It is a truth universally acknowledged that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Having accepted this information as fact I am always stunned by the offerings our food manufacturers seem to find appropriate in their efforts to get us to start the day with their products. With obesity levels heading towards infinity, why would anyone even invent a way to ingest high levels of saturated fat and sodium soon after waking? Take Jimmy Dean. Please. What idiot thought a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on a croissant was a good idea? With 45% of your daily intake of fat consumed by 9am what are you supposed to do the rest of the day? Chomp on lettuce and carrots? Not likely.
My experience with starting off on a less than nutritious note is that it signals the beginning of a terrible day. When I used to endure monthly breakfast meetings I handled the tray of pastries like a mouse with an eating disorder. First I’d pile on the fruit salad, thinking it would edge out all the other bad options. But then maybe just that mini blueberry scone and how about that tiny, baby cheese danish? It’s so cute! Then I’d finish the fruit and start picking at the two treats with my fingers, nibbling tiny little pieces as if I planned on leaving some left over, which I never did. By the end of the meeting the scone, danish and ½ a blueberry muffin that somehow found its way onto my plastic plate would have disappeared down my gullet and two hours later I was starving.
Now listen, I’m not some breakfast Nazi wielding an oatmeal coated wooden spoon. I’ve had my share of frosted raspberry Pop-Tarts and I’ve never met a slice of Entenmann’s Pecan Danish Ring I didn’t like. You don’t need me to pontificate on the evil chocolate(y) dripping fangs of Count Chocula or the blood glucose spiking 410 calories of a Mocha Coconut Frappucino. But recently two commercials have caused me to press pause on my DVR in disbelief.
I am as grumpy as the next person if I don’t have my morning cup of coffee and I completely appreciate taking pleasure in a big mug of joe. But despite my childhood obsession with General Foods International Coffees (they seemed so sophisticated!) the smell of fake flavorings makes me sick. And that’s why I can’t wrap my head around a new product that seems truly foul, Baileys Coffee Creamers. At first I assumed they were made to enhance after dinner coffees, assuming Baileys=after dinner drink. (The plural “coffees” makes me cringe, by the way.) But the commercial (click yellow link to watch) proved me wrong. A woman wakes up, makes her java and sits outside on her porch watching the sun come up with her hands wrapped around her steaming cup of non-alcoholic Irish coffee. Can you think of anything more disgusting? Who would want that taste to be their first of the day? Not to mention Baileys is a little creepy whether the sun is up or down. And why do people on TV always hold their hot drinks like they’re trying to warm their freezing hands? She’s only wearing a sweater so presumably it’s not that cold where she lives. And who has time in the morning to sit outside pondering the day?
Meanwhile, while this woman and her coffee seem to be enjoying a very leisurely start, another woman is busy trying to get her kids fed and off to school. Who knew it was so hard to find a child pleasing breakfast? Even my finicky nieces scarf down a toaster waffle (organic and whole-grain of course) or a bowl of Kashi Heart to Heart without a fuss. But this poor mom can’t think of any other way to get her children to eat other than to slather a piece of toast with Nutella. (She makes a point of using the word “multi-grain” as the bread is the only nutritionally valid part of her planned meal.) Click here to watch. I was so taken aback by the positioning of Nutella as a breakfast food for children that I just had to consult the jar I had in my cabinet. (Yes, I keep it on hand for when I want to make that decadent and totally delicious pound cake.) Okay, I kind of wish I hadn’t done that. The ingredients are sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, lecithin and vanillin (fake vanilla) and the suggested two tablespoon serving delivers 200 calories, 11 grams of fat and 21 grams of sugar. How’s that for a breakfast of champions?
But even more important was my Nutella…wake-up call. For some time now I’ve been a little turned off by the oily sheen that sits on the surface and it kind of freaks me out that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated if in fact it contains milk. Also, why does palm oil come before nuts if it is a hazelnut spread? That can’t be good. (Isn’t it funny that when hazelnuts are buried in a nut-mix they’re called filberts and are usually abandoned to rot at the bottom of the can with the despised, waxy Brazil nuts?) All of this was running through my mind the last time I dipped a Pretzel Crisp into my jar of Nutella (sweet and salty, the best combo) and led me to tackle the make-your-own chocolate-hazelnut paste printed last March in the Times. It is so easy and truly sublime: the semi-sweet chocolate enhances the nuts in a way cocoa just can’t compete. It’s more like true Italian gianduja and the texture is a little thicker than the stickier goo of Nutella. But what you lose in ooziness you gain in flavor—this spread is so rich and intense that I’m tempted to toss my Nutella into the trash. Or maybe I’ll just make one last pound cake. And nibble on a tiny slice for breakfast.
Not for Breakfast Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread
Adapted From The New York Times, March 15, 2011
Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients
1 cup skinless hazelnuts, toasted and cooled
4 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate (don't use chips, break up a large bar)
4 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon nut or vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Either in a microwave or double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together.
Transfer to measuring cup with a spout for future easy pouring.
Stir in vanilla, condensed milk and salt.

In bowl of food processor, pulse nuts until smooth, 3-5 minutes. (Really do it for that long unless you want a chunky spread).

Using chute of processor, add vegetable oil and then chocolate/butter mixture.
Transfer to a jar or plastic container and refrigerate.
Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Officially called Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, this small constitutional monarchy is nestled between France, Belgium and Germany. Luxembourg’s population of just over a half million reflects diverse cultural influences. German, French and Luxembourgish (which has similarities with both French and German dialects are the country’s official languages. Luxembourg is one of the founding members of the European Union. The capital city (and also the largest), Luxembourg, is home to several institutions and agencies of the European Union.

Passports & Visas

Passports are required to enter and leave Luxembourg. Visas are not required for US citizens for visits of less than 90 days. For longer visits, contact the nearest embassy.

Obtaining a US passport
The US Government Website is where to start.

Visa information
contact: The Consulate General of the Duchy of Luxembourg in New York

American Offices
Provides consular assistance to U.S. citizens
Luxembourg Embassy in the US

Luxembourg Tourist Information

Culture and History
Luxembourg in a Nutshell

Currency in Luxembourg
As part of the European Union, Luxembourg’s currency is the Euro (available in seven notes and eight coins). ATMS are available throughout Luxembourg, especially in more urban areas, and most machines accept debit cards bearing the Cirrus logo. Before you leave, be sure to call your local bank to find out if you can use your card in Luxembourg and if a special international PIN number is required to retrieve cash. All major credit cards are generally accepted for purchases made in Luxembourg. Banks in Luxembourg are typically open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with an hour off for lunch, and most are closed on weekends.

Driving in Luxembourg
For information on laws, speed limits and safety, see Driving in Luxembourg

Electricity in Luxembourg
Luxembourg operates on 220 volts electricity (as opposed to the United States, which uses 110 volts). Outlets take the continental two-round-pin plug (standard throughout Europe).

Emergency Numbers in Luxembourg
Medical emergency: 112
Fire: 44 22 44
Police: 113

Etiquette in Luxembourg
Meeting People: When meeting someone for the first time or upon arrival to a business meeting or social event, shake hands with everyone (men, women and children). Also shake hands when leaving. Good friends often kiss cheeks, one on each side (similar to France).

Body Language: Luxembourgers are friendly but personal space is to be respected. Do not put your hands in your pockets. Don217;t chew gum in public.

Dining: Punctuality is essential for most social occasions except evening dinners, for which you should plan to arrive 15 minutes later than what is stated on the invitation. When finished eating, place your knife and fork side by side on the plate. To quietly signify that you are not finished or that you would like more food, cross your knife and fork in the middle of your plate. It is considered impolite to leave food on one’s plate.

Gifts: When invited to someone’s home, always bring a gift 212; bouquets of flowers (not chrysanthemums), good bottles of liqueur, or chocolates 212; to the hostess.

In General: Remain aware of Luxembourg217;s individuality. Do not compare or lump the Luxembourgers together with the French, Belgians, or Germans.

Public Hours in Luxembourg
The majority of post offices in Luxembourg are open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an hour off for lunch. Certain places have extended hours. Banks in Luxembourg are typically open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with an hour off for lunch, and most are closed on weekends.

Safety in Luxembourg
The crime rate in Luxembourg is moderate as compared to other European countries. Travelers should take precautions against petty theft while in Luxembourg, especially in public areas where pickpockets tend to lurk. Luxembourg has many public parks that are safe during the daylight hours, though low-level drug vending has increased in some of the city parks. Tourists should avoid these parks after dark.

Time Zone
Luxembourg is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States. The country is in the Central European Time zone, which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. During Daylight Saving Time, Luxembourg is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Tipping in Luxembourg 
A service charge of 15% is added to your food bill at a restaurant.  An additional tip isn217;t required, but many people add a Euro or two for good service.

Taxi drivers typically receive a 10% tip; bellhops and doormen, €1.25-€2.50; movie ushers, coat & washroom attendants, €.50-€1.50.

Weather in Luxembourg
With a moderate climate, Luxembourg is a great destination any time of year. However, be prepared for a bit of rain. Traditionally, “in-season” has been defined as anytime from mid-April to mid-October. Peak season is July and August.

Main Sights In Luxembourg

History buffs and sightseers will enjoy Wenzel Walk, which takes you through Luxembourg’s oldest quarters (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Among other sights, you’ll see the Bock Promontory, Castle Bridge (built in 1735 from red sandstone), and the Church of St. Ulric (the city’s oldest church).

Created by Luxembourg-born Edward J. Steichen, “The Family of Man” is a permanent exhibition at the Castle of Clervaux with more than 500 black & white photos by 273 photographs from 68 countries. The theme of this powerful imagery is love and faith. Before its arrival to the Castle, the photos were on display at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.

A visit to Mullerthal , the little Switzerland of Luxembourg is a real treat

Wine aficionados will enjoy the Grevenmacher Wine and Grape Festival in mid-September.

Schueberfouer is a traveling fun fair that visits the country every year for 3 weeks in the summer.

Getting Around Luxembourg

Luxembourg is home to excellent road, rail and air transportation facilities and services.

Air
Most major international carriers fly to Luxembourg’s airport (Findel International Airport 211; LUX) is 5km (3.5 miles) northeast of the city (journey time – 20 minutes). To/from the airport: Coaches and buses run regular services to the city. Taxis are also available (it takes approx.10 minutes to get to the city). A new passenger terminal at Luxembourg Airport opened recently.

Boats and Ferries
Car ferries run between the UK and Calais (from which you can drive to Luxembourg. From Calais, the quickest route is to take the highway to Brussels via Lille (A25, then head south through Namur along the E411 to Luxembourg). In total, the journey from London (including the ferry crossing) takes approximately eight hours.

Rail Passes
Benelux Tourrail will get you through Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. This pass allows for unlimited travel for any five days within a one-month period throughout the year.

InterRail is for European residents only, and offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries. Discounts are available for travelers under 26 years of age, and children217;s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Available from Rail Europe.

Eurailpass is available to non-European residents (the passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or the Russian Federation) and is good for unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Depending on the type of pass, it is valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The Eurailpass Saver ticket offers discounts for two or more people traveling together. The Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those aged under 26 and offers unlimited second-class train travel. The Eurailpass Flexi allows either 10 or 15 travel days within a two-month period. The Eurail Selectpass is valid in three, four or five bordering countries and allows five, six, eight or 10 travel days (or 15 for five countries) in a two-month period. The Eurail Regional Pass allows four to ten travel days in a two-month period in one of nine regions (usually two or more countries). Children receive a 50% discount. All of the above is available from The Eurail Group (website: www.eurail.com).

There are plans to introduce trams in the capital city of Luxembourg and light-rail lines in nearby areas within the next few years.

Car Rental in Luxembourg
Several major car rental companies have stations at Findel International Airport. Car rental prices can be high,but fuel prices are lower than in most other EU countries. As is the case in any EU country, you217;ll need a valid passport, driving license & international credit card to rent a car in Luxembourg. The road network has been significantly expanded and improved in recent years. There are now 147 km of motorways connecting the capital (Luxembourg) to adjacent countries.

Taxis
Taxis are quite expensive in Luxembourg. The standard fare is 0.80 Euros per km, but expect to pay a 10 percent surcharge at night, and a 25 percent surcharge on Sundays. Asking a taxi to wait for you will cost EUR0.21 per minute.
Taxis can be booked by telephone or hailed from a stand outside public buildings such as train stations.

Health

Personal Medications
No permit is required to carry medication in your luggage. However, you should pack your medication in its original containers and/or have your doctor217;s prescription with you. Customs officials will have to be satisfied that you are not importing more than would be necessary for your personal use, taking into account the drug type and length of stay (for no more than three months).

Lodging in Luxembourg

Luxembourg offers every type of lodging from couch-surfing, to hostels and agritourism , to 5-Star resorts. Check here to find a hotel that will meet your needs.

Public Holidays in Luxembourg

New Year217;s Day 1 January
Carnival February
Good Friday
Easter Monday
May Day 1 May
Ascension Day
Whit Monday 1st Monday in June
National Day 23 June
Assumption Day 15 August
Luxembourg City Fete 31 August
All Saints Day 1 November
All Souls Day 2 November
Christmas Day 25 December
St. Stephen217;s Day 26 December

Telephones in Luxembourg

Public phone booths are conveniently located in Luxembourg. Coin-operated phones are quickly being replaced with ones that accept only credit cards and telecards, available at most newsstands, post offices, and major train stations.

Dialing Procedures
When calling Luxembourg from abroad, dial the local international access code, then 352 for the country code, followed by the number. When calling Luxembourg from the United States, the international access code is 011. Please note that there are no area codes in Luxembourg. However, phone numbers range from five to nine digits.

Useful Country Codes
USA and Canada 1
UK 44

Returning to the US

Customs,VAT & Duty Free
When you return to the U.S., you’ll need to declare everything you are bringing back that you did not take with you. If you are traveling by air or sea, you may be asked to fill out a Customs Declaration Form provided by the airline or cruise ship. Keep your sales slips. Try to pack the things you’ll need to declare separately. Read the signs in the Customs area; they contain helpful information about how to clear Customs.
For complete information on Customs, look at the U.S. Government Customs Website

Value Added Tax (VAT or IVA) Refund Information
If you are a U.S. or Canadian resident, you may qualify for a personal exemption which allows you to bring goods of a certain value into the country without paying customs duties, excise taxes, or Value Added Tax. You can be reimbursed for the VAT you pay on large purchases throughout your trip. Save your receipts from large purchases and be sure to visit the VAT office at the airport for refund forms and information.

Duty-Free Items
U.S. and Canadian citizens may bring goods into or from France and the rest of the European Union up to a certain value before having to pay custom duties, excise taxes, or VAT (Value-Added Tax). You should keep the following in mind:

U.S. and Canadian citizens aged 15 and over and traveling by air or sea may bring articles totaling 430 Euros (approx.$545) into France duty and tax-free. Land and inland waterway travelers can bring duty-free goods worth 300 Euros (approx. $380) in their personal luggage

Individuals over 17 may also purchase and import certain duty-free items from France up to a certain limit. This includes tobacco and alcoholic beverages, motor fuel, and medications. Fragrances, coffee, and tea may now be imported into the EU with no restriction on amounts, as long as the value does not exceed the monetary limits listed above. Limits for other items are (be sure to check and make sure these limits are still the same before you leave):

Cigarettes: 200 units
Cigarillos: 100 units (max. 3 grams each)
Cigars: 50 units
Still wines: 4 liters
Beer: 16 liters
Spirits over 22 degrees volume: 1 liter
Fortified wines, 22 degrees volume or less: 2 liters
Medications: Varies according to traveler’s health requirements
Motor fuel: Quantities equal to that found in a normal full fuel tank, or in an emergency can, not exceeding 10 liters.

Duty and tax exemptions are strictly individual. You cannot apply them to a group. Items worth more than the maximum exempt amount will be subject to duties and taxes.

You can bring personal items such as guitars or bicycles to France and not be charged any taxes or fees as long as the items are clearly for personal use. You may not sell or dispose of these while in France. All personal items declared to customs upon entry into France must be transported back with you.

Related posts:

1. The Netherlands Tourist Information
2. Liechtenstein Tourist Information
3. Belgium Tourist Information

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Affalterbach, Germany, Apr 21, 2011 – The E 63 AMG is now even more powerful and efficient. As part of the "AMG Performance 2015" model strategy, the high-performance vehicle now benefits from the new 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine. This unit, already familiar from the CLS 63 AMG, delivers an output of 386 kW (525 hp) to 410 kW (557 hp), together with an impressive reduction in fuel consumption: the E 63 AMG consumes 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres (Estate 10.0 litres) according to NEDC combined, in other words 22 percent less than its predecessor with the AMG 6.3-litre V8 naturally aspirated engine. An important contribution is also made here by the newly developed electromechanical AMG speed-sensitive sports steering system, which only draws power when the vehicle is actually being steered. Additional assistance systems now raise occupant safety to a whole new level.


This eight-cylinder powerhouse, designated internally as the M 157, boasts a combination of innovative high-tech components: in addition to spray-guided direct petrol injection with piezo injectors, these include a full aluminium crankcase, four-valve technology with camshaft adjustment, air/water intercooling, generator management and a stop/start system. With a displacement of 5461 cc, the eight-cylinder engine develops a peak output of 386 kW (525 hp) and torque of 700 Nm. In conjunction with the optional AMG Performance package, these figures increase to 410 kW (557 hp) and 800 Nm. Both variants of the E 63 AMG achieve exceptional performance: acceleration from zero to 100 km/h takes 4.3 and 4.2 seconds respectively (Estate: 4.4 and 4.3 seconds), and the top speed is 250 km/h (electronically limited).

Fuel consumption reduced by 2.8 litres per 100 km

Despite its increased output, higher torque and improved performance, the new E 63 AMG shows an improvement of 2.8 litres in fuel efficiency compared with the previous model with V8 naturally aspirated engine. Fuel consumption, at 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres according to NEDC combined, corresponds to CO2 emissions of 230 grams per kilometre (Estate: 10.0 l/100 km; 234 g/km). Both variants achieve the same consumption and CO2 figures either with or without the AMG Performance package and so take the lead in a competitive comparison.

Key data at a glance:

The improvements in output and torque that come with the AMG Performance package can be attributed primarily to an increase in the maximum charge pressure from 1.0 to 1.3 bar. Visible differentiation is provided by the exceptionally high-quality engine cover in genuine carbon fibre. The AMG Performance package also includes the AMG Performance steering wheel with black Alcantara in the grip area, red-painted brake callipers and, in the case of the Saloon, the genuine carbon fibre AMG spoiler lip on the boot lid and the electric rear window blind.

AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission helps save fuel

A major contribution to the car's exemplary consumption figures is also made by the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission. In place of a conventional torque converter, this uses a compact wet start-up clutch. The E 63 AMG also features a stop/start function as standard: this is active in the Controlled Efficiency ("C") transmission mode and switches the eight-cylinder engine off when the vehicle comes to a standstill. The stop/start function can be activated or deactivated using the ECO button on the centre console. When in transmission mode "C", the vehicle will always start up in second gear. The system will also change gears noticeably early and avoid high engine speeds. Demand-driven delivery of fuel and a generator management system with braking energy recuperation during deceleration add further to the economic use of fuel.

Driving dynamics certainly don't suffer as a result: the transmission modes "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual) enhance the car's agility quite noticeably. Shorter response times, higher engine speeds and more spontaneous gear changes demonstrate the full potential of the new AMG V8 biturbo engine. In all three transmission modes, not only is the stop/start system deactivated but, at full load, the engine management system partially suppresses the cylinders. This carefully managed interruption to ignition and injection results in faster gear changes and an emotive acoustic effect. The automatic double-declutching function in reverse gear provides the perfect complement.

AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension and new steering system

The E 63 AMG features the AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension with a specially designed front axle: the track has been widened by 56 millimetres and includes independent wheel carriers, for increased negative camber at the front, giving clear benefits in terms of grip when driving fast through bends. Further features include steel suspension struts on the front axle and air suspension struts on the rear axle, with an automatic level control system. Also standard here is an electronically controlled damping system, which automatically adjusts the damping characteristics depending on the driving situation and reduces the roll angle of the body. The result: lightning-fast adjustment between optimum driving comfort and the best possible agility. The driver can switch between the three suspension modes of "Comfort", "Sport" and "Sport plus" at the touch of a button.

The steering system on the E 63 AMG is also new: the electromechanical AMG speed-sensitive sports steering features a more direct ratio of 14:1 and variable power assistance that adapts according to the suspension mode. The result: extremely agile handling through bends. The steering also helps to reduce fuel consumption, since the power assistance system only draws power when the vehicle is actually being steered.

As well as the 3-stage ESP® system with Sport mode, the standard equipment package includes an AMG high-performance braking system, with composite technology on the front axle. An even more powerful AMG ceramic high-performance composite braking system, 40 percent lighter in weight, is available as an option. Optimum grip comes courtesy of the new 18-inch AMG light-alloy wheels in a 10-spoke design, fitted with 255/R40 R 18 tyres on the front and 285/35 R 18 on the rear. The "flowforming" production process already used with the SLS AMG and the CLS 63 AMG optimises durability, while also reducing weight by up to 0.8 kilograms per wheel.

Decidedly dynamic exterior

Externally, the E 63 AMG with the new M157 engine is identifiable by its new light-alloy wheels and by the "V8 BITURBO" lettering on its distinctive, wider front wings. Further characteristic features to aid recognition include AMG bodystyling with a specific design for the front and rear, along with AMG side sill panels and an AMG sports exhaust system with two chrome-plated twin tailpipes.

Significantly upgraded interior

A striking feature of the high-quality, exquisitely crafted interior is the new AMG Performance steering wheel in a three-spoke design. The rim of this wheel, which is already used in the CLS 63 AMG, is flattened at both top and bottom to facilitate even better control of the vehicle. Further identifying features of the new steering wheel: aluminium shift paddles, the perforated leather in the grip areas and the three-dimensional design of the airbag cover with its "Silver Shadow" metallic trim element. This is complemented by the new E-SELECT shift lever with embossed AMG badge.

Similarly adopted from the CLS 63 AMG is the three-dimensional full-colour TFT display in the centre of the speedometer. The driver is welcomed by a striking AMG logo that shows here as soon as the door is opened.

AMG Performance Studio: individuality ex factory

Special optional extras from the AMG Performance Studio can also be added ex factory to give the E 63 AMG even more individual flair:

- AMG RIDE CONTROL Performance suspension
- AMG light-alloy wheels in a new 10-spoke design, painted in titanium grey with a high-sheen finish, with 255/35 R 19 (front) and 285/30 R 19 (rear) tyres
- AMG rear axle locking differential with 40 percent locking action
- AMG ceramic high-performance composite braking system
- AMG Exterior Carbon package
- AMG trim elements in carbon fibre/black piano lacquer
- Illuminated AMG door sill panels
- AMG Driver's Package (includes restriction of top speed to 300 km/h, participation in driver training course at the AMG Driving Academy)

New driving assistance systems for added safety

With immediate effect, over a dozen driver assistance systems in the E 63 AMG help to avoid traffic accidents or mitigate the severity of an accident. Among the new systems are Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist. Active Blind Spot Assist warns the driver if the short-range radar sensors detect that there is a risk of collision should the vehicle change lanes. If the driver ignores these warnings and comes dangerously close to the vehicle in the next lane, Active Blind Spot Assist will intervene. By applying braking force to the wheels on the opposite side of the vehicle, controlled through the 3-stage ESP® system, a yaw movement is created which counteracts the collision course.

Active Lane Keeping Assist is also linked to the 3-stage ESP®. This system kicks into action if the driver inadvertently drifts over a solid line to the right or left of a lane. In this case, Active Lane Keeping Assist brakes the opposite wheels and thereby prevents the vehicle from crossing the line. A display on the instrument cluster warns the driver at the same time. If broken lane markings are crossed, the system controls an electric pulse generator in the steering wheel which generates vibrations for a short time – a discreet but highly effective cue to countersteer immediately. Before the braking system intervenes, the steering wheel always vibrates to provide a warning.

The E 63 AMG with the new AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine is available in either Saloon or Estate versions, with the market launch beginning in September 2011. Sales prices remain at the same level as for the previous model (all prices shown inclusive of 19% VAT):

- E 63 AMG Saloon: 105,971 euros
- E 63 AMG Estate: 108,409 euros
- AMG Performance package: 8,306.20 euros
- Driver's package: 3,213 euros











Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

In part four of our guide to the best places to eat well in the capital for less than £10 a head, Tony Naylor chooses 10 north London venues that are light on the wallet but big on taste
See our interactive map of Britain's best budget restaurants

If we've missed your favourite tell us on our Word of Mouth blog

Antepliler, Harringay

The main road that runs through Harringay, Green Lanes, is home to several great Turkish restaurants. Three in particular are regularly namechecked by local authorities on such matters: Yayla (429 Green Lanes), Hala (29 Green Lanes) and this gem. Antepliler is actually three premises: a cafe, the restaurant and a patisserie, whose various pistachio and walnut baklavas, made with good quality floral honeys, are not to be missed. The restaurant – plain and sturdy, a solid traditional Ottoman space – majors on charcoal-grilled kebabs and dishes cooked in the huge wood-fired oven that squats by the entrance. At £1.50 (takeaway), the lahmacun, a kind of thin, crisp Turkish pizza, topped with a hugely tasty, quietly fiery mix of minced lamb, chilli, garlic, onions, fresh herbs and pulped tomato, is exceptional value. It is the kind of food to which a man could easily become addicted.

A main meal portion of six juicy, generously seasoned kofte patties, served over a stock-cooked mix of fat, squat rice and chickpeas, accompanied by salad and a half-loaf of ultra-fresh Turkish bread, is similarly brilliant. That dish is arguably enough to feed two, on its own, and costs just £6.50 (takeaway; eat-in prices are a pound or two more). Throw in some of that baklava and you have not just a bargain feed, but a meal that will live long in the memory.
• Takeaway, snacks/starters, £1.50-£3.75, mains £5.50-£7.90. 46 Grand Parade, Green Lanes, N4 (+44 (0)20-8802 5588)

Market, Camden

Camden's Market – as opposed to Camden Market – is the kind of place that every neighbourhood needs. It's a neat, simply designed restaurant (zinc table tops, open kitchen, exposed brick walls, recycled school chairs at the tables) that specialises in delivering honest, crowd-pleasing food at keen prices. The £10 two-course lunch is particularly good value. The starter, a bowl of lamb broth, is interestingly broken up by tiny blobs of mint sauce. The main is a similarly solid plate of linguine, pork fillet and good mild chorizo. It is lifted by little details: scattered flecks of lemon zest, fresh chilli and parsley; the precise firm but yielding texture of the pasta; the way the pasta isn't drowning in sauce, and the way said tomato sauce has been carefully whizzed and blended to give it a lightly aerated creaminess.

There is nothing about the two courses that would be beyond a skilful, attentive home cook perhaps, but it is good, tasty, unfussy food, patently prepared with pride. Throw in some good (free) bread and unsalted butter, Prince's Purple Rain album on the PA, the notably efficient, friendly service, and Market adds up to a winning proposition.
• Two-course set lunch £10. 43 Parkway, NW1 (+44 (0)20-7267 9700, marketrestaurant.co.uk)

The Hampstead Butcher & Providore, Hampstead

If you are heading to nearby Hampstead Heath, this is a great place to pick up an impromptu picnic. As the name suggests, it is primarily a butcher's shop, but this providore also comprises a kitchen, headed by chef Guy Bossom, that produces myriad foods to eat now or take home. Friends should pool their resources to take advantage of any deals – when I dropped in there was a six-for-five (£10) offer running on Meantime's London Lager – and to make sure that they try the various tortilla, pies, sophisticated quiches and gourmet salad tubs – for instance, puy lentil, butternut squash and tarragon; or French bean, almond and smoked bacon with walnut dressing (by weight, from £1.55 per 100g).

As well as pre-prepared baguettes (£3.50), you can also assemble your own sandwiches mixing and matching various breads and charcuterie from the meat counter. Alternatively, pick up a few hundred grams of Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire or Cornish Yarg in the cheese room. Particularly recommended are the large Scotch eggs (£2.95) and the warm sausage rolls (£2.50). The former are sat in small, promising pools of fat on a rectangular slate and have an almost pork pie density, while the sensational sausage rolls pack expertly seasoned meat into air-light, lavishly buttery puff pastry. The fat cakes and sweet tarts also looked fantastic.
• Snacks from £1.55-£3.50. 56 Rosslyn Hill, NW3 (+44 (0)20-7794 9210, hampsteadbutcher.com)

Kentish Canteen, Kentish Town

Bright, buzzy and a little bland in its design, this canteen is a useful all-day address for the budget traveller. At night, you will find several main dishes available at £8.95-£9.75, such as fish and chips or pork chop with roasted Cox's apple and a white bean cassoulet, while by day it serves an affordable brunch (midday-4pm), smaller "larder" dishes and superior, jazzed-up salads, such as broccoli and cauliflower with sweet black sesame sauce and a good butternut squash and feta. Even a small plate of the latter (£3.95) will fill a lunchtime hunger hole, and it is to Kentish Canteen's credit that if you drop in for just a small plate, there is no pressure to eat or buy more. It is the flexible food station it claims to be.

The sharing platters (for two, £15) and the lunch and supper deals (two courses plus drink, £12, before 7pm Monday-Friday) offer good value. On the downside, a cranberry and pecan cookie from the cake counter was a surprisingly dry disappointment, and, irritatingly, they were out of the local Camden Town Brewery's lager when the Guardian visited for this article.
• Small plates, salads and brunch dishes £2.75-£6.50, mains £8.95-£12. 300 Kentish Town Road, NW5 (+44 (0)20-7485 7331, kentishcanteen.co.uk)

Delhi Grill, Chapel Market, Islington

Delhi Grill styles itself as a kind of dhaba, the workaday, no-frills canteens that proliferate in India. Such dhabas generally offer short menus of key dishes, in this case flavoursome marinated grilled meats (try the unusually light, vibrantly seasoned sheekh kebabs) and delicious slow-cooked standards like channa masala and aloo gobi. Purists may quibble with certain minor details (are tomatoes permissible in a rogan gosht?), but Delhi Grill certainly delivers on taste and price.

It also sees its concept through to its logical conclusion. You can eat in the restaurant – all chunky wood fixtures and walls plastered with Indian newspaper cuttings – but, during the day, it also runs a takeaway street stall, directly outside, on Chapel Market. The stall serves fresh filled roti wraps (£3.50) – say, paneer tikka with salad and beetroot chutney – samosas (two pieces, £1.30) and chicken, lamb and vegetable curries (£4.50).
• Restaurant starters from £1.95, mains with rice from £6.25. 21 Chapel Market, N1 (+44 (0)20-7278 8100, delhigrill.com). Takeaway available in the evenings

Ginger & White, Hampstead

You don't get a lot for £10 a head in Hampstead, so make sure you spend your money wisely. This small, busy cafe, on a pretty mews off the high street, is the kind of place that goes that extra mile. The kitchen even makes its own peanut butter and "smoky" baked beans for the breakfast menu. The baking is a real highlight. The carrot cake, in particular, is a light, moist slice of gingery genius. Meanwhile, Ginger & White's flat white (£2.70, full of winey, dark berry flavours) is possibly the best coffee I've tasted throughout this London series.

Given the inflated prices that come with the NW3 postcode, a salt beef sandwich, featuring a thick layer of outstanding coleslaw, just about justifies the £5.95 price tag, but a breakfast sausage bap is a little sloppy. All the constituent parts are good but the sausages are a touch overdone and they're in danger of drowning in Hawkshead relish. Hit Ginger & White on a Saturday morning, incidentally, and you may well find that you have to queue to get in. After that wait, you may then find yourself slouching on a sofa while you eat, or sharing the large communal table with other people's children. Which won't suit everyone. It's notable, however, that even in the midst of such hustle and bustle, the staff are unflappable. They are personable, eager to please and winningly enthusiastic about the food that they are serving.
• Cakes £2-£4, sandwiches £3.50-£6. 4a-5a Perrin's Court, NW3 (+44 (0)20-7431 9098, gingerandwhite.com)

Nonna's, Regent's Park

Say what you like (or rather dislike) about Gordon Ramsay, but no one would dispute that he can cook. Nor that his venues generally maintain rigorous standards on the plate. Nonna is a deli-cafe attached to the York & Albany restaurant which, until recently, was overseen by Ramsay lieutenant Angela Hartnett. Her influence and love of Italian food is still very much in evidence. The deli-cafe itself is done up as some kind of faux-rustic Tuscan farmhouse, albeit one decked out in rather cheap, lightweight garden furniture.

The food takes in meat and cheese platters, soups, colourful salads, attractive baked goods and pizzas (£9-£12) which, reassuringly, the staff on duty declined to serve to the Guardian before lunch because the pizza oven had not yet got up to the right temperature. The sit-down, eat-in lunch menu is almost deceptively pricey, with, for instance, two of the three listed gourmet sandwiches topping £10. However, I was charged just £4.50 for a delicate, luxuriously creamy slice of quiche and a very creditable, well balanced cappuccino. So don't be put off by the headline prices. And most products are also available to take away, making this a useful place to stock up before exploring Regent's Park.
• Takeaway snacks, sandwiches and salads £2.25-£6, eat-in meals £6-£12.50. 127-129 Parkway, NW1 (+44 (0)20-7388 3344, gordonramsay.com/nonnasdeli)

Little Bay, Kilburn, Farringdon and Croydon

Remarkable value is restaurateur Peter Illic's USP. At the original Kilburn branch of his Little Bay mini-chain, all main dishes are £5.45 before 7pm and £7.25 thereafter. If you are lucky, you may even find Illic during one of his periodic publicity drives, when he asks guests to simply pay what they think their meal was worth. On that basis, I would have certainly paid him £5.45 for my lamb steak main. £7.25, however, might have been pushing it. An unexpected side dish, that included some OK cabbage and an anaemic, unappetising block of potato dauphinoise, was superfluous, and, being picky, the steak tasted predominantly of its char-grilling, not lamb. However, the crushed potatoes, the old school peppercorn sauce and the julienne of peppers and carrots were all accurately rendered.

In the round, it was a perfectly serviceable, tasty plate of food. One which, at no extra cost, came with a basket of decent bread and good unsalted butter. The plates going out to other tables – a delicately arranged soy-marinated duck salad; chicken breast with tarragon mash and mushroom sauce – looked good too, and the Kilburn branch is an appealingly odd, atmospheric place. It looks less like a north London bistro and more like the sort of ancient, elaborate cafe you might stumble across in some labyrinth Istanbul market. The verdict? Don't expect the earth from Little Bay, but go before 7pm and, for the money, it should deliver.
• Starters £2.25/£3.25, mains £5.45/£7.25. 228 Belsize Road, NW6 (+44 (0)20 7372 4699, littlebay.co.uk) Other branches at 171 Farringdon Road, EC1, and 32 Selsdon Rd, South Croydon

Bull & Last, Kentish Town

A handsome Grade II-listed pub, the Bull & Last is increasingly well known for its good food. At lunch, that reputation is no bar to the budget traveller. There are various affordable bar snacks available and several dishes on the daily-changing menu – soup, sandwich and chips, ambitious salads, a pasta dish, small plates like stuffed roasted lamb's heart – that come in at well under £10. The only problem may be finding a seat. On the first sunny Saturday of the year, this place was packed. If you're happy to share, try the superb homemade charcuterie board (pictured) for £10, which includes, among others, a couple of sensational deep-fried brawn balls, a thick slice of properly creamy chicken liver parfait and some beautiful duck prosciutto, served with an impressive array of pickled grapes, salted radishes, caperberries, remoulade, chutneys and toast. It isn't a huge portion, between two, but it is explosively tasty. You will find four real ales at the bar (from £3.60 a pint), and some interesting local drinks on the list too, such as Camden Town Brewery's pale ale. The staff, incidentally, are refreshingly knowledgeable and energetic.
• Snacks £3-£6, select dishes £6.50-£10. 168 Highgate Road, NW5 (+44 (0)20 7267 3641, thebullandlast.co.uk)

Atari-Ya Foods, Golders Green and various locations

Atari-Ya's parent company, T&S; Enterprises, is a trade supplier of premium seafood, and aficionados rate Atari-Ya's maki rolls and nigiri as some of the best value sushi in London. This small chain includes, among others, two north London sushi bars (in Hendon and Swiss Cottage) and this supermarket where, as well as shopping for ika no shiokara (fermented squid) and Hello Kitty confectionery, customers can pick up takeaway sushi or, possibly, squeeze in at one of the six seats at the kitchen counter.

You can have your takeaway sushi made to order of course but, due to arriving during the chef's 3-4pm break, I had to sample some of the pre-prepared plates. It was nonetheless quality stuff. A sea bass and spring onion hand roll (£2.70 for six pieces) was as fresh as sea spray, the florid pickled ginger and a rip-snorting dab of wasabi adding further layers of flavour. The inan – exceptionally sticky sushi rice wrapped in sweetened fried bean curd, its flavour halfway between caramel and soy sauce – was surprisingly moreish; while an elaborately marinated little tray of almost luminously green seaweed salad delivered a sensational wallop of umami. Washed down with a can of Yebisu (£2.43), a rich malty beer reminiscent of Breaker or Colt 45, it made for an interesting, filling lunch.
• Takeaway sushi rolls £1.80-£3.90, nigiri £1-£2.40 per piece. Set mixed lunch boxes from £7.50. 15-16 Monkville Parade, Finchley Road, NW11 (+44 (0)20-8458 7626, atariya.co.uk). Other branches in Finchley, Hendon, Swiss Cottage, Ealing Common, West Acton and Kingston

Tony travelled from Manchester to London with Virgin Trains (virgintrains.co.uk)

Direct Super Center via Amazon.com offers the CytoSport Muscle Milk 11-oz. Ready-to-Drink Strawberries and Creme Milk Shake 24-Pack for $12.95 plus $7.55 for shipping. That's $5 under our mention two weeks ago of a different flavor and the lowest total price we've seen for this quantity. Each shake includes 21 grams of protein.

From the movie 21 Grams - Paul struggles with his weak heart as Cristina (Naomi Watts) apologizes (Sean Penn) for dragging him into her revenge plot against Jack.
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Wheat, via exorphin effects, is an appetite stimulant. Eat a whole wheat bagel or bran muffin, you want another. You also want more of other foods. You also want something to eat every two hours due to widely-swinging insulin-glucose responses: blood sugar high followed by a sharp downturn that triggers a powerful impulse to eat (thus the cravings for a snack at 9 and 11 a.m. after a 7 a.m. breakfast).

If wheat is a stimulant of appetite, then removing it should yield reduced appetite and reduced calorie intake. That is precisely what happens.

When wheat products are removed from the diet--without calorie restriction, without counting fat or carbohydrate grams, no exercise program, no cleansing regimen, no skipping meals . . . nothing--calorie intake drops 350 to 400 calories per day. This calorie figure remains curiously consistent across multiple studies in which wheat was eliminated.

400 calories per day results in 21 lbs lost over 6 months, based just on calories. (3500 calories per pound lost.) That is what happens in wheat elimination diets: 21-26 lbs lost over 6 months.

Wheat is the processed food industry's nicotine, a means of ensuring repeat food purchases. It's also low-cost (subsidized by the U.S. government), high-yield, an ingredient that even has its very own withdrawal syndrome should you miss a "hit."

Just recently I happened upon the term Chronofiable®, thanks to the super lightweight RM 035 manufactured by Richard Mille. The RM 035 is the first Richard Mille manual winding movement to have a Chronofiable Certification and weighs a mere 4.3 grams.

What is a Chronofiable Certification? It is a Certification awarded to a timepiece that has undergone and passed a series of tests focusing on the durability and reliability of a movement worn on the wrist on a a regular basis. For example Richard Mille boasts excellence, durability and reliability on the tennis court. Under these circumstances the watch is subjected to extreme shock when the wearers wrist swings up and makes contact with racket to ball. In fact, 2010 three time tennis champion and Richard Mille ambassador, Rafeal Nadel, wore his RM 027 tourbillon while competing at Wimbledon. Although that watch was not Chronofiable certified, the new RM 035 is, and the extreme testing it has undergone to obtain the Certification will give some indication on how and how long this new model will fare on the tennis court.

How is this different than the Chronometer Certification tests? The rigorous testing in accordance with the ISO 3159 norm focuses more on the precision of the timepiece whereas the Chronfiable certification focuses on the durability, or wear and tear, of the timepiece over an extended period of wearing time. (click here to learn more about the COSC Certificate)

How is this Certification different than the Geneva Seal? The Geneva Seal focuses more on the aesthetics of the movement and is predominately concerned with finishing and decoration. In regard to the Geneva Seal, precision tests are available ,but not required, as part of the inspection process. The Geneva Seal inspects the current quality of the craftsmanship and compilation, and is not directly concerned with the ultimate durability; although, it can be ascertained that the better materials, craftsmanship and assembly will lead to better durability.(click here to learn more about the Geneva Seal)


What types of tests does the timepiece undergo to become Chronofiable?
The timepiece is exposed to a accelerated aging test over the course of 21 days, which is equivalent to six months of constant wear. This process is divided into many components:
a) Initial inspection of the movements functions serve as a baseline for future changes occurring during the testing process.
b)Subjecting the timepiece to climatic cycles in dry/wet environment from –70°C to +180°C and measuring the resulting corrosion and performance.
c)Measuring the pull and push forces on the stem.
d) Measuring the forces exerted on push buttons such as chronograph controls, correctors as well as turning bezel.
e) Monitoring the efficiency of the power reserve.
f) Monitoring the movements reaction to magnetic fields.
g)Subjecting the movement to intensive linear and angular accelerations and decelerations.
h) Striking the movement with a heavy pendulum or striker, and subjecting it to some 20,000 shocks ranging from 250 to 5500 m/s2 (a constant acceleration of one metre per second squared) - not applied to timepieces with delicate complications.
i) Testing water resistance.
j) Performing electrical measurements.
k) UV testing on leather straps.
l) Performing the final monitoring phase, which involves applying the same monitoring technique used in the initial monitoring phase, and comparing the results. These results indicate if the timepiece can be awarded the Chronofiable distinction.

When was the Chronofiable test developed? The Chronofiable was initially a random series of reliability tests performed by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) in the 1960's and 1970's. These tests were performed with great success on about 1000 to 2000 "worn on the wrist" watches leading to the "Chronofiable reliability test procedure developed by a team of technicians resulting in the creation of the "Swiss Watch Industry Reliability Test Center (CCF SA)"
In 1985, the CCF SA was assigned to the Laboratoire Dubois and Chronofiable became a registered trademark.

Which label of quality requires the Chronofiable certification? The Fleurier Quality Label.

How valid is the Chronofiable testing procedure or in other words does the testing actually test how the wrist watch behaves on the wrist? Since there is an excellent correlation between the wear and tear of watches worn on the wrist and those subjected to the testing, the conclusion is that the Chronofiable testing is a valid way to determine the effects of the watch being worn on the wrist over time. This has been proven on numerous occasions with many types of movements and many brands. This, Chronofiable testing is an accurate predictor of how the watch with this type of certification will perform over time.

How is the reliability of the procedure insured? To maximize good reproducibility of the test conditions and ensure consistent long-term comparisons, the testing equipment is regularly updated, serviced and calibrated. The test parameters have not been changed in 30 years, thus providing the watch industry with a exceptional standard to grade the durability of a timepiece.

Does all testing need 21 days? No. Functions and components less effected by the frequency of tests imposed, such as tightness of back cover screws and casing-up screws, dial and hand integrity, can be tested over a shorter time period by subjecting the timepiece to accelerated application of multi directional shocks; however to reduce the entire testing procedure to just a few days will undermine the quality of the testing procedure and provide little indication of the actual performance of a watch worn at all times on a wrist. To date the Chronofiable testing is the best indicator of the durability of the wristwatch in its natural settings.

Although, Richard Mille has just unveiled the RM 035, the tests it has undergone to ensure its durability have been around for 30 years.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Price: $4.00, www.canipleasehaveaquarter.com Pricing: Blu Rays - $8, 4 for $30 Seasons - $15, 3 for $40 DVD - $4, 15 or more for $3 a piece PS3 Games - $15 Blu Ray My Bloody Valentine 3d Iron Man Good Luck Chuck Drillbit Taylor Untraceable In the valley of elah Kung fu panda Righteous kill We own the night Saw 4 Live free or die hard Shoot em up Gone baby gone Rambo-new one War The brave one Déjà vu Pride and glory Death race The hulk - new Motley Crue Carnival of Sins Live Semi-Pro Jumper Juno The Midnight Meat Train Miracle at St. Anna Body of lies Flight of the phoenix UFC ultimate comebacks Swat Be kind rewind Shutter The love guru King of new york Austrailia Children of the corn TV Seasons The ultimate fighter s1 – s5, disc missing in season 2 I believe King of Queens S1-s9, complete series Bodog fight first series Sleeper Cell season 2 Californication season1 A shot at love with tila tequila season 1 Rules of engagement s1 War at home s1 PS3 games Guitar 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Like Ferris And Cameron, They’re Young And Fun

Wine needs age, sure, but let’s not be too hasty.

Just because your winery is four hundred years old, that doesn’t mean you’ve got it all perfect. Some guy takes calculus three times, we don’t assume he’s found a new type of math. We assume he needed the extra time to figure things out. So why do we take it for granted that age beats youth?

1994 was the year that Wattle Creek Winery was founded, and 2006 is the year this Wattle Creek 2006 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2 Pack was born. That might not be quite the same as some old European estate, but so what? Maybe this young winery picked it up faster than they did!

The only way to be sure is to try a glass. But we can give you a hint of what you might be getting. Think about youthful blackberry, a hint of young raspberry and mocha, some sweet French oak and that grand cigar box maturation. There’s blackcurrant, cocoa, nutmeg and plum, all aged just right, but not too just right. After all, what good is being young if you’re too old to be innocent?

Those “established” wineries might have more time, but the Wattle Creek has heart. They got into this game because they loved wine, and that love is what’s bottled up for you to enjoy. You’re getting a Cab that might not be very old, but is in no way childish. Isn’t that what youth should be about?

Wattle Creek 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley:

• Appellation: Alexander Valley           
• Variety/Blend: Cabernet sauvignon 93%, Malbec 7%
• Vintage: 2006
• Oak Maturation: 19 months
• New Oak: 36 %
• French oak: 100 %
• pH: 3.68
• T. Acidity: 0.64 grams per 100mL
• Residual sugar: 0.2   grams per 100mL (0.2%)
• Alcohol: 14.4 %
• Harvest dates: 28 September -- 2 October, 2006
• Bottling dates: 10 June, 2008
• Cases produced: 1734 cases

Rules and restrictions:

• Wine sold by winery
• You must be 21 or older to order
• Whoever receives the package must be 21 or older
• If you're drunk when the package shows up, you will not be allowed to receive it
• Wine cannot be delivered to a P.O. Box
• We highly recommend you use a business address as your shipping address

Thanks to stick-in-the-mud buzzkilling state legislators, wine may only be delivered to the following states:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• District Of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

If your state's not on the list, you're out of luck... for now. Keep up with the ever-changing laws over at ShipCompliantBlog.com, and/or sound the alarms with your state assembly person through FreeTheGrapes.org. Meanwhile, all Federal, state and local laws are complied with in providing this wine.

The Department of Corrections says officers at Hawke's Bay prison recently found 21 grams of cannabis leaf in the shoe of a teenage visitor.

New page: ==<center>Weight Watchers Orange Chicken</center>== . . . . ==<center>[http://hardlyfind.com/forum/index.php?topic=sf3MjE3fHwxMzAxNjA0MTY1fHwxOTUyfHwoRU5HSU5FKSBNZWRpYVdpa2k%3D&s=Weigh...

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comes with all papers and warranty card and large orange pelican case Specifications: Size: 44.1 mm case diameter, 13 mm case height Weight: 107 grams with strap Movement: ETA 2892-2 21 jewel automatic running at 28'800 vph Crystal: Domed sapphire with...

Filmmaker Alejandro Gonzales Inaritu -- who made Babel and 21 Grams -- has now made a tragedy, a story of people who are struggling in Barcelona. They're struggling with cancer, with bipolar disorder, with drug addiction and with poverty. NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Gonzales Inaritu about the new film, Biutiful, which stars Javier Bardem.

 Yields 2 large tinned loaves @ 1064g each

Material	Formula [% of flour]	Recipe [grams]
1. Leaven
"Hovis" Super Strong White Flour	25	325
Water	15	195
TOTAL	40	520
2. Final Dough
Leaven [from above]	40	520
"Hovis" Super Strong White Flour	75	975
Salt	1.75	21
Water	51	612
TOTAL	167.75	2128
Overall hydration	66	-
% pre-fermented flour	25	-

Method:

• The leaven was built with 3 elaborations. Thirty grams of stock white levain, was built as a liquid starter for 2 refreshments [equal flour and water], then a final refreshment to turn it to a stiff starter with a 60% hydration. The build time was just over 24 hours.
• From there, autolyse the flour and water for the final dough for 45 minutes. Note that the "Englishman's castle" was, yet again, snowbound, with the kitchen probe displaying a cruel 9°C. However, the multi burner was just being fired up, so the leaven was warm and active. Still, the dough water temperature used was around 40°C, and the final dough temperature was a mere 23°C
• The flour took up plenty of water, and then mixed very quickly with the salt and leaven added to form a well developed dough. Bulk proof time was just short of 2 hours, during which time, we had a somewhat worrying power cut. I was expecting to retard the dough overnight in the frozen and snowy Square where we live!
• Power restored, I set to scaling and dividing, cutting off 8 pieces at 266g. Mould these round and rest covered for 15 minutes. Then roll up and shape as for mini loaves, and place 4 pieces in each tin, as shown in the photos.
• Prove, fireside for 3½ hours
• Bake profile as follows: Preheat the oven for one hour minimum, to 250°C. Place the 2 loaves side-by-side on the hot bricks, acting as an oven stone. Pour boiling water onto the stones the roasting pot on the base of the oven for steam. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the loaves round and drop the oven temperature to 220°C for a further 20 minutes. Drop the heat to 200°C, turn the loaves around again, if necessary, and bake out a further 5 - 10 minutes.
• Cool on wires

Notes:

• I made this bread as an experiment, so I could offer useful feedback for my brother, David. He, and his wife, Lorraine, own a lovely Bed and Breakfast spot in the Yorkshire Dales. Dave has been making his own bread every day and offers this to his guests for both breakfasts and evening meals. He uses a breadmaking machine, on the long fermentation cycle. I believe he mixes a portion of wholemeal and "Granary" flour into the grist, along with this particular white flour I have used, and has been very pleased with the results from day one, until October time. Of course, this date is significant, as I estimate the problems he has subsequently encountered and complained about, to coincide exactly with the arrival of the newly harvested crops from 2010! My brother buys his flour online from Tesco, and, uses quite a bit, as a large-scale homebaker, I guess. He has been in touch with the technicians at Rank Hovis, who I actually know and have worked with. They are investigating his complaint, but I gather from his comments that his problem is inconsistency, rather than poor bread, every time! He's a bit lost on this, as am I. So, Alison and I are going to visit Dave and Lorraine on Tuesday, on our way to visit my Mum and Dad, pre-Christmas in East Yorkshire.
• The method used to "tin up" the dough pieces is known in the plant-baking industry in the UK as "four-piecing". I have discussed this with txfarmer in one of her posts, which you can see here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20669/sourdough-pan-de-mie-how-make-quotshreddablyquot-soft-bread#comment-143675 Basically, with the moulding turned round from the conventional one-piece, the gas cells become elongated in the opposite direction to those in the four-piece, where each piece has been turned through 90° on the single piece. The way the light reflects on the finished crumb gives an added whiteness and superior appearance to the finished crumb. See this explanation from Stan Cauvain: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EKGUPlEwP5MC&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=four+piecing+bread&source=bl&ots=7Ux1YI9K9K&sig=hedWkGHVvbXoK_hMqrkvwvBcynE&hl=en&ei=AJsOTYyOGY6AhQfLv5S3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=four%20piecing%20bread&f=false It's not that important a feature in the world of Artisan Bread, but it is of fundamental importance to the all-powerful plant bakers in the UK. That and a crumb with no holes, so your bread/toast doesn't drip butter, or, marmalade, onto your lap! These really are the priorities in the long ubiquitous loaf found the length and breadth of Britain. So, I'm trying to mimic this bread, but make it as "real bread" at the same time.
• So, what really matters to us then? Taste and flavour most likely!

 

Analysis:

• All four of us were really pleased with the bread in terms of its flavour. Granted, the dough had been entirely raised from the power of the natural leaven. However, my deliberate intention had been to make a bread which would have characteristics as close as possible to those of the conventional loaf, BUT, also be pleasing for all of us to eat. Since none of us particularly like "white bread" in this form, there was little point mimicking UK plant bread. So, the natural leaven was strong, but the multi elaborations were designed to create high yeast activity, but less bacterial fermentation, and thus a heavy reduction in any sour notes. Mission well-accomplished here.
• The final bread is not WHITE! Indeed, the ferment is quite clearly not white either. See attached photographs for detail. This is very interesting, as if Hovis were to do any benchmarking of my loaf, made entirely with their white flour, I suspect an immediate action plan may be needed. The end resulting whiteness of crumb in the British "sliced white" is of incredible significance, being one of the key signs of quality a large-scale baker would use to judge their bread. Culturally, this is a huge deal, going back to the invention of roller milling and the industrialisation of agriculture, and the use of world traded wheat. For Britain, this means going back to the latter part of the 19th Century; so white bread for the masses is very long established here, as in France, of course!
• Consideration should be given to the implications of a lack of whiteness. My baking mentor had been a Chief Executive at several of the large plant baking factories before he came into lecturing. His comments about the strong white flour we used during my time at College in Leeds were, of course, very telling. He was always keen to point out the little black flecks in the white flour, when carrying out visual inspections. "They are robbing us", is what he would say. You can imagine given his background, noted above, that he had deep suspicions of the miller! So, when he bought white flour in huge quantities, he really did expect it to be white.
• However, he really wanted his cake, and he wanted to eat it too! Flour which is not so white will have greater water absorbency. This is on account of the extra bran and germ content, which has not been removed so thoroughly as in very white flour. So, the up side of the greyer flour is greater water absorption, thus allowing a plant baker greater yield, the down side is a perception of lesser quality. A plant baker wants a very white flour with exceptionally high quality protein....somewhat like the All-Canadian "Special CC" I have the pleasure of using in College. This is milled by the same miller who mills for Warburtons, a huge and very successful plant baker in the UK. Indeed, currently the most successful of the plant baking triumvirate, and the one recognised by the buying public as producing higher quality bread. Interesting observations, indeed!

• 

 

 

Well, we seemed to be guaranteed a White Christmas here in the frozen North of England.   Whatever the weather, and wherever you are, I'd like to wish all you good people at TFL a very Happy Christmas and a really great year in 2011

 

Andy

New experimental HIV drug stalls early infection

By Kate Kelland
Reuters
updated 21 minutes ago 2010-12-22T19:20:05

LONDON — A new kind of experimental HIV medicine can halt one of the earliest stages of HIV infection and may eventually lead to a novel class of drugs to fight other dangerous viruses, German scientists said on Wednesday.

The drug, being developed by small privately held Hannover-based firm VIRO Pharmaceuticals, is called VIR-576 and reduced the amount of HIV infection in the blood by as much 95 percent in an early-stage trial of 18 patients.

It works by preventing the virus from being able to anchor itself in human immune cells, according to the researchers, who published a study in the Science Translational Medicine journal.


It could happen, study hints Want to look hotter? Hit the sack "What the virus does is a bit like throwing an anchor to get hooked up to the cell," Frank Kirchhoff, of the University Hospital of Ulm in Germany, said in a telephone interview. "This drug occupies the anchor — which is called the fusion peptide — and prevents its insertion into the cell membrane. So then the virus cannot get into the cell."

Kirchhoff said VIR-576 is similar to other fusion inhibitors such as Fuzeon, sold by Trimeris and Roche, but is designed block the infection process at an earlier stage.

According to latest figures from the United Nations, an estimated 33.3 million people worldwide are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.

The virus can be controlled with cocktails of drugs, but there is no cure and nearly 30 million people have died of HIV-related causes since the disease first emerged in the 1980s.

HIV belongs to a group of viruses known as "enveloped" viruses, which also includes influenza, mumps, measles, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Ebola and SARS.

Kirchhoff also said the discovery that VIR-576 can fight early HIV infection suggests it may be possible in future to develop similar blockers for these other viruses.

"It's more wishful thinking than hard evidence at the moment," he said. "It proves the principle, but now there is a lot more work to be done."

In this trial in HIV, Kirchhoff's team studied 18 HIV-infected volunteers who were treated for 10 days with one of three different doses of VIR-576, which is given via injection. None of the patients was taking any other type of HIV drug and VIR-576 was the first antiretroviral drug they had received.

The results showed that at the highest dose of 5 grams per day there was a 95 percent reduction in the patients' viral load — a measurement of the amount of HIV in the blood. Side effects were minimal and mainly involved soreness around the injection sites, Kirchhoff said.

The researchers said the results were encouraging but stressed that the experimental drug has some drawbacks which would need further work. Because VIR-576 is a peptide and must be given through injections, it will be costly and inconvenient to use, they said, and the high dose of 5 grams a day would also make it relatively expensive.

The team's focus now is to hunt for a small molecule that works just like just like VIR-576 but that could be made cheaply and given orally in the form of a pill.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40783523/ns/health-aids/

The new film from the Babel and 21 Grams director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, opens in the UK on 28 January. Javier Bardem plays a father embarking on a spiritual journey

December 21 2010 211; SILVER SCRAP LOT FOR SALE 211; This is a nice big sterling silver scrap-melt lot. There are bits of vintage sterling jewelry, sterling sheet remnants, bent up sterling silver wire, and bits of jewelry that didn217;t work out. It is what built up in my workbench doing...

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Mexico's Alejandro González Iñárritu has established himself as one of the most innovative filmmakers when it comes to drama with just four feature films, each of which have defied all the expectations established by the one before. His first feature film Amores Perros received his country's blessing on its way to a Foreign Language Oscar nomination, followed by 21 Grams in 2003, which got two of its cast their own Oscar nominations and 2006's Babel , in which Iñarritu cast his camera on the globe with four concurrent stories, and that one was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture and Iñarritu for his direction. For his fourth film Biutiful , Iñárritu worked with Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem to create the character Uxbal, a street hustler from Barcelona...

Many people these days own plenty of SD memory cards as well as USB flash drives, not to mention hardware that will plug into your computer via USB as well. For those who carry important data on either piece of hardware and want to share your USB device or SD memory card over the network, Planex has the solution in the form of the new MZK-SNG02US. Being iTunes and DLNA compatible, the MZK-SNG02US will enable you to access the content stored on any SD memory card or USB hard drive to any DLNA-compatible device such as a computer, smartphone or game consoles (Xbox 360 and PS3). Each Planex MZK-SNG02US sports a Gigabit Ethernet port and FTP support, coming in a lightweight package of just 62 grams while measuring 72.5mm x 25mm x 60mm. No word on pricing as at press time though.

Planex MZK-SNG02US USB and SD card Ethernet converter, By Ubergizmo, 21 Dec 2010. Top Stories : Pen Stylus the Next Chapter for Android Tablet Productivity, Cr-48 Review, Samsung Focus Review,

Filed under: MPG, Fiat, Lightweight

The TwinAir-powered Fiat 500, with its 0.9-liter engine, is claimed to be the most fuel-efficient gasser in the Cinquecento's lineup. With a healthy 84 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque at a low 1,900 rpm, this pint-sized Fiat is a capable performer, though far from quick. However, stoplight-to-stoplight performance is not the TwinAir's forte. The two-cylinder mill is designed to operate smoothly, provide sufficient thrust for moving around city streets and propel the 500 to a highway-capable 85 miles per hour when needed.

Fifth Gear recently took Fiat's TwinAir-powered 500 for a spin on UK roads and noted that the 0.9-liter mill is effectively, well, half an engine. Through a mixed terrain driving route, Fifth Gear discovered that the TwinAir is rather fuel-efficient, though not quite the gas sipper that Fiat claims. However, the tester pointed out that the TwinAir mill performs admirably, emits just 95 grams per kilometer of CO2 and is well-rounded. Hop the jump to watch Fifth Gear put the Fiat 500 TwinAir to the test.



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http://www.lockergnome.com/news/2010/12/20/positive-reappraisal-emotional-intelligence/

Older people have a hard time keeping a lid on their feelings, especially when viewing heartbreaking or disgusting scenes in movies and reality shows, psychologists have found. But they’re better than their younger counterparts at seeing the positive side of a stressful situation and empathizing with the less fortunate, according to research from the University of California, Berkeley.

A team of researchers led by UC Berkeley psychologist Robert Levenson is tracking how our emotional strategies and responses change as we age. Their findings — published over the past year in peer-review journals — support the theory that emotional intelligence and cognitive skills can actually sharpen as we enter our 60s, giving older people an advantage in the workplace and in personal relationships.

Photo by allygirl520

“Increasingly, it appears that the meaning of late life centers on social relationships and caring for and being cared for by others,” Levenson said. “Evolution seems to have tuned our nervous systems in ways that are optimal for these kinds of interpersonal and compassionate activities as we age.”

In the first study, researchers looked at how 144 healthy adults in their 20s, 40s and 60s reacted to neutral, sad and disgusting film clips. In particular, they examined how participants used techniques known as “detached appraisal,” “positive reappraisal” and “behavior suppression.” Heading up that study was Michelle Shiota, now an assistant professor of psychology at Arizona State University. The findings were published in the journal Psychology and Aging.

The researchers monitored the blood pressure, heart rates, perspiration and breathing patterns of participants as they watched a scene from the movie “21 Grams,” in which a mother learns her daughters have died in a car accident; and from “The Champ,” in which a boy watches his mentor die after a boxing match. They also watched repugnant scenes from “Fear Factor.”

For detached appraisal, participants were asked to adopt an objective, unemotional attitude. For positive reappraisal, they were told to focus on the positive aspects of what they were seeing. And for behavior suppression, they were instructed not to show any emotion.

Older people, it turned out, were the best at reinterpreting negative scenes in positive ways using positive reappraisal, a coping mechanism that draws heavily on life experience and lessons learned.

By contrast, the study’s younger and middle-aged participants were better at using “detached appraisal” to tune out and divert attention away from the unpleasant films. This approach draws heavily on the prefrontal brain’s “executive function,” a mechanism responsible for memory, planning and impulse control and that diminishes as we age.

Meanwhile, all three age groups were equally skilled at using behavior suppression to clamp down on their emotional responses. “Earlier research has shown that behavior suppression is not a very healthy way to control emotions,” Levenson said.

The study concludes that, “older adults may be better served by staying socially engaged and using positive reappraisal to deal with stressful challenging situations rather than disconnecting from situations that offer opportunities to enhance quality of life.”

In another study, published in the July issue of the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, researchers used similar methods to test how our sensitivity to sadness changes as we age.

In that experiment, 222 healthy adults in their 20s, 40s and 60s were wired with physiological sensors and instructed to view the same film clips from 21 Grams and The Champ. The older cohort showed more sadness in reaction to emotionally charged scenes, compared to their younger counterparts.

“In late life, individuals often adopt different perspectives and goals that focus more on close interpersonal relationships,” said UC Berkeley psychologist Benjamin Seider, lead author of the study. “By doing so, they become increasingly sensitized to sadness because the shared experience of sadness leads to greater intimacy in interpersonal relationships.”

Contrary to popular belief, heightened sensitivity to sadness does not indicate a higher risk for depression in the context of Seider’s study, but is actually a healthy sign, Levenson pointed out.

“Sadness can be a particularly meaningful and helpful emotion in late life, as we are inevitably confronted with and need to deal with the losses we experience in our own life and with the need to give comfort to others,” Levenson said.

Yasmin Anwar @ University of California – Berkeley

Filmmaker David O Russell has released a short audio commentary excerpt for a fighting sequence of The Fighter, his new film which stars Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. Russell discusses how he employed a recreation of an early-90?s HBO Sports camera crew to shoot the in-ring sequences. Watch the clip embedded after the jump thanks to The Carpetbagger [1]. Official Production Notes: Inspired by an incredible true story, comes the gritty, affectionately humorous, yet stirring comeback tale of the unlikely boxing hero, “Irish” Micky Ward (MARK WAHLBERG), and his half-brother, Dicky Eklund (CHRISTIAN BALE), who had to come apart as opponents before coming together as brothers in a scrappy fight to win a long-shot championship and strengthen the bonds of their family. Years in the making, The Fighter was shot in just 33 days on the blue-collar streets of Lowell, Massachusetts. Early on, producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman fell in love with the story of Micky and Dicky and saw that it was about so much more than just an underdog’s athletic victory. Star/producer Mark Wahlberg, director David O. Russell and a close-knit cast and crew united behind a vision to bring Micky and Dicky’s deeply human family to life in a series of alternately comic, tender, bruising and triumphant moments that unfold as much in the living room as in the boxing ring. The story begins as Dicky, the town’s pride who once went toe-to-toe with Sugar Ray Leonard, has fallen on hard times. Meanwhile, Micky has become the family’s fighter, with his fledgling career managed by his mother Alice (MELISSA LEO). Yet, despite his gutsy left hook, he keeps getting punished in the ring. When Micky’s latest mismatched fight nearly kills him, he is persuaded by his iron-willed new girlfriend, Charlene (AMY ADAMS), to do the unthinkable: split with his family, pursue his own interests and train without his troubled brother. Then, Micky gets the shot of a lifetime at a title fight, but it soon becomes clear that it will take his brother and the whole family to get him there. Defying the naysayers, he sets out on a bid for redemption that will bring Dicky, Charlene, Alice and the entire Ward/Eklund brood back into his corner, resulting in one of the sport’s most surprising strings of victories. Out of nowhere, Micky will become a champion, known as a resilient and loyal battler who fought, hardest of all, for his family. “The Fighter is about family, love, relationships and overcoming adversity. The drama of the story is as powerful as the boxing is exciting,” explains Mark Wahlberg, who trained intensively for several years to take on the physically and emotionally demanding lead role of Micky Ward. “David O. Russell really had a great view of the script, of this world and the people in it. David got that scrappy spirit of the movie, and we did exactly that.” Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media present in association with The Weinstein Company a Relativity Media, Mandeville Films and Closest to the Hole Production a David O. Russell Film The Fighter starring Oscar®-nominated Mark Wahlberg (The Departed), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, Terminator Salvation, Batman Begins), Oscar®-nominated Amy Adams (Enchanted, Doubt, Julie & Julia) and Oscar®-nominated Melissa Leo (Frozen River, 21 Grams, The Dry Land). David O. Russell (Spanking the Monkey, Flirting with Disaster, Three Kings) directs from a screenplay by Scott Silver (8 Mile) and Paul Tamasy (Air Bud) & Eric Johnson and a story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Ryan Kavanaugh, Oscar®-nominated Mark Wahlberg, Dorothy Aufiero and Paul Tamasy serve as producers. The executive producers are Tucker Tooley, Darren Aronofsky, Leslie Varrelman, Keith Dorrington and Eric Johnson. The film is co-produced by Jeff Waxman and Kenneth Halsband. [1] http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/anatomy-of-a-scene-the-fighter/

After Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s electric feature directing debut Amores Perros, the Mexico-born filmmaker became the toast of a specialty film circuit dominated by studios willing to overspend for prestige and Oscars. Top actors lined up to work with Inarritu in 21 Grams and Babel, the latter a picture that personified the excess that would haunt the prestige film business. Paramount paid $25 million to license the US and a handful of other territories and the film was wildly profitable for its makers before Inarritu shot a frame, I'm told. Those days are long gone. Studios fled the prestige game, and survivors are cautious, especially when subtitles are involved. How else to explain why it took four months to get US distribution after a Cannes debut of Biutiful that won Best Actor for Javier Bardem? Bardem plays a street hustler in Spain who deals in undocumented African street peddlers and Chinese sweat shop workers. Dying of a terminal disease, he can’t face leaving his children to the mean streets, especially since their bipolar mother is too unreliable to care for them. The film is bleak, but behind the darkness, there is light and redemption. Will Oscar voters bother to look? So far, Bardem and Inarritu have been ignored in the critics’ awards, except in the Foreign Film category. Who better to dissect the condition of foreign language films than ... Read More »

WALLA WALLA, Wash., Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Waters Winery (http://www.waterswinery.com) and winemaker Jamie Brown have cause for celebration. In a state that boasts more than 650 wineries, they have together compiled an impressive list of accolades and scores that serve as a testament both to

By Miggy Evans ~ 

I needed a place to share, but I just didn't realize it until I found it.

I think the hardest part about leaving the church, leaving Jesus, leaving it all is the loneliness it brings with it. I can't speak with ANY of my believer friends, I can't speak with my parents, my brother, not objectively anyway. I'm sure this is common for ex Christians so I don't really need to expand on that, except to say I'm glad this forum, with all of its sanctuary and protection exists. Sometimes it just helps to put the words on paper, so to speak.

NOTE: I'm not sure what the swearing policy is here, since this is my first post, so I've self censored myself to avoid any sort of cheesy language filter affect. But feel free to read the Fs and what not in all their intended glory.

My Story

I was raised by two very committed believers. My father was saved when he was 25, my mom when she was 19. My father had several jobs in his life, including that of a Pastor, but never mine. My mother was a school teacher. I think its important to make this quick aside and talk about my parents for a moment.

My father converted from Catholicism to Baptist when 25. My grandfather, upon finding some sort of documentation, promptly disowned him. They had zero relationship for 33 years until my 98 year old grandfather finally reached out again.

My mother was the first her family to convert, her story is hostile. Her parents also converted and attended a Lutheran church. My mother is one of the most beautiful people I know, and though incredibly strict in her spiritual discipline, she embodies all the love and acceptance that she preaches. She would no doubt accept my deconversion, but I fear it would break her heart.

The Church

My parents were committed believers. I was raised in a few different states, but mainly California. I attended two different churches for a time after my parents split up. My mothers the more conservative, First Evangelical Free. My father's the non-denominational, charismatic Christian Life church. The latter was the more recent, the first years of my faith were in conservative locales.

I was in Junior High the first time I saw anyone raise their hands in worship. People held out their hands during prayer, they sang loudly, they jumped, they danced, they made weird, incoherent sounds which someone else would interpret in very general spiritually laden phrases. There was talk of a baptism of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the spirit. This was all completely foreign to me, my other church had completely ignored these parts of the Bible. This was way more fun, way more my free minded style. After the youth pastor at the fun church casually commented "what are the chances of you coming here every week?" my mind was made up and I switched. My mother, whom I lived with, was happy I'd found a church I liked and gladly drove me in every Sunday.

I dove headlong into this new charismatic style (a new word to me, even in terms of English). I learned to grow comfortable raising my hands, praying with outstretched arms. People fainting, speaking in tongues, prophesying, it was all commonplace after a few months. I learned about a whole new actively miraculous side of Christianity. I was enamored by the romance of Christianity. At the end of high school, I'd become a dominant member of the church. I was active in youth events, we put on short plays Sunday mornings, I jumped and howled with the rest of them. I never, and still have never, spoken in tongues. I'm somebody who you could say is honest to a fault. That sounds like bragging, but what I mean to say is that its extremely difficult for me to be fake. There is something inside of me that just burns full speed toward reality and leaves no room for pretense. So, I never spoke in tongues because I was never compelled by the holy spirit to do so, of what value was it if I just did it myself? Well....this was the beginning of the doubts...

My stepmother is active proponent of speaking in tongues. She does it all the time. She sees it as like some sort of spiritual weapon or defense against the Devil. She will speak in tongues under her breath during a scary part in a movie, or while watching something that glorifies God. In church, it's just non-stop, as you'd imagine. But when I asked my parents about whether or not it was real, since it just sounded like noises I could make on my own. Also, the Bible doesn't even mention these weird gibberish tongues. it only refers to actual languages being spoken-- I was told "but (your stepmother) does it." Case. Closed.

Victory!

This is, so far, just my experience in the church. After being publicly educated until I was 12, my mother sent me to Victory Christian High School. What a powerful name, eh? Victory! I did not want to go, I wanted to be at the public schools with my friends, but no doubt my mother worried of corruption and poor education (this is California after all), so off I went. Victory was a horrendous place. Southern Baptist Fundamentalist mentality. More rules than can be counted, but all loosely worded enough to be wrapped around any situation. No extreme hair, no extreme clothes, no logos on men's shirts, no skirts more than three inches above the knee, no plain white T's (because they are underwear), no frayed edges on pants, no shorts, no hats, no piercings (except women's ears), no tattoos...well, you get the picture. This was a feudal territory. The efforts to control people were absolutely outrageous. Any display of individualism was smartly admonished. Spontaneous lunch time games were quickly squashed due to "safety concerns." Friendly pranks on each other's cars (like flipping the wiper blades upside down) were deemed vandalism and threatened with suspension. Once, in an acting class during an improv game much like whose line is it anyway, i couldn't think of anything fast enough and said "damn!" quietly, but loud enough for the whole class to hear. I was sent out of the room, then to the principle and was suspended from school for one day. The reprimand consisted of them telling me I shouldn't even have that word in my vocabulary. Someone, it was OK for them to know it, presumably for the express purpose of punishing people who used it. My mother was horrified at what her little boy was becoming and I was harshly punished at home as well.

The following year, one of the science teachers left the school and was replaced by one of the elementary school teachers last minute. (It was a K-12 school). She had no experience with students over the age of 8, but she was thrown in with the lions (us). She was so naive, it was incredible. When she heard people whispering, she would turn from the board and proclaim "I'm hearing voices!" Even in an adult context, this would draw some ridicule. Nevermind a room of 13-year-olds. She also made it quite clear that she never ever lost papers, ever. So if she didn't have an assignment, it was because we didn't turn it in. Period. Right...

One girl was sick for a couple weeks and she lost an entire stack of her make up work. Another day, an in-class group lab assignment was lost. She had mine, but not my lab partner's. Ever the defender of my friends, I intervened and spoke on his behalf. She wasn't having it and after trying to convince her, she ended the conversation with "Do you have any proof?" PROOF! No, I didn't have proof. What did she want, a photograph? Video? A notary stamped testimony? Well, I would have my revenge. Shortly after, in the same class, another girl who had been absent said she didn't know there was a quiz that day, so she shouldn't have to take it. My teacher boldly proclaimed, well, i had it up on the board all week, you should have known. Victory! If possible, I raised my hand sarcastically. "Excuse me, Mrs. Smith. Do you have any proof?" I was suspended a day for that one too. But all of a sudden, I was becoming aware of the fallability of adults. Maybe not everything they said was true, maybe it was even completely wrong! Maybe, just maybe, they were over doing it.

I started asking questions. Always a popular strategy. I asked about why the rules were so strict, what difference did spiked hair styles make? Or logos? Or frayed jeans? What harm did those things do? They had justifications from certain unnamed studies that better dressed students performed better. Which may or may not be true, but they didn't really know. They would have said anything. Of course, that wasn't even really the issue, it was all about keeping a good christian testimony for the neighbors around the school. We were the salt of the earth, in the world, but not of the world, we had to stand apart and shine the light. Once, i dared to ask "where in the bible does it say we have to care what people think?" "well, Mike, that's what Christianity is all about. Worrying what others think." I knew then, that the battle was not a matter of logic, but of wits. Of justification. I managed to survive the rest of high school without another suspension, but certainly spent my share of time in the principles office, sometimes deserved. At my graduation, instead of shaking hands, I picked up my principal in a bear hug. I have the photographic evidence to prove it. We look like great friends.

In spite of all this legalism and control, I blamed the school, not the church, not Jesus, not God. This was just people who messed it all up. it certainly gave me a distaste for that kind of behavior, but I would still take a bit more by the end.

At my church, I met a man who was a missionary. He worked with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). He'd been in Mexico and there was a missionary training school there. It was supposed to indirectly make you a better Christian by forcing you into closer communion with Christ. I was not super eager to go to college, but neither did I want to get trapped in some full time job. This seemed like the perfect alternative, plus it would infinitely please the religious people in my life.

Mexico

I spent a total of three and a half years in Mexico. Mexico is an extremely conservative country, even by American standards. I'm speaking about the church of course, not the country as a whole. There is an extremely legalistic approach even on the liberal side. Having said that, there were a number of things that pushed me over the edge. It was an extremely slow journey, but I will highlight the few that I feel did the most "damage" to my previous way of thinking.

By far, one of the most pivotal moments of my entire life came from a book I read while on a missionary trip in Cuba. (We had to enter from Mexico. Don't tell the government....I mean.....I'm lying about that. I didn't go there. Don't investigate.) The book was called What's So Amazing About Grace? by Phillip Yancey. It was absolutely eye opening for me. It is basically driving home the point that Christians say they are all about grace, but in fact tend to have very little of it. "God hates fags, abortion clinic bombings, apartheid, etc." It really showed me how strict and fundie-like I'd become in my own life (and with the team I was leading in notCuba.) It really did change my life and I started exploring grace in my own life and in the lives of the people around me. This led me to what I believed was the true purpose of Christianity. To love, to accept, to refrain from judgment or excessive criticism, to let people be. This was how I saw Jesus. A loving person who demanded nothing of anyone but their friendship in exchange for salvation. I started to ask more questions to people, to challenge their hard and fast beliefs on issues as trivial as public affection or going to nightclubs. I was right popular, as you'd imagine. Some friendships dissolved, others strengthened. I started talking with anyone who would listen about this "radical new idea" of loving people instead of controlling them. I was told I had a poor attitude, that I was playing a dangerous game. When I asked what the danger could possible be I was told "uh..I'll have to get back to you on that." Don't worry about it! Just think! Don't be a priori!

I also dated a girl most of the time I was in Mexico. We were very much in love and I believed that Jesus had revealed to me that she was the ONE for me. That she was worth working for, waiting for, fighting for. She was perfect in so many ways, I thought, and I remained faithful to her for the entire time we were together in spite of being a young white male in Mexico, which is sort of like being a bit of sugar in a land of salt. She however, in the end, was not faithful. I was destroyed, my life was over, surely I would never overcome such heartbreak. This for me, was the final straw. God has made a promise, I'd put my full confidence in his word. I defended it, I lived for it, in the words of Benecio del Toro's character in 21 Grams. "I did everything he wanted!" and I was the one who suffered. It took me about 6 months, but I got over her betrayal. This incident however, was the final push. If God cared so little for me, then I would no longer be afraid to question, to challenge, to take apart, to analyze. I would not accept anything because it was consistent with other beliefs, I would not take anyone's word for it, ever. Either God lied, I misheard, or he never said it in the first place. Any of those are foundation challenging ideas. If God can lie....well, no he can't. Stop right there mister. OK, if I can mishear, then how can I trust ANYthing that I interpret as being his word, if he never said it, then how could I have been so certain. There was nothing more certain to me in my entire life than those promises and they were clearly wrong. This was my limit. I simply would not put up with this bullshit anymore.

Los Angeles

I left Mexico because I was done there. I was tired of the rules, the control, the hypocrisy, the people. All of it. I'd thought I'd spend my life on the missions field, but three years was plenty. I spent a couple years being angry about things. I was angry at God, more than I'd ever thought possible. I wanted nothing to do with him. I couldn't trust him, i couldn't even trust that I heard him. All the while, I felt that pang of guilt for turning away. "it must be a problem with YOU Mike, God is loving, faithful and he has his reasons." No, F that. F that in the A. God must, he will, understand that he cannot treat me so poorly and expect me to take it on the chin. He will fix this mess or he will lose me as a friend. He's a tyrant, a cold business man who uses people to get some master plan off before the end. I'm worth too much for that.

This led to a general disdain for all things religious. If I was fed up with the religious extremists and fundies before, then I had a downright disgust for them now. How dare they attempt to discern the meaning of life or God's word or the bible when they had no f-ing clue if they were right or not. How could they be SO arrogant to try to tell ANYONE how to live? EVERYTHING is subjective! It's all about how you feel when you read it, or what is going on in your life and how it affects your interpretation, or what your culture is, or what your parents believe. There is absolutely no consistency in Christianity as you move from one believe to the next. How can this be? Is this a religion worth keeping?

I called myself a non-Religious Christian during these years. I had no taste for the church, nor organized religion of any kind, nor anyone else's understanding of who God was or what he would or wouldn't do. It was my life, they would be my rules. My rules allowed for a relationship to have a cold period after a conflict. Its perfectly natural and it would be my reality for 3 years. The more I realized that I could change beliefs and completely justify them, the more I started to question others. Every time I'd get a little braver and question a little deeper. Why aren't Mormons saved? They still believe in Jesus sacrifice on the cross, isn't that what mattered above all the denominational nonsense? If the Mormons could be saved? Then why not random people with no religion? What about people who were so indoctrinated that they weren't able to question their religion? Islam? Buddhists? Random Tribes? If it's all about the relationship, then what difference do the specifics make? Why do you have to understand what happened as long as you get to know God? Why do you need to hear the actual story of salvation? What about people who grow up on it, but never really think about it or understand it? Is their salvation any less valid? Then....the big one....where does the Bible even say that Christ is the only way to heaven? Where does it say we have to believe that he died for our sins? Why do I believe it? Have I really thought about these beliefs and selected them because they make sense? What do i really believe? What is real? What, of all the things I've believed my whole life is worth anything?.....Is....God....even...no, yes, he is, of course he is. You know it, you feel it. Don't be dumb.

Once you open that door however, there is no stopping it, not in my experience.

I did start to question the existence of God. I started to question the existence of everything. How do we know what we know? How does anyone know anything? What does science really know? Is evolution really a lie? Do they believe it just because they need something besides the Bible? Is there any validity to it? Is there any validity to creationism? How do you prove something was created? science, Science, SCIENCE!

Then that was it, at some point I realized that life made so much more sense outside of religion, things worked like they were said to work, they were consistent across the board, no more guilt, no more self doubt, no more confidence undermining belief system. I was out, I was free, more free than the freedom of Christ. I feel good all the time, i have belief in myself, I trust my self, my mind, my thoughts. Mankind is imperfect and limited and this is most clearly evidenced in their creation of Religion.

I'm proudly Agnostic now. Agnostic because the existence of God is simply not something that can be known, it's unfalsifiable. I'm equally agnostic about invisible pink unicorns, the Tooth Fairy and Russell's teapot.

Filed under: Celebs & Money

As the world braced for financial disaster, Oscar-nominated director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu was saved by fateful timing.

Inarritu, the maker of Amores Perros, 21 Grams, and Babel, began to shoot his new movie Biutiful starring Javier Bardem just as a scene-stealing recession strangled the film industry.

"Fortunately, my film was one of the last-limit projects greenlighted," Inarritu told WalletPop in a recent interview. "One month later, this film couldn't happen. It was greenlit in a completely different world. I was lucky I wasn't stopped."

Continue reading Director Alejandro Inarritu Barely Beat the Recession With New Film

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Nutrition challenge: boost fibre intake Globe and Mail Adults aged 19 to 50 need 25 grams (women) and 38 grams (men) of fibre each day. Older women need 21 grams and older men require 30 grams daily. ... and more »

Once meant to be Dans Le Noir, now Al Mayass Community Board 3 isn't the only one to already pass judgment this month. A tipster went to Community Board 5's meeting last week and has the following to report:...

Temperatures dipped below freezing last night, so I decided to run an experiment and make a breakfast ice pop out in the back yard. Ingredients: one Popsicle stick, one can Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso. This morning the results looked promising, with ice on top, until I tried to pull the coffee stick out of the can. Instead of a lickable caffeinated treat, I found a brown mess that disgorged itself with a wet plop.

The birdbath was frozen. Why not the coffee? I'm guessing the 21 grams of sugar and spoonfuls of cream had something to do with it, but if there are any chemists out there with more information I'd love to hear it.

The controversial 38th International Animated Film Society’s Annie Awards announced their nominees for Best Animated Feature today:  Universal/Illumination Entertainment's Despicable Me, DreamWorks Animation's How To Train Your Dragon, Sony Pictures Classics' The Illusionist, and Disney's Tangled and Toy Story 3. What the official press release didn’t mention is that Disney/Pixar is boycotting the awards and refusing to participate due to complaints they have about the voting process among other things. Though the Annies nominated two Disney films in the top category as well as directing and writing for Toy Story 3 (how could they avoid it and maintain cred?), the group gave Disney and Pixar only 7 mentions. But the Annies showered 15 nominations on DWA's Dragon and 39 nods overall that included films like Megamind and Shrek Forever After. It’s interesting that there was no mention of vote totals in the ASIFA-Hollywood release. Hmm. Something’s wrong in Toonville, and both Disney/Pixar and the Annies have some explaining to do. --- “Hosted” screenings by notables not directly connected to the movies in contention for awards seem to be rampant these days. For instance, at the DGA in Hollywood, Sean Penn moderated a Q&A Sunday with his 21 Grams director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Javier Bardem (who received a standing ovation) after a screening of Biutiful. Similar screenings for that film have been moderated by the likes of Werner Herzog and Robert Benton with upcoming unspoolings hosted by Michael Mann and Alfonso Cuaron. The DGA has a long tradition of inviting other directors to interview contenders. Joel Coen recently ... Read More »

Isaac — 560 grams Molly — 651 grams Big sister Becky is giving Molly her Hanukkah gifts — a yellow f

There’s good news coming out of the world of cardiology drug research. 

In Chicago this last week at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, Dr. Christopher Cannon of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston announced the findings of the DEFINE trial, a study meant to assess the effect of a new drug called anacetrapib on lipid levels, most particularly the level of HDL cholesterol.  To put these findings into perspective I’ll bore you with a little history.

We look at cholesterol as the composite of three general subtypes: triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).  This sort of breakdown is clinically useful despite being an oversimplification of a family of complex molecules.  LDL is the dangerous lipid and the one we follow most as we treat patients to decrease risk of heart attack and stroke.  The optimal LDL level is debatable, but for most people lower generally means better (we shoot for under a hundred in most higher-risk patients).  Triglycerides are small bundles of fat floating in the blood stream and are elevated in people with fatty diets, poorly-controlled diabetes, and persons with a relatively common genetic predisposition.  The impact of triglyceride level on one’s cardiovascular health is not quite as clear-cut as that of LDL, but it is also generally viewed as a molecule you’ll want to own only in limited quantities.

HDL is the protective form of cholesterol and you want as much as you can get.  Long ago we discovered that people lucky enough to be born with elevated levels of this particle are far less likely to develop coronary artery disease.  What remains to be seen is if we can lower the risk of heart attack in a person with low HDL by artificially raising HDL to comparable levels.

For some time now we’ve had good medication to bring down LDL and triglyceride levels but we’ve never really had anything that dramatically raises the level of the protective HDL.  When I was in medical school we were taught that moderate alcohol intake and exercise could raise HDL to a degree—for best effect our instructor recommended that we strap on our Nikes and “run from bar to bar.”  Niacin, a vitamin, has been used with limited effect.  A high dose of this drug (2 to 3 grams) can bump the HDL level by 10-30% but at a cost of significant side effects.  Consumers of high-dose niacin can expect facial flushing shortly after ingesting their daily dose, often to the point of intolerability.  If you ever want to experience what your grandmother went through with menopause, just pop a couple niacin tablets and you’ll have a better appreciation for hot flashes.

For years we’ve been awaiting the magic pill that can raise HDL and confer the theoretic protection on the millions of people born with sparse HDL levels.  We thought that the drug torcetrapib was the answer.  This is a compound that was the subject of gleeful speculation a couple of years ago while it was undergoing study.  Unfortunately, torcetrapib ended up as a disappointment when it was found to actually increase the rate of cardiac death among the study participants.  It is estimated that the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer spent more than $800 million in an attempt to bring this drug to market.  When the results were announced the company’s market value dropped $21 billion overnight.  This ultimately led to the decision by Pfizer to terminate its efforts at developing new drugs to combat heart disease.

Now we have anacetrapib.  In this recent study the level of HDL in the drug-treated volunteers rose a whopping 138% when compared with the placebo group.  To put this in perspective, a patient with an HDL of 30 mg/dL will bump their level to 40 mg/dL on a glow-in-the-dark dose of niacin, but will end up at over 70 mg/dL on anacetrapib—a level that should pretty much nuclear-proof the coronary arteries.

That is, if an artificial bump in HDL ends up being protective.  The current trial was designed to assess anacetrapib’s ability to alter lipid profile and (more importantly) prove the safety of the drug.  Much to the relief of its manufacturers, it appears that the new drug has none of the deleterious effect of the previously studied torcetrapib.

We won’t know if anacetrapib actually saves lives until 2015 or later.  That’s the projected date that Merck hopes to have completed a trial involving 30,000 volunteers.  Until then, I guess the best we can do is keep planning our daily runs around the locations of the town’s watering holes.

In somewhat related news, another important new medicine has just been approved for sale in the United States.  Pradaxa (generic: dabigatran) is the first drug in a half century to serve as a safe and effective replacement for warfarin (Coumadin) in patients with atrial fibrillation.  As many of you know, warfarin was originally developed and marketed years ago as rat poison.  These days, closely monitored use of warfarin is safe but cumbersome and its use is hampered by numerous drug and diet interactions.  Pradaxa is poised to change all that (no adjusting dose, no dietary restrictions).  Those of us in the business of treating atrial fibrillation are excited to see something new come along that is safe, easy to use, and doesn’t have a history as a rodenticide.

According to the latest round of casting reports for Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel, The Dark Knight Rises, the writer/director is looking to cast two female roles, one love interest, and one villain.

Speculation centers around Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Talia (Ras Al Ghul's daughter) and Vicki Vale, assuming Nolan is sticking with characters from the Batman mythos. The list of actresses who are auditioning is a who's who of Oscar nominees and top box office earners:
Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, The Fountain, Oscar nominee for The Constant Gardener)
Naomi Watts (The Ring, King Kong, Oscar nominee for 21 Grams)
Natalie Portman (Star Wars prequels, V for Vendetta, Oscar nominee for Closer)
Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, Alice in Wonderland, Oscar nominee for Rachel Getting Married)
Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Never Let Me Go, Oscar nominee for Pride and Prejudice)
Blake Lively (Gossip Girl, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Town)

Blastr has a round up of the possibilities for each actress and role here:
http://blastr.com/2010/11/which-of-these-6-women-wi.php

Which female villain do you want to see in the new Batman film? Which actress should play her? Click here to discuss.

Giro Hex Bike Helmet In-mold construction fuses tough outer microshell to EPS foam liner Roc Loc 4 system includes adjustments for fit tensioning and helmet positioning 21 vents allow cool air in and warm air out Weighs only 310 grams and comes in three Super Fit sizes Complies with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission217;s [...]

San Francisco Chronicle, Price: $148.00, The TWIST is perfect for the home with its small size, quiet operation, easy cleaning, zero maintenance, and performance right out of the box that has been rated alongside machines costing 4x to 80x as much. Single and double shots of espresso Effortless to use, easy to keep clean Game-changing versatility Easy change system works with fresh-ground coffee and ESE pods--no need for a second machine Professional-quality double baskets can hold from 14- 21 grams of coffee making two singles at once, or one delicious doppio Pressurized basket gets a great crema from even the coarsest ground store-bought coffee Shot after perfect shot, no pumping required, makes the TWIST ideal for entertaining Make the freshest possible shots right at the table! Works perfectly with red espresso rooibos tea Make lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and more with the mypressi FROTHER, now included free of charge with every TWIST shipping direct from our store. Awesome for Thanksgiving Day : $148.00 This Mypressi TWIST was listed as $169.00 and is now $148.00 also take advantage of the coupon offer that brings this price down even more. Coupon Code: mycafe Found at Bluebath.com

Exclusive: Georgia trial reveals how sting netted highly enriched uranium smuggled via train inside lead-lined package

High enriched uranium which could be used to make a nuclear bomb is on sale on the black market along the fringes of the former Soviet Union, according to evidence emerging from a secret trial in Georgia.

At the centre of the case are two Armenians, a businessman called Sumbat Tonoyan and a physicist, Hrant Ohanyan. Both have pleaded guilty to smuggling highly enriched uranium (HEU) into Georgia in March, stashing it in a lead-lined package on a train from Yerevan to Tbilisi.

Georgia's president Mikheil Saakashvili informed other heads of state of the sting operation at a nuclear summit in Washington in April, but no details about the case have been made public until now. The trial has been conducted behind closed doors, Georgian officials say, to protect the operational secrecy of the country's counter-proliferation unit.

But investigators have given the Guardian an exclusive first-hand account of the case.

It reveals that the critical ingredient for making a nuclear warhead is available on the black market and is reasonably easy to smuggle past a ring of expensive US-funded radiation sensors along the borders of the former Soviet Union. What is not clear is how much nuclear material is in circulation and whether any has already been bought by extremist groups.

The US has made the prevention of nuclear terrorism its national security priority. To that end, Barack Obama persuaded 50 world leaders at the April summit to pledge to secure all vulnerable nuclear material within four years.

Billions of dollars have been spent upgrading security at nuclear sites around the globe, particularly in Russia, which has an estimated 700 tons of HEU in hundreds of facilities. But it is unclear how much has already been stolen.

"The question is: Of what iceberg are seeing the tip?" said Matthew Bunn, a Harvard expert and former White House science adviser, who compiles an annual assessment of the nuclear terrorism threat titled Securing the Bomb.

The sample that Tonoyan and Ohanyan were peddling is thought to have been stolen several years ago. US nuclear laboratories have confirmed it is 89.4% enriched, usable in a nuclear warhead. The amount the Armenians had was small, 18 grams, but they had been told by their supplier in Armenia that much more would be available if they made a sale.

They smuggled it into Georgia by train, stuffing into a cigarette box lined with lead strips to fool radiation sensors at the border. Tonoyan, a 63-year-old who once ran a successful dairy business but gambled away his fortune, and Ohanyan, a 59-year-old scientist at the Yerevan Institute of Physics, had arranged to meet their buyer in a hotel room in the Georgian capital on 11 March. They were under the impression they were selling their 18g sample to a representative of an Islamic jihadist group as a precursor to a bigger consignment. But the buyer was a Georgian undercover police officer.

The sting operation marks the third time in seven years that HEU has been intercepted on Georgia soil. Altogether, there have been 21 seizures or attempted thefts of weapons grade material, uranium or plutonium, in the region since the Soviet Union collapsed.

In every case where such material has been seized, its absence had not previously been noticed. And subsequent investigations found that in almost every case, the theft was carried out by an insider.

"There has never been a good physical inventory. Accounting rules in the Soviet Union were not designed with an internal threat in mind," said Elena Sokolova, a non-proliferation expert at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

"No one registered that this material was missing and we still don't know whether other material went missing."

In the three Georgian cases, there is some evidence linking the stolen HEU to a nuclear fuel plant in Novosibirsk, Siberia. An investigation by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) found that Garik Dadayan, the smuggler involved in the first case in 2003, had gone to Novosibirsk, before trying to smuggle about 200g of HEU into Georgia.

In the second case, the smuggler, Oleg Khintsagov initially told investigators he acquired his HEU from business acquaintances in Novosibirsk although he later changed his account. Onhanyan and Tonoyan say they got their sample from Dadayan, who was released from prison in Armenia in 2005.

The tense state of Georgian-Russian relations since the two states fought a short war in 2008, has meant it is impossible to trace the material to its source.

"Most likely, the materials were stolen in the mid- or early 90s when a big amount of material disappeared. It's hidden somewhere and from time to time, someone is trying to find new buyers," said Archil Pavlenishvili, the head of Georgia's radioactive materials investigation team.

"We think that the game is not over. There will be more attempts."

Enterobacter sakazakii was first described as a new bacterial species in 1980, and over a hundred scientific papers have been written about it. From 1980 to 2007 it was known as Enterobacter sakazakii, but in 2007 there was a proposal to reclassify it into a new genus Cronobacter as Cronobacter sakazakii. (1) For simplicity and for the reasons mentioned later, this discussion will continue to use the original name Enterobacter sakazakii. The proposed alternative classification is given as a section at the end and includes a discussion of the problems and the need for future studies.

Enterobacter sakazakii is a Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium classified in the family Enterobacteriaceae. It has been isolated from three types of infection -- devastating meningitis in very young babies (neonates), bacteremia (blood steam infection) in older babies, and a wide variety of infections (or colonization) in older babies, children and adults. The majority of infections reported in the peer-reviewed literature have described neonates—newborn infants, including premature infants, post-mature infants, and full-term newborns—with sepsis, meningitis, or necrotizing enterocolitis. (2) Although it has been isolated from cases of necrotizing enterocolitis, its causative role is unclear. (3)

Reported outcomes in neonatal meningitis are often severe: seizures; brain abscess; hydrocephalus; developmental delay; and death in as many as 40%–80% of cases. Premature infants are thought to be at greater risk than more mature infants, other children, or adults, and outbreaks have occurred in hospital units for newborns. (3)


Although E. sakazakii can cause illness in all age groups, infants are believed to be at greatest risk of infection and E. sakazakii was first implicated in a case of neonatal meningitis in 1958 (before the organism was given a scientific name). Since that time, around 70 cases of E. sakazakii infection have been reported, but it is likely that is the number of cases is significantly under-reported in all countries and the incidence is probably higher. (4)

Experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) met in 2004 to summarize information, and develop international guidelines and educational messages regarding E. sakazakii. The meeting confirmed that there is very little known about virulence factors and pathogenicity of this bacterium. Like other bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae, such as Escherichia coli, differences in virulence among E. sakazakii may exist, and it is possible that strains are less or non-pathogenic. Work done by Pagotto et al. (2003) was the first describing putative virulence factors for E. sakazakii. Enterotoxin-like compounds were produced by some strains, but not all. Using tissue cultures, some strains produced a cytotoxic effect. Two strains (out of 18 isolates) were capable of causing death in suckling mice by the peroral (administered by mouth) route. (5)

Mortality rates from E. sakazakii infection were once reported to be 50 percent, but this figure has declined to under 20 percent in recent years. Significant morbidity in the form of neurological deficits can result from infection, especially among those with bacterial meningitis and cerebritis (inflammation of the cerebrum of the brain). While the disease is usually responsive to antibiotic therapy, a number of authors have reported increasing antibiotic resistance to drugs commonly used for initial treatment of suspected Enterobacter infection. Long-term neurologic sequelae are well recognized. (5)

Enterobacter sakazakii kills 40%–80% of infected infants. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reviewed literature for reports of E. sakazakii and analyzed 46 cases of invasive infant infection to define risk factors and guide prevention and treatment. Of the 46 cases analyzed, twelve infants had bacteremia, 33 had meningitis, and 1 had a urinary tract infection. Compared with infants with isolated bacteremia, infants with meningitis had higher birth weight (2,454 grams vs. 850 grams, with a probability value, p = 0.002) and longer gestational age (37 weeks vs. 27.8 weeks, p = 0.02), and infection developed at a younger age (6 days vs. 35 days, p<0.001). Among meningitis patients, 11 (33%) had seizures, 7 (21%) had brain abscess, and 14 (42%) died. (3)

Although E. sakazakii has been isolated from all age groups, infants (children less than 1 year) are at most risk. The groups of infants at greatest risk include pre-term infants, low-birth-weight (less than 2.5 kilograms) infants or immunocompromised infants. However, infants who are compromised for any other reason may also be at greater risk of E. sakazakii infection. Infants of HIV-positive mothers are at risk because they may be immunocompromised, and may specifically require powdered infant formula. (4)

In 2006, an FAO/WHO expert working group concluded that neonates and infants under two months are at greatest risk. Research has shown that premature infants who develop bacteremia after one month of age and term infants who develop meningitis during the neonatal period are still more at risk. (4)

In the United States, an incidence rate of 1 per 100,000 infants for E. sakazakii infection has been reported. This incidence rate increases to 9.4 per 100,000 in infants of very low birth weight, i.e. less than 1.5 kilograms. (4)

While the source of every E. sakazakii infection was not conclusively shown, a growing number of reports have established powdered infant formula as the source (vehicle) of infection. In several investigations of E. sakazakii outbreaks that occurred among neonates in neonatal intensive care units, investigators were able to show both epidemiological and microbiological associations between infection and the consumption of powdered infant formula. These investigations included cohort studies, which implicated infant formula as the cause of the outbreaks. In addition, there was no evidence of infant-to-infant or environmental transmission; all cases had consumed the implicated formula. The stomach of newborns, especially of premature babies, is less acidic than that of adults: a possible important factor contributing to infection with E. sakazakii in infants. (5)

Limited information was available on the numbers of E. sakazakii organisms that ill patients were exposed to in any of the various outbreaks and it is therefore not possible to develop a dose-response curve for E. sakazakii to establish the “infectious dose.” However, it is possible that a small number of cells present in powdered infant formula can cause illness. (4)

Unfortunately it is not possible to manufacture powdered infant formula to be completely free of E. sakazakii contamination, and even very low levels of contamination are of great concern as an infection risk. In a study of the prevalence of E. sakazakii contamination in 141 powdered infant formulas, 20 were found culture-positive, yet all met the microbiological specifications of the current Codex code for coliform counts in powdered infant formula (less than 3 bacteria per gram). Powdered infant formula that was contaminated with E. sakazakii has been linked to outbreaks. (5)

Outbreaks of E. sakazakii have also occurred in which the investigators have failed to identify lapses in formula preparation procedures. Thus, it seems that neither high levels of contamination nor lapses in preparation hygiene are necessary to cause infection from E. sakazakii in powdered infant formula. Lapses in technique in preparing formula and extended holding at non-refrigerated temperatures can lead to increases in the levels of E. sakazakii contamination at the time of consumption. However, it is not possible to assess the contribution of these factors have on the cases that have been associated with powdered infant formula that contained low levels of E. sakazakii. Thus it must be currently assumed that low levels of E. sakazakii in infant formula (less than 3 cfu/100 g) can lead to infections. (5) These microbiological standards do not consider that E. sakazakii can be present in the form of large pieces of biofilm rather than as individual cells.

The April 12th 2002 issue of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report described a fatal case of meningitis in an intensive care nursery in Tennessee. The infecting organism was E. sakazakii - an unusual but often fatal invasive pathogen. In the fatal Tennessee case, the infection was traced to powdered infant formula contaminated with E. sakazakii. Other infants in the same nursery were screened for E sakazakii. Of 49 screened infants 10 were infected or colonized (1 proven infection, 2 possible infections, and 7 colonizations). This report showed a direct link to unopened powdered infant formula contaminated with E. sakazakii for the first time. The manufacturer voluntarily recalled the contaminated batch of powdered formula shown to be the source. (6)

In 2004, powdered infant formula was microbiologically linked to two E. sakazakii outbreaks, in New Zealand and in France. The French outbreak involved nine cases, and resulted in the death of two infants. Eight of the cases were in premature infants of low birth weight (less than 2 kg) and one case was in an infant born at 37 weeks and weighing 3.25 kg. The outbreak involved five hospitals, and a review of practices in the hospitals revealed that one hospital was not following recommended procedures for the preparation, handling, and storage of feeding bottles. Four hospitals were storing reconstituted formula for more than 24 hours in domestic-type refrigerators, with no temperature control or traceability. (4)

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) points out that powdered infant formulas are not commercially sterile products. Powdered milk-based infant formulas are heat-treated during processing, but unlike liquid formula products they are not subjected to high temperatures for sufficient time to make the final packaged product commercially sterile. FDA has noted that infant formulas nutritionally designed for consumption by premature or low birth weight infants are available only in commercially sterile liquid form. However, so-called "transition" infant formulas that are generally used for premature or low birth weight infants after hospital discharge are available in both non-sterile powder form and sterile liquid form. Some other specialty infant formulas are only available as a non-sterile powder. (2)

The FDA has become increasingly aware that a substantial percentage of premature neonates in neonatal intensive care units are being fed non-sterile powdered infant formula products. In light of the epidemiological findings and the fact that powdered infant formulas cannot be manufactured free of dangerous microbial pathogens, FDA recommends that powdered infant formulas not be used in neonatal intensive care settings unless there is no alternative available. If the only option available to address the nutritional needs of a particular infant is a powdered formula, risks of infection can be reduced by:

• Preparing only a small amount of reconstituted formula for each feeding to reduce the quantity and time that formula is held at room temperature for consumption;

• Recognizing differences in infant formula preparation among hospitals—individual facilities should identify and follow procedures appropriate for that institution to minimize microbial growth in infant formulas;

• Minimizing the holding time, whether at room temperature or while under refrigeration, before a reconstituted formula is fed; and

• Minimizing the "hang-time" (i.e., the amount of time a formula is at room temperature in the feeding bag and accompanying lines during enteral tube feeding), with no "hang-time" exceeding 4 hours. Longer times should be avoided because of the potential for significant microbial growth in reconstituted infant formula. (2)

WHO recommends that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond (WHO/UNICEF, 2003). It is important to support breastfeeding and promote its benefits to infants and young children. (4)

There are, however, instances where breast milk is not available, where the mother is unable to breastfeed, where they have made an informed decision not to breastfeed, or where breastfeeding is not appropriate i.e. when the mother is taking medication that is contraindicated for breastfeeding or when the mother is HIV-positive. Similarly, some very low-birth-weight babies may not be able to breastfeed directly, and in some cases expressed breast milk may not be available at all or available in insufficient quantities. Infants who are not breastfed require a suitable breast-milk substitute, for example, an infant formula prepared in accordance with the present guidelines. WHO Guidelines for infant formula preparation, storage, and handling (2007), in both care settings and at home, are specified at http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/powdered infant formula (4)
In January 2006, a second meeting (after the initial one in 2004) of experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) took place to summarize information, and develop international guidelines and educational messages. The meeting participants first re-endorsed the recommendations made by the 2004 FAO/WHO meeting on this issue. The additional recommendations made by the expert meeting to member countries included the following:

• Develop prevention strategies for E. sakazakii infections caused by contaminated powdered infant formula that address the different stages of production and preparation and use of powdered infant formula, taking into consideration the risk to infants? Both within and beyond the neonatal period and of any immune status.

• Develop educational messages on the safe handling, storage and use of powdered infant formula, including the health hazards of inappropriate preparation and use; target healthcare workers, parents and other caregivers, in both hospitals and the community, since E. sakazakii infections have occurred in hospital and home settings.

• Review and revise product labels, as appropriate, to enable caregivers to handle, store and use the product safely, and to make clear the health hazards of inappropriate preparation.

• Encourage member countries to establish surveillance and rapid response networks, and facilitate coordinated investigation by clinicians, laboratory workers, and public health and regulatory officials, to enable the timely recognition and cessation of outbreaks of illness associated with E. sakazakii and the identification of contaminated powdered infant formula. (7)

References:

(1) US FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]. Health professionals letter on Enterobacter sakazakii infections associated with use of powdered (dry) infant formulas in neonatal intensive care units. 2002. Available from
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/InfantFormula/AlertsSafetyInformation/ucm111299.htm.



(2) Bowen AB, Braden CR. Invasive Enterobacter sakazakii disease in infants. Emerg Infect Dis 2006; 12(8): 1185-1189. Available from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no08/05-1509.htm.



(3) WHO [World Health Organization], FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]. Guidelines for safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula. 2007. Available from
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/pif2007/en/index.html.




(4) WHO [World Health Organization]. Enterobacter sakazakii and other microorganisms in powdered infant formula. MRA Series 6, 2004. Available from
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/mra6/en/index.html.



(5) CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. Enterobacter sakazakii infections associated with the use of powdered infant formula-Tennessee, 2001. MMWR, Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2002; 51(14):298-300. Available from
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5114a1.htm.



(6) WHO [World Health Organization]. Enterobacter sakazakii and Salmonella in powdered infant formula: Meeting report. MRA Series 10, 2006. Available from
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/mra10/en/index.html




(7) Iversen C, Lehner A, Mullane N, et. al. The taxonomy of Enterobacter sakazakii: proposal of a new genus Cronobacter gen. nov. and descriptions of Cronobacter sakazakii comb. nov. Cronobacter sakazakii subsp. sakazakii, comb. nov., Cronobacter sakazakii subsp. malonaticus subsp. nov., Cronobacter turicensis sp. nov., Cronobacter muytjensii sp. nov., Cronobacter dublinensis sp. nov. and Cronobacter genomospecies I. BMC Evol Biol 2007; Apr 17;7:64.

Note:  The Proposed Reclassification of Enterobacter sakazakii

Both the original 1980 study and subsequent studies noted heterogeneity in the species E. sakazakii. Recently Iversen and co-workers proposed that E. sakazakii be reclassified in a new genus Cronobacter which was defined to have four named species, one unnamed species, and five named subspecies (7):

Cronobacter sakazakii 
Cronobacter sakazakii subspecies sakazakii
Cronobacter sakazakii subspecies malonaticus
Cronobacter dublinensis 
Cronobacter dublinensis subspecies dublinensis 
Cronobacter dublinensis subspecies lactaridi
Cronobacter dublinensis subspecies lausanensis
Cronobacter muytjensii 
Cronobacter turicensis
Cronobacter genomospecies 1 (a distinct species, but unnamed)

This proposal was based on sound scientific evidence and is generally being accepted by the scientific community. However, the new proposed raises several issues and problems. The first problem is that only a few laboratories in the world have the expertise and resources to identify bacterial isolated to this precise level. Almost all hospital laboratories use commercial identification systems, which cannot identify strains to the level of species/subspecies as given above. Even Dr, Matthew Arduino’s laboratory at CDC does not identify strains of the Enterobacter sakazakii - Cronobacter group to the species and subspecies level.

The second problem is that all of the paper that have been written about E. sakazakii need to be re-evaluated in the light of the new knowledge of the study of Iversen and co-workers. Until these problems are solved, precise names should be used that do not overstate what was actually found by laboratory identification methods. For example, the statement “Enterobacter sakazakii was isolated from the intestine of a fruit fly caught in the kitchen of the case.” would be replaced by one of the following statements: “An isolate of Cronobacter species was isolated from the intestine of a fruit fly caught in the kitchen of the case.” or “An isolate of the Enterobacter sakazakii - Cronobacter complex was isolated from the intestine of a fruit fly caught in the kitchen of the case.” All isolates of the Enterobacter sakazakii - Cronobacter complex need to be studied by experts who can identify them precisely. This would lead to corrections in the literature and correction about our knowledge of this group. One theoretical result of this needed retrospective analysis would be:

“The organism that Farmer isolated in 1978 from his dog’s water bowl (CDC strain designation: 1167-78) and originally identified as E. sakazakii biogroup 3 has been retested. The revised identification of this strain is Cronobacter dublinensis subspecies lactaridi* based on the following criteria … .” Or whatever the revised identification turns out to be.  Many additional studies of this complex group of organisms are needed to define its ecology, epidemiology and role in human infections. Until these studies are done, all laboratory results and literature reports should be interpreted critically and with due caution.

Closest race: State Senator Robert Hurt maintains his margin-of-error lead over 5th District incumbent Congressman Tom Perriello in the final week before voters head to the polls November 2.

Biggest get: The President will come to town Friday the 30th to give Perriello a push.

Latest effort to dislodge Jeff Clark: Local Jefferson Area Tea Party chair Carole Thorpe issues another call October 22 for Clark to honor his pledge to drop out of the 5th District race if he had no chance to win rather than become a spoiler. Area Tea Partiers are "justifiably livid" at Clark, who's polling in the low single digits, for "reneging on his promise," writes Thorpe in a statement.

Biggest groundbreaking: The ceremonial shovels come out October 21 for the $13.5 million Ruth Caplin Theatre, a 300-seat addition to UVA's Drama Building, bolstered by a $4 million donation from Mortimer and Ruth Caplin. 

Messiest groundbreaking: Vandals in a utility vehicle do doughnuts on the field at Scott Stadium overnight October 21. Maintenance crews have the field back in shape for the 6pm October 23 kickoff (and victory) against Eastern Michigan.

Most gubernatorial dedications: In a busy week at Mr. Jefferson's U, Governor Bob McDonnell shows up October 22 for the $105 million South Lawn Project ceremonial grand opening, and he's back again October 25 for the Sheila C. Johnson Center for Human Services at Curry, which $5 million-donor Johnson does not attend.

Most eager to pull in the welcome mat: ASAP--- Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population--- reports that the county should reduce or stabilize the population, and is conducting a poll urging a population cap for the area.

Saddest swim event: UVA grad and two-time ACC Swimmer of the Year Fran Crippen, 26, dies October 23 during the final leg of the 10-kilometer Marathon Swimming World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. 

Worst driving: A University Transit Service bus hits a column on the iconic Beta Bridge early October 20, crumbling a portion of the oft-painted wall. 

Worst time to hit Skyline Drive: After 5pm, when portions of the park close until 8am between November 6 and January 1 to deter hunters.

Largest audience: Rutherford Institute head John Whitehead appears on Good Morning America October 22 to defend airline pilot Michael Roberts, who refused to submit to whole body imaging after passing through a metal detector without setting off an alarm at the Memphis airport. Roberts wasn't allowed through security and couldn't report to work. Whitehead argues that such searches are a "virtual strip search" that violate the Fourth Amendment.

Most publicized vigil: More than 100 people gather in front of the Rotunda October 20 to condemn homophobic bullying.

Most senseless: Vandals puncture tires of 26 cars in the 1500 block of East High and on intersecting Willow Driver late October 19-early October 20, WINA reports.

Most livers: UVA's Transplant Center celebrates its 1,000th liver transplant since 1989, and 150 survivors and their new livers join in the October 24 fun.

Best reason to not smoke pot when you're an alleged drug dealer out driving around past midnight: Police arrest Ronald Porter Jr. of Buckingham, and Ladonte Chapman of Charlottesville following a traffic stop around 12:30am October 21 on Seminole Trail. Arresting officer Eric Kudro (whose previous claims to fame include Tasing a handcuffed fan at a UVA football game last November and crashing his Albemarle police cruiser in Waynesboro in May), notices the smell of reefer coming from the car. He discovers 133 grams of crack, 15 grams of marijuana, a 9mm gun, and $644 in cash, the Newsplex reports.

 #

Anemia is interesting.  I wonder if Big PhRMA can even make up its mind over people's health first or profit.

My interest in Procrit goes back to about 2002 when I was working with a man who was taking this drug.  At that time the cost was $1200 a dose.  With his open-minded MD he was able to switch to B12 shots and natural thyroid support, reduce his costs, and greatly improve his anemia, and his health.

Working as I do from time to time with people who experience serious anemic states because of their health condition or prescribed drugs, I have to stand on the side AGAINST the anemia drugs, regardless of health condition.

I do not agree that a risk of cancer is a green light for reliance on any drug.

Just like the CPR controversy, I guess anti-anemia drugs are now in that same genre.

FDA panel backs anemia drugs for kidney disease

By MATTHEW PERRONE, AP Health Writer Oct18

ADELPHI, Md. – Federal health advisers said Monday that patients with failing kidneys should continue taking a group of widely used anemia drugs, despite a recent study showing they can increase the risk of stroke.
A panel of Food and Drug Administration experts voted 15-1, with one abstention, to maintain the drugs' approval for patients with chronic kidney disease who are not yet sick enough to receive dialysis. The FDA is not required to follow the group's advice, though it often does.
The medicines — Procrit, Aranesp and Epogen — are multibillion-dollar sellers because of their ability to boost oxygen-carrying red blood cells, reducing the need for painful blood transfusions. But sales have fallen sharply since 2007, when the FDA added the first of several safety warnings to the drugs, based on evidence they can cause tumor growth and hasten death in cancer patients. The drugs are no longer used in patients with several types of cancers.
The FDA is reviewing the medications from biotech drugmaker Amgen Inc. after a study published last year that showed patients with kidney disease who were taking the drugs were twice as likely to experience stroke compared with those taking a dummy treatment. The goal of the study was to show that higher doses of the drug could prevent heart attack, stroke and other heart-related problems, as had been assumed for years.
Doctors adjust their patients' drug doses to maintain healthy levels of hemoglobin, a component of blood that carries oxygen and keeps anemia patients active. Anemia causes weakness and shortness of breath and is a side effect of chemotherapy and kidney failure.
Current labeling on the drugs recommends keeping patients' hemoglobin levels between 10 grams and 12 grams per deciliter. The FDA asked its panelists whether the recommendation should be reduced to target 9 grams per deciliter. But a majority of panelists sided against that proposal in a vote of 9-5 with three abstentions. The experts said they worried patients would suffer more incidents of anemia and require more blood transfusions if lower doses were recommended. They said doctors should manage patients based on their individual health and disease history.
Panelists said additional studies are needed to find the ideal drug dosage for kidney disease patients.
"The label should be adjusted, but I just don't think we have enough information to recommend a fixed dose," said Dr. Judith Hochman of the New York University School of Medicine.
Amgen, based in California, makes all three drugs. Procrit is sold by Johnson & Johnson's Centocor Ortho Biotech division, under a long-standing agreement between the companies.
Last year the drugs — known as erythropoiesis stimulating agents — had combined sales of $6.3 billion, according to health data firm IMS Health.

Don't Curb, Pull Drug Ads
May 21, 2008
The committee also probed ads for Johnson & Johnson's anemia drug Procrit. At the hearing, Stupak called on the companies to rein in their campaigns or face tighter restriction and possibly an advertisement ban.
Co-Pay Comments
Apr 15, 2008
Procrit $1024 / 6 vials depending on dose Neupogen $4700 / 10 prefilled syringes depending on dose Actimmune (Gamma interferon B1) $600-900 + per dose Cerezyme, Fabrazyme $200000 annually, for life. A GMO drug, not unlike most on this ...

Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical

- One of the more amusing artistic relationships to emerge from the Disney-Marvel merger are these 'Tron: Legacy' variant covers of their classic heroes that will be on shelves this November.

- Daniel Radcliffe has stated that he'd love to act in a 'Harry Potter' remake down the line. Not as Harry, of course, but preferably as Sirius Black. If he's too old by the time the inevitable remake gears up, however, he's all for playing Dumbledore instead.

- The first US trailer is out for Alejandro Inarritu's ('21 Grams,' 'Babel') new film, 'Biutiful.' It's safe to say from the cut of this trailer that Roadside Attractions are gunning hard for this to be a very serious awards contender come Oscar time. Watch the trailer after the jump.

- The name of actors vying for a spot in the 'Alien' reboot grows by two as both James Franco and Anne Hathaway throw in for undisclosed roles.


Continue Reading

Biutiful is the latest film from writer and director Alejandro González Iñárritu who has brought us films such as 21 Grams and Babel, and it's getting some really strong praise already. There's talk of Oscars and powerful performances, and the trailer reflects that. It's amazing that a trailer can be so emotive, powerful, deliver a touch of a story and still have next to no dialogue. There's a lesson there for Hollywood trailers for sure....Visit Filmstalker for the full story. Restricted feeds to protect content.

_{Give me Oscar.}

Can you smell it? That's the Oscar race getting closer, my friends. Roadside Attractions has dropped the trailer for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Biutiful. Javier Bardem already won Best Actor in Cannes for his portrayl of a father facing death, and that means the little, bald, gold man is next. Biutiful falls in line with Inarritu's previous mellow harshing material (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel), but if you're looking to feel glum, this film could be a quick ticket to Emotional Breakdown Town.

Biutiful hits theaters Decemeber 29, 2010.

Check out the trailer after the jump...

read more

Time to start crying! We217;ve got a great director, a great actor, a dark and dramatic story and more than likely a film that won217;t easily be forgotten and will leave you with some waded up tissues. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, known for his amazing work on films such as Babel, Amores Perros, 21 Grams [...]

Oh my, this is a wonderful trailer! Roadside Attractions has debuted the official US trailer via Apple for the domestic release of Alejandro González Iñárritu's Biutiful starring Oscar winner Javier Bardem. Most of you should know what to expect with Iñárritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams), and the way this trailer starts out is just amazing. If that doesn't capture you're attention, I don't know what else will! Yes, there's a very small supernatural side to this involving Bardem, hence the people on the ceiling (also, read my review). This is a gorgeous trailer, and it also uses one of my favorite scores, too (from Ang Lee's Lust, Caution). Please enjoy! Watch the official US trailer for Alejandro González Iñárritu's Biutiful: [flv:http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/Biutiful-officialUStrailerApple.mp4 http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/Biutiful-officialUStrailerApple.jpg 598 248] You can also watch the official Biutiful trailer in High Definition on Apple This is the story of Uxbal (Javier Bardem). Devoted father. Tormented lover. Mystified son. Underground businessman. Friend ...

The following has been borrowed from: Atomic Rocket



Boom Table

Note in the table below, there is some controversy over the exact values of some of these figures. Note also that the largest SI prefix is "yotta-" which is 1 x 1024. For TNT equivalent, the energy of one gram of TNT was arbitrarily standardized by scientists to exactly 4184 joules (1000 thermochemical calories).

0.0 x 1000 Joules: Big Bang (interpretation one)
1.0 x 1002 J: Firecracker
1.4 x 1003 J: kinetic energy of a 3.5 g AK-74 bullet fired at 900 m/s
3.3 x 1003 J: kinetic energy of a 9.33 g NATO rifle cartridge fired at 838 m/s
4.184 x 1003 J: 1 gram TNT equivalent = 1 microton of TNT
1.3 x 1005 J: Anti-personnel land mine (31 grams TNT charge)
2.1 x 1005 J: Single round of depleted uranium from an A-10 Warthog's GAU-8 rotating cannon (1,800 rpm) = 50 grams TNT equivalent
8.4 x 1005 J: 1 stick TNT (200 grams)
9.5 x 1005 J: Hand grenade (226 grams of TNT charge)
4.184 x 1006 J: 1 kilogram TNT equivalent = 1 milliton of TNT
6.1 x 1006 J: 120mm Tank Gun KE Ammunition (KEW-A1) = 1.4 kilogram TNT equivalent
2.1 x 1007 J: Anti-tank mine (5 kg TNT charge)
3.9 x 1007 J: Impact energy of proposed Navy 64 megajoule railgun
1.2 x 1008 J: 1 gallon of gasoline = 28 kilograms TNT equivalent
1.8 x 1008 J: 1 microgram of antimatter + 1 microgram of matter = 43 kilograms TNT equivalent
5.3 x 1008 J: Battleship Iowa 16 inch shell with 54 kg high explosive charge = 127 kilograms TNT equivalent
1.9 x 1009 J: Tomahawk cruise missile (TLAM-C) = 454 kilograms TNT equivalent
4.184 x 1009 J: 1 ton TNT equivalent
8.4 x 1009 J: Oklahoma City bombing = 0.002 kiloton = 2 tons TNT equivalent
2.0 x 1010 J: Average lightning bolt = 4.8 tons TNT equivalent
3.6 x 1010 J: Average tornado = 8.6 TNT equivalent
4.2 x 1010 J: Davy Crockett tactical nuclear weapon = 0.01 kiloton = 10 tons TNT equivalent
5.0 x 1010 J: yield energy of a MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast) bomb, the most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed = 12 tons TNT
1.8 x 1011 J: 1 milligram of antimatter + 1 milligram of matter = 43 tons TNT equivalent
4.184 x 1012 J: 1 kiloton
3.6 x 1013 J: energy released by an average thunderstorm = 9 kilotons
4.6 x 1013 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 gram at 75% c = 11 kilotons
6.3 x 1013 J: 1 Hiroshima "Little Boy" = 15 kilotons
8.8 x 1013 J: Nagasaki "Fat Man" = 21 kilotons
1.2 x 1014 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 gram at 90% c = 29 kilotons
1.8 x 1014 J: 1 gram of antimatter + 1 gram of matter = 43 kilotons
4.2 x 1014 J: W76 warhead = 100 kilotons
5.5 x 1014 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 gram at 99% c = 132 kilotons
6.0 x 1014 J: energy released by an average hurricane in one second = 143 kilotons/sec
1.3 x 1015 J: W87 warhead = 300 kilotons
1.4 x 1015 J: Earthquake 6.9 on the Richter scale = 338 kilotons
1.9 x 1015 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 gram at 99.9% c = 454 kilotons
2.0 x 1015 J: W88 warhead = 475 kilotons
2.0 x 1015 J: Earthquake 7.0 on the Richter scale = 477 kilotons
2.1 x 1015 J: Ivy King device = 500 kilotons (largest pure fission device ever made)
4.184 x 1015 J: 1 megaton = 67 Hiroshimas
5.0 x 1015 J: B83 nuclear bomb = up to 1.2 megatons (most powerful U.S. weapon in active service)
6.3 x 1015 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 gram at 99.99% c = 1.5 megatons
1.5 x 1016 J: 1 Barringer Meteor Crater = 3.5 megatons
3.8 x 1016 J: B53 nuclear bomb = 9 megatons (most powerful US warhead; no longer in active service)
4.4 x 1016 J: Eniwetok = 10.4 megatons
4.6 x 1016 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 kilogram at 75% c = 11 megatons
6.3 x 1016 J: Castle Bravo device (Bikini Atoll) = 15 megatons (most powerful US test)
6.3 x 1016 J: 1 Tunguska event = 15 megatons = 4.3 Barringer Meteor Craters
6.3 x 1016 J: Earthquake 8.0 on the Richter scale = 15 megatons
1.1 x 1017 J: 1 "city killer" = 25 megatons
1.1 x 1017 J: B41 bomb = up to 25 megatons (most powerful US bomb; no longer in active service)
1.1 x 1017 J: Mount St. Helens = 25 megatons = 1.6 Tunguskas
1.2 x 1017 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 kilogram at 90% c = 29 megatons
1.3 x 1017 J: energy released by an average hurricane in one day = 31 megatons/day
1.7 x 1017 J: total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each second = 42 megatons/sec
1.8 x 1017 J: 1 kilogram of antimatter + 1 kilogram of matter = 43 megatons
2.1 x 1017 J: Tsar Bomba device = 50 megatons (USSR, most powerful nuclear test ever)
2.7 x 1017 J: Star Trek photon torpedo = 1.5 kg antimatter + 1.5 kg matter = 64.3 megatons
3.6 x 1017 J: Earthquake 8.5 on the Richter scale = 85 megatons
5.0 x 1017 J: Earthquake 8.6 on the Richter scale = 120 megatons
5.5 x 1017 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 kilogram at 99% c = 132 megatons
6.3 x 1017 J: 1 Krakatoa = 150 megatons = 6 Mount St. Helens
7.1 x 1017 J: Earthquake 8.7 on the Richter scale = 120 megatons
1.0 x 1018 J: Earthquake 8.8 on the Richter scale = 239 megatons
1.9 x 1018 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 kilogram at 99.9% c = 454 megatons
2.0 x 1018 J: Earthquake 9.0 on the Richter scale = 477 megatons
2.5 x 1018 J: 1 Thera = 600 megatons = 6 Krakatoas
2.8 x 1018 J: Earthquake 9.1 on the Richter scale = 674 megatons
4.0 x 1018 J: Earthquake 9.2 on the Richter scale = 952 megatons
4.0 x 1018 J: energy released by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (between 9.1 and 9.3 on the Richter scale)
4.184 x 1018 J: 1 gigaton = 1000 megatons
6.3 x 1018 J: Relativistic weapon: 1 kilogram at 99.99% c = 1.5 gigatons
1.1 x 1019 J: Earthquake 9.5 on the Richter scale = 3 gigatons
1.8 x 1020 J: 1 metric ton of antimatter + 1 metric ton of matter = 43 gigatons
4.184 x 1021 J: 1 teraton = 1000 gigatons = 1e6 megatons
1.5 x 1022 J: total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each day = 4 teratons/day
2.5 x 1022 J: 1 Shoemaker-Levy = 6 teratons = 10,000 Theras
2.0 x 1023 J: Solar flare = 48 teratons
3.4 x 1023 J: 1 Dinosaur Killer = 8e7 megatons = 80,000 gigatons = 80 teratons = 13 Shoemaker-Levys
5.0 x 1023 J: 1 Chicxulub Crater = 120 teratons = 20 Shoemaker-Levys
3.0 x 1024 J: 1 Wilkes Land crater = 720 teratons = 6 Chicxulub Craters
4.184 x 1024 J: 1 petaton = 1000 teratons
5.5 x 1024 J: total energy from the Sun that strikes the face of the Earth each year = 1 petaton/year
3.2 x 1026 J: Energy required blow off Terra's atmosphere = 77 petatons
3.9 x 1026 J: total energy output of the Sun each second = 92 petatons/sec
6.6 x 1026 J: Energy required to heat all the oceans of Terra to boiling = 158 petatons
4.184 x 1027 J: 1 exaton = 1000 petatons
4.5 x 1027 J: Energy required to vaporize all the oceans of Terra = 1 exaton
7.0 x 1027 J: Energy required to vaporize all the oceans of Terra and dehydrate the crust = 2 exatons
2.9 x 1028 J: Energy required to melt the (dry) crust of Terra = 7 exatons
1.0 x 1029 J: Energy required blow off Terra's oceans = 24 exatons
2.1 x 1029 J: Earth's rotational energy = 50 exatons
1.5 x 1030 J: Energy required blow off Terra's crust = 359 exatons
4.184 x 1030 J: 1 zettaton = 1000 exatons
2.9 x 1031 J: Energy required to blow up Terra (reduce to gravel orbiting the sun) = 7 zettatons
3.3 x 1031 J: total energy output of the Sun each day = 8 zettatons/day
5.9 x 1031 J: Energy required to blow up Terra (reduce to gravel flying out of former orbit) = 14 zettatons
2.9 x 1032 J: Energy required to blow up Terra (reduce to gravel and move pieces to infinity) = 69 zettatons
4.184 x 1033 J: 1 yottaton = 1000 zettatons
1.2 x 1034 J: total energy output of the Sun each year = 3 yottatons/year
4.184 x 1036 J: 1 x 1027 tons = 1000 yottatons
6.0 x 1037 J: Nova Persei = 1.4 x 1028 tons
1.2 x 1038 J: total energy output of the Sun in ten thousand years = 2.9 x 1028 tons/deca-millennium
4.184 x 1039 J: 1 x 1030 tons = 1,000,000 yottatons
1.0 x 1040 J: one second's worth of output from a quasar = 2.0 x 1030 tons/sec
1.0 x 1042 J: Energy in photons from a type I supernova = 0.01 foe = 2.7 x 1032 tons
4.184 x 1042 J: 1 x 1033 tons = 1,000,000,000 yottatons
3.0 x 1043 J: Energy needed to make the local superbubble (Supernova Geminga) = 0.3 foe = 7.0 x 1033 tons
1.0 x 1044 J: 1 Foe (ten to the Fifty-One Ergs, unit of supernova strength)
1.0 x 1044 J: Energy in neutrinos from a type I supernova = 1 foe = 2.4 x 1034 tons
1.3 x 1044 J: Total radiant energy from the Sun (approximately ten billion years worth) = 3.1 x 1034 tons/solar lifetime
3.0 x 1044 J: Energy in photons from a type II supernova = 1.3 foes = 7.2 x 1034 tons
1.0 x 1045 J: Gamma-ray burster = 10 foes = 2.4 x 1035 tons
4.184 x 1045 J: 1 x 1036 tons = 1,000,000,000,000 yottatons = 41.84 foes
1.0 x 1046 J: Energy in photons from a hypernova = 100 foes = 2.0 x 1036 tons
3.0 x 1046 J: Energy in neutrinos from a type II supernova = 300 foes = 7.0 x 1036 tons
1.0 x 1048 J: Energy in neutrinos from a hypernova = 10,000 foes = 2.4 x 1038 tons
4.184 x 1048 J: 1 x 1039 tons = 1,000,000,000,000,000 yottatons = 41,840 foes
3.0 x 1069 J: Big Bang (interpretation two)