers to purchase drugs without a prescription, the INCB found.

This "puts consumers of those substances at an inordinate risk," board president Sevil Atasoy noted in the report, calling for governments to shut these services down.

Greater efforts must also be made to prevent drug abuse, in conjunction with non-governmental and community organisations, and to target vulnerable groups such as children and young people.

"Even a single early experience with drug abuse can have serious consequences, such as unintentional injury, overdose or arrest," Atasoy said.

Soup Therapy: Detoxify, Lose Weight, and Boost Immunity

Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity

The healing power of soup: something that both scientists and grandmothers can agree on. From helping you lose weight to warming you up from the inside out to boosting your immunity, soup is a winter staple that you shouldn’t be without. Maybe that is one reason that it is celebrated this month with its very own National Soup Month. Here's a closer look at what you can do to benefit from soup's amazing healing powers.

The healing power of soup
An ancient Chinese proverb states that a good doctor uses food first, then resorts to medicine. A healing soup can be your first step in maintaining your health and preventing illness. The therapeutic value of soup comes from the ease with which your body can assimilate the nutrients from the ingredients, which have been broken down by simmering.

Here are some healing soup tips that will preserve your wellness and longevity:

1. Lose weight with soup
Obesity is on the rise throughout the industrialized world, resulting in a startling increase in the rates of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. You can count yourself out of the statistics if you eat a bowl of soup at least once a day. Nutritious low-salt soups will nourish you as they flush excess wastes from your body. It has been found that people who eat one serving of soup per day lose more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories, but don’t eat soup. Homemade soup is your best bet, because canned soups tend to be loaded with salt and chemicals. My advice is to use organic vegetables whenever possible. The herbicides and pesticides that can be present in conventional produce can assault the immune system and overload it with toxins.

2. Build your immunity
Your immune system needs a lot of minerals to function properly and the typical Western diet does not always hit the mark. When you slowly simmer foods over low heat, you gently leach out the energetic and therapeutic properties of the foods, preserving the nutritional value of the foods. Keep in mind that boiling can destroy half of the vitamins found in vegetables, so cook soup over a low heat.

Immune-Boosting Soup
Simmer these ingredients for 30 minutes: cabbage, carrots, fresh ginger, onion, oregano, shiitake mushrooms (if dried, they must be soaked first), the seaweed of your choice, and any type of squash in chicken or vegetable stock. Cabbage can increase your body’s ability to fight infection, ginger supports healthy digestion, and seaweed cleanses the body. Shiitake mushrooms contain coumarin, polysaccharides, and sterols, as well as vitamins and minerals that increase your immune function, and the remaining ingredients promote general health and well-being. Eat this soup every other day to build a strong and healthy immune system.

3. Detoxify your body
As a liquid, soup is already helping you flush waste from your body. When you choose detoxifying ingredients, such as the ones featured in the recipe below, you are really treating your body to an internal cleanse. The broth below boasts many benefits: it supports the liver in detoxification, increases circulation, reduces inflammation, and replenishes your body with essential minerals.

Super Detoxifying Broth
Simmer the following for 1–2 hours over a low flame: anise, brussels sprouts, cabbage, Swiss chard, cilantro, collards, dandelion, fennel, garlic, ginger, kale, leeks, shiitake mushrooms, mustard greens, daikon radish, seaweed, turmeric, and watercress. Drink 8 to 12 ounces twice a day. You can keep this broth in your fridge for up to one week; however, it is always best to serve soups when fresh because each day, the therapeutic value decreases.

In addition to using cleansing herbs in soups, you can take cleansing herbs in supplements. For a gentle but powerful cleanse using Chinese herbs, Internal Cleanse increases the ability of the liver to cleanse the body of internal and environmental toxins.

4. Warm up with a hearty soup
You always want to eat for the season. Soups provide something the body craves in cold weather. When you cook foods into a soup, you are adding a lot of what Chinese nutrition would call “warming energy” into the food. Warming foods to feature in your soups include: leeks, onions, turnips, spinach, kale, broccoli, quinoa, yams, squash, garlic, scallions, and parsley. As a spice, turmeric aids with circulation, a great boost against the cold weather.

5. Get well faster
As you mother may have instinctively known, when you are sick, there is no better healing food than soup. The reason for this is that soups and stews don’t require as much energy to digest, freeing your body up to fight the infection.

It would be impossible to talk about soup’s healing abilities without putting the spotlight on homemade chicken noodle soup. Studies have found that chicken noodle soup does seem to relieve the common cold by inhibiting inflammation -- helping to break up congestion and ease the flow of nasal secretions.

While chicken soup may not cure a cold outright, it does help alleviate some of the symptoms and can help as a preventative measure. Many of my patient’s keep the herbal formula Cold & Flu in their medicine cabinets so its there to support recovery when a cold strikes.

In Chinese medicine, you would traditionally be given a tonic soup specifically tailored to your needs, and for that level of personal care, it is a good idea to consult a health practitioner knowledgeable in Chinese nutrition.

I hope you have gotten a taste of the healing power of soup! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

—Dr. Mao



This blog is meant to educate, but it should not be used as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.

O M G !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actress Brittany Murphy dies in LA at age 32.

A Los Angeles hospital spokeswoman says actress Brittany Murphy has died. She was 32. Brittany Murphy, the actress who got her start in the sleeper hit "Clueless" and rose to stardom in "8 Mile" before her movie roles declined in recent years, died Sunday in Los Angeles of what appeared to be natural causes, a Los Angeles County coroner's official said. She was 32.

Murphy was pronounced dead at 10:04 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Sally Stewart said.

Murphy was transported to the hospital after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at 8 a.m. at the home she shared with her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, in the Hollywood Hills.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Murphy apparently collapsed in the bathroom, and authorities were looking into her medical history.

An official cause of death may not be determined for some time, since toxicology tests will be required, but "it appears to be natural," Winter said. He said an autopsy was planned for Monday or Tuesday.

Winter said Murphy's family was cooperating with the coroner's investigation. Funeral arrangements have not been announced, he said.

Los Angeles police have opened an investigation into Murphy's death, Officer Norma Eisenman said. Detectives and coroner's officials were at Murphy and Monjack's home Sunday afternoon but did not talk to reporters. Paparazzi were camped outside the multistory home, located above the Sunset Strip.

Messages left for Murphy's manager and agent by The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

Neighbor Clare Staples said she saw firefighters working to resuscitate the actress Sunday morning. She said Murphy was on a stretcher and "looked as though she was dead at the scene."

Murphy's husband, wearing pajama bottoms and no shoes, appeared "dazed" as firefighters tried to save her, Staples said. "It's just tragic," she added.

TMZ.com first reported Murphy's death Sunday morning.

Murphy's father, Angelo Bertolotti, said he learned of her death from his son, the actress's brother, and was stunned.

"She was just an absolute doll since she was born," Bertolotti said from his Branford, Fla., home. "Her personality was always outward. Everybody loved her — people that made movies with her, people on a cruise — they all loved her. She was just a regular gal."

He said he hadn't heard much about the circumstances of Murphy's death. Bertolotti divorced her mother when Murphy was young and hadn't seen Murphy in the past few years. He said he used to be in the mob and served prison time on federal drug charges.

"She was just talented," Bertolotti said. "And I loved her very much."

Meanwhile, Murphy's publicist, Nicole Perna, said in a statement: "In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy."

Born Nov. 10, 1977, in Atlanta, Murphy grew up in New Jersey and later moved with her mother to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

Her career started in the early 1990s with small roles in television series, commercials and movies. She is best known for parts in "Girl, Interrupted," "Clueless" and "8 Mile."

Her on-screen work had lessened of late, but Murphy's voice gave life to numerous animated characters, including Luanne Platter on more than 200 episodes of Fox's "King of the Hill" and Gloria the penguin in the 2006 feature "Happy Feet."

She is due to appear in Sylvester Stallone's upcoming film, "The Expendables," set for release next year.

Her role in "8 Mile" led to more recognition, Murphy told AP in 2003. "That changed a lot," she said. "That was the difference between people knowing my first and last name as opposed to not."

Murphy credited her mother, Sharon, with being a key to her success.

"When I asked my mom to move to California, she sold everything and moved out here for me," Murphy said. "I was really grateful to have grown up in an environment that was conducive to creating and didn't stifle any of that. She always believed in me."

She dated Ashton Kutcher, who costarred with Murphy in 2003's romantic comedy "Just Married."

Kutcher sent a message on Twitter Sunday morning about Murphy's death: "2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine," Kutcher wrote. "My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany's family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon."

DELL MALAYSIA

Dell to lay off 700 workers in Malaysia: reports


US computer giant Dell will cut 700 jobs in Malaysia as it looks to slash costs, newspaper reports said Wednesday.

US computer giant Dell will cut 700 jobs in Malaysia as it looks to slash costs, newspaper reports said Wednesday.

The company said the affected workers from its plant in northern Penang state would leave Dell between January and June next year, through a voluntary separation scheme (VSS), the Star and New Straits Times reported.

The move will see Dell's workforce in Malaysia reduced to 3,800. The company has another support centre in Cyberjaya, a high-tech hub south of Kuala Lumpur.

Spokeswoman Jasmine Begum said the layoffs were a result of the Penang plant stopping production of notebooks for Latin America, Canada and US markets, the reports said.

The company will continue making products for South Asian and Australian markets.

Affected workers "will be given competitive VSS packages. We will also provide them with career counselling and outplacement services," the Dell official told the Star.

Company officials could not be reached for comment.

Dell began operating in Malaysia in 1995 with a manufacturing and direct-sales business but now produces desktops, workstations, notebooks, servers and storage products in Penang.

In 2007, it launched its first global IT support centre outside of the US in Cyberjaya.

TIGER WOODS

'Family first' says Woods in pre-scandal interview


Tiger Woods said his family is the best thing to ever happen to him in an interview touted as his last before he was engulfed in a sex scandal over his infidelity.



New Zealand sports commentator Murray Deaker conducted an eight-minute interview with Woods during last month's Australian Masters in which Woods talked about his family.

Speaking about having two children with his Swedish wife Elin, Woods said: "It's been great actually, it's been the best thing that ever happened."

In the interview screened in New Zealand for the first time on Tuesday, Deaker asked Woods about balancing golf and his family life.

"In every interview I've seen with you its family first and golf second -- always be like that?" Deaker asked.

"Always, always," Woods replied.

He was also asked how he was able to maintain the focus needed to be the best golfer in the world while also being a good dad.

"Certainly I don't practise as much as I used to, I don't spend the amount of hours on the golf course like I used to.

"But my focus is so much more intense than it ever used to be because I don't have the time.

"I know I have to get done whatever I want to get done in a shorter amount of time."

At least 12 women have reportedly claimed to have been lovers of Woods, who turns 34 on December 30. The New York Post reported on Monday that a 13th woman, Julie Postle, was named by an ex-boyfriend as having had a fling with the billionaire golfer.

Deaker interviewed Woods in the middle of last month. On November 25 a tabloid newspaper revealed a relationship between Woods and New York show club hostess Rachel Uchitel.

Two days later the golfer crashed a vehicle into a tree and a hydrant outside his home, touching off a firestorm of bad publicity over his affairs.

Woods has since admitted infidelity and said he is taking an indefinite break from golf to work on being a better husband, father and person.

Dubai

Dubai gets $10B from Abu Dhabi to cover debt

Dubai got a $10 billion lifeline from oil-rich Abu Dhabi to save one of its prized companies from imminent default Monday, calming fears for now about the city-state's shaky finances. Dubai's main stock market spiked more than 10 percent on the news.


AP - FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2009 file photo, a train is seen during a trial session two ...
Dubai World -- a sprawling conglomerate with assets ranging from the oceanliner Queen Elizabeth 2 to luxury retailer Barney's New York -- had been up against a Monday deadline to repay a pile of loans from its Nakheel property division. Some $4.1 billion of the emergency funds will be used to pay off those bills. The rest will go to shore up Dubai World itself.

Dubai officials' reluctance to fully stand behind Dubai World's $60 billion in debts had raised serious concerns about the emirate's creditworthiness, and the move by Abu Dhabi appeared aimed at quashing those worries before they undercut confidence in the United Arab Emirates as a whole. The two emirates share control of the UAE, a federation of seven semiautonomous city-states.

Authorities also softened their stance Monday, vowing that the city-state was committed to "transparency, good governance and market principles." Officials outlined a legal framework that promised to increase openness and protect creditors in future dealings with the conglomerate, offering lenders further reassurance in a country where formal bankruptcy proceedings are largely untested.

"We are here today to reassure investors, financial and trade creditors, employees and our citizens that our government will act at all times in accordance with market principles and internationally accepted business practices," Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai supreme fiscal committee, said in a statement.

The bailout is the latest by Abu Dhabi. The emirate which controls the UAE's presidency has directly and indirectly provided Dubai with $25 billion over the past year, mostly by buying Dubai bonds. In all, Dubai owes more than $80 billion -- roughly equal to its total economic output last year. The full extent of its liabilities is unknown, however, with some analysts putting the total at $100 billion or more.

The aid package is key for Dubai, the second-richest of the UAE's city-states but which has little of the oil wealth held by Abu Dhabi. Dubai's ruler is the UAE's vice president and prime minister.

Dubai created Dubai World -- which has interests in seaports, real estate, tourism and retail -- to diversify its economy and boost its international clout. Much of the growth was fueled by easy credit. As the bills came due, Dubai struggled to repay as its economy was battered by the global economic downturn.

Dubai said the rest of the funds provided by Abu Dhabi will be used to cover the conglomerate's interest expenses and general business needs through the end of April, and to pay bills owed to "existing trade creditors and contractors."

Bankers said the last-minute cash injection signaled a national approach to tackling Dubai's problems rather than leaving the struggling emirate to fend for itself.

"This is a very significant development," said Marios Maratheftis, head of regional research at Standard Chartered Bank. "It shows once again there is a one-country approach in dealing with the crisis, which is positive."

Investors cheered the news, which provided some clarity in a crisis that erupted late last month when the conglomerate unexpectedly said it was seeking new terms on repaying roughly $26 billion of its debts.

The Dubai Financial Market's main index shot up 10.4 percent at the close. Abu Dhabi's stock market jumped 7.9 percent. Stocks in Asia rebounded from earlier losses after Dubai's announcement.

Fahd Iqbal, a Dubai-based analyst at Middle East investment bank EFG-Hermes, said the rally was to be expected but urged caution.

"This announcement constitutes a specific bailout of Nakheel, suggesting that as an entity (it) was deemed to be 'too big to fail,'" he said. "It does not, however, constitute a bailout of Dubai Inc. or Dubai World as a whole and this is important to highlight."

Nakheel is a property developer and hotel operator best known for building manmade islands in the shape of palm trees and a map of the world off Dubai's coast.

Standard & Poor's, which along with other credit rating agencies has aggressively cut its outlook on Dubai state-run companies, called Monday's move "a step towards rebuilding confidence," but warned that the government's ability to bail out other firms remains uncertain.

Dubai World said in a separate statement it welcomed the financial support, which will provide "funding and a stable basis" for a restructuring the company announced last month.

The conglomerate said it is pushing ahead with talks to convince lenders to agree to a "standstill" -- effectively a delay -- on repaying some of its debt.

"As long as a standstill is successfully negotiated, Dubai World has assurances that the government of Dubai ... will provide financial support to cover working capital and interest expenses to ensure the continuity of key projects," the company said.

To further reassure the market, the UAE's central bank, based Abu Dhabi, said it remains committed to standing behind the country's banks, including those with exposure to Dubai World and Nakheel.

Dubai was also looking to salvage the sheikdom's reputation.

Officials said the emirate plans to introduce a reorganization law that could be used in case Dubai World is "unable to achieve an acceptable restructuring of its remaining obligations."

A person close to the Dubai government said the new law provided a legal framework for addressing corporate debt, though it did not mean a bankruptcy filing by state-owned companies was certain.

"The current bankruptcy law is untested," the person said. "Dubai World needed a legal process to go through. The government was very focused on creating something that would be fair and transparent to everybody."

He insisted on anonymity as a condition for briefing reporters on a conference call.

It was not immediately clear what, if anything, Abu Dhabi would expect in exchange for Monday's funding. Analysts had said an Abu Dhabi bailout could result in it exerting greater influence on high profile neighbor going forward.

But the individual close to the Dubai government said the money came with no strings attached.

"Let me be clear: Dubai has not given anything up. There have been no conditions on the funding," he said.

The individual said it was premature to discuss what assets Dubai World might be willing to sell to pay additional bills, though he added that "all options will be discussed."

MISS WORLD 2009

Miss Mexico Perla Beltran Acosta looks on after coming second in the Miss World pageant in Johannesburg. Gibraltar's Kaiane Aldorino claimed the title of Miss World 2009 on Saturday, defeating 111 other hopefuls at a glittering ceremony in South Africa.Mexico's Perla Beltran came second, with South African entry Tatum Keshwar taking third place.

SNOW

Fierce snowstorm gains strength after hitting West


Mountain states with snow and fierce winds as it headed toward the country's midsection on Tuesday.

The far-reaching storm system stretched from California to Indiana, gathering strength as it raced eastward.

Parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin were bracing for blizzard conditions and up to 10 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

"The storm system is really strengthening as it goes, and that's usually a recipe for some heavy snowfall and a lot of wind, and that's what we're watching for," said Mike Welvaert of the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wis.

The storm hit nearly all of the western mountain states on Monday, leaving places like Flagstaff and Reno, Nev., under a thick blanket of snow. Heavy rain raised fears of mudslides in wildfire-devastated Southern California, but no damage was reported. The weather system also snarled traffic and closed schools in Indiana, and crashes caused one death.

In the Phoenix area, fierce wind brought down power lines, left four hospitals temporarily without power and created wide outages. At one point, some 250,000 customers were without power; by early Tuesday, that number was down to about 58,000, a spokesman for Arizona Public Service Co. said.

The storm system lingered over the West on Tuesday.

On Monday, virtually the entire Western region was hit by wintry weather — from subzero wind chills in Washington state to heavy snow that closed schools and government offices in Reno, Nev. Big rigs were left jackknifed across highways in several states.

In New Mexico, two people were killed in traffic accidents blamed on slick conditions, and officials there told snow-clearing crews to prepare for 12-hour shifts as the storm swept south and east.

The National Weather Service said the upper elevations of the Sierra mountains could get up to 3 feet of snow, with up to 4 feet forecast for the mountains of southern Utah.

Reno schools closed, and many state government workers were told to stay home. Chains or snow tires were required across the region. Several flights into and out of Reno-Tahoe International Airport were delayed or canceled.

"Motorists are going to have to chain up," Trooper Chuck Allen with the Nevada Highway Patrol said. "Otherwise, we end up with a parking lot."

In northern Arizona, state officials closed parts of Interstate-17 and I-40, saying early Tuesday that some stretches of the highways were snow-packed and visibility levels were near zero.

The city school district let students out early Monday and canceled classes Tuesday. Northern Arizona University also released students and staff early Monday, in the midst of final exams.

Arizona Department of Transportation spokesman Rod Wigman vowed to keep northern Arizona roads plowed despite a $100 million budget deficit, but advised people to stay home if possible as the brunt of the storm sweeps through.

"When the sun goes down, people need to go home," Wigman said.

NEW IMAGE

'Sun-Maid girl' makeover sparks controversy

In the annals of advertising imagery, few brand symbols are more iconic and recognizable than the Sun-Maid raisin girl.

Sun-Maid
Nevertheless, Sun-Maid recently decided to join Betty Crocker, Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth's in giving the female face of their product a substantial makeover from a young, early 20th-century girl into a buxom, modern young woman, leading some to say that the newly made-over raisin girl looks like a Barbie Doll in Amish attire

Since 1915, the face of Sun-Maid has been Lorraine Collett Petersen, who, according to the company's website , "was discovered drying her black hair curls in the sunny backyard of her parents' home in Fresno, California." Petersen was then asked to pose for a watercolor painting holding a basket of grapes while wearing a sunbonnet.

In the years since, the company has tweaked its trademark design occasionally to keep up with the times, but every variation has always been based on the original pose by Petersen. The new computer-animated version of the Sun-Maid girl currently featured in television advertisements is a departure from the classic design that harkened back to a time when "life was much simpler, more rural, a lot less hectic."

Sun-Maid
Naturally, the revamped look hasn't gone unnoticed, rankling both ends of the political spectrum. The blog for conservative magazine The Weekly Standard noted that the new Sun-Maid girl looks "as if Julia Roberts decided to don a red bonnet and start picking grapes," while the feminist website Jezebel.com remarked that it looks as if she's had “some implants.

”Though the new look for the raisin girl has been garnering attention of late, the changes to the 90-year-old icon were actually introduced three years ago. At the time, Sun-Maid president Barry Kriebel said that the decision to make changes was inspired by the desire to educate consumers about healthy living choices.

"This is as good a time as any to get on the wave of health and nutrition,'' he said. Kriebel also noted that he felt the new look was a reasonable modernization, saying "You're not going to see her dancing or kicking up her heels out in the vineyard, but have her do what is appropriate for her to do, based on her history but also being a contemporary person living in the 21st century.''

Additionally, there's been talk that the new Sun-Maid girl might be given a name and featured in future advertisements doing some of the things modern women typically do, like going to the gym, shopping at the market, and speaking multiple languages, particularly languages native to countries where Sun-Maid, the world's largest producer and processor of raisins and other dried fruits, sells raisins. However, the image on all Sun-Maid product packaging will remain the same, as the new version will only be featured in product advertisements

COUPLE SEEKING CHRISTMAS TREE FOUND

Oregon tree cutters safe after 2 nights in snow

A couple whose vehicle got stuck in the snow on a Christmas tree hunt high in the mountains near the Oregon-California border have returned after going missing for two days.

Jennifer and Keith Lee of Medford were able to free their all-wheel drive Subaru by placing rocks under the wheels. They called deputies after they reached a small town near home.

Sheriff's Lt. Pat Rowland says the couple called as soon as they got a cell phone signal after hearing a massive search for them had begun.

Rowland says the couple had actually traveled across the border into California, away from the initial search area.

Deputies were interviewing the couple, who had been missing since Tuesday

Female live longer than male

Sperm genes could explain why women live longer

Genes in sperm may determine why female mammals live longer than males, according to a Japanese study published on Wednesday in Human Reproduction, a European journal.
Sperm genes could explain why women live longer

Genes in sperm may determine why female mammals live longer than males, according to a Japanese study published on Wednesday in Human Reproduction, a European journal.

Tokyo University professor Tomohiro Kono and Manabu Kawahara of Saga University found that female mice produced from genetic material from two mothers, but not from a father, lived significantly longer than mice with the normal mix of maternal and paternal genes.

The "bi-maternal" mice were created by manipulating DNA in mouse eggs, so that the genes behaved like those in sperm.

Once modified, this material was implanted into unfertilised adult female mice eggs to create embryos.

These mice lived 841.5 days on average -- 186 days longer than in control mice born with a normal genetic mix, whose lifespan was 655.5 days.

The longest-lived "bi-maternal" mouse lived for 1,045 days, while the oldest control mouse expired after 996 days.

Another intriguing finding was that the "bi-maternal" mice were lighter and smaller than control mice and seemed to have a stronger immune system.

The big difference could lie in a gene called Rasgrf1, the researchers believe.
The gene, located on Chromosome 9, is associated with post-natal growth. It normally expresses from the paternally inherited chromosome.

"The study may give an answer to the fundamental questions: that is, whether longevity in mammals is controlled by the genome of only one or both parents and, just maybe, why women are an advantage over men with regard to the lifespan," Kono said.

One theory about longevity is that males have bigger bodies in order to win out in the race for breeding opportunities and thus scatter their genes.
The price for this, though, is a shorter lifespan.

Females, though, do not have to engage in this genetically costly beauty show, and instead optimise their reproductive output by conserving energy for delivering their offspring, nurturing it, foraging for food and avoiding predators

Photo

Canadian woman loses benefits over Facebook photo


A Canadian woman on sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits after her insurance agent found photos of her apparently having fun on Facebook.

Nathalie Blanchard said Monday she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits until payments dried up this fall.

When Blanchard called her insurance provider, Manulife, to find out why she says she was told
the Facebook photos showed she was able to work.

"If you have insurance, be careful. This is a major battle and it's not going to be easy," Blanchard, 29, said in a telephone interview from her home in Bromont Quebec.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on Facebook, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday.

Blanchard said Manulife told her it was evidence she is no longer depressed.
Her lawyer, Tom Lavin, said Blanchard was wrongfully dismissed from her benefits, and she had the right to go on holiday.

"The issue for me is that they stopped her disability benefits without the proper medical recommendations. Her doctor recommended she go on vacation," he said.
Blanchard said she took three four-day trips when she was feeling especially low, on her psychiatrist's advice.

Manulife declined to comment on the case specifically but has said in a statement that "we would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook."

Blanchard's case will be before Quebec Superior Court Dec. 8

FOOD

'Comfort food' relieves stress: Australian study

A box of doughnuts at the Snapple Theatre Rehearsal Studio in New York City. A high-fat, high-sugar diet could have the same effect on brain chemistry as mood-altering drugs, giving scientific support to the craving for "comfort food", Australian researchers say.

A high-fat, high-sugar diet could have the same effect on brain chemistry as mood-altering drugs, giving scientific support to the craving for "comfort food", Australian researchers said on Tuesday.

A controlled study of rats that were traumatised in early life and went on to exhibit depressed or anxious behaviours found those that were fed lard-laced foods such as cake or pie reversed their stress levels.

"We asked the question, if you're stressed early in life and then you're given yummy food to eat does that reduce your behavioural deficit, and basically that's what we found," lead researcher Margaret Morris told AFP.

"The animals who'd been exposed to stress who were then given palatable food, junk food if you will, no longer looked anxious."

Morris and her University of New South Wales team simulated trauma by forcing two control groups of rats to endure lengthy periods of separation from their mothers.

One of the groups was fed an all-you-can-eat "cafeteria diet" of junk food, and the other more healthy foods, and then run through a stress-testing maze.

Morris said they noticed an effect similar to anti-depressant drugs on the stressed rats after they ate junk food.

"The deficit in stress hormone receptors in part of the brain that we saw in the stressed animals was reversed by the diet," she said.

But Morris warned against hasty conclusions, saying more work needed to be done on the benefit of other factors such as exercise or the social interaction around food.

"We wouldn't want to say 'go and eat comfort food' because that's not very healthy, but if we can find out whatever it was that started that process in train and find some other way of doing that, that would be really useful."

"There might be a critical time in the brain of those animals that their mood pathways or their behaviour is being modulated, and (if we) just tickled it for a few weeks maybe we would get the same benefit without having to make them all obese," she added.

Twitter

"What's happening?" Twitter wants to know

The frontpage of Twitter, a leading Internet microblogging site. Twitter used to ask "What are you doing?" No longer. The micro-blogging service now wants to know "What's happening?"

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone announced the change in Twitter's tag line in a blog post on Thursday.

"Twitter was originally conceived as a mobile status update service -- an easy way to keep in touch with people in your life by sending and receiving short, frequent answers to one question,

'What are you doing?'" Stone said.

But Twitter "has long outgrown the concept of personal status updates.

"People, organizations, and businesses quickly began leveraging the open nature of the network to share anything they wanted, completely ignoring the original question," he said.

"'What are you doing?' isn't the right question anymore," Stone said. "Starting today, we've shortened it by two characters. Twitter now asks, "What's happening?"

Stone said he did not expect the new question to change the way people use the service.
"We don't expect this to change how anyone uses Twitter, but maybe it'll make it easier to explain to your dad," he said.

Twitter, which allows users to pepper one another with 140-character-or-less messages known as "tweets," has grown rapidly in popularity since it was launched in August 2006 and has tens of millions of users.

WINDOWS 7

Microsoft says Windows 7 sales strong

A customer holds a version of the new Windows 7 during the grand opening of Microsoft's first retail store in Scottsdale, Arizona October 22, 2009.

Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said on Thursday sales of Windows 7 were running at twice the level of any previous version of its operating system.

Windows 7, launched a month ago, has "already sold twice as many units" than any previous version in a comparable time, said Ballmer at the software company's annual meeting in Bellevue, Washington, which was broadcast on the Internet.

Microsoft did not give any details or actual sales figures. Consumers and PC manufacturers have generally welcomed Windows 7 after the disappointing Vista.