via rivals.yahoo.com
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Painters, Poets and Players | Western Maine Art Group
Sit, Look, and Listen!
On exhibition at the Lajos Matolcsy Arts Center Gallery:
The Western Maine Art Group in Norway, Maine is exhibiting a unique traveling show of collaborating painters, musicians and furniture makers. Sit, look and listen to 48 elite Maine artists including Dewitt Hardy, Dahlov Ipcar, Monica Kelly, Barbara Sullivan, Robert Shatterly, Frederick Lynch, Daniel Minter and more! The furniture makers are represented by the likes of Thomas Moser, Kevin Rodel and Peter Turner. This show will also feature our own Western Maine Art Group Artist Julieanne Reed, Poet Kenneth Frost and a chair created for this occasion.
To quote Bob Keyes of the Portland Press Herald, “Painters, Players and Poets promises to be an exhibit unlike any other in recent Maine History. It will include a display of original work, a chair, and an iPod with the corresponding song or poem. People who visit the exhibit are encouraged to sit and listen to music or words while contemplating the art.”
The goal of the show is pretty simple as per Con Fullam the initiator and director of this collaboration, “I want people who visit the exhibit to take away the amazing brilliance and diversity in the arts that exist in the state of Maine. This show has it all…contemporary, abstract, and realistic art. And in terms of music, we’ve got jazz, gospel, folk, new age, and contemporary.”
Opening reception for this show will be October 5th 5-7. It will be on view through October 31st at the Lajos Matolcsy Arts Center, 480 Main Street, Norway, Maine Wed. 9-5, Thurs. 2-4 Fri.1-5, Sat 1-5.Due to high demand there will be extended hours FMI call 743-7813, or 739-6161. The exhibit is free and open to the public and it is wheelchair accessible.
Click to visit the Painters, Players and Poets website
via thewmag.org
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Former offensive tackle Orlando Brown found dead at 40 - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Orlando "Zeus" Brown, a 6-foot-7 offensive tackle who played for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in a career that lasted from 1994 through 2005, was recently found dead in his Baltimore condominium. The Ravens confirmed the news on Friday. The cause of death has not been announced.
"We send our condolences to the family of Orlando Brown," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after Friday practice. "Everybody knew what he meant to this organization. We're forever grateful for what he did for the present team. We can't express enough sorrow for his loss."
"Zeus was just one of those characters," linebacker Jarret Johnson(notes) told the Carroll County Times. "Huge to this organization. He came over with this team from the Browns, so a lot of people in the facility know him. Just devastating news. Zeus was one of the guys who came around a lot. He'd just come hang out in the training room, come hang out back in the equipment room. Just can't say enough about the guy. Just such a terrible loss."
Brown's football career came with one notable hiccup in the middle. In 1999, he was hit in the eye with a penalty flag thrown by official Jeff Triplette during a Browns game. Brown left the field, came back on the field, and shoved Triplette. He was suspended by the league until it was discovered that the thrown flag caused Brown to suffer temporary blindness in one eye.
Brown filed a $200 million lawsuit against the NFL, claiming that his career was prematurely shortened. He eventually came to a settlement in 2002 that brought him at least $15 million. That settlement was based on the contingency that if he ever came back to the NFL, the league would receive half of his after-tax football income up to $1 million per season.
Brown did come back, signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2003 and starting 34 games before his retirement in 2005. The NFL sued Brown in 2004 with the claim that he ignored requests to pay back the money.
Ravens director of player development Harry Swayne, who played with Brown, was particularly affected. "We just found out before the end of practice," Swayne said on Friday. "We were close friends. It's tough, it's tough. I talked to him a month ago and told him, 'Zeus, you didn't have to block half the people you played against because they were scared of you.'
"He was a puppy dog, a big old puppy dog with a little bit of a bark. He had a lot of friends around the league. He was one of the best guys. It's a tough loss."
"This is a sad day," said safety Ed Reed(notes). "Zeus was a fire-starter. He would get us going [with his energy] at practices, in training camp and in games."
"He was the original Raven," added linebacker Ray Lewis(notes). "He set the tone for how we were going to play -- tough and physical, backing down from no opponent."
Bill Belichick, who drafted Brown as Cleveland's head coach in 1994 and coached him for two seasons, had this to say:
"I am extremely shocked and saddened to hear the news about Orlando Brown. Orlando improved as a player as much as anyone I have ever seen, as he went from being a defensive lineman at South Carolina State to becoming one of the game's top offensive tackles, when he sustained his unfortunate eye injury. Orlando was a true throwback player who loved football and was as tough as they come. Without question, Orlando was an integral part of the Browns turnaround during the mid '90s and he will be missed. I offer my deepest condolences to the Brown family."
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
• Video: Were the critics wrong on Cam Newton?
• Player gets last laugh after racist gesture
• Kobe Bryant gets fat offer to play overseasRelated: Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns
via sports.yahoo.com
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Oldest child of late Sen. Ted Kennedy dies - Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kara Kennedy, the oldest child of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, died at a Washington-area health club, her brother said Saturday. She was 51.
Patrick Kennedy, a former congressman from Rhode Island, said his sister died Friday.
"She's with dad," Patrick Kennedy said. Their father died in 2009 at age 77 after battling a brain tumor.
Kara Kennedy had herself battled lung cancer: In 2003, doctors removed a malignant tumor. Patrick Kennedy said that his sister loved to exercise, but that he thinks her cancer treatment "took quite a toll on her and weakened her physically."
"Her heart gave out," he said.
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate said in a news release that Kara Kennedy died after her daily workout. The statement said Kennedy, a board member for the institute, was a filmmaker and television producer who produced several videos for Very Special Arts, an organization founded by her aunt Jean Kennedy Smith.
She also served as a director emerita and national trustee of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
Kara Kennedy was the oldest of three children. She and her brother Edward Kennedy Jr. helped run their father's U.S. Senate campaign in 1988. The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome lists her as a national advisory board member on its website.
Edward Kennedy Jr. himself was a survivor after losing a leg to bone cancer as a child. And Patrick Kennedy had surgery in 1988 to remove a non-cancerous tumor that was pressing against his spine.
In 1990, Kara Kennedy married Michael Allen. The couple had a son and daughter, both now in their teens.
Kara Kennedy was born in 1960 as her father campaigned for his brother, John F. Kennedy, during the presidential primaries.
The late senator wrote in his 2009 memoir, "True Compass," that "I had never seen a more beautiful baby, nor been happier in my life."
She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002 and was given a grim prognosis by doctors, her father wrote.
In the book, Edward Kennedy recalled her operation, along with her aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
"Kara responded to my exhortations to have faith in herself," he wrote. "Today, nearly seven years later as I write this, Kara is a healthy, vibrant, active mother of two who is flourishing."
In 2009, shortly before his death, Edward Kennedy was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. Kara Kennedy accepted the award on behalf of her father.
In an April article she wrote for The Boston Globe Magazine, Kara Kennedy recalled the lessons her father taught his children.
She wrote of family trips in the summer when the late senator would lead his children on explorations of historic battlefields and buildings, trips she said taught her that one person can make a difference.
"What mattered to my father was not the scale of an accomplishment, but that we did our share to make the world better," she wrote. "That we learned we were part of something larger than ourselves."
___
Associated Press Writers Jessica Gresko in Washington and Jay Lindsay in Boston contributed to this report.
via news.yahoo.com
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Friday, September 16, 2011
Higher Netflix prices equals fewer subscribers - Yahoo! Finance
t will mark just the second time in 12 years that Netflix has lost subscribers from one quarter to the next. The last downturn occurred during 2007 when Netflix lost a mere 55,000 from March through June.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Parenting Teens - Scary Mommy: An honest look at motherhood
Melissa lives in the DC metro area with her four kids, two dogs and a very patient husband. She writes to keep herself sane. When not writing or arguing with teenagers, Melissa can be found on the back of her hubby’s Harley, trying to run away from it all, even if only for the afternoon. Melissa blogs about life at www.multitaskingmama.com and runs a hyper-local blog at www. easternpanhandlemoms.com.
Sometimes, I read blogs about the terrible two’s and chuckle. Not because I am laughing at the exhausted and desperate mom’s. I am not that mean. No, I laugh because those moms have no idea what they are in for in ten years. As the mom of four teenagers (19, 18, 15 and 13), I can pretty much guarantee that the terrible 2’s, potty-training woes, how to get your toddler to stop biting- yes, I dare say all of those issues pale in comparison to the terrible tween/teen years.Allow me to do a little vocabulary comparison:
To the mom of a two year old, “no” usually initiates a throw-himself-on-the-floor-and-look-back-to-make-sure-mom-is-watching temper tantrum followed by a time-out, Super Nanny style. To moms with a fifteen year old, “no” initiates an “I-hate-you-I-have-the-strictest-parents-ever” door slamming, take away the cell phone and ground him for a month tantrum followed by the sullen, angry teen ‘tude with full on silent treatment until said grounding is over or they see the error of their ways and want to be all sweet and loving to see if they can get their cell phone back early.
To the mom of a two year old, “trash” means the broken Happy Meal toys that they don’t want to part with. To moms of a seventeen year old, “trash” refers to the highly questionable “just friends” they bring home to meet the parents. ‘Nuff said.
To the mom of a two year old, “let’s go bye-bye’s” means play dates and trips to Chick-fil-A so you can enjoy a peach milkshake in peace while your child plays in the play space. To the mom of tweens, getting in the car and keeping track of all of your child (ren)’s extra-curricular activities requires Google calendars synced to the smart phone and a GPS positioning system to make sure everyone is at the right place at the right time. Not to mention, a fuel budget that exceeds even the grocery bill.How about meals? Feeding a two year old means catering to their favorites, cutting up their food so no one chokes on their hot dog and making sure the insert thingys are clean for their sippy cups. Feeding a teenage boy means cooking enough food to feed a small country while mentally preparing for what they will eat a half hour later when they are hungry…AGAIN.
No more holding mama’s hand to cross the street. No, teenagers are equipped with laminated cards that give them permission to operate three thousand pound moving vehicles. And, to make matters worse the law requires the parent be in the passenger seat so we can all go to heaven simultaneously.
In all seriousness, parenting teenagers is the hardest stage of parenting {at least for me} by far. My hubby jokes that God gave us the elementary years to enjoy our children before we woke up one morning and realize that they have been invaded by pubescent hormones and attitude and are no longer recognizable.
I don’t want to leave you with no hope, as that is not my inspirational style. So, I will conclude with the pro’s to having older children in hopes that you will forget the horror of the aforementioned behaviors.
No need for a babysitter. As long as you threaten your teens with certain death if they invite anyone over or beat up their younger sibling in your absence, you and the spouse can enjoy date night whenever you want. Frozen pizza for the kids, hibachi for the parents FTW.
Less housework. If you do this parenting thing right, you don’t ever have to do dishes again. We have a daily rotation and I can’t tell you the last time I had to dust, vacuum or wash dishes. The only laundry I do is mine and the hubby’s! Holla!
Comedic relief. Teens/tweens get themselves in to some pretty comical situations. And, what kind of mom would I be if I didn’t share those moments with my friends and laugh hysterically at my child’s expense? After this many years of parenting, you have owned the right to laugh. You should ask me about my oldest son and the leg shaving incident…no, really you should!
Redeemable moments. My kids are good kids. And every once in a while, the sweet 8 year old that I remember shines through the fog of puberty and I realize that, given another year or three, my kid turned teen-monster will be an adult that I will truly enjoy hanging out with.Are you looking forward to the teen years?
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Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Principal makes cheerleaders don sweats under risque skirts - Prep Rally - High School Blog - Yahoo! Sports
When San Jose (Calif.) Piedmont Hills High School principal Traci Williams decided to actually enforce a longstanding ban on miniskirts at the school, her school-wide dress-code sweeps found a very surprised target: The school's cheerleading squad. Now members of the Pirates' spirit team are facing a season wearing sweatpants under their uniforms during school to avoid violating the dress code, a measure that they're none too pleased about.
As first reported by the San Jose Mercury News, the move to make cheerleaders wear sweats under their uniforms was enforced so they could fall in line with a dress code that requires all skirts or shorts to stretch lower than mid-thigh. The Piedmont Hills cheerleaders' custom-tailored uniforms came relatively close to achieving that benchmark, but Williams declared that they didn't quite hit it, leading to the necessary adjustments.
Administrators feel that they have a valid reason for stepping up enforcement of the miniskirt ban. While standards in teen clothing in school can vary widely from state to state, Williams described the attire worn by many of the students at Piedmont Hills as ranging from slightly inappropriate to nearly lewd.
"Pockets are hanging out," Williams told the Mercury News of skirts that had been identified in recent clothing sweeps. "Cheeks are hanging out. We don't want them bending over."
While the cheerleaders feel the school administration should ease up on its enforcement of the rule, the Mercury News reported that plenty of other students had been sent into a special building until their parents arrived with a change of clothes, all because their skirts were deemed to be too skimpy.
The difference, of course, is that the Pirates cheerleaders are wearing a custom-tailored, $300 school uniform during classes, all as part of a drive to improve school spirit on game days.
"This is really unfair to us," Piedmont Hills senior cheerleader Antonia Bavilacqua told the Mercury News. The skirts are still OK for games, just not during school. "We're just sad and hurt. It's our school colors and spirit. And they're making us feel like outcasts."
Now Bavilacqua is leading a charge to try and get Williams to ease up on her enforcement of the rule, citing both a prior case in Florida, common sense (another cheerleader cited the weather concerns, saying "It's 95 degrees outside"), and fashion sense as reasons to allow the cheerleaders to wear their uniforms in school one day a week.
After all, as one of the squad's other senior cheerleaders said, wearing sweatpants under a miniskirt is, "dorky."
Yet it doesn't appear that Williams has any plans of budging on her ruling, at least for the moment. If anything, her commitment to enforcing the miniskirt ban for cheerleaders and the rest of the school was only reinforced after attending the Pirates' football game against Evergreen Valley (Calif.) High last week and surveying their cheerleaders' uniforms."Their skirts were mid-thigh," Williams said. "If our cheerleader's skirts were that long, this wouldn't be an issue."
Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
• Carmelo Anthony front-and-center at Fashion Week
• Catholic school upsets foe with chant
• Broncos fans chant for Tim TebowRelated: California, adults behaving badly, athletes behaving badly, cheerleading
via rivals.yahoo.com
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Oxford Hills Business
I’d like to pose the question “why stop and shop from local businesses?” Let’s face it, we live in a global economy. Think about your last 10 purchases. I’d venture to say that most of the items were produced outside of your local community (probably even in a different country). Things are so easily accessible now, and we are so connected with other parts of the world that we don’t think twice about where the items we purchase come from, and how our purchases may effect our local communities. Have you ever thought how the growth of a global economy may effect your local economy? So, again, I ask “why stop and shop from local businesses?” Let me give you some reasons to consider.
Why You Should Purchase From Locally Owned Businesses
The first reason to stop and shop locally is to help keep dollars in the local economy. It is really simple. Locally owned businesses definitely recycle a bigger share of their revenue back into the local economy, especially when you compare them to the big chain stores. As an accountant, I learned in my studies just how quickly money cycles out of a local economy as people shop more and more at the large chain stores. This is a big reason why in some areas the smaller, local businesses go out of business as the big corporations come in.
The second big reason to stop and shop locally is to support local jobs and provide better wages. Obviously locally owned businesses support the creation of more local jobs. In most industries, locally owned businesses also offer better pay and benefits in comparison to the large chains.
Another reason to stop and shop locally is to support entrepreneurship in your community. Why is entrepreneurship so important? The support of entrepreneurship serves as an important means for individuals and families to get out of low-wage occupations and into the middle class. Our country thrives off of the innovation of entrepreneurs. They fuel our economic prosperity. This is also a great answer to our economic problems that we are facing right now.
The list of reasons goes on and on. Next time you are wanting to head out the door and drive to the nearest “big box” super market, stop and think about supporting local business…your support is needed!
Buy Local First! | Oxford Hills Business
In a rough economy, it has never been more important to buy local products and services first.
You don’t have to search far to find everything you need right here in the Oxford Hills!
Every single one of you reading this knows someone who is employed by a local small business. To keep small businesses open and jobs local, shop in the Oxford Hills First!
Below is a small example of the excellent small businesses that are the backbone of the Oxford Hills.
Carter’s X-C Ski Center
- Cross Country Ski Centers
- Sales & Rentals
- Lodging in Bethel & Oxford
Click here for more information
Uniquely Creative Designs
Audrey Raymond is an independent Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD), with the National Kitchen and Bath Association(NKBA), specializing in residential kitchen and bath design with 29 years of experience in Maine. Services include consultation, budget setting, kitchen design, bathroom design, and space planning. She has broad experience with cabinets, plumbing fixtures, surface materials and appliances.
Click here for more info
Bearfoot Realty
698 Main Street, Oxford ME 04270Cell #207-318-0785Office #207-539-6060Grassroots Graphics
1600 Main Street Suite #5
Oxford, Maine 04270
ph: 207-743-5118
fax: 207-743-5118
karin@grassrootsgraphics.com
info@grassrootsgraphics.comClick here for more information
Mainely Marketing
We specialize in helping small local business owners get found online – without breaking their budget.
Click here for more information
Maine Kyokushin Karate
Maine Kyokushin Karate (MKK) is the premier martial arts school in the Oxford Hills, guiding individuals from all walks of life and in all age groups, to reach their full potential.
Click here for more information or call 207-890-6724
Maine Discount Trophies
We offer quality trophies and awards at affordable prices. We are a local Oxford Hills business and have been making trophies for area teams for almost ten years. Sports teams, tournaments, special events and recognition awards are our specialty.
Call 207-890-6724 or click here for more information
Cup and Sauceress
Gluten Free Goodies and Magical Delights
cupandsauceress.com
- Unveiling Your Guardian Goddess Workshops and seminars
- Intuitive Readings & Parties
- IET (Integrated Energy Therapy) empowerment sessions
- Bach flower Remedies & personal blends
- Fairy & Goddess Tea Parties
email: raven@ravenstarmerrill.com
www.ravenstarmerrill.com
tel: (207)743-9291Reliv
Tally Decato
ProVantage®
ProVantage marks a major advancement in the science of sports nutrition. It’s the edge you’ve been looking for!
Click here for more details or call Tally at (207)743-6715
After-School Karate at Agnes Gray! | Maine Kyokushin Karate
Please join us for a great after-school karate program at the Agnes Gray school in West Paris!
- Fun Six Week Skill Based Karate program
- Designed to increase our student’s ability to concentrate, focus on the positive and say no to unhealthy peer pressure at school
- Develop key areas such as listening skills, goal setting, leadership and confidence
- Continuing training & leadership training for returning students!
For more information, call 207-890-6724 or contact us and please add “after school program” to the subject list.
After-School Karate at Agnes Gray!
Grades K-4th
Class Day & Times:
Wednesdays 3:30 to 4:30 pm Start Up Date:
September 28, 2011 Explorers Enrolled Fee:
$85.00 Per Six Week Session Non-Explorers Enrolled Fee:
$95.00 Per Six Week Session
via mkkarate.com
Nutrition Supplements Oxford Hills | Oxford Hills Business
Nutrition Supplements Oxford Hills
MKK Special: Cost is reasonable when bought in bulk, shared with a friend or pay 25.00 and get 20% off!
Performance Nutrition: ProVantage®
Most of us don’t come close to consuming the nutrients we need to keep our bodies performing at their peak. ProVantage meets the nutritional needs of physically active people to improve performance, endurance, recovery and repair.
Packed with 13 grams of muscle-building soy protein, and a host of advanced ingredients, like Tonalin®, MCTs, Creatine, CoQ10 and supercharged amino acids, ProVantage marks a major advancement in the science of sports nutrition.
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Unlike most protein powders, ProVantage gives me protein, plus the perfect formulation of key muscle-building ingredients. By adding ProVantage to my routine, I’ve gained 40 pounds of lean muscle!” ~ Jason Arntz, Grand Rapids, MI
For more information, call Tally at (207)743-6715
Posted in: Business Opportunities, Reliv.
Tagged: business opportunity · nutrition supplement oxford hills
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Scary Mommy: An honest look at motherhood — A Mommy Blog written by Jill Smokler, a Baltimore mother with three young children
Ten years ago, this week. It feels like yesterday and a million years ago, all at once.
I remember thinking, on my drive to work that Tuesday, just how very beautiful the particular day was. It was the type of morning you just want to clone for the entire month. The sky was bright blue and the air was crisp and it was just right for my new denim jacket. Sunny, but brisk at once. Perfection.
I was working in the advertising department of the now out of business Hecht’s department store and Jeff was working at the US Capitol building. We were newlyweds, living in downtown DC along with Penelope, who turned one that morning. The day began with doggy cupcakes at the park and we had big plans for a special dinner for her that night. (No, I’m not kidding.) Life, at the time, was totally selfish and easy and revolved around the three of us…
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via scarymommy.com
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Astronauts' tracks, trash seen in new moon photos - Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON (AP) — A spacecraft circling the moon has snapped the sharpest photos ever of the tracks and trash left behind by Apollo astronauts in their visits from 1969 to 1972.
Images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from 13 to 15 miles up show the astronauts' paths when they walked on the moon, as well as ruts left by a moon buggy. Experts could even identify the backpacks astronauts pitched out of their lunar landers before they returned to Earth.
"What we're seeing is a trail," said Arizona State University geology professor Mark Robinson, the orbiter's chief scientist. "It's totally awesome."
However, the photos were not close enough to see individual bootprints, Robinson said.
The pictures were taken two weeks ago and show the landing sites for Apollo 12, 14 and 17. The closest images are of the 1972 Apollo 17 site, the last moon mission.
Apollo 17 Commander Eugene Cernan wrote in an email to The Associated Press that the photo gives him a chance to revisit those days, "this time with a little nostalgia and disappointment. Nostalgia because those special days are fondly etched in my memory and disappointment because it looks like now we will not be going back within the days I have left on this planet."
Two years ago, images from the same spacecraft from 30 and 60 miles out showed fuzzier images. But this year the orbiter dipped down to take about 300,000 more close-ups. The trails left by the astronauts are clear, but the places where backpacks were discarded, Apollo 17's moon buggy, and the bottom parts of the three lunar landers are blurry.
"You have to really look at it for a long time to figure out what you're looking at," Robinson said. For example, when it comes to the moon buggy he said, "if you squint really hard you can resolve the wheels and that the wheels are slightly turned to the left."
At first, scientists thought they had a bit of a mystery: They saw more stuff than they expected. It turned out to be packing material and an insulation blanket, Robinson said.
After 40 years there does not seem to be much moon dust covering the manmade trails. It probably will take about 10 million to 100 million years for dust to cover them, Robinson said.
The photos were released a few days after the debut of the new fictional movie "Apollo 18" and before Thursday's planned launch of NASA's twin robotic spaceships to explore the moon's gravity.
___
Online:
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: http://1.usa.gov/qTrKRw
Arizona State University Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter camera page:
via news.yahoo.com
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Unique Roman gladiator school unveiled in Austria - Yahoo! News
PETRONELL-CARNUNTUM, Austria (AP) — They lived in cells barely big enough to turn around in and usually fought until they died. This was the lot of those at a sensational scientific discovery unveiled Monday: The well-preserved ruins of a gladiator school in Austria.
The Carnuntum ruins are part of a city of 50,000 people 28 miles (45 kilometers) east of Vienna that flourished about 1,700 years ago, a major military and trade outpost linking the far-flung Roman empire's Asian boundaries to its central and northern European lands.
Mapped out by radar, the ruins of the gladiator school remain underground. Yet officials say the find rivals the famous Ludus Magnus — the largest of the gladiatorial training schools in Rome — in its structure. And they say the Austrian site is even more detailed than the well-known Roman ruin, down to the remains of a thick wooden post in the middle of the training area, a mock enemy that young, desperate gladiators hacked away at centuries ago.
"(This is) a world sensation, in the true meaning of the word," said Lower Austrian provincial Governor Erwin Proell.
The archaeological park Carnuntum said the ruins were "unique in the world ... in their completeness and dimension."
The gladiator complex is part of a 10-square kilometer (3.9-square mile) site over the former city, an archaeological site now visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists a year. Officials told reporters they had no date for the start of excavations of the school, saying experts needed time to settle on a plan that conserves as much as possible.
"If one has a major injury then you first do a series of CT scans before you let a surgeon do his work," explained Wolfgang Neubauer, director of the Ludwig Bolzman Institute, which participated in the discovery.
Digging at the city site began around 1870, but only 0.5 percent of the settlement has been excavated, due to the enormity of what lies beneath and to the painstaking process of restoring what already has been unearthed.
Virtual video presentations Monday of the former Carnuntum gladiator school showed images of the ruins underground that morphed into what the complex must have looked like in the third century.
It was definitely a school of hard knocks.
"A gladiator school was a mixture of a barracks and a prison, kind of a high-security facility," said the Roemisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, one of the institutes involved in finding and evaluating the discovery. "The fighters were often convicted criminals, prisoners-of-war, and usually slaves."
Still, there were some perks for the men who sweated and bled for what they hoped would at least be a few brief moments of glory before their demise.
At the end of a dusty and bruising day, they could pamper their bodies in baths with hot, cold and lukewarm water. And hearty meals of meat, grains and cereals were plentiful for the men who burned thousands of calories in battle each day for the entertainment of others.
Thick walls surround 11,000 square meters (13,160 sq. yards) of the site, and the school and its adjacent buildings stretch over 2,800 square meters ((3,350 square yards).
Inside, a courtyard was ringed by living quarters and other buildings and contained a round, 19-square meter (23-square yard) training area — a small stadium overlooked by wooden seats and the terrace of the chief trainer.
The complex also contained about 40 tiny sleeping cells for the gladiators; a large bathing area; a training hall with heated floors and assorted administrative buildings. Outside the walls, radar scans show what archeologists believe was a cemetery for those killed during training.
The institute said the training area was where the men's "market value and in end effect their fate" was decided. At the same time, it gave them a small chance for survival, fame, and possibly liberty.
"If they were successful, they had a chance to advance to 'superstar' status — and maybe even achieve freedom," said Carnuntum park head Franz Humer.
___
George Jahn can be reached http://twitter.com/georgejahn
via news.yahoo.com
Monday, September 5, 2011
5 Nutrients You're Not Getting Enough Of
After a long hard day at the office, I crave a manly dinner. Something that will sharpen my mind, feed my muscles, and infuse me with energy to keep up with two young kids till bedtime.
So, often, I have a bowl of cereal. With bananas and whole milk. Mmm.
Do I feel like I’m depriving my body of key nutrients? Quite the opposite, actually. My favorite dinner isn't just for kids. It contains high levels of three nutrients that American adults need much more of: B12, potassium, and iodine. Our shortfalls with these nutrients—along with vitamin D and magnesium—have serious health consequences, including a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, fatigue, and weight gain.
Here's the good news: These nutrients are readily available in the foods you know and love. You can get more of one simply by spending more time outside. That doesn't sound so hard, does it? Here's how to fortify your diet—and your health.
1. VITAMIN D
This vitamin's biggest claim to fame is its role in strengthening your skeleton. But vitamin D isn't a one-trick nutrient: A study in Circulation found that people deficient in D were up to 80 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. The reason? Vitamin D may reduce inflammation in your arteries. Also, a University of Minnesota study found that people with adequate vitamin D levels release more leptin, a hormone that conveys the "I'm full" message to your brain. Even more impressive, the study also found that the nutrient triggers weight loss primarily from the belly. Another study found that people with higher D levels in their bloodstream store less fat.The shortfall: Vitamin D is created in your body when the sun's ultraviolet B rays penetrate your skin. Problem is, the vitamin D you stockpile during sunnier months is often depleted by winter, especially if you live in the northern half of the United States, where UVB rays are less intense from November through February. When Boston University researchers measured the vitamin D status of young adults at the end of winter, 36 percent of them were found to be deficient.
Hit the mark: First, ask your doctor to test your blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. "You need to be above 30 nanograms per milliliter," says Michael Holick, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of medicine at Boston University. Come up short? Eat foods like salmon (900 IU per serving), mackerel (400 IU), and tuna (150 IU). Milk and eggs are also good, with about 100 IU per serving. But to ensure you're getting enough, take 1,400 IU of vitamin D daily from a supplement and a multivitamin. That's about seven times the recommended daily intake for men, but it takes that much to boost blood levels of D, says Dr. Holick.
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2. MAGNESIUM
This lightweight mineral is a tireless multitasker: It's involved in more than 300 bodily processes. Plus, a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that low levels of magnesium may increase your blood levels of C-reactive protein, a key marker of heart disease.The shortfall: Nutrition surveys reveal that men consume only about 80 percent of the recommended 400 milligrams (mg) of magnesium a day. "We're just barely getting by," says Dana King, M.D., a professor of family medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. "Without enough magnesium, every cell in your body has to struggle to generate energy."
Hit the mark: Fortify your diet with more magnesium-rich foods, such as halibut, navy beans, and spinach. Then hit the supplement aisle: Few men can reach 400 mg through diet alone, so Dr. King recommends ingesting some insurance in the form of a 250 mg supplement. One caveat: Scrutinize the ingredients list. You want a product that uses magnesium citrate, the form best absorbed by your body.
DID YOU KNOW? There are 46,000 foods in the average supermarket. How to choose what to put in your cart? Here's your shopping list: The 125 Best Foods.
3. VITAMIN B12
Consider B12 the guardian of your gray matter: In a British study, older people with the lowest levels of B12 lost brain volume at a faster rate over a span of five years than those with the highest levels.The shortfall: Even though most men do consume the daily quota of 2.4 micrograms, the stats don't tell the whole story. "We're seeing an increase in B12 deficiencies due to interactions with medications," says Katherine Tucker, Ph.D., director of a USDA program at Tufts University. The culprits: acid-blocking drugs, such as Prilosec, and the diabetes medication metformin.
Hit the mark: You'll find B12 in lamb and salmon, but the most accessible source may be fortified cereals. That's because the B12 in meat is bound to proteins, and your stomach must produce acid to release and absorb it. Eat a bowl of 100 percent B12-boosted cereal and milk every morning and you'll be covered, even if you take the occasional acid-blocking med. However, if you pop Prilosec on a regular basis or are on metformin, talk to your doctor about tracking your B12 levels and possibly taking an additional supplement.
4. POTASSIUM
Without this essential mineral, your heart couldn't beat, your muscles wouldn't contract, and your brain couldn't comprehend this sentence. Why? Potassium helps your cells use glucose for energy.The shortfall: Despite potassium's can't-live-without-it importance, nutrition surveys indicate that young men consume just 60 percent to 70 percent of the recommended 4,700 mg a day. To make matters worse, most guys load up on sodium: High sodium can boost blood pressure, while normal potassium levels work to lower it, says Lydia A. L. Bazzano, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology at Tulane University.
Hit the mark: Half an avocado contains nearly 500 mg potassium, while one banana boasts roughly 400 mg. Not a fan of either fruit? Pick up some potatoes—a single large spud is packed with 1,600 mg. Most multivitamins have less than 100 mg of potassium, so eat your fruits and vegetables, folks!
5. IODINE
Your thyroid gland requires iodine to produce the hormones T3 and T4, both of which help control how efficiently you burn calories. That means insufficient iodine may cause you to gain weight and feel fatigued.The shortfall: Since iodized salt is an important source of the element, you might assume you're swimming in the stuff. But when University of Texas at Arlington researchers tested 88 samples of table salt, they found that half contained less than the FDA-recommended amount of iodine. And you're not making up the difference with all the salt hiding in processed foods—U.S. manufacturers aren't required to use iodized salt. The result is that we've been sliding toward iodine deficiency since the 1970s.
Hit the mark: Sprinkling more salt on top of an already sodium-packed diet isn't a great idea, but iodine can also be found in a nearly sodium-free source: milk. Animal feed is fortified with the element, meaning it travels from cows to your cereal bowl. Not a milk man? Eat at least one serving of eggs or yogurt a day; both are good sources of iodine.
Also, check out our list of the 40 Foods with Superpowers—foods that, even in moderation, can strengthen your heart, fortify your bones, and boost your metabolism so you can lose weight more quickly.
THIS WEEK'S MEN'S HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS!
> The 100 Hottest Women of 2011
> The Drug-Free Depression Cure
> A Great Reason to Grow a Beard in SeptemberAdditional research and writing by Jason Stevenson
via health.yahoo.net
Friday, September 2, 2011
Tsunami warning for Alaska's Aleutians after quake - Yahoo! News
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A tsunami warning was in effect Friday morning for parts of the Aleutian Islands after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Pacific Ocean.
The earthquake struck at about 6:55 a.m. EDT, and there were no initial reports of injuries or damage, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The tsunami warning was in effect for coastal areas of Alaska from Unimak Pass to Amchitka Pass. The areas are very remote and not heavily populated, according to Jessica Sigala, geophysicist with the USGS in Golden, Colo.
No more details were immediately available.
A woman who answered the phone at the city hall in Unalaska but declined to give her name said people at Dutch Harbor were awakened by sirens.
"We have some people on high ground, but not a lot," she said. "Sirens woke us all up — everybody's moving."
The state emergency response center was being staffed early Friday morning.
In June, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 in the same area of the Aleutians also prompted a tsunami warning.
via news.yahoo.com
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