Reuters
Wed, May 26 2010SYDNEY (Reuters) - A Persian kitten gave her owners the shock of their lives when she emerged from the washing machine, dizzy and bedraggled after surviving a full cycle.
Brendon Rogers, from Manly Vale, Sydney, said four-month-old Kimba, a white, fluffy kitten, must have climbed into the front-loader machine when the door was open and curled up on the dirty clothes -- unbeknownst to his father Lyndsay who turned the machine on for a cold wash.
They were both amazed when the cycle -- including a high level spin -- finished and they opened the door to pull out the clothes to find Kimba in the machine.
"We could hardly believe our eyes when she emerged, looking like a drowned rat," he told Reuters.
Although Kimba was alive she clearly needed help so they rushed her to the vet where she was put on an intravenous drip and treated for shock and hypothermia.
Her eyes were also badly affected by the detergent and needed treatment.
"It is just amazing that she survived but we reckon she's used all of her nine lives," said Rogers.
(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Miral Fahmy)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Risque Venus brings Moulin Rouge style to French Open...
Reuters
(Reuters)Paris 26 May 2010 - Before sticking to the strict all-white dress code at Wimbledon next month, Venus Williams is indulging in some risque French cancan in Paris.
The American's black lace corset resembling an offcast from the nearby Moulin Rouge cabaret has been the talk of the French Open, and the accompanying tight skin-colored knickers have raised just as many dumbstruck glares.
The second seed's 6-2 6-4 second-round win over Spain's Arantxa Parra Santonja was very much a secondary issue for many Wednesday.
"The design has nothing to do with the rear. It just so happens that I have a very well developed one," she chuckled during her post-match press conference.
The opening Wednesday at Roland Garros is traditionally when Parisian schoolchildren are given priority for tickets, and they and their teachers almost got even more than they bargained for as the unconvincing red straps to Venus's dress threatened to reveal yet more of the American.
The world number two wore the outfit for the first time at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami earlier this year and she uses her daring court appearances to promote her own line of fashions.
"It's really about the illusion. Like you can wear lace, but what's the point of wearing lace when there's just black under," she added.
"The illusion of just having bare skin is definitely for me a lot more beautiful. So it's really not about anything else other than just that skin showing."
Venus, who seems to prefer to talk fashion than tennis, believes her outfit is the symbol of her personality.
"I try to represent what I think my personality is on the court. That's the first part of it," she said.
"The second part is sometimes you just dream it up. Sometimes you can see a dress and say, 'Hey, I really like those slits, so let me put that in my tennis dress'."
(Editing by Miles Evans; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
(Reuters)Paris 26 May 2010 - Before sticking to the strict all-white dress code at Wimbledon next month, Venus Williams is indulging in some risque French cancan in Paris.The American's black lace corset resembling an offcast from the nearby Moulin Rouge cabaret has been the talk of the French Open, and the accompanying tight skin-colored knickers have raised just as many dumbstruck glares.
The second seed's 6-2 6-4 second-round win over Spain's Arantxa Parra Santonja was very much a secondary issue for many Wednesday.
"The design has nothing to do with the rear. It just so happens that I have a very well developed one," she chuckled during her post-match press conference.
The opening Wednesday at Roland Garros is traditionally when Parisian schoolchildren are given priority for tickets, and they and their teachers almost got even more than they bargained for as the unconvincing red straps to Venus's dress threatened to reveal yet more of the American.
The world number two wore the outfit for the first time at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami earlier this year and she uses her daring court appearances to promote her own line of fashions.
"It's really about the illusion. Like you can wear lace, but what's the point of wearing lace when there's just black under," she added.
"The illusion of just having bare skin is definitely for me a lot more beautiful. So it's really not about anything else other than just that skin showing."
Venus, who seems to prefer to talk fashion than tennis, believes her outfit is the symbol of her personality.
"I try to represent what I think my personality is on the court. That's the first part of it," she said.
"The second part is sometimes you just dream it up. Sometimes you can see a dress and say, 'Hey, I really like those slits, so let me put that in my tennis dress'."
(Editing by Miles Evans; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Next Philippines leader plans to keep on puffing...
MANILA (Reuters)Mon May 24, 2010. - Senator Benigno Aquino, set to become the Philippines' next president, said Monday he is not ready to quit smoking yet because it could affect his decision making.
Aquino, who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day, said there were more pressing political, social and economic issues to be addressed than his smoking habit.
"When I ran, people knew that I smoked," Aquino, the only son of the country's revered democracy leader, Cory Aquino, told reporters. "I will stop smoking at the appropriate time."
He said quitting now would only add to the pressures he faced.
Aquino's comments came as rules requiring prominent warnings on cigarette packets came into effect Monday, and activists said they would still press for him to kick the habit.
(Reporting by Manny Mogato and Rohini Dasi Vergara; Editing by John Mair and Paul Tait)
Aquino, who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day, said there were more pressing political, social and economic issues to be addressed than his smoking habit.
"When I ran, people knew that I smoked," Aquino, the only son of the country's revered democracy leader, Cory Aquino, told reporters. "I will stop smoking at the appropriate time."
He said quitting now would only add to the pressures he faced.
Aquino's comments came as rules requiring prominent warnings on cigarette packets came into effect Monday, and activists said they would still press for him to kick the habit.
(Reporting by Manny Mogato and Rohini Dasi Vergara; Editing by John Mair and Paul Tait)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Jailed professor says orgies disturbed no one...
Reuters
Wed, May 19 2010BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese college professor has been jailed for running a sex club, whose members were the first to be convicted of "group licentiousness" in 20 years, media reported on Friday.
Ma Yaohai, a 53-year-old computer science professor, was jailed for three and a half years after pleading not guilty to holding orgies and said he would appeal against his sentence, the official China News Service said.
"What we did, we did for our own happiness," Ma told media at a news conference in April at his home, where 14 of his 18 orgies, or "swinging games" as he called them, were held.
"People chose to do it of their own free will and they knew they could stop at any time," he said at the time. "We disturbed no one.
"Marriage is like water. You have to drink it. Swinging is like a cup of wine. You can drink it if you like. If you don't like it, don't drink it."
Eighteen people charged with taking part in the orgies were jailed for up to two and half years.
"Ma received a more severe punishment because he did not admit the malicious and illegal nature of his conduct," the court in eastern Nanjing said.
Ma started his online group in 2007. Participants included office workers, taxi drivers and sales clerks. They were arrested after five were caught having a "party" in a hotel room last August.
Ma's case has sparked debate on whether group licentiousness should be scratched from the law books.
"If no one is being harmed, people's privacy should be protected," one sociologist was quoted as saying.
Others felt Ma's conduct was outrageous.
"Law is based on respect for traditional customs and civilized ethics," said a columnist named Zhi Feng on Xinhuanet.com. "They confounded right and wrong and poisoned the social atmosphere. How dare you say they did no harm to others?"
(Reporting by Liu Zhen and Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Wed, May 19 2010BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese college professor has been jailed for running a sex club, whose members were the first to be convicted of "group licentiousness" in 20 years, media reported on Friday.
Ma Yaohai, a 53-year-old computer science professor, was jailed for three and a half years after pleading not guilty to holding orgies and said he would appeal against his sentence, the official China News Service said.
"What we did, we did for our own happiness," Ma told media at a news conference in April at his home, where 14 of his 18 orgies, or "swinging games" as he called them, were held.
"People chose to do it of their own free will and they knew they could stop at any time," he said at the time. "We disturbed no one.
"Marriage is like water. You have to drink it. Swinging is like a cup of wine. You can drink it if you like. If you don't like it, don't drink it."
Eighteen people charged with taking part in the orgies were jailed for up to two and half years.
"Ma received a more severe punishment because he did not admit the malicious and illegal nature of his conduct," the court in eastern Nanjing said.
Ma started his online group in 2007. Participants included office workers, taxi drivers and sales clerks. They were arrested after five were caught having a "party" in a hotel room last August.
Ma's case has sparked debate on whether group licentiousness should be scratched from the law books.
"If no one is being harmed, people's privacy should be protected," one sociologist was quoted as saying.
Others felt Ma's conduct was outrageous.
"Law is based on respect for traditional customs and civilized ethics," said a columnist named Zhi Feng on Xinhuanet.com. "They confounded right and wrong and poisoned the social atmosphere. How dare you say they did no harm to others?"
(Reporting by Liu Zhen and Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Can chocolate fight aging and make your skin glow?
Reuters By:Katie Reid and Silke Koltrowitz
Chocolates topped with sunflower seeds are displayed during the 2nd Chocolate Fair in Barcelona October 21, 2006. By: Reuters/Albert Gea
ZURICH Thu May 20, 2010(Reuters) - The world's largest chocolate maker says it may have come up with a chocolate bar that could fight wrinkles and slow the aging process, making it the latest food group to tap the appetite for healthier living.
Eating 20 g (0.755 oz) of specially developed chocolate packed with antioxidants, or flavanols, each day may help prevent wrinkles and make skin more radiant by boosting elasticity and improving hydration, studies carried out by Barry Callebaut showed.
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the nutritional value of what they eat, and Barry Callebaut's claims come as food giants such as Nestle and Danone also push into the healthy eating arena.
Dark chocolate has already been linked with certain health benefits, such as helping to lower blood pressure and reducing the risk of strokes thanks to its high content of antioxidants.
The Swiss group has developed a way of preserving the flavanols found in cocoa beans during the chocolate-making process, allowing them to produce a bar that is richer in flavanols, Barry Callebaut Chief Innovation Officer Hans Vriens said in an interview.
"Chocolate and health do not seem to fit together but it is a very interesting proposition: if I can eat something I like and it is good for me, that is great," Vriens said. "Chocolate is probably at the bottom of the list when you think about making food healthier."
Smoking, pollution, caffeine and a lack of sleep contribute to the creation of free radicals that can damage healthy cells in the body and accelerate the aging process.
"There is a huge body of evidence that shows flavanols slow down damage caused by free radicals," said Kepler Capital Markets analyst Jon Cox.
"Food manufacturing companies are leveraging health and wellness into various products and there is definitely a market for chocolate in health and wellness. We have already seen how this has worked in dairy products, with products like Danone's Actimel and Unilever's Benecol," Cox said.
The functional chocolate market, which includes organic and diet chocolate, is seeing double-digit growth, easily outpacing the 1-2 percent growth currently seen in the rest of the chocolate market, Cox said.
But some experts are doubtful about the positive effects flavanols have on skin.
"There is quite a lot of evidence that cocoa flavanols have a positive effect on the blood flow. They could reduce blood pressure which could have a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases," said Richard Hurrell, Professor of Human Nutrition at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
"The possible effects on skin and cognitive performance are less well established. There is evidence, but it is much less consistent. It may be that the effect on the blood flow is also what improves memory or skin health in some of the studies," Hurrell said.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
Chocolates topped with sunflower seeds are displayed during the 2nd Chocolate Fair in Barcelona October 21, 2006. By: Reuters/Albert GeaZURICH Thu May 20, 2010(Reuters) - The world's largest chocolate maker says it may have come up with a chocolate bar that could fight wrinkles and slow the aging process, making it the latest food group to tap the appetite for healthier living.
Eating 20 g (0.755 oz) of specially developed chocolate packed with antioxidants, or flavanols, each day may help prevent wrinkles and make skin more radiant by boosting elasticity and improving hydration, studies carried out by Barry Callebaut showed.
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the nutritional value of what they eat, and Barry Callebaut's claims come as food giants such as Nestle and Danone also push into the healthy eating arena.
Dark chocolate has already been linked with certain health benefits, such as helping to lower blood pressure and reducing the risk of strokes thanks to its high content of antioxidants.
The Swiss group has developed a way of preserving the flavanols found in cocoa beans during the chocolate-making process, allowing them to produce a bar that is richer in flavanols, Barry Callebaut Chief Innovation Officer Hans Vriens said in an interview.
"Chocolate and health do not seem to fit together but it is a very interesting proposition: if I can eat something I like and it is good for me, that is great," Vriens said. "Chocolate is probably at the bottom of the list when you think about making food healthier."
Smoking, pollution, caffeine and a lack of sleep contribute to the creation of free radicals that can damage healthy cells in the body and accelerate the aging process.
"There is a huge body of evidence that shows flavanols slow down damage caused by free radicals," said Kepler Capital Markets analyst Jon Cox.
"Food manufacturing companies are leveraging health and wellness into various products and there is definitely a market for chocolate in health and wellness. We have already seen how this has worked in dairy products, with products like Danone's Actimel and Unilever's Benecol," Cox said.
The functional chocolate market, which includes organic and diet chocolate, is seeing double-digit growth, easily outpacing the 1-2 percent growth currently seen in the rest of the chocolate market, Cox said.
But some experts are doubtful about the positive effects flavanols have on skin.
"There is quite a lot of evidence that cocoa flavanols have a positive effect on the blood flow. They could reduce blood pressure which could have a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases," said Richard Hurrell, Professor of Human Nutrition at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
"The possible effects on skin and cognitive performance are less well established. There is evidence, but it is much less consistent. It may be that the effect on the blood flow is also what improves memory or skin health in some of the studies," Hurrell said.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
Jailed professor says orgies disturbed no one | Reuters
Reuters
Wed, May 19 2010 BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese college professor has been jailed for running a sex club, whose members were the first to be convicted of "group licentiousness" in 20 years, media reported on Friday.
Ma Yaohai, a 53-year-old computer science professor, was jailed for three and a half years after pleading not guilty to holding orgies and said he would appeal against his sentence, the official China News Service said.
"What we did, we did for our own happiness," Ma told media at a news conference in April at his home, where 14 of his 18 orgies, or "swinging games" as he called them, were held.
"People chose to do it of their own free will and they knew they could stop at any time," he said at the time. "We disturbed no one.
"Marriage is like water. You have to drink it. Swinging is like a cup of wine. You can drink it if you like. If you don't like it, don't drink it."
Eighteen people charged with taking part in the orgies were jailed for up to two and half years.
"Ma received a more severe punishment because he did not admit the malicious and illegal nature of his conduct," the court in eastern Nanjing said.
Ma started his online group in 2007. Participants included office workers, taxi drivers and sales clerks. They were arrested after five were caught having a "party" in a hotel room last August.
Ma's case has sparked debate on whether group licentiousness should be scratched from the law books.
"If no one is being harmed, people's privacy should be protected," one sociologist was quoted as saying.
Others felt Ma's conduct was outrageous.
"Law is based on respect for traditional customs and civilized ethics," said a columnist named Zhi Feng on Xinhuanet.com. "They confounded right and wrong and poisoned the social atmosphere. How dare you say they did no harm to others?"
(Reporting by Liu Zhen and Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Nick Macfie
Wed, May 19 2010 BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese college professor has been jailed for running a sex club, whose members were the first to be convicted of "group licentiousness" in 20 years, media reported on Friday.
Ma Yaohai, a 53-year-old computer science professor, was jailed for three and a half years after pleading not guilty to holding orgies and said he would appeal against his sentence, the official China News Service said.
"What we did, we did for our own happiness," Ma told media at a news conference in April at his home, where 14 of his 18 orgies, or "swinging games" as he called them, were held.
"People chose to do it of their own free will and they knew they could stop at any time," he said at the time. "We disturbed no one.
"Marriage is like water. You have to drink it. Swinging is like a cup of wine. You can drink it if you like. If you don't like it, don't drink it."
Eighteen people charged with taking part in the orgies were jailed for up to two and half years.
"Ma received a more severe punishment because he did not admit the malicious and illegal nature of his conduct," the court in eastern Nanjing said.
Ma started his online group in 2007. Participants included office workers, taxi drivers and sales clerks. They were arrested after five were caught having a "party" in a hotel room last August.
Ma's case has sparked debate on whether group licentiousness should be scratched from the law books.
"If no one is being harmed, people's privacy should be protected," one sociologist was quoted as saying.
Others felt Ma's conduct was outrageous.
"Law is based on respect for traditional customs and civilized ethics," said a columnist named Zhi Feng on Xinhuanet.com. "They confounded right and wrong and poisoned the social atmosphere. How dare you say they did no harm to others?"
(Reporting by Liu Zhen and Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Nick Macfie
Sunday, May 09, 2010
BBC Sport - Commonwealth Games delays in Delhi cause 'concern'...
BBC Sport
Wednesday, 5 May 2010. The velodrome at the Indira Gandhi complex in Delhi is still under construction.
Delays in handing over several venues in Delhi are causing "serious concern" to the organisers of the Commonwealth Games, due to take place in October.
The athletics stadium, swimming complex and Games Village have still not been completed with five months remaining.
"There remains much to be done to ensure a cohesive games delivery from the opening of the Games Village on 16 September," a statement said.
Athletes from 71 nations, mostly former British colonies, are set to compete.
Last month it was confirmed that English athletes would compete in the Games despite security concerns.
And the co-ordination commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) added that much progress had been made since a damning report in December, which said numerous deadlines had been missed.
The commission, chaired by Austin Sealy, recently spent four days in Delhi assessing the city's readiness for the competition.
DEBATE by Mike Henson
Are you hopeful that the event can be a success?
They listed 38 issues which were still "critical", an improvement on the 70 named in December.
Safety and security remains a major concern following a bomb blast at an IPL cricket match in Bangalore last month which injured 14 people.
The commission said: "The CGF continues to work closely with the organising committee, Delhi Police and the governments of India and Delhi to monitor all Games security arrangements and has assigned specialist consultants to work on its behalf as is its standard practice for all Games.
"All parties, including the CGF, are committed to the conduct of safe and friendly Games which will be enjoyed by all."
It will be the biggest sporting event, with the exception of cricket, India has hosted since the Asian Games in 1982.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010. The velodrome at the Indira Gandhi complex in Delhi is still under construction.Delays in handing over several venues in Delhi are causing "serious concern" to the organisers of the Commonwealth Games, due to take place in October.
The athletics stadium, swimming complex and Games Village have still not been completed with five months remaining.
"There remains much to be done to ensure a cohesive games delivery from the opening of the Games Village on 16 September," a statement said.
Athletes from 71 nations, mostly former British colonies, are set to compete.
Last month it was confirmed that English athletes would compete in the Games despite security concerns.
And the co-ordination commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) added that much progress had been made since a damning report in December, which said numerous deadlines had been missed.
The commission, chaired by Austin Sealy, recently spent four days in Delhi assessing the city's readiness for the competition.
DEBATE by Mike Henson
Are you hopeful that the event can be a success?
They listed 38 issues which were still "critical", an improvement on the 70 named in December.
Safety and security remains a major concern following a bomb blast at an IPL cricket match in Bangalore last month which injured 14 people.
The commission said: "The CGF continues to work closely with the organising committee, Delhi Police and the governments of India and Delhi to monitor all Games security arrangements and has assigned specialist consultants to work on its behalf as is its standard practice for all Games.
"All parties, including the CGF, are committed to the conduct of safe and friendly Games which will be enjoyed by all."
It will be the biggest sporting event, with the exception of cricket, India has hosted since the Asian Games in 1982.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Book Talk: Sex, drugs and classic record covers...
Reuters By NickZieminski
Fri, Apr 9 2010. NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - A new book of record covers shows how musicians forged an identity and communicated with fans, using an art form that has sometimes endured longer than the music between the covers.
"The Art of the LP: Classic Album Covers 1955-1995," by Ben Wardle and Johnny Morgan, which will be published in the United States and Britain on Tuesday, groups rock, pop and jazz images by theme: sex, drugs, death, and escape.
The escape theme has cropped up in lyrics and imagery of popular music since the beginnings of rock 'n roll half a century ago.
The imagery on album covers became an important part of the music experience. In the book fans will find Eric Clapton, ABBA, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Tony Bennett and others.
Morgan spoke with Reuters about the images, baby boomers' deep pockets, and why some album covers were more useful than others.
Q: Album art got shrunk for CDs, and now in the iPod age it's reduced to about one inch square. Are we seeing the death of an art form?
A: "I genuinely think we are. You haven't anything to replace it with. For a while I had high hopes for the front pages of websites, but every site now has to have everything on the front page. There was a time when teenagers would carry albums around with them. The covers served to identify these tribes. The whole Baby Boomer generation's world changed after World War Two.
"Music has become incredibly homogeneous. There are no style tribes anymore. You can become a national star much quicker. Look at Lady Gaga. What's interesting is how old-fashioned her references are, whether it's David Bowie or Grace Jones or Madonna. The names she drops are '70s and '80s stars."
Q: Is the loss of this art form something deeply regrettable, or more akin to small losses like people no longer able to handwrite neatly?
A: "It depends on what age you are. I have a 13-year-old daughter and she really doesn't care. She wants the songs and she'll watch the video on YouTube, but actually having the CD is a pain. It gets ripped and put onto the iPod. I've got a great collection of vinyl and tell her, 'This is your inheritance.' She says, 'Great, Dad, why not sell it now?'"
Q: Did musicians decide on album covers, or their label?
A: "There were some, like Pink Floyd, that had absolute control. Others, like Scorpions, claim they had no idea. The covers were landed on them. That's mainly because the covers were so awful and they're covering their backs."
Q: Anyone nostalgic for the '70s and '80s can see Pat Benatar with REO Speedwagon this year, James Taylor with Carole King, or AC/DC, Scorpions and Jeff Beck with Eric Clapton. Are baby boomers increasingly the target audience?
A: "People in their 40s, 50s and 60s now have the money and they have the interest. I'm hoping there are covers here that people don't remember and might get people to search them out. There's a lot of stuff that's a bit more underground. Baby boomers missed a lot the first time around. There's a band called Gang of Four. Tickets for the reunion gigs were impossible to get."
Q: The images in the book have smudges and creases. These sleeves are clearly not just art objects to be held at arm's length. You intentionally avoided pristine images?
A: "Absolutely. And also, of course, they were used to roll joints. You'd put the tobacco and the dope in the crease. You look at prog rock albums, they're all gatefolds -- and that served a function."
Q: The book ends in 1995, when CDs took over. Have there been great covers since then?
A: "There are interesting unknown artists working on CD covers but when you see them blown up they don't look quite right. CD cover artists are working at that size but they don't stand up. But we have a recent trend toward vinyl again."
Q: What's behind that? Is it just a fad?
A: "I think it's probably a fad, because there's a whole retro thing. If look at emerging bands, there's a lot of guitar bands. Look at the equipment they're using. All of it was made before 1980. Part of it is a return to what rock and roll is supposed to sound like, going back to the whole Ramones and Clash thing. That's driving the vinyl (resurgence)."
Q: If these things go in cycles, is a 1980s New Wave revival next?
A: "My prediction is disco. Gaga is really pushing it. Gaga has emerged in a similar economic situation to the way disco emerged."
(Editing by Patricia Reaney)
Fri, Apr 9 2010. NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - A new book of record covers shows how musicians forged an identity and communicated with fans, using an art form that has sometimes endured longer than the music between the covers.
"The Art of the LP: Classic Album Covers 1955-1995," by Ben Wardle and Johnny Morgan, which will be published in the United States and Britain on Tuesday, groups rock, pop and jazz images by theme: sex, drugs, death, and escape.
The escape theme has cropped up in lyrics and imagery of popular music since the beginnings of rock 'n roll half a century ago.
The imagery on album covers became an important part of the music experience. In the book fans will find Eric Clapton, ABBA, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Tony Bennett and others.
Morgan spoke with Reuters about the images, baby boomers' deep pockets, and why some album covers were more useful than others.
Q: Album art got shrunk for CDs, and now in the iPod age it's reduced to about one inch square. Are we seeing the death of an art form?
A: "I genuinely think we are. You haven't anything to replace it with. For a while I had high hopes for the front pages of websites, but every site now has to have everything on the front page. There was a time when teenagers would carry albums around with them. The covers served to identify these tribes. The whole Baby Boomer generation's world changed after World War Two.
"Music has become incredibly homogeneous. There are no style tribes anymore. You can become a national star much quicker. Look at Lady Gaga. What's interesting is how old-fashioned her references are, whether it's David Bowie or Grace Jones or Madonna. The names she drops are '70s and '80s stars."
Q: Is the loss of this art form something deeply regrettable, or more akin to small losses like people no longer able to handwrite neatly?
A: "It depends on what age you are. I have a 13-year-old daughter and she really doesn't care. She wants the songs and she'll watch the video on YouTube, but actually having the CD is a pain. It gets ripped and put onto the iPod. I've got a great collection of vinyl and tell her, 'This is your inheritance.' She says, 'Great, Dad, why not sell it now?'"
Q: Did musicians decide on album covers, or their label?
A: "There were some, like Pink Floyd, that had absolute control. Others, like Scorpions, claim they had no idea. The covers were landed on them. That's mainly because the covers were so awful and they're covering their backs."
Q: Anyone nostalgic for the '70s and '80s can see Pat Benatar with REO Speedwagon this year, James Taylor with Carole King, or AC/DC, Scorpions and Jeff Beck with Eric Clapton. Are baby boomers increasingly the target audience?
A: "People in their 40s, 50s and 60s now have the money and they have the interest. I'm hoping there are covers here that people don't remember and might get people to search them out. There's a lot of stuff that's a bit more underground. Baby boomers missed a lot the first time around. There's a band called Gang of Four. Tickets for the reunion gigs were impossible to get."
Q: The images in the book have smudges and creases. These sleeves are clearly not just art objects to be held at arm's length. You intentionally avoided pristine images?
A: "Absolutely. And also, of course, they were used to roll joints. You'd put the tobacco and the dope in the crease. You look at prog rock albums, they're all gatefolds -- and that served a function."
Q: The book ends in 1995, when CDs took over. Have there been great covers since then?
A: "There are interesting unknown artists working on CD covers but when you see them blown up they don't look quite right. CD cover artists are working at that size but they don't stand up. But we have a recent trend toward vinyl again."
Q: What's behind that? Is it just a fad?
A: "I think it's probably a fad, because there's a whole retro thing. If look at emerging bands, there's a lot of guitar bands. Look at the equipment they're using. All of it was made before 1980. Part of it is a return to what rock and roll is supposed to sound like, going back to the whole Ramones and Clash thing. That's driving the vinyl (resurgence)."
Q: If these things go in cycles, is a 1980s New Wave revival next?
A: "My prediction is disco. Gaga is really pushing it. Gaga has emerged in a similar economic situation to the way disco emerged."
(Editing by Patricia Reaney)
Friday, April 30, 2010
28 detained in beach gigolo raid | Reuters
Reuters Sunanda Creagh
JAKARTA (Reuters) Wed April 28, 2010 - Police on Indonesia's resort island of Bali detained 28 people this week in a crackdown on "beach gigolos," who scout for foreign female tourists, officials said on Tuesday.
The raids began on Monday after the release of a trailer for a documentary on Bali's 'Kuta cowboys', the muscular and tanned Kuta beach surfers who develop short-term romantic relationships with foreign women in return for gifts.
'Cowboys in Paradise' follows the trials and tribulations of several beach boys, their families and their female patrons.
The documentary's Singapore-based director, Amit Virmani, said he found the arrests deplorable.
"A witch hunt for men with tanned and muscular bodies on the beach is the last thing anybody wants," he said.
"The film is about one small aspect of life in a holiday destination. It does not suggest that the cowboys are all that Bali has to offer."
Gede Wijaya, a spokesman for the local council area which includes Kuta beach, said that 28 people had been detained for not having proper identification or "for disturbing the peace or security of our beaches."
Wijaya said the raids were part of routine checks and not linked to the documentary, but local media reported that security officials were targeting tanned and muscular men.
"As has been reported, gigolos have indeed been rounded up," Putu Suardika, a spokesman for the governor of Bali, said in a telephone text message to Reuters. Virmani said he believed the beach gigolo phenomena was not unique to Bali, which is also known for its Hindu temples, volcanoes, and terraced rice fields.
"Moreover, the cowboys do not pose a threat to tourists. What happens between consenting adults is their own business," he said.
"I am genuinely worried for the safety of the people in the film and the boys on the beach."
(Editing by Sara Webb)
JAKARTA (Reuters) Wed April 28, 2010 - Police on Indonesia's resort island of Bali detained 28 people this week in a crackdown on "beach gigolos," who scout for foreign female tourists, officials said on Tuesday.
The raids began on Monday after the release of a trailer for a documentary on Bali's 'Kuta cowboys', the muscular and tanned Kuta beach surfers who develop short-term romantic relationships with foreign women in return for gifts.
'Cowboys in Paradise' follows the trials and tribulations of several beach boys, their families and their female patrons.
The documentary's Singapore-based director, Amit Virmani, said he found the arrests deplorable.
"A witch hunt for men with tanned and muscular bodies on the beach is the last thing anybody wants," he said.
"The film is about one small aspect of life in a holiday destination. It does not suggest that the cowboys are all that Bali has to offer."
Gede Wijaya, a spokesman for the local council area which includes Kuta beach, said that 28 people had been detained for not having proper identification or "for disturbing the peace or security of our beaches."
Wijaya said the raids were part of routine checks and not linked to the documentary, but local media reported that security officials were targeting tanned and muscular men.
"As has been reported, gigolos have indeed been rounded up," Putu Suardika, a spokesman for the governor of Bali, said in a telephone text message to Reuters. Virmani said he believed the beach gigolo phenomena was not unique to Bali, which is also known for its Hindu temples, volcanoes, and terraced rice fields.
"Moreover, the cowboys do not pose a threat to tourists. What happens between consenting adults is their own business," he said.
"I am genuinely worried for the safety of the people in the film and the boys on the beach."
(Editing by Sara Webb)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Police arrest "holy man" over sex scandal...
Reuters
Tue, 20 April 2010. BANGALORE, India (Reuters) - Police have arrested a Hindu holy man with thousands of followers across India and abroad after video footage emerged last month allegedly showing him frolicking with two women.
Nithyananda Swami, whose devotees include politicians and movie stars, was arrested in the resort town of Shimla in northern India late on Wednesday, police said on Thursday.
Swami, head of Dhyanapeetam, or "knowledge center," was forced to resign last month after the video that was allegedly shot in his center outside the southern city of Bangalore.
The leaked video aired by news channels angered hundreds of devotees who ransacked his center and tore down his posters, forcing him to go into hiding.
"He will be brought to Bangalore for further investigations," D.V. Guruprasad, an officer of the Criminal Investigation Department said.
The 32-year-old, who denied any links to the women and said the tapes were doctored, is being investigated for rape, cheating and criminal conspiracy, police said.
The last few months have been bad for India's self-styled holy men with police arresting a swami for running a brothel involving air stewardesses and college students, while charging another with kidnapping a minor.
Nithyananda Swami has spiritual centers in Europe and the United States and Dhyanapeetam runs free medical centers and supplies food to the poor.
(Reporting by Habib Beary; Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Miral Fahmy)
Tue, 20 April 2010. BANGALORE, India (Reuters) - Police have arrested a Hindu holy man with thousands of followers across India and abroad after video footage emerged last month allegedly showing him frolicking with two women.
Nithyananda Swami, whose devotees include politicians and movie stars, was arrested in the resort town of Shimla in northern India late on Wednesday, police said on Thursday.
Swami, head of Dhyanapeetam, or "knowledge center," was forced to resign last month after the video that was allegedly shot in his center outside the southern city of Bangalore.
The leaked video aired by news channels angered hundreds of devotees who ransacked his center and tore down his posters, forcing him to go into hiding.
"He will be brought to Bangalore for further investigations," D.V. Guruprasad, an officer of the Criminal Investigation Department said.
The 32-year-old, who denied any links to the women and said the tapes were doctored, is being investigated for rape, cheating and criminal conspiracy, police said.
The last few months have been bad for India's self-styled holy men with police arresting a swami for running a brothel involving air stewardesses and college students, while charging another with kidnapping a minor.
Nithyananda Swami has spiritual centers in Europe and the United States and Dhyanapeetam runs free medical centers and supplies food to the poor.
(Reporting by Habib Beary; Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Miral Fahmy)
Police barred from penis enlargement | Reuters
Reuters
JAKARTA (Reuters) Apr 23, 2010. Forget about getting a job as a police officer in Indonesia's Papua if you have had your penis enlarged. You won't get it, according to local media reports citing the Papua police chief.
An applicant "will be asked whether or not his vital organ has been enlarged," said Papua police chief Bekto Suprapto, quoted on local website Kompas.com.
"If he has, he will be considered unfit to join the police or the military."
The ban was applied since the unnatural size causes "hindrance during training," said police spokesman Zainuri Lubis in Jakarta, quoted by news portal Detik.com.
Indonesia's remote easternmost province is home to Papuan tribes, many of whom are known for wearing penis gourds.
A low-level separatist insurgency has waged in the resources-rich part of Indonesia for decades and there is a heavy police and military presence there.
Papuans use a local technique to achieve the enlargement, according to a sexologist quoted by local newspaper Jakarta Globe, wrapping the penis with leaves from the "gatal-gatal" (itchy) tree so that it swells up "like it has been stung by a bee," the expert said.
(Reporting by Olivia Rondonuwu; Editing by Sara Webb and Sanjeev Miglan
JAKARTA (Reuters) Apr 23, 2010. Forget about getting a job as a police officer in Indonesia's Papua if you have had your penis enlarged. You won't get it, according to local media reports citing the Papua police chief.
An applicant "will be asked whether or not his vital organ has been enlarged," said Papua police chief Bekto Suprapto, quoted on local website Kompas.com.
"If he has, he will be considered unfit to join the police or the military."
The ban was applied since the unnatural size causes "hindrance during training," said police spokesman Zainuri Lubis in Jakarta, quoted by news portal Detik.com.
Indonesia's remote easternmost province is home to Papuan tribes, many of whom are known for wearing penis gourds.
A low-level separatist insurgency has waged in the resources-rich part of Indonesia for decades and there is a heavy police and military presence there.
Papuans use a local technique to achieve the enlargement, according to a sexologist quoted by local newspaper Jakarta Globe, wrapping the penis with leaves from the "gatal-gatal" (itchy) tree so that it swells up "like it has been stung by a bee," the expert said.
(Reporting by Olivia Rondonuwu; Editing by Sara Webb and Sanjeev Miglan
Saturday, April 24, 2010
U.S. students suffering from Internet addiction: study ...
Reuters
NEW YORK Fri Apr 23, 2010 Wed, Apr 21 2010. High school students play the ''America's Army'' video game during engagement skills training at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York June 19, 2008. Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar
American college students are hooked on cellphones, social media and the Internet and showing symptoms similar to drug and alcohol addictions, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Maryland who asked 200 students to give up all media for one full day found that after 24 hours many showed signs of withdrawal, craving and anxiety along with an inability to function well without their media and social links.
Susan Moeller, the study's project director and a journalism professor at the university, said many students wrote about how they hated losing their media connections, which some equated to going without friends and family.
"I clearly am addicted and the dependency is sickening," said one student. "Between having a Blackberry, a laptop, a television, and an iPod, people have become unable to shed their media skin."
Moeller said students complained most about their need to use text messages, instant messages, e-mail and Facebook.
"Texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort," wrote one of the students, who blogged about their reactions. "When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life."
Few students reported watching TV news or reading a newspaper.
The American Psychiatric Association does not recognize so-called Internet addiction as a disorder.
But it seems to be an affliction of modern life. In one extreme example in South Korea reported by the media, a couple allegedly neglected their three-month-old daughter, who died of malnutrition, because they were on the computer for up to 12 hours a day raising a virtual child.
In the United States a small private U.S. center called ReSTART, located near Redmond, Washington, opened last year in the shadow of computer giant Microsoft to treat excessive use of the Internet, video gaming and texting.
The center's website cites various examples of students who ran up large debts or dropped out of college due to their obsession.
Students in the Maryland study also showed no loyalty to news programs, a news personality or news platform. They maintained a casual relationship to news brands, and rarely distinguished between news and general information.
"They care about what is going on among their friends and families and even in the world at large," said Ph.D. student Raymond McCaffrey who worked on the study. Loyalty "does not seemed tied to any single device or application or news outlet."
(Reporting by Walden Siew; Editing by Patricia Reaney)
HealthTechnologyLifestyleMedia
NEW YORK Fri Apr 23, 2010 Wed, Apr 21 2010. High school students play the ''America's Army'' video game during engagement skills training at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York June 19, 2008. Credit: Reuters/Mike SegarAmerican college students are hooked on cellphones, social media and the Internet and showing symptoms similar to drug and alcohol addictions, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Maryland who asked 200 students to give up all media for one full day found that after 24 hours many showed signs of withdrawal, craving and anxiety along with an inability to function well without their media and social links.
Susan Moeller, the study's project director and a journalism professor at the university, said many students wrote about how they hated losing their media connections, which some equated to going without friends and family.
"I clearly am addicted and the dependency is sickening," said one student. "Between having a Blackberry, a laptop, a television, and an iPod, people have become unable to shed their media skin."
Moeller said students complained most about their need to use text messages, instant messages, e-mail and Facebook.
"Texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort," wrote one of the students, who blogged about their reactions. "When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life."
Few students reported watching TV news or reading a newspaper.
The American Psychiatric Association does not recognize so-called Internet addiction as a disorder.
But it seems to be an affliction of modern life. In one extreme example in South Korea reported by the media, a couple allegedly neglected their three-month-old daughter, who died of malnutrition, because they were on the computer for up to 12 hours a day raising a virtual child.
In the United States a small private U.S. center called ReSTART, located near Redmond, Washington, opened last year in the shadow of computer giant Microsoft to treat excessive use of the Internet, video gaming and texting.
The center's website cites various examples of students who ran up large debts or dropped out of college due to their obsession.
Students in the Maryland study also showed no loyalty to news programs, a news personality or news platform. They maintained a casual relationship to news brands, and rarely distinguished between news and general information.
"They care about what is going on among their friends and families and even in the world at large," said Ph.D. student Raymond McCaffrey who worked on the study. Loyalty "does not seemed tied to any single device or application or news outlet."
(Reporting by Walden Siew; Editing by Patricia Reaney)
HealthTechnologyLifestyleMedia
Friday, April 23, 2010
Coles (AUSTRALIA) closes stores due to McAfee bug...
ZDNet Security - News By Ben Grubb, ZDNet.com.au on April 22nd, 2010 (20 hours ago)
Australian supermarket behemoth Coles was today hit by a McAfee bug that affected 10 per cent of its point of sales terminals and forced it to shut down stores in both WA and South Australia.
A McAfee update released on Wednesday caused computers using Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 3 to incorrectly identify a legitimate operating system component as containing a virus. Affected computers experienced networking problems or repeated rebooting. McAfee has since removed the buggy update code from the company's servers.
Coles spokesperson Jim Cooper told ZDNet Australia that 1100 of the supermarket's terminals had been affected by the bug.
"What's happened is we're basically pretty prompt in updating our McAfee virus software as required and unfortunately that's where we got caught by it," Cooper said.
"It's affected our point-of-sale registers. We had about 1100 registers affected, which is about 10 per cent of the registers across the country."
He said the damage was restricted to WA and to a lesser degree South Australia. "And that's basically because of the time difference," he said.
"We were able to catch it before it hit the eastern seaboard, but it had already gone for the other guys [WA and SA]."
Asked whether Coles would be charging McAfee for the time it had to spend fixing 1100 terminals, work which is still ongoing, Cooper said it was "fair to say ... we'll be having some conversations with McAfee at some point down the track, but we're just focused on one thing at a time at the moment".
"Our guys have been battling to rectify it in the stores all morning. So we did have as many as 18 stores in WA predominately closed for a period of time over there this morning and that was basically because they either didn't have any registers that were functioning or they didn't have enough for the store to be able to operate properly," he said.
He said that he had never seen such a widespread outage at the company.
"We have had issues where there has been a technical glitch where it's affected stores," he said. "It's often more commonly a power outage or a surge or something along those lines. But it's not been anything on this sort of scale before in our recollection."
Only one store remained closed at the time of writing, according to Cooper.
"It was a store that was open earlier but it had to close because while it was able to function with limited registers operating when the store traffic was quiet, as the store had gotten busier the other registers weren't able to open, so we had to close that store subsequently."
Cooper said that a substantial number of people were working on the fix. "We've got an IT team and others that are all hands on deck, but I wouldn't want to put a number on it," he said.
"So it's a bit of a movable beast still, but we're progressively auto-rebooting lanes where we can and if we can't do an auto-reboot we're walking store teams through manual reboots."
Coles wasn't the only business to be affected by the problem. Jeremy Bree, IT manager at Fordham Business Advisors, a business development, risk management, superannuation and investment management company, told ZDNet Australia that 30 to 40 of his 130 desktops had been affected this morning. He said he had to spend three hours fixing the issue.
Yet McAfee's executive vice president, Worldwide Technical Support & Customer Service, Barry McPherson said on a blog that the problem wasn't widespread. "We believe that this incident has impacted less than one half of one per cent of our enterprise accounts globally and a fraction of that within the consumer base," he said.
Australian supermarket behemoth Coles was today hit by a McAfee bug that affected 10 per cent of its point of sales terminals and forced it to shut down stores in both WA and South Australia.
A McAfee update released on Wednesday caused computers using Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 3 to incorrectly identify a legitimate operating system component as containing a virus. Affected computers experienced networking problems or repeated rebooting. McAfee has since removed the buggy update code from the company's servers.
Coles spokesperson Jim Cooper told ZDNet Australia that 1100 of the supermarket's terminals had been affected by the bug.
"What's happened is we're basically pretty prompt in updating our McAfee virus software as required and unfortunately that's where we got caught by it," Cooper said.
"It's affected our point-of-sale registers. We had about 1100 registers affected, which is about 10 per cent of the registers across the country."
He said the damage was restricted to WA and to a lesser degree South Australia. "And that's basically because of the time difference," he said.
"We were able to catch it before it hit the eastern seaboard, but it had already gone for the other guys [WA and SA]."
Asked whether Coles would be charging McAfee for the time it had to spend fixing 1100 terminals, work which is still ongoing, Cooper said it was "fair to say ... we'll be having some conversations with McAfee at some point down the track, but we're just focused on one thing at a time at the moment".
"Our guys have been battling to rectify it in the stores all morning. So we did have as many as 18 stores in WA predominately closed for a period of time over there this morning and that was basically because they either didn't have any registers that were functioning or they didn't have enough for the store to be able to operate properly," he said.
He said that he had never seen such a widespread outage at the company.
"We have had issues where there has been a technical glitch where it's affected stores," he said. "It's often more commonly a power outage or a surge or something along those lines. But it's not been anything on this sort of scale before in our recollection."
Only one store remained closed at the time of writing, according to Cooper.
"It was a store that was open earlier but it had to close because while it was able to function with limited registers operating when the store traffic was quiet, as the store had gotten busier the other registers weren't able to open, so we had to close that store subsequently."
Cooper said that a substantial number of people were working on the fix. "We've got an IT team and others that are all hands on deck, but I wouldn't want to put a number on it," he said.
"So it's a bit of a movable beast still, but we're progressively auto-rebooting lanes where we can and if we can't do an auto-reboot we're walking store teams through manual reboots."
Coles wasn't the only business to be affected by the problem. Jeremy Bree, IT manager at Fordham Business Advisors, a business development, risk management, superannuation and investment management company, told ZDNet Australia that 30 to 40 of his 130 desktops had been affected this morning. He said he had to spend three hours fixing the issue.
Yet McAfee's executive vice president, Worldwide Technical Support & Customer Service, Barry McPherson said on a blog that the problem wasn't widespread. "We believe that this incident has impacted less than one half of one per cent of our enterprise accounts globally and a fraction of that within the consumer base," he said.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Chocolate may be good medicine for liver patients...
Reuters Credit: Reuters/Susana Gonzalez
LONDON (Reuters) Thu Apr 15, 2010. Cocoa-rich dark chocolate could be prescribed for people with liver cirrhosis in future, following the latest research to show potential health benefits of chocolate.
Spanish researchers said Thursday that eating dark chocolate capped the usual after-meal rise in abdominal blood pressure, which can reach dangerous levels in cirrhotic patients and, in severe cases, lead to blood vessel rupture.
Antioxidants called flavanols found in cocoa are believed to be the reason why chocolate is good for blood pressure because the chemicals help the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels to relax and widen.
A study of 21 patients with end-stage liver disease found those given a meal containing 85 percent-cocoa dark chocolate had a markedly smaller rise in blood pressure in the liver, or portal hypertension, than those given white chocolate.
"This study shows a clear association between eating dark chocolate and (lower) portal hypertension and demonstrates the potential importance of improvements in the management of cirrhotic patients," said Mark Thursz, a professor of hepatology at London's Imperial College.
The results were presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Vienna and follow a number of earlier scientific studies suggesting that dark chocolate also promotes heart health.
Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver as a result of long-term damage. It is caused by various factors, including hepatitis infection and alcohol abuse.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
LONDON (Reuters) Thu Apr 15, 2010. Cocoa-rich dark chocolate could be prescribed for people with liver cirrhosis in future, following the latest research to show potential health benefits of chocolate.Spanish researchers said Thursday that eating dark chocolate capped the usual after-meal rise in abdominal blood pressure, which can reach dangerous levels in cirrhotic patients and, in severe cases, lead to blood vessel rupture.
Antioxidants called flavanols found in cocoa are believed to be the reason why chocolate is good for blood pressure because the chemicals help the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels to relax and widen.
A study of 21 patients with end-stage liver disease found those given a meal containing 85 percent-cocoa dark chocolate had a markedly smaller rise in blood pressure in the liver, or portal hypertension, than those given white chocolate.
"This study shows a clear association between eating dark chocolate and (lower) portal hypertension and demonstrates the potential importance of improvements in the management of cirrhotic patients," said Mark Thursz, a professor of hepatology at London's Imperial College.
The results were presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Vienna and follow a number of earlier scientific studies suggesting that dark chocolate also promotes heart health.
Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver as a result of long-term damage. It is caused by various factors, including hepatitis infection and alcohol abuse.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Stosur wins second career WTA title....
TELSTRA--Bigpondsport.com
Monday, April 19, 2010 - 11:14 AM. Australian fourth seed Samantha Stosur won her second career WTA title on Sunday, routing Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-0 6-3 in the final of the $US700,000 ($A750,000) Family Circle Cup.
Stosur, whose only prior WTA crown came last year at Osaka, improved to 5-2 all-time against seventh seed Zvonareva with her fifth victory in a row over the Russian.
'It's always great to play well in any match but to play that well in a final when you want to play that extra little bit better, it was great,' Stosur said. 'I was glad I was able to keep it going all the way to the finish.'
With the $US107,000 ($A114,500) top prize in the clay-court event, 11th-ranked Stosur assured a place in the top 10 in Monday's WTA rankings and signaled she can be a threat at the French Open, where she reached the semi-finals in 2009.
'After this week, I'm feeling great on the clay,' Stosur said. 'It's great to be able to start the clay season. When I get to Roland Garros I will be ready to go and try to at least go as far as I did last year.'
Stosur wore a left wristband bearing the words 'attitude' and 'composure'.
'They are just two words that stood out to me for the last little while,' she said. 'It just keeps me focused on those two things. With the way I played, I was able to do that.'
Zvonareva, ranked 22nd, also was a Charleston runner-up in 2008. Zvonareva, 25, fell to 19-6 on the year and failed in a bid for her 11th career title and her second of the year after a successful title defense in Pattaya City.
'Sam played unbelievable and she deserved to win,' Zvonareva said.
Stosur dominated the first set, surrendering only five points to her Russian rival. Stosur broke at love for a 4-0 edge, having allowed Zvonareva only two points in the first four games.
The Aussie then held and broke again to take the set in 18 minutes.
Stosur held to open the second set, a forehand winner to the far corner claiming the first game, and broke at love for a 2-0 edge, ripping her 15th forehand winner of the match down the line for the break.
An ace up the middle allowed Stosur to hold at love for a 3-0 edge before Zvonareva tried to disrupt Stosur's rhythm with high lobs.
After fallng behind 15-40, Zvonareva shattered her racket on the court, smashed it twice more and kicked it under her seat in anger.
'If you're going to break it, you might as well do it like that,' Stosur said. 'She did a great job.'
The tantrum worked as Zvonareva saved two break points and won the next four points, holding to trail 3-1 after taking 35 minutes to finally win a game.
Stosur recovered to hold for a 4-1 lead. Zvonareva held to 4-2, then jumped ahead 0-30 on Stosur's serve and grabbed her first break when the Aussie sent a backhand wide.
'It was tough,' Stosur said. 'I had to try to stay concentrated, work out what I was doing and keep doing it. You can't little things distract.'
Stosur answered the challenge by seizing two break-point chances in the seventh game, capitalizing with a forehand winner down the line to grab a 5-3 lead and she served out at love to claim the match and the title.
Stosur lost to eventual winner Serena Williams in the fourth round of this year's Australian Open. The 26-year-old from Brisbane also made a run to the Indian Wells semi-finals last month.
Next up for Stosur is a Fed Cup tie in Ukraine, assuming flights to that part of eastern Europe are not stopped by volcanic ash.
Monday, April 19, 2010 - 11:14 AM. Australian fourth seed Samantha Stosur won her second career WTA title on Sunday, routing Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-0 6-3 in the final of the $US700,000 ($A750,000) Family Circle Cup.
Stosur, whose only prior WTA crown came last year at Osaka, improved to 5-2 all-time against seventh seed Zvonareva with her fifth victory in a row over the Russian.
'It's always great to play well in any match but to play that well in a final when you want to play that extra little bit better, it was great,' Stosur said. 'I was glad I was able to keep it going all the way to the finish.'
With the $US107,000 ($A114,500) top prize in the clay-court event, 11th-ranked Stosur assured a place in the top 10 in Monday's WTA rankings and signaled she can be a threat at the French Open, where she reached the semi-finals in 2009.
'After this week, I'm feeling great on the clay,' Stosur said. 'It's great to be able to start the clay season. When I get to Roland Garros I will be ready to go and try to at least go as far as I did last year.'
Stosur wore a left wristband bearing the words 'attitude' and 'composure'.
'They are just two words that stood out to me for the last little while,' she said. 'It just keeps me focused on those two things. With the way I played, I was able to do that.'
Zvonareva, ranked 22nd, also was a Charleston runner-up in 2008. Zvonareva, 25, fell to 19-6 on the year and failed in a bid for her 11th career title and her second of the year after a successful title defense in Pattaya City.
'Sam played unbelievable and she deserved to win,' Zvonareva said.
Stosur dominated the first set, surrendering only five points to her Russian rival. Stosur broke at love for a 4-0 edge, having allowed Zvonareva only two points in the first four games.
The Aussie then held and broke again to take the set in 18 minutes.
Stosur held to open the second set, a forehand winner to the far corner claiming the first game, and broke at love for a 2-0 edge, ripping her 15th forehand winner of the match down the line for the break.
An ace up the middle allowed Stosur to hold at love for a 3-0 edge before Zvonareva tried to disrupt Stosur's rhythm with high lobs.
After fallng behind 15-40, Zvonareva shattered her racket on the court, smashed it twice more and kicked it under her seat in anger.
'If you're going to break it, you might as well do it like that,' Stosur said. 'She did a great job.'
The tantrum worked as Zvonareva saved two break points and won the next four points, holding to trail 3-1 after taking 35 minutes to finally win a game.
Stosur recovered to hold for a 4-1 lead. Zvonareva held to 4-2, then jumped ahead 0-30 on Stosur's serve and grabbed her first break when the Aussie sent a backhand wide.
'It was tough,' Stosur said. 'I had to try to stay concentrated, work out what I was doing and keep doing it. You can't little things distract.'
Stosur answered the challenge by seizing two break-point chances in the seventh game, capitalizing with a forehand winner down the line to grab a 5-3 lead and she served out at love to claim the match and the title.
Stosur lost to eventual winner Serena Williams in the fourth round of this year's Australian Open. The 26-year-old from Brisbane also made a run to the Indian Wells semi-finals last month.
Next up for Stosur is a Fed Cup tie in Ukraine, assuming flights to that part of eastern Europe are not stopped by volcanic ash.
Norman finds love with longtime friend...
Telstra BigPond News
Monday, April 19, 2010. Less than six months after divorcing tennis legend Chris Evert, Aussie golfer Greg Norman has a new love.
Less than six months after divorcing tennis legend Chris Evert, Aussie golfer Greg Norman has a new love.
New Idea magazine says Norman has been been introducing mother-of-two Kirsten Kutner to his close friends as his new girlfriend.
Norman, 55, says he's in love with Kutner, 41, a interior designer who grew up in Sydney's northern suburbs.
Monday, April 19, 2010. Less than six months after divorcing tennis legend Chris Evert, Aussie golfer Greg Norman has a new love.Less than six months after divorcing tennis legend Chris Evert, Aussie golfer Greg Norman has a new love.
New Idea magazine says Norman has been been introducing mother-of-two Kirsten Kutner to his close friends as his new girlfriend.
Norman, 55, says he's in love with Kutner, 41, a interior designer who grew up in Sydney's northern suburbs.
They were friends in the past and love blossomed after they met each other again in Cairo last year, New Idea reports.
'In life we all go through a learning curve and my life is no exception,' Norman told the magazine.
'I am now in a very good place with Kirsten.'
Norman married Chris Evert in 2008, but they divorced just 18 months later, in December last year.
He was divorced from his first wife, Laura Andrassy, in 2006 after 25 years of marriage.
Nicknamed 'The Shark', Norman was the world's number one ranked golfer for 331 weeks in the 1980s and 1990s.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Dubai upholds British pair's jail term over kiss | Reuters
Reuters Credit: Reuters/Jumana ElHeloueh
A man sits near a beach in Jumeirah in Dubai April 4, 2010.
DUBAI (Reuters) -Tue Apr 6, 2010. A Dubai court Sunday upheld a one-month jail sentence given to a British pair for kissing in public, media reports said.
The British man living in Dubai and a female friend were arrested in November on charges of kissing intimately in public and consuming alcohol. An Emirati mother had complained her child had seen their indiscretion.
The case is the third time in under two years that Britons have fallen foul of indecency laws in Dubai, a Muslim emirate popular with sun-seeking Western tourists and expatriates.
The defendants are consulting their lawyer on whether to appeal Sunday's ruling before a cassation court, the website of the daily Gulf News reported.
The pair, who had been free on bail, are also to pay a fine of 1,000 dirhams ($272) for illegal consumption of alcohol and will be deported after serving their jail term, the website said.
Dubai's foreign population expanded rapidly in recent years as expatriates flocked to the Gulf Arab trade and tourism hub for its tax-free earnings and year-round sunshine.
The changes have challenged the Emirati population, now vastly outnumbered by foreigners, raising concerns that the rapid pace of growth is a threat to their social and religious identity in what remains a deeply conservative region.
In 2008, a British couple narrowly escaped jail after a court found them guilty of engaging in drunken sexual activity out of wedlock and in public on a beach in the emirate.
They were sentenced to three months in prison followed by deportation, but had their jail terms overturned on appeal.
In another case this year, a British couple who shared a hotel room managed to escape trial in Dubai for having sex out of wedlock by producing a marriage certificate.
(Reporting by Firouz Sedarat)
Oddly Enough
A man sits near a beach in Jumeirah in Dubai April 4, 2010.DUBAI (Reuters) -Tue Apr 6, 2010. A Dubai court Sunday upheld a one-month jail sentence given to a British pair for kissing in public, media reports said.
The British man living in Dubai and a female friend were arrested in November on charges of kissing intimately in public and consuming alcohol. An Emirati mother had complained her child had seen their indiscretion.
The case is the third time in under two years that Britons have fallen foul of indecency laws in Dubai, a Muslim emirate popular with sun-seeking Western tourists and expatriates.
The defendants are consulting their lawyer on whether to appeal Sunday's ruling before a cassation court, the website of the daily Gulf News reported.
The pair, who had been free on bail, are also to pay a fine of 1,000 dirhams ($272) for illegal consumption of alcohol and will be deported after serving their jail term, the website said.
Dubai's foreign population expanded rapidly in recent years as expatriates flocked to the Gulf Arab trade and tourism hub for its tax-free earnings and year-round sunshine.
The changes have challenged the Emirati population, now vastly outnumbered by foreigners, raising concerns that the rapid pace of growth is a threat to their social and religious identity in what remains a deeply conservative region.
In 2008, a British couple narrowly escaped jail after a court found them guilty of engaging in drunken sexual activity out of wedlock and in public on a beach in the emirate.
They were sentenced to three months in prison followed by deportation, but had their jail terms overturned on appeal.
In another case this year, a British couple who shared a hotel room managed to escape trial in Dubai for having sex out of wedlock by producing a marriage certificate.
(Reporting by Firouz Sedarat)
Oddly Enough
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Growing need for advisers in out-of-court divorces....
Reuters By Helen Kearney
Mon Apr 5, 2010. NEW YORK (Reuters) - With about half of all U.S. marriages ending in divorce, there is plenty of need for advisers who can help with the sensitive issue of splitting the family assets .
And with divorces no longer limited to contentious legal battles, financial advisers say they play a critical role in out-of-court settlements such as collaborative and mediated divorces.
"It's one of the most stressful transitions that a financial planner is needed for," says Laura Hyman, a New York City-based adviser with RBC Wealth Management, a division of Royal Bank of Canada.
"You have to look at them as the couple they were and as the individuals they are going to be. The usual financial planning structure doesn't work."
In a collaborative divorce, a team of experts is involved, including attorneys for both sides, a divorce coach and a child specialist if there are children involved.
The role of the financial adviser is to act as a "financial neutral" and develop a plan for dividing the couple's assets. The adviser is prohibited from taking either party as a client once the divorce is finalized.
In a mediated divorce, usually only the attorneys and the mediator are involved. The adviser can act as a financial neutral, or he can be hired by either the husband or wife.
Unlike in a collaborative divorce case, a financial neutral in a mediated divorce can take either party as a client after the divorce.
GETTING PAID
Unlike the usual modes of compensation for advisers -- commissions or asset-based fees -- a financial neutral charges an hourly fee.
There is no set rate, but advisers usually charge $100 to $150 an hour, says Fadi Baradhi, president of the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA), which trains advisers in divorce issues.
In a mediated divorce, the bigger payoff usually comes if one of the parties chooses to work with the adviser after the divorce.
That's how Charles Day, a Purchase, a New York-based adviser with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a joint venture between Morgan Stanley and Citigroup, has built his divorce practice.
He oversees $175 million in client assets, and over half of his practice is divorce-related. Nearly all of his divorce clients are women.
Clients are referred to him by their attorneys or therapists, and he does not usually charge a fee for his advice during the divorce. Day can advise a client for anywhere from six months to a year for free.
He says he almost always succeeds in becoming the client's primary adviser after the divorce and taking care of their portion of the assets from the settlement.
"If you try to push them and make them think you're only concerned about their money and not them, you will lose them as a client," Day said.
Other advisers prefer the transient nature of financial neutral work.
Garrick Zielinski, a Milwaukee-based adviser who founded advisory firm Divorce Financial Solutions, says that after years of working as a traditional financial adviser, he does not miss the stress of maintaining long-term relationships with clients. "When the divorce is over you are done. You get them to the next stage of life and move on," he said. GETTING STARTED A good starting point is getting accredited as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. The program, run by the Southfield, Michigan-based IDFA, has four modules covering a range of issues, including divorce law, child support, pensions and tax planning. It costs around $1,800.
The next step is to build a referral book. Zielinski recommends putting together a list of family law attorneys and creating a presentation explaining how a financial neutral can help a clients.
Other referral sources include therapists and even local religious leaders.
The other key tool is investing in specialized software, says Hyman. She and her partner, Steven Paskal, tried to tweak their regular financial planning software, but it could not cope with all the variables involved in a divorce, such as spousal and child support rules that vary by state.
Producing a picture of what a particular split of assets might look like now and in the future is the most powerful tool they have, says Hyman.
"It's very illuminating for each side to see what the other will face financially," she said.
(Reporting by Helen Kearney; editing by John Wallace)
Mon Apr 5, 2010. NEW YORK (Reuters) - With about half of all U.S. marriages ending in divorce, there is plenty of need for advisers who can help with the sensitive issue of splitting the family assets .
And with divorces no longer limited to contentious legal battles, financial advisers say they play a critical role in out-of-court settlements such as collaborative and mediated divorces.
"It's one of the most stressful transitions that a financial planner is needed for," says Laura Hyman, a New York City-based adviser with RBC Wealth Management, a division of Royal Bank of Canada.
"You have to look at them as the couple they were and as the individuals they are going to be. The usual financial planning structure doesn't work."
In a collaborative divorce, a team of experts is involved, including attorneys for both sides, a divorce coach and a child specialist if there are children involved.
The role of the financial adviser is to act as a "financial neutral" and develop a plan for dividing the couple's assets. The adviser is prohibited from taking either party as a client once the divorce is finalized.
In a mediated divorce, usually only the attorneys and the mediator are involved. The adviser can act as a financial neutral, or he can be hired by either the husband or wife.
Unlike in a collaborative divorce case, a financial neutral in a mediated divorce can take either party as a client after the divorce.
GETTING PAID
Unlike the usual modes of compensation for advisers -- commissions or asset-based fees -- a financial neutral charges an hourly fee.
There is no set rate, but advisers usually charge $100 to $150 an hour, says Fadi Baradhi, president of the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA), which trains advisers in divorce issues.
In a mediated divorce, the bigger payoff usually comes if one of the parties chooses to work with the adviser after the divorce.
That's how Charles Day, a Purchase, a New York-based adviser with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a joint venture between Morgan Stanley and Citigroup, has built his divorce practice.
He oversees $175 million in client assets, and over half of his practice is divorce-related. Nearly all of his divorce clients are women.
Clients are referred to him by their attorneys or therapists, and he does not usually charge a fee for his advice during the divorce. Day can advise a client for anywhere from six months to a year for free.
He says he almost always succeeds in becoming the client's primary adviser after the divorce and taking care of their portion of the assets from the settlement.
"If you try to push them and make them think you're only concerned about their money and not them, you will lose them as a client," Day said.
Other advisers prefer the transient nature of financial neutral work.
Garrick Zielinski, a Milwaukee-based adviser who founded advisory firm Divorce Financial Solutions, says that after years of working as a traditional financial adviser, he does not miss the stress of maintaining long-term relationships with clients. "When the divorce is over you are done. You get them to the next stage of life and move on," he said. GETTING STARTED A good starting point is getting accredited as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. The program, run by the Southfield, Michigan-based IDFA, has four modules covering a range of issues, including divorce law, child support, pensions and tax planning. It costs around $1,800.
The next step is to build a referral book. Zielinski recommends putting together a list of family law attorneys and creating a presentation explaining how a financial neutral can help a clients.
Other referral sources include therapists and even local religious leaders.
The other key tool is investing in specialized software, says Hyman. She and her partner, Steven Paskal, tried to tweak their regular financial planning software, but it could not cope with all the variables involved in a divorce, such as spousal and child support rules that vary by state.
Producing a picture of what a particular split of assets might look like now and in the future is the most powerful tool they have, says Hyman.
"It's very illuminating for each side to see what the other will face financially," she said.
(Reporting by Helen Kearney; editing by John Wallace)
Dubai upholds British pair's jail term over kiss...
Reuters
Mon Apr 5, 2010. DUBAI (Reuters) - A Dubai court Sunday upheld a one-month jail sentence given to a British pair for kissing in public, media reports said.
The British man living in Dubai and a female friend were arrested in November on charges of kissing intimately in public and consuming alcohol. An Emirati mother had complained her child had seen their indiscretion.
The case is the third time in under two years that Britons have fallen foul of indecency laws in Dubai, a Muslim emirate popular with sun-seeking Western tourists and expatriates.
The defendants are consulting their lawyer on whether to appeal Sunday's ruling before a cassation court, the website of the daily Gulf News reported.
The pair, who had been free on bail, are also to pay a fine of 1,000 dirhams ($272) for illegal consumption of alcohol and will be deported after serving their jail term, the website said.
Dubai's foreign population expanded rapidly in recent years as expatriates flocked to the Gulf Arab trade and tourism hub for its tax-free earnings and year-round sunshine.
The changes have challenged the Emirati population, now vastly outnumbered by foreigners, raising concerns that the rapid pace of growth is a threat to their social and religious identity in what remains a deeply conservative region.
In 2008, a British couple narrowly escaped jail after a court found them guilty of engaging in drunken sexual activity out of wedlock and in public on a beach in the emirate.
They were sentenced to three months in prison followed by deportation, but had their jail terms overturned on appeal.
In another case this year, a British couple who shared a hotel room managed to escape trial in Dubai for having sex out of wedlock by producing a marriage certificate.
(Reporting by Firouz Sedarat)
Mon Apr 5, 2010. DUBAI (Reuters) - A Dubai court Sunday upheld a one-month jail sentence given to a British pair for kissing in public, media reports said.
The British man living in Dubai and a female friend were arrested in November on charges of kissing intimately in public and consuming alcohol. An Emirati mother had complained her child had seen their indiscretion.
The case is the third time in under two years that Britons have fallen foul of indecency laws in Dubai, a Muslim emirate popular with sun-seeking Western tourists and expatriates.
The defendants are consulting their lawyer on whether to appeal Sunday's ruling before a cassation court, the website of the daily Gulf News reported.
The pair, who had been free on bail, are also to pay a fine of 1,000 dirhams ($272) for illegal consumption of alcohol and will be deported after serving their jail term, the website said.
Dubai's foreign population expanded rapidly in recent years as expatriates flocked to the Gulf Arab trade and tourism hub for its tax-free earnings and year-round sunshine.
The changes have challenged the Emirati population, now vastly outnumbered by foreigners, raising concerns that the rapid pace of growth is a threat to their social and religious identity in what remains a deeply conservative region.
In 2008, a British couple narrowly escaped jail after a court found them guilty of engaging in drunken sexual activity out of wedlock and in public on a beach in the emirate.
They were sentenced to three months in prison followed by deportation, but had their jail terms overturned on appeal.
In another case this year, a British couple who shared a hotel room managed to escape trial in Dubai for having sex out of wedlock by producing a marriage certificate.
(Reporting by Firouz Sedarat)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Film breaks new ground on sex in India...
Film breaks new ground on sex in India Reuters By Shilpa Jamkhandikar
Fri, Mar 25 2010 MUMBAI (Reuters) - A new Bollywood film has put the spotlight on changing sexual mores in small-town India, unsettling conservative filmgoers with spy cam footage and pushing the limits of the country's censorship board.
"Love Sex aur Dhokha" (Love Sex and Betrayal) is the latest in a series of avant-garde offerings stripping the Indian film industry of decades of inhibition and dramatically changing the traditional formula of song-and-dance romances and violent revenge sagas.
The film, which opened in Indian cinemas last week with an adults-only rating, has courted controversy with blurred visuals of a naked woman and voyeuristic sequences in its trailers.
Director Dibakar Banerjee says "Love Sex aur Dhokha" is more about a change in attitudes than it is about sex.
He says the film explores the lack of privacy in the modern world -- one where even mobile phones can capture, and broadcast, intimate moments.
"What my camera is doing is that it's recording a story that is changing in front of the camera," says Banerjee. "Earlier, sex used to be behind closed doors but now that is changing."
A decade ago, when a coy couple were about to kiss on screen, the camera would glide to two flowers brushing against each other or birds pecking at each other's beaks. Indian audiences just assumed the couple had done the deed.
In that sense, Banerjee's film, with a bunch of unknown actors, broke new ground with an extended sex scene which didn't quite escape the censor board's scissors.
But it's the director's use of unconventional cameras -- spy cams, handycams, supermarket security cameras and even underwater ones -- that seems to have won over the critics and drawn comparisons with Hollywood blockbusters "Paranormal Activity" and "The Blair Witch Project."
The story is told from the point of view of the camera, making it almost a character in a plot that interweaves three storylines -- a student who falls in love with his film's lead actress, a shop manager who traps an employee in an infamous MMS scandal and a sting operation on a rock star.
"The film effectively exposes the fat, sexual underbelly that sags out of the middles of this disturbingly prejudiced middle India," critic Mayank Shekhar wrote in the Hindustan Times.
Although critics agree "Love Sex aur Dhokha" marks a big leap for conservative India, it might take more than a few films to change mindsets.
When director Banerjee spoke to his mother about the project, she didn't repeat the name of the film because she didn't want to use the word 'sex'.
(Writing by Tony Tharakan, Editing by Miral Fahmy
Fri, Mar 25 2010 MUMBAI (Reuters) - A new Bollywood film has put the spotlight on changing sexual mores in small-town India, unsettling conservative filmgoers with spy cam footage and pushing the limits of the country's censorship board.
"Love Sex aur Dhokha" (Love Sex and Betrayal) is the latest in a series of avant-garde offerings stripping the Indian film industry of decades of inhibition and dramatically changing the traditional formula of song-and-dance romances and violent revenge sagas.
The film, which opened in Indian cinemas last week with an adults-only rating, has courted controversy with blurred visuals of a naked woman and voyeuristic sequences in its trailers.
Director Dibakar Banerjee says "Love Sex aur Dhokha" is more about a change in attitudes than it is about sex.
He says the film explores the lack of privacy in the modern world -- one where even mobile phones can capture, and broadcast, intimate moments.
"What my camera is doing is that it's recording a story that is changing in front of the camera," says Banerjee. "Earlier, sex used to be behind closed doors but now that is changing."
A decade ago, when a coy couple were about to kiss on screen, the camera would glide to two flowers brushing against each other or birds pecking at each other's beaks. Indian audiences just assumed the couple had done the deed.
In that sense, Banerjee's film, with a bunch of unknown actors, broke new ground with an extended sex scene which didn't quite escape the censor board's scissors.
But it's the director's use of unconventional cameras -- spy cams, handycams, supermarket security cameras and even underwater ones -- that seems to have won over the critics and drawn comparisons with Hollywood blockbusters "Paranormal Activity" and "The Blair Witch Project."
The story is told from the point of view of the camera, making it almost a character in a plot that interweaves three storylines -- a student who falls in love with his film's lead actress, a shop manager who traps an employee in an infamous MMS scandal and a sting operation on a rock star.
"The film effectively exposes the fat, sexual underbelly that sags out of the middles of this disturbingly prejudiced middle India," critic Mayank Shekhar wrote in the Hindustan Times.
Although critics agree "Love Sex aur Dhokha" marks a big leap for conservative India, it might take more than a few films to change mindsets.
When director Banerjee spoke to his mother about the project, she didn't repeat the name of the film because she didn't want to use the word 'sex'.
(Writing by Tony Tharakan, Editing by Miral Fahmy
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