How to beat the biggest man-killers.
For us, the health of the American male is not just a weeklong pursuit. But in honor of Men's Health Week (June 11-17), we've compiled a list of our top tips for beating the biggest killers of men. Read them, follow our advice, and start living better year round.
Beat High Blood Pressure
Eat meat. In a recent Australian study, people with high blood pressure who replaced 8 percent of their daily calories from bread, cereal, potatoes, or pasta with lean red meat experienced a four-point drop in their systolic blood pressure in just 8 weeks.
Arginine, an amino acid in red meat, may help dilate blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. Plus, limiting starches lowers blood sugar and makes your body more efficient at burning fat. Save Your Skin
Melanoma feeds on modesty. If you don't strip for a yearly skin screening, the cancer can spread undetected.
Made an appointment? Now make one with your honey. A Northwestern University study shows that when people learn how to do skin self-exams with a partner, they're more likely to check themselves (and each other) in the future.
Have a Healthy Heart
Eat more dairy. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming three or more servings of dairy per day can slash your risk of heart disease by 31 percent.
"We don't know exactly how dairy lowers heart-disease risk, but other studies show that the calcium and magnesium in it can lower blood pressure," says study author Donna Spiegelman, Sc.D., a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard school of public health.
Want even more protection? Seek products fortified with vitamin D. British researchers found that daily D supplements lower blood levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of arterial inflammation, by 23 percent.
Lose Weight Over the Phone
Pick up the phone and ask for help dropping the pounds.
Researchers at the University of Kansas recently had 96 overweight people follow weight-loss counseling programs and discovered that the programs conducted by telephone were just as effective as face-to-face clinical counseling. On average, members of both groups lost 28 pounds in 26 weeks.
"Telephone-based programs have the benefits of convenience, lower transportation costs, and accountability with anonymity," says study author Joseph E. Donnelly, Ph.D.
Our pick: The phone program offered by John Berardi, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., co-author of Scrawny to Brawny. Go to johnberardi.com and receive a Men's Health reader discount.
Drink Coffee for Your Colon
Drink decaf coffee. A recent study at the Harvard medical school surveyed the tea and coffee consumption of men and women for 18 years and showed that drinking two or more cups of decaf coffee per day can slash colon-cancer risk by 52 percent.
Decaf coffee may have a positive effect on bowel motility. It keeps things moving which is an effect that the caffeine in regular coffee may cancel out.
Kick the Sticks
Go spit. A 2005 study in the British Medical Journal found that smokers who saw their results from a saliva-based nicotine test were 17 percent more likely to quit. The test, which involves spitting in a cup and measuring the amount of tobacco-derived toxins in the saliva, was used in conjunction with antismoking counseling.
Researchers believe that being able to see progress in the quest to quit in much the same way one can see the results of a cholesterol-lowering regimen helped motivate the participants.
Check a local drugstore for NicAlert, a saliva-based nicotine test ($15, also available at www.nymox.com).
Protect Your Prostate
Carve a pumpkin, cut your prostate-cancer risk. Eating a large slice of pumpkin pie (or 13 baby carrots) daily will give you about 8,000 micrograms of beta-carotene, an amount research from Roswell Park Cancer Institute shows may halve a man's risk of the disease. Top with whipped cream to boost your absorption of the nutrient.
Defeat Depression
Ask your therapist how many patients he treats. If it's more than 25, beware. Research has shown that a therapist's effectiveness decreases as his caseload surpasses this number.
A Finnish study found that men who exercise and are exposed to sunlight experience a greater reduction in depressive symptoms than those who work indoors. A CDC survey also found that people who exercise regularly feel less depressed.
Avoid a Car Accident
Cellphones make distracted drivers out of all of us, quadrupling a man's accident risk even hands-free.
One answer: Take a page from airline pilots. In a new study in Risk Analysis, researchers found that when pilots talked on a cellphone in a driving simulator, they caused 46 percent fewer virtual accidents than nonpilots did.
"They knew to disengage from the cellphone conversation at precise moments," says Jake Rose, Ph.D., the coauthor.
Decrease your own distractibility by hitting "hold" at the must-focus moments identified in the study: when merging, during stop-and-go traffic, and at intersections involving multiple turn lanes.
Ditch Diabetes
Eat to beat high blood sugar. When you consider that "glucose-intolerant" is another term for "diabetic," it's easy to see what you shouldn't eat. Namely, glucose-rich foods, such as bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes.
But Mary Vernon, M.D., prefers a more positive approach: "I like to emphasize what people can enjoy." So, use these guidelines to build a prescription diet.
One caution: If you're currently taking medication for high blood pressure or high blood sugar, consult your physician first, as this diet will cause both to drop.
Save Yourself from a Stroke
"Each daily serving of fruits and vegetables decreases stroke risk by 6 percent, so three servings decreases it by 18 percent," says James Bobenhouse, M.D., stroke-program director at BryanLGH Medical Center, in Lincoln.
No time to cook? Down a Tropicana Fruit Smoothie. One 11-ounce bottle equals 2 1/2 servings of fruit.
Provided by Men's Health
Thursday, June 28, 2007
FREE ONLINE DATING 6-28-07
Hey gang, how many of you have ever done online dating ? Or are interested in checking it out? Well here is a cool new website worth checking out and best of all it is 100% FREE. You can meet thousands of fun, attractive, men and women in your area. This is the one of the best free dating sites. No gimmicks, no tricks. Stop paying for online dating now. It only takes 60 seconds to join and browse online personals from thousands of sexy singles who've discovered the benefits of free online dating and matchmaking. Why wait? Seriously, stop wasting your money for those dating sites where you have to pay a monthly fee. I have done the online dating thing and can happily say I have been with my girlfriend for over 2 years now and I met her online. So check out justsayhi.com today and find true love for free. Good luck to all.
"This is a paid review"
"This is a paid review"
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
EXERCISES TO ADD YEARS 6-27-07
It's feeling like spring outside, and after months of inactivity, now seems like the right time to start getting physically active. Read on to find the numerous benefits of exercise to your health and longevity.Activate Your Health with ExerciseYes, exercise will give you a fit physique, but the benefits of daily exercise are much more. Regular exercise can help promote physiological wellbeing, strengthen the immune system, maintain joint mobility, increase energy - the list goes on and on.
In fact, research with humans has confirmed that the more active you are, the longer you will live. In one study, the group that burned more than 3,500 calories a week lived the longest. Then it should come as no surprise that caged animals have more health problems and live a shorter life than free-range animals. So get out there and get active - your body will thank you for years to come!Aerobics for a Healthy HeartYour heart is a muscular organ that is responsible for pumping the blood's nutrients and oxygen throughout your body, while simultaneously transporting waste products for elimination. The stronger your heart, the more tolerance you will have for stress and strain.
Strengthen your heart muscle by increasing your pulse rate to between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR) when you exercise. (Hint: you can find your MHR by subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you are 40, your MHR is 180 beats per minute.
Your optimal range of 60 to 80 percent would be calculated as 108 to 144 beats per minute.) Practice an aerobic activity at this rate for 30 minutes a day, three to four times a week to keep your heart pumping strong.
Aerobic exercises that focus on increasing cardiovascular endurance include bicycling, lap swimming, walking, and running. Frequent and consistent aerobic exercise has been found helpful in preventing or treating such serious conditions as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and depression.Build Your BonesAs we age, osteoporosis sets in and our bones begin losing calcium and become brittle. This condition affects the majority of the world's population over age 70. No amount of calcium and vitamin D supplements will cure the condition; we must engage in exercise that exerts weight on the bones.
Look, for instance, at the experience of the astronauts. When astronauts were subjected to weightlessness in space, they underwent much more rapid bone loss than they would have on earth because there was no gravity to put weight on their bones.
A good way to help restore calcium to the bones is with moderate load-bearing exercises - but don't worry about becoming a professional weight lifter! Even walking will have you bearing a moderate amount of weight and increasing bone density.
In fact, research with humans has confirmed that the more active you are, the longer you will live. In one study, the group that burned more than 3,500 calories a week lived the longest. Then it should come as no surprise that caged animals have more health problems and live a shorter life than free-range animals. So get out there and get active - your body will thank you for years to come!Aerobics for a Healthy HeartYour heart is a muscular organ that is responsible for pumping the blood's nutrients and oxygen throughout your body, while simultaneously transporting waste products for elimination. The stronger your heart, the more tolerance you will have for stress and strain.
Strengthen your heart muscle by increasing your pulse rate to between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR) when you exercise. (Hint: you can find your MHR by subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you are 40, your MHR is 180 beats per minute.
Your optimal range of 60 to 80 percent would be calculated as 108 to 144 beats per minute.) Practice an aerobic activity at this rate for 30 minutes a day, three to four times a week to keep your heart pumping strong.
Aerobic exercises that focus on increasing cardiovascular endurance include bicycling, lap swimming, walking, and running. Frequent and consistent aerobic exercise has been found helpful in preventing or treating such serious conditions as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and depression.Build Your BonesAs we age, osteoporosis sets in and our bones begin losing calcium and become brittle. This condition affects the majority of the world's population over age 70. No amount of calcium and vitamin D supplements will cure the condition; we must engage in exercise that exerts weight on the bones.
Look, for instance, at the experience of the astronauts. When astronauts were subjected to weightlessness in space, they underwent much more rapid bone loss than they would have on earth because there was no gravity to put weight on their bones.
A good way to help restore calcium to the bones is with moderate load-bearing exercises - but don't worry about becoming a professional weight lifter! Even walking will have you bearing a moderate amount of weight and increasing bone density.
STRESS FREE FOR A LONGER LIFE 6-27-07
Stress has become a part of the fabric of our busy lives, but it wreaks havoc on our health - and our lives. Read on to learn some measures that you can take to become stress-free. The Impact of StressAll that epinephrine or adrenaline is produced during the stressful bouts of fight-flight, survival mode that gets turned on all too often these days.
The adrenaline is released from the adrenal gland when you are under mental pressure, and it tells the body to convert stored sugar from the liver to glucose because the energy needs of the body will increase substantially during the supposed fight-or-run-for-your-life scenario.
The bad news is that this scenario almost never plays out and the excess blood sugar that never got used up ends up being stored as fat. One of two things can happen from a prolonged survival mode. One: Your body will keep storing up excess sugar as fat and asking for more energy from more sugar. This equals weight gain (an unpleasant side-effect of stress).
Two: All of this stress and Herculean effort continually depletes your body of its energy resources until it inevitably crumples under the overload. This can either lead to adrenal exhaustion, nervous breakdown, or a broken down immune system - thereby exposing a person to disease. The vicious circle repeats itself over and over again and people never seem to be able to get out of the rat race.Release Your StressHere are some healthy habits you can integrate into your daily grind to free yourself from stress forever.
1. Cut the Caffeine: Caffeine stimulates the adrenaline release. Give up the cup of coffee and opt for the therapeutic benefits of caffeine-free herbal teas.
Or you can cut down on your caffeine intake by substituting green tea for coffee, which usually has 1/3 of the caffeine of a cup of coffee, but with the benefits of the antioxidant polyphenols.
2. Meditation: A daily meditation program is can be your number one method to decompress at the end of a busy day and release tension.
3. Take a Breather: Exhale the stress away. Specific exercises can detoxify your body and revitalize your being. Try this exercise, adapted from Chinese qigong and make your goal to slow down, smooth out, and deepen each breath.
With every exhalation, utter the word calm in your mind and breathe out the tension from a part of your body, starting from the top of your head and working your way down through each part of your body until you get to your feet. Release the remaining tension through your toes and the bottoms of your feet.
4. Cleanse the Clutter: Have you ever heard the saying that what you own soon owns you? Not only do these unnecessary items consume much of your energy for cleaning and maintenance, they also add to the clutter, making you disorganized and increasing your stress level. Cut back and let go. A good rule of thumb is that anything you haven't used in six months can be given away to charity.
5. Lighten Your Schedule: Cut back on the commitments in your calendar of events. If you are really scrambling for some free time, try writing in a day a week to just spend alone and relax...and stick to it!
6. Reframe Your Perspective: As you move through your day, pay attention to what causes you feelings of stress. Our response has much to do with how it will affect us; by reframing our perspective on stressful situations, we can often see that the danger is largely an illusion and maintain a calm frame of mind.
The adrenaline is released from the adrenal gland when you are under mental pressure, and it tells the body to convert stored sugar from the liver to glucose because the energy needs of the body will increase substantially during the supposed fight-or-run-for-your-life scenario.
The bad news is that this scenario almost never plays out and the excess blood sugar that never got used up ends up being stored as fat. One of two things can happen from a prolonged survival mode. One: Your body will keep storing up excess sugar as fat and asking for more energy from more sugar. This equals weight gain (an unpleasant side-effect of stress).
Two: All of this stress and Herculean effort continually depletes your body of its energy resources until it inevitably crumples under the overload. This can either lead to adrenal exhaustion, nervous breakdown, or a broken down immune system - thereby exposing a person to disease. The vicious circle repeats itself over and over again and people never seem to be able to get out of the rat race.Release Your StressHere are some healthy habits you can integrate into your daily grind to free yourself from stress forever.
1. Cut the Caffeine: Caffeine stimulates the adrenaline release. Give up the cup of coffee and opt for the therapeutic benefits of caffeine-free herbal teas.
Or you can cut down on your caffeine intake by substituting green tea for coffee, which usually has 1/3 of the caffeine of a cup of coffee, but with the benefits of the antioxidant polyphenols.
2. Meditation: A daily meditation program is can be your number one method to decompress at the end of a busy day and release tension.
3. Take a Breather: Exhale the stress away. Specific exercises can detoxify your body and revitalize your being. Try this exercise, adapted from Chinese qigong and make your goal to slow down, smooth out, and deepen each breath.
With every exhalation, utter the word calm in your mind and breathe out the tension from a part of your body, starting from the top of your head and working your way down through each part of your body until you get to your feet. Release the remaining tension through your toes and the bottoms of your feet.
4. Cleanse the Clutter: Have you ever heard the saying that what you own soon owns you? Not only do these unnecessary items consume much of your energy for cleaning and maintenance, they also add to the clutter, making you disorganized and increasing your stress level. Cut back and let go. A good rule of thumb is that anything you haven't used in six months can be given away to charity.
5. Lighten Your Schedule: Cut back on the commitments in your calendar of events. If you are really scrambling for some free time, try writing in a day a week to just spend alone and relax...and stick to it!
6. Reframe Your Perspective: As you move through your day, pay attention to what causes you feelings of stress. Our response has much to do with how it will affect us; by reframing our perspective on stressful situations, we can often see that the danger is largely an illusion and maintain a calm frame of mind.
1908 TUNGUSKA METEOR MYSTERY 6-27-07
In late June of 1908, a fireball exploded above the remote Russian forests of Tunguska, Siberia, flattening more than 800 square miles of trees. Researchers think a meteor was responsible for the devastation, but neither its fragments nor any impact craters have been discovered.
Astronomers have been left to guess whether the object was an asteroid or a comet, and figuring out what it was would allow better modeling of potential future calamities.
Italian researchers now think they've found a smoking gun: The 164-foot-deep Lake Cheko, located just 5 miles northwest of the epicenter of destruction.
"When we looked at the bottom of the lake, we measured seismic waves reflecting off of something," said Giuseppe Longo, a physicist at the University of Bologna in Italy and co-author of the study. "Nobody has found this before. We can only explain that and the shape of the lake as a low-velocity impact crater."
Should the team turn up conclusive evidence of an asteroid or comet on a later expedition, when they obtain a deeper core sample beneath the lake, remaining mysteries surrounding the Tunguska event may be solved.
The findings are detailed in this month's online version of the journal Terra Nova.
Submerged evidence
During a 1999 expedition, Longo's team didn't plan to investigate Lake Cheko as an impact crater, but rather to look for meteoroid dust in its submerged sediments. While sonar-scanning the lake's topography, they were struck by its cone-like features.
"Expeditions in the 1960s concluded the lake was not an impact crater, but their technologies were limited," Longo said. With the advent of better sonar and computer technologies, he explained, the lake took shape.
Going a step further, Longo's team dove to the bottom and took 6-foot core samples, revealing fresh mud-like sediment on top of "chaotic deposits" beneath. Still, Longo explained the samples are inconclusive of a meteorite impact.
"To really find out if this is an impact crater," Long said, "we need a core sample 10 meters (33 feet) into the bottom" in order to investigate a spot where the team detected a "reflecting" anomaly with their seismic instruments. They think this could be where the ground was compacted by an impact or where part of the meteorite itself lays: The object, if found, could be more than 30 feet in diameter and weigh almost 1,700 tons-the weight of about 42 fully-loaded semi-trailers.
Caution for now
From a UFO crash to a wandering black hole, wild (and wildly unsupported) explanations for the Tunguska event have been proposed. Alan Harris, a planetary scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said the proposal by Longo's team isn't one of them.
"I was impressed by their work and I don't think it's something you can wave off," said Harris, who was not involved in the research.
Longo and his team "are among the recognized authorities on Tunguska" in the world, Harris told SPACE.com. "It would be thrilling to dig up chunks of the meteor body, if they can manage to. It would lay the question to rest whether or not Tunguska was a comet or asteroid."
Some researchers, however, are less confident in the team's conclusions.
"We know from the entry physics that the largest and most energetic objects penetrate deepest," said David Morrison, an astronomer with NASA's Ames Research Center. That only a fragment of the main explosion reached the ground and made a relatively small crater, without creating a larger main crater, seems contradictory to Morrison.
Harris agreed that physics could work against Longo's explanation, but did note that similar events-with impact craters-have been documented all over the world.
"In 1947, the Russian Sikhote-Alin meteorite created 100 small craters. Some were 20 meters (66 feet) across," Harris said. A site in Poland also exists, he explained, where a large meteor exploded and created a series of small lakes. "If the fragment was traveling slowly enough, there's actually a good chance (Longo's team) will unearth some meteorite material," Harris said.
Longo's team plans to return to Lake Cheko next summer, close to the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska Event. "This is important work because we can make better conclusions about how cosmic bodies impact the Earth, and what they're made of," Longo said. "And it could help us find ways to protect our planet from future impacts of this kind."
Astronomers have been left to guess whether the object was an asteroid or a comet, and figuring out what it was would allow better modeling of potential future calamities.
Italian researchers now think they've found a smoking gun: The 164-foot-deep Lake Cheko, located just 5 miles northwest of the epicenter of destruction.
"When we looked at the bottom of the lake, we measured seismic waves reflecting off of something," said Giuseppe Longo, a physicist at the University of Bologna in Italy and co-author of the study. "Nobody has found this before. We can only explain that and the shape of the lake as a low-velocity impact crater."
Should the team turn up conclusive evidence of an asteroid or comet on a later expedition, when they obtain a deeper core sample beneath the lake, remaining mysteries surrounding the Tunguska event may be solved.
The findings are detailed in this month's online version of the journal Terra Nova.
Submerged evidence
During a 1999 expedition, Longo's team didn't plan to investigate Lake Cheko as an impact crater, but rather to look for meteoroid dust in its submerged sediments. While sonar-scanning the lake's topography, they were struck by its cone-like features.
"Expeditions in the 1960s concluded the lake was not an impact crater, but their technologies were limited," Longo said. With the advent of better sonar and computer technologies, he explained, the lake took shape.
Going a step further, Longo's team dove to the bottom and took 6-foot core samples, revealing fresh mud-like sediment on top of "chaotic deposits" beneath. Still, Longo explained the samples are inconclusive of a meteorite impact.
"To really find out if this is an impact crater," Long said, "we need a core sample 10 meters (33 feet) into the bottom" in order to investigate a spot where the team detected a "reflecting" anomaly with their seismic instruments. They think this could be where the ground was compacted by an impact or where part of the meteorite itself lays: The object, if found, could be more than 30 feet in diameter and weigh almost 1,700 tons-the weight of about 42 fully-loaded semi-trailers.
Caution for now
From a UFO crash to a wandering black hole, wild (and wildly unsupported) explanations for the Tunguska event have been proposed. Alan Harris, a planetary scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said the proposal by Longo's team isn't one of them.
"I was impressed by their work and I don't think it's something you can wave off," said Harris, who was not involved in the research.
Longo and his team "are among the recognized authorities on Tunguska" in the world, Harris told SPACE.com. "It would be thrilling to dig up chunks of the meteor body, if they can manage to. It would lay the question to rest whether or not Tunguska was a comet or asteroid."
Some researchers, however, are less confident in the team's conclusions.
"We know from the entry physics that the largest and most energetic objects penetrate deepest," said David Morrison, an astronomer with NASA's Ames Research Center. That only a fragment of the main explosion reached the ground and made a relatively small crater, without creating a larger main crater, seems contradictory to Morrison.
Harris agreed that physics could work against Longo's explanation, but did note that similar events-with impact craters-have been documented all over the world.
"In 1947, the Russian Sikhote-Alin meteorite created 100 small craters. Some were 20 meters (66 feet) across," Harris said. A site in Poland also exists, he explained, where a large meteor exploded and created a series of small lakes. "If the fragment was traveling slowly enough, there's actually a good chance (Longo's team) will unearth some meteorite material," Harris said.
Longo's team plans to return to Lake Cheko next summer, close to the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska Event. "This is important work because we can make better conclusions about how cosmic bodies impact the Earth, and what they're made of," Longo said. "And it could help us find ways to protect our planet from future impacts of this kind."
MP3 DUPLICATE FINDER 6-27-07
How many of you have thousands and thousands of mp3 and wma files on your computer you have downloaded from popular internet sites like napster or kazaa. Im sure alot of you do just like myself. And I am sure a lot of you have your files in many different folders and have moved them or renamed several times for some reason or another. And in return I bet you have lost somefiles and have multiple copies of the same song. How many copies do you really need?
Well Abeetech Duplicate Finder is designed to help you clean up your music mess.
The purpose of this program is to find all the duplicates of music on your computer and remove all the useless files from the hard drive. Unlike many other programs for duplicate files search, this program works specifically with mp3, wma, ogg and m4a files. This allows using specific methods for duplicates detection. While most of universal duplicates finders use such criteria as file size and file name, this program uses the artist name and title of the composition from ID3 tag for comparison. If the mp3 file doesn't have filled tags, the program tries to determine such information from the file name. This program can find either mp3 files with completely equal tags or with similar but not exactly equal tags. You can have a lot of remixes and variations of any song or any song can be performed by various artists. This program will help you detect all these mp3 files and decide what you want to do with them - leave it, delete it or move it to another place.
If you are using iTunes and(or) iPod you can try this program for cleaning your collection from duplicates. It will help you to easily find and remove any duplicate song(s), TV shows, movies, podcasts and dead links. It also provides a very rich set of selection criteria for identifying duplicates and originals. The program can be run manually or scheduled and provides an auto-clean feature for automatic cleaning. The new version has ~100x faster processing.
But, you must understand that Mp3 Duplicates Finder can find duplicate mp3's only if your files has filled ID3-tags. If the tags are empty and file names
are not informative(for example track01,track02 etc.) the program will not detect duplicates correctly among such files.
Check out the Duplicates Finder website today to check out more cool features and screen shots. And if you are interested in the software you can download Duplicates Finder and start duplicating in seconds.
Well Abeetech Duplicate Finder is designed to help you clean up your music mess.
The purpose of this program is to find all the duplicates of music on your computer and remove all the useless files from the hard drive. Unlike many other programs for duplicate files search, this program works specifically with mp3, wma, ogg and m4a files. This allows using specific methods for duplicates detection. While most of universal duplicates finders use such criteria as file size and file name, this program uses the artist name and title of the composition from ID3 tag for comparison. If the mp3 file doesn't have filled tags, the program tries to determine such information from the file name. This program can find either mp3 files with completely equal tags or with similar but not exactly equal tags. You can have a lot of remixes and variations of any song or any song can be performed by various artists. This program will help you detect all these mp3 files and decide what you want to do with them - leave it, delete it or move it to another place.
If you are using iTunes and(or) iPod you can try this program for cleaning your collection from duplicates. It will help you to easily find and remove any duplicate song(s), TV shows, movies, podcasts and dead links. It also provides a very rich set of selection criteria for identifying duplicates and originals. The program can be run manually or scheduled and provides an auto-clean feature for automatic cleaning. The new version has ~100x faster processing.
But, you must understand that Mp3 Duplicates Finder can find duplicate mp3's only if your files has filled ID3-tags. If the tags are empty and file names
are not informative(for example track01,track02 etc.) the program will not detect duplicates correctly among such files.
Check out the Duplicates Finder website today to check out more cool features and screen shots. And if you are interested in the software you can download Duplicates Finder and start duplicating in seconds.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
RED WHITE AND BOOM 6-26-07
Welcome to Red, White and BOOM!
The biggest and best Independence Day fireworks celebration in the Midwest will be fired from Washington Boulevard between Broad Street and Town Street in downtown Columbus, Ohio. This year's show will be bigger than ever with an incredible Grand Finale presented by Marathon! Tune in to NBC 4 and WNCI 97.9 for LIVE coverage of the Red, White, & BOOM! festivities starting at 9 p.m. and concluding at 11 p.m. Simulcast of the WNCI 97.9 specially produced soundtrack will be covered on NBC 4 and WNCI 97.9 at 10 p.m. Be sure to bring your radio!
EVENT SCHEDULE
10 a.m. Germain Motor Company's BOOM! Central
hosted by WNCI 97.9 opens
11 a.m. Food and novelty concessions open
on Civic Center Drive
12 p.m. Macy's Childrens Park presented by COSI and
Columbia Gas opens at Batelle Riverfront Park
Entertainment begins at Bicentennial Stage
4 p.m. Taste of BOOM! presented by Miller Lite and
sponsored by Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi
and Mike's Hard Lemonade opens
5 p.m. Germain Motor Company's BOOM! Central
hosted by NBC 4 opens
6 p.m. Ohio Air National Guard flyover
Red, White & BOOM! Parade presented by AEP
and supported by the Office of Attorney General
Marc Dann begins on Front St.
Macy's Children's Park closes
9:45 p.m. Flag Lowering at Columbia Gas
9:55 p.m. Moment of silence
10 p.m. FIREWORKS! with Grand Finale
presented by Marathon
Live coverage of fireworks on NBC 4 and 97.9 WNCI
10:30 p.m. Entertainment resumes on Bicentennial stage
and Taste of BOOM! stage
Taste of BOOM!
Enjoy live music and great food from 4 p.m. 'til midnight on Nationwide Boulevard during Taste of BOOM!, presented by Miller Lite and sponsored by Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi and Mike's Hard Lemonade
The biggest and best Independence Day fireworks celebration in the Midwest will be fired from Washington Boulevard between Broad Street and Town Street in downtown Columbus, Ohio. This year's show will be bigger than ever with an incredible Grand Finale presented by Marathon! Tune in to NBC 4 and WNCI 97.9 for LIVE coverage of the Red, White, & BOOM! festivities starting at 9 p.m. and concluding at 11 p.m. Simulcast of the WNCI 97.9 specially produced soundtrack will be covered on NBC 4 and WNCI 97.9 at 10 p.m. Be sure to bring your radio!
EVENT SCHEDULE
10 a.m. Germain Motor Company's BOOM! Central
hosted by WNCI 97.9 opens
11 a.m. Food and novelty concessions open
on Civic Center Drive
12 p.m. Macy's Childrens Park presented by COSI and
Columbia Gas opens at Batelle Riverfront Park
Entertainment begins at Bicentennial Stage
4 p.m. Taste of BOOM! presented by Miller Lite and
sponsored by Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi
and Mike's Hard Lemonade opens
5 p.m. Germain Motor Company's BOOM! Central
hosted by NBC 4 opens
6 p.m. Ohio Air National Guard flyover
Red, White & BOOM! Parade presented by AEP
and supported by the Office of Attorney General
Marc Dann begins on Front St.
Macy's Children's Park closes
9:45 p.m. Flag Lowering at Columbia Gas
9:55 p.m. Moment of silence
10 p.m. FIREWORKS! with Grand Finale
presented by Marathon
Live coverage of fireworks on NBC 4 and 97.9 WNCI
10:30 p.m. Entertainment resumes on Bicentennial stage
and Taste of BOOM! stage
Taste of BOOM!
Enjoy live music and great food from 4 p.m. 'til midnight on Nationwide Boulevard during Taste of BOOM!, presented by Miller Lite and sponsored by Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi and Mike's Hard Lemonade
STAR WARS TV SERIES 6-26-07
Star Wars series to run and runGeorge Lucas has been working on the fourth Indiana JonesThe TV series spin-off of the Stars Wars film franchise will run to at least 100 episodes, according to producer Rick McCallum.He told BBC Radio 1 the writing team would soon be meeting to start on the project, which would begin filming in 2008 and be ready the same year."Hopefully if we can make it work and everybody's excited and watches it we will keep on going," said McCallum.The series will be set between episodes three and four of the film saga.It would cover the 20 years in the life of Luke Skywalker growing up that remains a mystery to most film-goers.McCallum said there would be "a whole bunch of new characters" and the series would be "much more dramatic and darker".Huge franchiseHe added that it was unlikely any of the stars of the movies would be involved in the TV series.Star Wars creator George Lucas has just completed writing the script for the next Indiana Jones film and will then begin work on Red Tails, about African-American pilots in World War II.Following completion of that film, work will begin on the Star Wars TV series.There has already been a Star Wars series spin-off in the shape of the animated Clone Wars, which began as three-minute episodes before they were expanded to 30-minute shows.Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, released in 2005, marked the end of the end of the Star Wars saga on the big screen.It became the biggest film franchise in history, with the final film alone taking £500m at the box office outside of the US.
ENEMEY TERRITORY: QUAKE WARS 6-26-07
Playing the Game: An IntroductionPosted in Game Guides
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars(TM) is the ultimate strategic shooter: an objective-driven, class-based First Person Shooter set in the Quake universe. In the battle for planet Earth, you must choose your side and your role in the battle.
The two playable armies in Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars are distinct from one another, creating a totally unique gameplay experience based on which allegiance you select.
The Strogg: An invading force with a single goal, to destroy humanity via Stroggification, and the advanced technology and weapons to accomplish it.
The Global Defense Force (GDF): Earth's only line of defense, set out to protect their home and her inhabitants with their military arsenal.
On each side, you must choose what role you want to play on the battlefield. Every mission and objective requires different capabilities and the best players do specific jobs to help their team reach ultimate victory.
Welcome to Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars. The greatest war ever fought awaits you. This first installment of Playing the Game should help prepare you for what is to come.
Limbo Menu
When you enter a game of Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, you will reach the Limbo Menu. The Limbo Menu is where you select your:
Army: Strogg or GDF
Class: See below for details
Spawn point
Weapon loadout (in certain instances only)
GDF Classes
Soldier - Skilled with heavy weapons and explosives, the Soldier is your basic assault unit. He is best-suited for attacking roles or defending teammates while they complete key objectives.
Medic - In addition to providing med packs to soldiers on the front line, medics can also revive unconscious combatants. The Medic is a key supporting class, attacking any threats, but mainly maintaining the health of his teammates.
Engineer - With the ability to repair vehicles, construct objectives, and deploy base defenses, the Engineer is a key member of any fire team and often required to complete mission objectives.
Field Ops - The Field Ops can provide ammunition to the other classes as well as being the only class capable of using of long-range bombardment deployables.
Covert Ops - These elite operatives are able to use long-ranged sniper rifles and to gather advanced intelligence on the enemy. Often critical to mission objectives, Covert Ops can also hack Strogg technology to serve GDF needs.
Strogg Classes
Aggressor - Wielding the Obliterator, the Aggressor is the Strogg's powerful invader attacking the GDF forces all over the battlefield.
Technician - Technicians offer their invading cohorts much-needed Stroyent for health and ammo. In addition, they can create new spawn points for their teammates by using the fallen GDF bodies.
Constructor - Armed with advanced Strogg technology, Constructors can deploy landmines, turrets and even repair drones, which automatically seek out and repair vehicles and deployables.
Oppressor - In the face of strong GDF forces, the Oppressor can uniquely target and activate Strogg plasma cannons in planetary orbit for powerful strikes from above.
Infiltrator - Specially-programmed Strogg units, Infiltrators carry the deadly long-range Railgun. In addition, Infiltrators can disguise themselves as GDF soldiers to gain access to GDF bases and systems.
Objectives
Once you have deployed to the battlefield, you will be presented with different objectives based on your team's overall mission. These objectives will be listed in the top-left corner of your HUD.
While objectives vary from mission to mission, they can include:
BUILD IT - Bridges and base defenses are necessary to reach new objectives and to help capture and hold territory.
DEPLOY IT - Mobile Command Posts can be brought to the front lines and establish a new central HQ. This central HQ acts as a hub for all team logistics from that point forward.
HACK IT - The Covert Ops can utilize their specialized training to hack into and defeat Strogg defenses, allowing GDF forces to bypass and assault Strogg emplacements.
DESTROY IT - High Explosive charges are carried into the front line, primed, timed, and attached to the target objective.
In order to complete most objectives, you will need to use your class-specific capability. This capability can be found among your weapon selections. For example, Engineers have a 'Build' tool, whereas Covert Ops have a 'Hack' tool which you will need to use.
In addition, you will be designated specific assignments based on your class and your team's intelligence. These Solo Assignments are also displayed on your HUD. Helping your team complete the primary objective often means, diverting attention to take care of specific obstacles. That's where Solo Assignments come into play.
Finally, each mission in Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars represents a different key battle in the Strogg invasion of planet Earth. Some missions put the Strogg on the offensive while others put the GDF on the offensive. When playing defense, your team's goal is to prevent the opposition from accomplishing their objectives. Each time they complete one, your team will need to fall back, regroup, and work to prevent further losses.
Vehicles
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars puts the most advanced, powerful vehicles on the battlefield. Whether speeding down roads mowing down enemies, flying above firing missiles, or carrying teammates across waters, vehicles play a critical role in the battle.
We will have much more detail on vehicles in articles to come, but here are a few examples of the arsenal at your disposal.
Select GDF Vehicles:
Anansi - This vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft has wing mounted missile racks, a nose mounted anti-infantry cannon, and the latest in afterburner technology. Seats 2.
Armadillo - The terrain is rough and you need a way to get there. That's where the Armadillo comes in, capable of handling the most rugged terrain. Also has a rear mounted machine-gun. Seats 3.
Titan - The battle tank. Bearing down on enemies, when the Titan enters the fray, the battle gets a whole lot more serious. Seats 2.
Select Strogg Vehicles:
Icarus - A single-player anti-grav pack, the Icarus enables troops with extremely high mobility, allowing low-altitude hovering. Seats 1.
Tormentor - Relying on ground-effect anti-gravity repulsors to stay aloft, the Tormentor is extremely agile and fast, making it a serious threat from above. Seats 2.
Cyclops - The Cyclops is the ultimate mechanized walker. A colossal threat on the battlefield, the Cyclops has the most powerful weapons in the Strogg arsenal. Seats 1.
Although we have only scratched the surface of playing Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, we hope that you are ready to enlist in the great battle for planet Earth. Keep an eye out for more articles and updates.
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars(TM) is the ultimate strategic shooter: an objective-driven, class-based First Person Shooter set in the Quake universe. In the battle for planet Earth, you must choose your side and your role in the battle.
The two playable armies in Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars are distinct from one another, creating a totally unique gameplay experience based on which allegiance you select.
The Strogg: An invading force with a single goal, to destroy humanity via Stroggification, and the advanced technology and weapons to accomplish it.
The Global Defense Force (GDF): Earth's only line of defense, set out to protect their home and her inhabitants with their military arsenal.
On each side, you must choose what role you want to play on the battlefield. Every mission and objective requires different capabilities and the best players do specific jobs to help their team reach ultimate victory.
Welcome to Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars. The greatest war ever fought awaits you. This first installment of Playing the Game should help prepare you for what is to come.
Limbo Menu
When you enter a game of Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, you will reach the Limbo Menu. The Limbo Menu is where you select your:
Army: Strogg or GDF
Class: See below for details
Spawn point
Weapon loadout (in certain instances only)
GDF Classes
Soldier - Skilled with heavy weapons and explosives, the Soldier is your basic assault unit. He is best-suited for attacking roles or defending teammates while they complete key objectives.
Medic - In addition to providing med packs to soldiers on the front line, medics can also revive unconscious combatants. The Medic is a key supporting class, attacking any threats, but mainly maintaining the health of his teammates.
Engineer - With the ability to repair vehicles, construct objectives, and deploy base defenses, the Engineer is a key member of any fire team and often required to complete mission objectives.
Field Ops - The Field Ops can provide ammunition to the other classes as well as being the only class capable of using of long-range bombardment deployables.
Covert Ops - These elite operatives are able to use long-ranged sniper rifles and to gather advanced intelligence on the enemy. Often critical to mission objectives, Covert Ops can also hack Strogg technology to serve GDF needs.
Strogg Classes
Aggressor - Wielding the Obliterator, the Aggressor is the Strogg's powerful invader attacking the GDF forces all over the battlefield.
Technician - Technicians offer their invading cohorts much-needed Stroyent for health and ammo. In addition, they can create new spawn points for their teammates by using the fallen GDF bodies.
Constructor - Armed with advanced Strogg technology, Constructors can deploy landmines, turrets and even repair drones, which automatically seek out and repair vehicles and deployables.
Oppressor - In the face of strong GDF forces, the Oppressor can uniquely target and activate Strogg plasma cannons in planetary orbit for powerful strikes from above.
Infiltrator - Specially-programmed Strogg units, Infiltrators carry the deadly long-range Railgun. In addition, Infiltrators can disguise themselves as GDF soldiers to gain access to GDF bases and systems.
Objectives
Once you have deployed to the battlefield, you will be presented with different objectives based on your team's overall mission. These objectives will be listed in the top-left corner of your HUD.
While objectives vary from mission to mission, they can include:
BUILD IT - Bridges and base defenses are necessary to reach new objectives and to help capture and hold territory.
DEPLOY IT - Mobile Command Posts can be brought to the front lines and establish a new central HQ. This central HQ acts as a hub for all team logistics from that point forward.
HACK IT - The Covert Ops can utilize their specialized training to hack into and defeat Strogg defenses, allowing GDF forces to bypass and assault Strogg emplacements.
DESTROY IT - High Explosive charges are carried into the front line, primed, timed, and attached to the target objective.
In order to complete most objectives, you will need to use your class-specific capability. This capability can be found among your weapon selections. For example, Engineers have a 'Build' tool, whereas Covert Ops have a 'Hack' tool which you will need to use.
In addition, you will be designated specific assignments based on your class and your team's intelligence. These Solo Assignments are also displayed on your HUD. Helping your team complete the primary objective often means, diverting attention to take care of specific obstacles. That's where Solo Assignments come into play.
Finally, each mission in Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars represents a different key battle in the Strogg invasion of planet Earth. Some missions put the Strogg on the offensive while others put the GDF on the offensive. When playing defense, your team's goal is to prevent the opposition from accomplishing their objectives. Each time they complete one, your team will need to fall back, regroup, and work to prevent further losses.
Vehicles
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars puts the most advanced, powerful vehicles on the battlefield. Whether speeding down roads mowing down enemies, flying above firing missiles, or carrying teammates across waters, vehicles play a critical role in the battle.
We will have much more detail on vehicles in articles to come, but here are a few examples of the arsenal at your disposal.
Select GDF Vehicles:
Anansi - This vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft has wing mounted missile racks, a nose mounted anti-infantry cannon, and the latest in afterburner technology. Seats 2.
Armadillo - The terrain is rough and you need a way to get there. That's where the Armadillo comes in, capable of handling the most rugged terrain. Also has a rear mounted machine-gun. Seats 3.
Titan - The battle tank. Bearing down on enemies, when the Titan enters the fray, the battle gets a whole lot more serious. Seats 2.
Select Strogg Vehicles:
Icarus - A single-player anti-grav pack, the Icarus enables troops with extremely high mobility, allowing low-altitude hovering. Seats 1.
Tormentor - Relying on ground-effect anti-gravity repulsors to stay aloft, the Tormentor is extremely agile and fast, making it a serious threat from above. Seats 2.
Cyclops - The Cyclops is the ultimate mechanized walker. A colossal threat on the battlefield, the Cyclops has the most powerful weapons in the Strogg arsenal. Seats 1.
Although we have only scratched the surface of playing Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, we hope that you are ready to enlist in the great battle for planet Earth. Keep an eye out for more articles and updates.
TERMINATOR 4 AND MORE 6-26-07
Terminator Will Be Back, Without Arnold
The Terminator is making good on its coming-back word. The Governator, not so much.
The Halcyon Company has announced plans to revive the cyborg-battling movie series with at least three more films, after the production company purchased all rights to the dormant franchise for an undisclosed, though likely eight-figure, sum.
But while Halcyon founders Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson are looking to begin preproduction on Terminator 4 as soon as possible, they will do so without a leading man. Or man-machine.
Plot details for the fourth film have been kept under tight wraps, though are said to pick up with John Connor, heir to the rebellion, in his thirties, leading the remainder of the human race in its ever-worsening battle against the machines. As the film will mark the beginning of a new trilogy, rather than a continuation of the previous three installments, its unlikely that the Terminator himself,
Arnold Schwarzenegger, will even take part in the film reinvention, other than perhaps a cameo.
Of course, there are other reasons why the Ah-nuld won't be featured on the big screen. He has a bit of a schedule conflict due to matters of a more gubernatorial nature.
T4 has already been fast-tracked for production, with Halcyon looking to get the installment in theaters by summer 2009. As it is, Schwarzenegger will be leading the state of California through 2011.
While a spokeswoman for the governor asserts that "no law says he couldn't" star in the reimagined flick if he wanted to, the project was nonetheless "not even on his radar."
Still, the franchise's new minders aren't worried about extending the brand beyond Arnie.
"With T3, we included many incidental details and plot points that, along with the ain narrative, set the stage for an entirely new set of inter-related stories covering the future adventures of John Connor and the Terminators," producer Moritz Borman said. "This new Terminator trilogy will build upon the already huge worldwide Terminator fan base, which was both revitalized and expanded with the global success of T3."
In fact, T3, along with T2 and, well, plain old T, have grossed just over $1 billion worldwide since Terminator was first released in 1984.
"The Terminator franchise represents by far the most popular and successful franchise not owned by a major studio," Kubicek said. "We see this global franchise as a cornerstone of Halcyon's future business plans."
A very large cornerstone.
In addition to the big-screen cyborg saga, the company snapped up all future merchandising and licensing rights to the franchise, future revenue generated by T3: Rise of the Machines and a portion of the rights to an almost guaranteed TV series based on the films.
Warner Bros. has already filmed a pilot for The
Sarah Connor Chronicles, an hourlong show based around the Terminator character and mythology surrounding the movies. According to Variety, Fox has already expressed interest in the project, and could opt to pick up the series at next week's upfronts, when the fall prime-time schedules are unveiled.
The Terminator is making good on its coming-back word. The Governator, not so much.
The Halcyon Company has announced plans to revive the cyborg-battling movie series with at least three more films, after the production company purchased all rights to the dormant franchise for an undisclosed, though likely eight-figure, sum.
But while Halcyon founders Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson are looking to begin preproduction on Terminator 4 as soon as possible, they will do so without a leading man. Or man-machine.
Plot details for the fourth film have been kept under tight wraps, though are said to pick up with John Connor, heir to the rebellion, in his thirties, leading the remainder of the human race in its ever-worsening battle against the machines. As the film will mark the beginning of a new trilogy, rather than a continuation of the previous three installments, its unlikely that the Terminator himself,
Arnold Schwarzenegger, will even take part in the film reinvention, other than perhaps a cameo.
Of course, there are other reasons why the Ah-nuld won't be featured on the big screen. He has a bit of a schedule conflict due to matters of a more gubernatorial nature.
T4 has already been fast-tracked for production, with Halcyon looking to get the installment in theaters by summer 2009. As it is, Schwarzenegger will be leading the state of California through 2011.
While a spokeswoman for the governor asserts that "no law says he couldn't" star in the reimagined flick if he wanted to, the project was nonetheless "not even on his radar."
Still, the franchise's new minders aren't worried about extending the brand beyond Arnie.
"With T3, we included many incidental details and plot points that, along with the ain narrative, set the stage for an entirely new set of inter-related stories covering the future adventures of John Connor and the Terminators," producer Moritz Borman said. "This new Terminator trilogy will build upon the already huge worldwide Terminator fan base, which was both revitalized and expanded with the global success of T3."
In fact, T3, along with T2 and, well, plain old T, have grossed just over $1 billion worldwide since Terminator was first released in 1984.
"The Terminator franchise represents by far the most popular and successful franchise not owned by a major studio," Kubicek said. "We see this global franchise as a cornerstone of Halcyon's future business plans."
A very large cornerstone.
In addition to the big-screen cyborg saga, the company snapped up all future merchandising and licensing rights to the franchise, future revenue generated by T3: Rise of the Machines and a portion of the rights to an almost guaranteed TV series based on the films.
Warner Bros. has already filmed a pilot for The
Sarah Connor Chronicles, an hourlong show based around the Terminator character and mythology surrounding the movies. According to Variety, Fox has already expressed interest in the project, and could opt to pick up the series at next week's upfronts, when the fall prime-time schedules are unveiled.
JAW INJURY FOR HOT DOG EATER 6-26-07
TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese man who set a world record by wolfing down dozens of hot dogs within minutes has suffered a severe jaw injury due to his rigorous training, making his next title uncertain.
Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi said he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip after being diagnosed with jaw arthritis.
In an entry on his blog entitled "Occupational hazard," Kobayashi said: "My jaw refused to fight any more."
The injury occurred only a week after the slender 29-year-old started training to win his seventh straight title at the annual July 4 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating event on New York's Coney Island.
"I feel ashamed that I couldn't notice the alarm bells set off by my own body," he said. "But with the goal to win another title with a new record, I couldn't stop my training so close to the competition.
"I was continuing my training and bearing with the pain but finally I destroyed my jaw."
Kobayashi, who has become a niche celebrity in Japan and the United States, had already halted his competitive eating activities for several months due to mourning after his mother's death earlier this year.
But he said he still wanted to go to the competition in New York.
"I want to be the pride of my mother," he said in the blog entry posted Sunday.
Last year, Kobayashi put down a world-record 53 and three-quarters hot dogs in just 12 minutes.
In addition to the Nathan's Famous titles, he holds world records for scoffing cows' brains and rice balls.
In 2004, he founded the United Food Fighters Organisation in hopes of making people take competitive eating seriously as a sport.
Despite Japanese people's reputation as moderate eaters, Kobayashi helped to turn competitive eating into a television sensation with "food fighters" downing everything from sushi to cakes.
But Japanese television began to shy away from such contests after a 14-year-old junior high school student choked to death in 2002 trying to imitate competitive eating during school lunch.
Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi said he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip after being diagnosed with jaw arthritis.
In an entry on his blog entitled "Occupational hazard," Kobayashi said: "My jaw refused to fight any more."
The injury occurred only a week after the slender 29-year-old started training to win his seventh straight title at the annual July 4 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating event on New York's Coney Island.
"I feel ashamed that I couldn't notice the alarm bells set off by my own body," he said. "But with the goal to win another title with a new record, I couldn't stop my training so close to the competition.
"I was continuing my training and bearing with the pain but finally I destroyed my jaw."
Kobayashi, who has become a niche celebrity in Japan and the United States, had already halted his competitive eating activities for several months due to mourning after his mother's death earlier this year.
But he said he still wanted to go to the competition in New York.
"I want to be the pride of my mother," he said in the blog entry posted Sunday.
Last year, Kobayashi put down a world-record 53 and three-quarters hot dogs in just 12 minutes.
In addition to the Nathan's Famous titles, he holds world records for scoffing cows' brains and rice balls.
In 2004, he founded the United Food Fighters Organisation in hopes of making people take competitive eating seriously as a sport.
Despite Japanese people's reputation as moderate eaters, Kobayashi helped to turn competitive eating into a television sensation with "food fighters" downing everything from sushi to cakes.
But Japanese television began to shy away from such contests after a 14-year-old junior high school student choked to death in 2002 trying to imitate competitive eating during school lunch.
TRANSFORMERS 6-26-07
Michael Bay brings giant robots to life in 'Transformers' and makes Josh Duhamel macho, plus casting news
June 26, 2007
After fielding the first few questions at his "Transformers" press conference, director Michael Bay began to wear a slight smile. Bay has rarely been the darling of critics or journalists, and it's not only because some of his previous films ("Armageddon," "Bad Boys," "Pearl Harbor") were designed for the masses but also because there's been a continuously growing legend about his arrogant antics on set. Although Bay must have expected to defend his choices and methods on "Transformers" during the press conference, his smile seemed to indicate that he realized the critics actually liked his movie.
Conceived as a Hasbro toy line in 1984, Transformers became well known to children as a result of the animated TV series of the same name. The intensely popular franchise even spawned an animated feature titled "Transformers: The Movie" in 1986. However, fans always dreamed of seeing adversaries Optimus Prime and Megatron battle it out in a live-action movie. More than 20 years after the toy line's debut, Hasbro has teamed up with DreamWorks and producer Steven Spielberg to make that dream come true. And who, other than Spielberg himself, was best able to bring the robots to life than Michael Bay? The filmmaker recalls getting a phone call from Spielberg telling him "Transformers" was essentially a story about a boy who buys his first car only to find out it's a living robot.
"I hung up and said, 'Thank you, I'm not doing that stupid, silly toy movie,'" Bay says. "But [the more] I thought about it, the hook was great because that's such a launching ground from a young adult into manhood or womanhood. I kept having this image of this kid trying to hide robots from his parents by his house. So, to me that was the whole charm of it."
Obviously not initially a fan of the toys, Bay went to what he describes as "Transformers school" at Hasbro, after which he says, "I quickly became probably one of the bigger Transformer fans in the world, and I tried to make this movie for non-Transformer fans."
What makes "Transformers" more entertaining than this past May's triumvirate of disappointing blockbusters aren't the dramatic scenes performed by flesh-and-blood actors Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox but those with the robots themselves. The special effects by Industrial Light and Magic are pure eye candy and the battles provide one crowd-pleasing moment after another. Still, Bay admits it took a long time to get there.
"Let me tell you, these robots didn't come out good at first. It was not all peaches and cream at ILM," Bay says. "There were a lot of angry phone calls like, 'We have to do better. We have to do better.' They thought they were settling on something and I was like, 'Nope. This is unacceptable.' I just kept pushing them and pushing them and pushing them."
Fans will no doubt be thrilled Bay didn't settle, but he admits the constant refrain of complaints about this change or that modification affected him.
"I did get a lot of flak from fans on the 'Net, like, 'Michael Bay, you've wrecked my childhood,'" he says. "The death threats [freaked me out], but I would listen to fans on the 'Net -- I really would. I would hear their comments, but I'm still going to make my movie and I'll still put flames on Optimus."
Ironically, if Bay doesn't direct the expected sequel, the always-unsatisfied hard-core fans will now be angry he's moved on. As always, it seems Michael Bay can only win at the box office.
June 26, 2007
After fielding the first few questions at his "Transformers" press conference, director Michael Bay began to wear a slight smile. Bay has rarely been the darling of critics or journalists, and it's not only because some of his previous films ("Armageddon," "Bad Boys," "Pearl Harbor") were designed for the masses but also because there's been a continuously growing legend about his arrogant antics on set. Although Bay must have expected to defend his choices and methods on "Transformers" during the press conference, his smile seemed to indicate that he realized the critics actually liked his movie.
Conceived as a Hasbro toy line in 1984, Transformers became well known to children as a result of the animated TV series of the same name. The intensely popular franchise even spawned an animated feature titled "Transformers: The Movie" in 1986. However, fans always dreamed of seeing adversaries Optimus Prime and Megatron battle it out in a live-action movie. More than 20 years after the toy line's debut, Hasbro has teamed up with DreamWorks and producer Steven Spielberg to make that dream come true. And who, other than Spielberg himself, was best able to bring the robots to life than Michael Bay? The filmmaker recalls getting a phone call from Spielberg telling him "Transformers" was essentially a story about a boy who buys his first car only to find out it's a living robot.
"I hung up and said, 'Thank you, I'm not doing that stupid, silly toy movie,'" Bay says. "But [the more] I thought about it, the hook was great because that's such a launching ground from a young adult into manhood or womanhood. I kept having this image of this kid trying to hide robots from his parents by his house. So, to me that was the whole charm of it."
Obviously not initially a fan of the toys, Bay went to what he describes as "Transformers school" at Hasbro, after which he says, "I quickly became probably one of the bigger Transformer fans in the world, and I tried to make this movie for non-Transformer fans."
What makes "Transformers" more entertaining than this past May's triumvirate of disappointing blockbusters aren't the dramatic scenes performed by flesh-and-blood actors Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox but those with the robots themselves. The special effects by Industrial Light and Magic are pure eye candy and the battles provide one crowd-pleasing moment after another. Still, Bay admits it took a long time to get there.
"Let me tell you, these robots didn't come out good at first. It was not all peaches and cream at ILM," Bay says. "There were a lot of angry phone calls like, 'We have to do better. We have to do better.' They thought they were settling on something and I was like, 'Nope. This is unacceptable.' I just kept pushing them and pushing them and pushing them."
Fans will no doubt be thrilled Bay didn't settle, but he admits the constant refrain of complaints about this change or that modification affected him.
"I did get a lot of flak from fans on the 'Net, like, 'Michael Bay, you've wrecked my childhood,'" he says. "The death threats [freaked me out], but I would listen to fans on the 'Net -- I really would. I would hear their comments, but I'm still going to make my movie and I'll still put flames on Optimus."
Ironically, if Bay doesn't direct the expected sequel, the always-unsatisfied hard-core fans will now be angry he's moved on. As always, it seems Michael Bay can only win at the box office.
JUST JUICE? 6-26-07
Way back when, juice used to be simple—you squeezed a piece of fruit and drank what squirted out. Now, with everything from natural organic nectars to fruity-sounding "nutraceutical" drinks crowding the shelves, taste and nutrition have become much more complicated.
Take fruit punch with 10 percent real fruit juice: the first three ingredients in one brand are water, high-fructose corn syrup and sugar—90 percent of the total product.
The first three ingredients in a 100-percent juice brand, on the other hand, are apple, grape and passion-fruit juices. Natural flavors (to replace the taste lost during pasteurization), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid (to maintain a shelf-stable pH) may round out the list. The 100-percent juice packs a punch of heart-healthy potassium, absent in the 10-percent version.
Of course the best choice for health is to enjoy the whole fruit, which gives you beneficial fiber and myriad other nutrients otherwise tossed out with the pulp.
Take fruit punch with 10 percent real fruit juice: the first three ingredients in one brand are water, high-fructose corn syrup and sugar—90 percent of the total product.
The first three ingredients in a 100-percent juice brand, on the other hand, are apple, grape and passion-fruit juices. Natural flavors (to replace the taste lost during pasteurization), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid (to maintain a shelf-stable pH) may round out the list. The 100-percent juice packs a punch of heart-healthy potassium, absent in the 10-percent version.
Of course the best choice for health is to enjoy the whole fruit, which gives you beneficial fiber and myriad other nutrients otherwise tossed out with the pulp.
IS IT STILL CHEESE? 6-26-07
Is It Still Cheese?
Leave a slice of American cheese on a windowsill and after weeks it will dry, darken in color and curl. But rarely will it mold. Individually wrapped orange cheese slices melt smoothly on burgers and taste great straight from the package, but in most cases these soft slivers of heaven aren't technically "cheese" at all. More likely, they fall under the title of "pasteurized process cheese," "pasteurized process cheese product" or "pasteurized process cheese food."
Regular cheese, like Cheddar, for example, is made by heating milk, stirring in enzymes and cultures, separating the curds from the whey, salting and knitting the curds into a block or wheel to age. Pasteurized process cheese, on the other hand, is a mixture of already-made cheeses that are reheated, blended together, pasteurized and mixed with an emulsifier to provide a uniform texture, mild taste, smooth mouthfeel and the consistent melt that many people love.
Food technologists can lower the fat and then add flavor back in or create a variety of textures and tastes. Often, these "light" cheeses have less fat and fewer calories than regular cheese because they contain less actual cheese, more moisture and other additions. But with up to 20 ingredients, not to mention layers of extra processing, this "cheese" is far from its milky roots.
A small piece of true cheese offers much more flavor and satisfaction than a larger serving of processed cheese, which is why you don't need as much, says Max McCalman, author of Cheese, A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best. "If I'm hungry I'll eat the fake stuff if that's all I have, but even my daughter's dog knows the difference: he's thrilled to eat the rinds of real cheese, but if it's a processed cheese slice he often won't finish it."
Leave a slice of American cheese on a windowsill and after weeks it will dry, darken in color and curl. But rarely will it mold. Individually wrapped orange cheese slices melt smoothly on burgers and taste great straight from the package, but in most cases these soft slivers of heaven aren't technically "cheese" at all. More likely, they fall under the title of "pasteurized process cheese," "pasteurized process cheese product" or "pasteurized process cheese food."
Regular cheese, like Cheddar, for example, is made by heating milk, stirring in enzymes and cultures, separating the curds from the whey, salting and knitting the curds into a block or wheel to age. Pasteurized process cheese, on the other hand, is a mixture of already-made cheeses that are reheated, blended together, pasteurized and mixed with an emulsifier to provide a uniform texture, mild taste, smooth mouthfeel and the consistent melt that many people love.
Food technologists can lower the fat and then add flavor back in or create a variety of textures and tastes. Often, these "light" cheeses have less fat and fewer calories than regular cheese because they contain less actual cheese, more moisture and other additions. But with up to 20 ingredients, not to mention layers of extra processing, this "cheese" is far from its milky roots.
A small piece of true cheese offers much more flavor and satisfaction than a larger serving of processed cheese, which is why you don't need as much, says Max McCalman, author of Cheese, A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best. "If I'm hungry I'll eat the fake stuff if that's all I have, but even my daughter's dog knows the difference: he's thrilled to eat the rinds of real cheese, but if it's a processed cheese slice he often won't finish it."
PRO-WRESTLER FOUND DEAD 6-26-07
Pro wrestler Chris Benoit, wife and son found dead
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and son were found dead Monday and police said they were investigating the deaths as a homicide.
Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said the three were found at their home about 2:30 p.m., but refused to release details.
Pope said results of autopsies on Benoit, his wife Nancy, and 7-year-old son Daniel were expected Tuesday.
Benoit, 40, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career.
"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy," the federation said in a statement on its Web site.
Benoit was scheduled to perform at the "Vengeance" pay-per-view event Sunday night in Houston, but was replaced at the last minute because of what announcer Jim Ross called "personal reasons."
Benoit, a Canadian native, maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling.
The WWE canceled its live "Monday Night RAW" card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and son were found dead Monday and police said they were investigating the deaths as a homicide.
Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said the three were found at their home about 2:30 p.m., but refused to release details.
Pope said results of autopsies on Benoit, his wife Nancy, and 7-year-old son Daniel were expected Tuesday.
Benoit, 40, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career.
"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy," the federation said in a statement on its Web site.
Benoit was scheduled to perform at the "Vengeance" pay-per-view event Sunday night in Houston, but was replaced at the last minute because of what announcer Jim Ross called "personal reasons."
Benoit, a Canadian native, maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling.
The WWE canceled its live "Monday Night RAW" card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast.
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