Toronto – Many airlines and travel companies are avoiding Mexico and canceling ships and flights in fear of the Swine flu, and it is said that they do not plan to start traveling there again until June. The Swine flu seems to be popping up in more and more places in North America and officials are trying their hardest to keep the number of infected down to a minimum.
Air Transat, Canada’s largest travel company, has already cancelled all flights to Mexico (excluding flights to Mexico City) until June 1st due to a government issued travel alert. Air Transat is also pulling all of their employees out of Mexico until further notice.
The fear of spreading the Swine Flu is not only halting airplanes but cruise ships as well. Carnival Corporation is the first major cruise line which is suspending stops in Mexican Ports which includes 3 of their most popular destinations.
Despite all warnings, some travelers are still finding their way into Mexico. If you want to get away to a sunny, sandy beach and drink piña coladas, Mexico is not the place to visit right now.
There are many other places that are much safer and just as nice to visit. Hopefully people are wise enough to stay away until the virus can be contained and people should take all precautions to keep themselves and others safe and healthy during this scary time.
Toronto – Monday in San Francisco, Odioworks and Electronic Frontier Foundation has a law suit filed against Apple, since Apple demanded and forced Odioworks to remove a discussion forum off of BluWiki site that pertained information on making iPhones, and iPods more interoperable.
The thread written by users of Bluewiki were discussing methods and strategies for the iPhones and iPods to work with software and music files that are not Apple based.
It was said that the users that posted the information didn’t even succeed in actually figuring out how to hack the device to interact the non Apple files and software.
The basis of the lawsuit is from the threat letters that the legal department from Apple had sent in November 2008 to Odioworks. The letters were claiming that the discussion was a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
According to Electronic Frontier Foundation they want the San Francisco federal court to give Odioworks the right to restore the informational forum.
The owner of Odioworks, Sam Odio states that Apple has no right to be able to make legal threats against the services like BluWiki that hosts the forum.
Fred Von Lohmann, the senior staff attorney noted that it is legal to discuss interests in revere engineering and it is legal for BluWiki to host these type of discussions.
Odioworks is seeking for a declaratory judgement stating that the information about iTunes DB doesn’t constitute copyright infringement and they don’t illegally violate any of the DMCA’S provisions for anticircumvention.
Odioworks is arguing the point that the code that was posted on iTunesDB is fair to use.
Electronic Frontier Foundation and Odioworks are seeking for a ruling that states that the users on the site have every right to post that information in accordance to the act of free speech. Just as there is posting information on how to make a firecracker it doesn’t make them a terriorist, nor does posting discussions on figuring out how to post other software on Apple’s iPhone and iPod, make one a hacker according to OdioWorks.
In yet another raw food fiasco, the FDA and CDC has issued warnings against eating raw alfalfa sprouts due to 31 people in six states getting Salmonella saintpaul. The first of these cases broke out in March, and cases are still being reported. The FDA says that the outbreaks may have occurred from contaminated seeds that were grown in several states. Among the states affected are: Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia.
The people who were affected say that they ate the contaminated alfalfa sprouts in restaurants, or were bought in stores. This outbreak seems to suggest that growers did not adhere to voluntary sanitary growing guidelines. Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, and can last anywhere from four to seven days.
If you want to eat sprouts, the FDA and CDC warn you to cook all sprouts, request no alfalfa sprouts on deli sandwiches, and be sure to keep raw alfalfa sprouts away from the most vulnerable, such as the very young and the elderly. Home grown sprouts are not safe either, as contaminated seeds may have been the problem. Your best bet? Avoid sprouts all together, until the source of the contamination is found!
Toronto – The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control have issued warnings advising consumers to avoid eating raw alfalfa sprouts after 31 people in 6 states were sickened. Most of the patients reported eating raw alfalfa sprouts, either in a restaurant or from a store.
Since mid-March, cases in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia have been reported. FDA and CDC investigations are still ongoing, but it is believed that alfalfa sprout seeds contaminated with Salmonella Saintpaul are the source of the problem.
The current warning only applies to raw alfalfa sprouts. Other types of sprouts are not under investigation. However, the FDA and CDC always recommend that children, the elderly and individuals with compromised immune systems avoid all raw sprouts due to the risk of bacterial contamination.
Signs of salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and bloody stools. Although salmonella can be fatal, no deaths related to this outbreak have been reported.
Ottawa – The dangers of smoking are no secret. Its connection to deadly cancers of the lungs, mouth, and throat are well-known, but those may not be the only cancers that smokers need to worry about.
A new study has detailed the connection between smoking and the development of breast cancer. Though researchers and medical professionals have long suspected this link, this study provides some of the first conclusive evidence that young women who smoke are more likely to develop breast cancer later in life.
More than that, the study concluded that the impact was the same whether the woman smoked herself or whether she was merely surrounded consistently by secondhand smoke, which makes another compelling case for why smoking restrictions may be important in public places.
Despite the strong association, the study did not have enough evidence to create a direct causal link between tobacco smoke and breast cancer. However, the numbers speak for themselves. A woman’s chance of developing breast cancer is about one in seven. For women who smoke or who are exposed to secondhand smoke, the rate is about one in four or five. Even women who are already highly predisposed because of genetic factors see an increased risk after exposure to smoking.
The ultimate impact of smoking on a woman’s risk for breast cancer is also influenced by other factors. Some women have genetic tendencies that make smoking more dangerous for them, while the length of time and intensity of the exposure to smoking also plays a significant role in how much of an increased risk for breast cancer each individual woman may have. There is also evidence that the earlier women start to smoke, especially if it is done during the formative years of puberty, the higher their risk is for breast cancer later in life.
Toronto – Edward better watch his sparkling back, because the Wolf Pack has arrived in town. Taylor Lautner, who portrays Jacob Black in the film adaptation of the of the Twilight series is welcoming four new members to to his tribe. Those familiar with the book will know that the Wolf Pack serve as Bella protectors while clashing with the vampires.
Chaske Spencer, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon, and Bronson Pelletier have taken up the mantle of the Wolf Pack, each one boasting Native American heritage, adding authenticity to the group, who in the book are made up of Washington’s Quileute tribe.
Fans who side with Jacob over Edward will be pleased to know that the werewolves have been pumping iron to get into astounding physical shape. Spending a good portion of the film shirtless, the actors had to endure less than idea conditions. That didn’t ruin their spirit though, Director Chris Weitz told USA Today “But they have all been good-natured. They show up on location in drenching, cold rain, and I say, ‘OK, off with the robes.’”
As for the transformations, don’t expect these buff bods to be covered in a fur coat. The werewolves themselves will be created using CG special effects to effectively nail down the scale and ferocity. Look closely though and fans will notice that each wolf will retain the eyes of the actor.
Catch the entire Wolf Pack when New Moon hits theaters November 20th, 2009.
It was disco night on American Idol and the contestants were determined to bring their best for the judges and America. Deep inside they know that there are no more saves. The next couple weeks is do or die. Several contestants did what they needed to do to stay alive in the competition. To me, the others who know they are no where near the vocal abilities of the front runners, seem to be fading into the woodwork fairly quickly.
Lil’ Rounds was disappointing again this week. America and the judges have been waiting for her to unleash those ridiculous vocals from the beginning of the competition, but she has not delivered. Anoop was terrible and boring. Matt Giraud was desperate, despite being saved last week.
Four contestants did show up last night. Allison Iraheta is a vocal powerhouse. We’ve known this from the start. She is amazing. Adam Lambert is breath-taking, especially when he is dressed like a modern John Travolta. Danny Gokey has a sensational range. Kris Allen is the king of acoustic versions of songs. They were fabulous.
Two contestants will go home tonight. It will most likely be Anoop and Matt. They know they can’t win. It’s up to America to put them out of their misery.
April 21, 2009- It has been announced that AT&T is working on upgrading the existing 3G network to double the peak speeds. It is currently on 3.6Mbps and upgrading to 7.2Mbps.
I Phone is the most popular smartphone being bought now and is continuing to bring in new customers to AT&T.
With 4G right around the corner, AT&T is looking at creating speeds that could triple the peak speeds of the upgraded network with the new implementing of HSPA. The HSPA can support speeds of 14.4Mbls, but when it was first launched, the technology to enable the speeds wasn’t available.
Verison, AT&T biggest competitor, is launching their 4G network later on this year.
Scott McElroy, Technology Vice President for AT&T stated that they are in addition to upgrading peak download speeds, they are also adding more capacity to give the users faster data speeds. The new network may provide 3G networks that previously is unserved areas to be able to get access.
It has been said that Apple has a deadline for AT&T to get the upgrade completed, get it quality tested, and have it ready to sell no later than May 31st. The third-generation iPhone is going to be unrevealed a couple weeks later by the Cupertino-based company.
April 21, 2009- Today, in the UK, obese patients will have a new anti-obesity drug they can purchase through the pharmacies without needing a prescription. This drug is Orlistat, also known as Alli. Orlistat is the active ingerdient in Alli, and helps adults lose around fifty percent more weight than just by dieting. So if someone loses 2 pounds by dieting, Alli can help them lose another 1 pound extra.
There is a breif consultation with a pharmacist to measure the consumers body mass index to see if the consumer can be able to qualify for these pills to purchase. The BMI (body mass index) needs to be of 28 or over for the consumer to qualify.
Tests have been shown that patients drop weight when taking Alli along with reducing daily calorie intake and lowering the amount of fatty foods consumed every day. The drug absorbs almost a quarter of the fat from any food eaten, thus it prevents it to turn into fat in the body.
GlaxoSmithKline is the one providing this pill in the UK pharmacys. Pharmicists have been trained to help correctly take the BMI of each patient and to question the consumers medical history.
GlaxoSmithKline and experts are saying that this is not a magic cure for obesity. The patients need to follow a low fat diet, or there are risks that are unpleasant due to the amount of fat that passes through the body and may cause an embrassment due to uncontrollable bowels.
There is research that has shown that about a quarter of adults that live in the UK are obese. Alli is not a suitable drug for children under the age of 18 and is made sure not to be sold to anyone under it.
Earlier in the evening, judges readily voiced their opinions that this year’s pageant would be a difficult one, to say the least, as the contestants were all outstanding participants in every aspect that claiming the Miss USA title depended upon.
With this great title, Dalton will find that there is great responsibility, as well as a few fringe benefits. She will have complete access to an extravagant New York City apartment, a team of public relations specialist that will enhance her career options, a full-time salary, and even a complete 2-year scholarship at the New York City Film Academy. Each and every benefit leads towards one overall goal, and that is to take part in the Miss Universe Pageant to be held in August in the Bahamas.
Of course, one can also expect to find Kristen Dalton on a variety of media fronts in the upcoming seasons, as she is also a renowned capable public speaker with a definite interest in charitable organizations and public issues. Rumors among the world wide web suggest that Dalton may also be speaking with producers concerning a possible film career.