The Good Will Times

SALUD / HEALTH - El ejercicio físico es fuente de salud - URUGUAY

2013-06-14T04:59:00.000-07:00

Las múltiples ventajas de hacer ejercicio regularmente. No solo favorece al sistema circulatorio y cardiovascular.

Desde siempre el deporte se ha convertido en una actividad adecuada no solo para mejorar nuestra apariencia física, sino que también se ha mostrado que es una muy grande e importante fuente de salud ya que, gracias a él, algunos sistemas como el circulatorio y el cardiovascular, entre otros, se ven favorecidos.

Muchos estudios afirman que una persona de 65 años que realiza una hora de actividad física por día, estará en muchas mejores condiciones físicas que una persona sedentaria de 40 años.

El corazón es un músculo, y como todo músculo, por un fenómeno llamado de adaptación celular, se adapta tanto a la actividad física como a una vida sedentaria, con resultados y pronósticos muy diferentes. Un corazón entrenado hace que sus fibras musculares se vuelvan gruesas y fuertes, siendo el bombeo más eficiente y, al disminuir su frecuencia, reducirá el trabajo final. Un corazón sedentario por el contrario, es un músculo débil, rodeado de grasa, que se taquicardiza a pequeños o moderados esfuerzos, necesitando más oxígeno para cumplir su trabajo.

Como ejemplo podemos decir que un individuo que tenga una frecuencia cardiaca basal de 90 por minuto, al realizar ejercicios 30 minutos, tres veces por semana durante tres meses, su corazón pasará a tener una frecuencia basal de 80 por minuto. ¿Qué importancia tiene eso? Que su corazón latirá 5 millones de veces menos al año. O sea que la regularidad en el ejercicio físico es mucho más importante que la intensidad. De nada sirve realizar intensos ejercicios una vez cada 15 días, por ejemplo, porque la persona solo se cansará y no obtendrá beneficios.

Se aconsejan siempre los ejercicios aeróbicos como caminar, trotar, nadar, andar en bicicleta, yoga, entre otros.

¿Cuáles son los beneficios del ejercicio sobre el organismo? a) Aumenta la capacidad respiratoria; b) disminuye el riesgo de enfermedades coronarias y previene segundos ataques cardíacos en personas que han sufrido infartos; c) al aumentar la elasticidad de las arterias, disminuye la presión arterial y previene la hipertensión esencial; d) aumenta el colesterol bueno ( HDL) y disminuye el malo ( LDL); e) aumenta la sensibilidad de la glucosa a la insulina, previniendo la diabetes; f) mejora el retorno venoso previniendo la aparición de várices; g) previene el deterioro de la mineralización de los huesos; h) aumenta la flexibilidad a cualquier edad; i) reduce el peso y mantiene el peso ideal al aumentar la masa muscular o masa magra y descender la masa grasa; j) previene la aparición de osteoporosis; k) previene el deterioro muscular producido por los años.

Además, el ejercicio también interviene en aspectos psicológicos: a) combate el estrés (se liberan endorfinas que favorecen la sensación de bienestar luego del ejercicio); b) aumenta la autoestima y autoconfianza; c) mejora la imagen personal contribuyendo al establecimiento de una relación positiva con el propio cuerpo; d) disminuye el grado de agresividad, ira, ansiedad, angustia y depresión; e) mejora la calidad del sueño

UNIVERSE - Un nuevo tipo de estrellas sorprende a los astrónomos - WORLD

2013-06-13T03:55:00.001-07:00

Durante siete años un grupo de astrónomos centró su atención en estrellas de la constelación de Centauro, en los extremos de la Vía Láctea. Ahora descubrieron que para su sorpresa, estos soles lejanos tienen una forma de variar su brillo que no está considerado en las teorías a cerca del tema.

La paciente observación durante siete años de más de 3.000 estrellas de la constelación del Centauro, en el extremo norte de la Vía Láctea, proporcionó una buena sorpresa: 36 de ellas varían su brillo con un patrón totalmente inesperado.

De acuerdo a lo que publicó El País de Madrid, el hallazgo desafía las teorías estelares y los científicos no saben aún qué mecanismo produce ese cambio minúsculo de brillo (0,1% del brillo normal de la estrella) que han observado y que se produce en períodos que van de dos a 20 horas.

Se trata de estrellas más calientes y brillantes que el Sol, pero, aparentemente, no tienen nada de especial que las haga comportarse diferente de otras de sus pares.

"La existencia de esta nueva clase de estrellas variables es un reto para los astrofísicos", señala Sophie Seasen, una de las científicas del equipo, del Observatorio de Ginebra al diario madrileño.

Los modelos teóricos actuales predicen que su luz no varía periódicamente, así que ahora los científicos se abocan a buscar más datos del comportamiento de este extraño nuevo tipo de estrellas.

Ya tienen alguna pista: algunas parece que giran a muchísima velocidad, explicó el Observatorio Europeo Austral (ESO). Rotan a velocidades que superan la mitad de la que sería la velocidad crítica, es decir, el umbral a partir del cual la estrella es inestable y lanza su material al espacio. En esas condiciones, la rápida rotación tendrá un impacto importante en las propiedades internas del astro.

El hallazgo de estas peculiares estrellas fue posible gracias al trabajo continuado con un telescopio situado en el Observatorio de La Silla (Chile), del ESO.

Los investigadores del Observatorio de Ginebra presentaron su descubrimiento en la revista Astronomy and Astrophysics. "Hemos logrado este nivel de sensibilidad gracias a la gran calidad de las observaciones, combinado con un análisis muy cuidadoso de los datos", declara la líder de la investigación, Nami Mowlavi, en un comunicado del ESO. Los análisis de las imágenes continúan.

NATURE / LIFE - Conmovedor pedido de ayuda de una mamá pato - WORLD

2013-06-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

El ave logró salvar la vida de sus crías, que estaban atrapadas dentro de una alcantarilla. Comenzó a graznar y llamó la atención de unos policías que pasaban por el lugar. Finalmente la madre y sus crías fueron llevadas a un río, donde recuperaron su libertad.

NATURE - Discovery of little monkey from 55 million years ago rewrites history of humans - UNITED KINGDOM

2013-06-05T15:42:00.001-07:00

A fossilised skeleton of a tiny creature with a long tail, sharp teeth and monkey-like feet has turned out to be the oldest-known primate – the group that includes gorillas, chimps and humans.

Scientists discovered the fossil in the solidified sediment of an ancient lake bed in China and have dated it to about 55 million years ago, about 10 million years after the demise of the dinosaurs and seven million years before the date of the previous oldest-known primate.

The researchers said it is one of the most exciting fossil discoveries in recent years because the animal – called Archicebus achilles – is the closest-known relative of the common ancestor to the entire “anthropoid” lineage encompassing monkeys, apes and man.

Archicebus grew no bigger than a modern-day pygmy shrew and from its relatively small eye sockets scientists believe it was active during the day rather than at night, feeding off insects and small invertebrates.

“Archicebus differs radically from any other primate, living or fossil, known to science,” said Christopher Beard of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, co-author of the fossil’s scientific description, published in the journal Nature. “It looks like a hybrid with the feet of a small monkey, the arms, legs and teeth of a very primitive primate and a primitive skull bearing surprisingly small eyes. It will force us to re-write how the anthropoid lineage evolved,” Dr Beard said.

Although Archicebus (which means “first, long-tailed monkey”) is close to the common ancestor of all anthropoids, scientists believe it was not a direct ancestor of humans but instead had begun to evolve along the alternative primate lineage that eventually gave rise to the tarsiers – a specialised group of small, nocturnal primates.

“This is not a direct ancestor of humans but for the first time it sheds light on this pivotal episode of primate evolution when two branches of primates – the anthropoids and the tarsiers – split apart,” Dr Beard said.

A farmer discovered the fossil in an ancient lakebed in China’s Hubei Province

PLANET / ENVIRONMENT - Tres desafíos para preservar la Tierra - URUGUAY

2013-06-05T15:32:00.001-07:00

Hoy se celebra el Día Mundial del Medioambiente. Sin embargo, los informes sobre el estado del planeta no son auspiciosos. A continuación se hace un repaso de los principales problemas que enfrenta la Tierra y que invitan a celebrarla de otro modo.

Hoy se celebra el Día Mundial del Medioambiente. Pero parece que hay poco para celebrar. Los informes científicos hablan poco sobre el cuidado del ambiente y mucho sobre los cataclismos que pueden ocurrir si se siguen explotando los recursos naturales a este ritmo.

Los frentes de batalla para la Tierra son múltiples, pero seleccionamos solo tres que muestran la fragilidad del estado de la Tierra.

El problema del agua dulce

"Sin reformas importantes en el corto lapso de una o dos generaciones, la mayoría de los 9 mil millones de personas en la Tierra vivirá enfrentado a una fuerte y grave presión sobre el agua dulce, un recurso natural indispensable para la que no hay sustituto. Esta carencia será autoinfligida y es, a nuestro juicio, totalmente evitable".

Así se pronunciaron 500 científicos reunidos en la ciudad de Bonn (Alemania) para la cumbre "El agua en el Antropoceno", que durante cuatro días analizó el estado de ese recurso clave en el planeta. Los investigadores reconocieron que los sistemas de agua dulce se encuentran en un estado precario y que la mala gestión y su uso excesivo y el cambio climático son una amenaza a largo plazo para el bienestar humano.

Según los científicos la humanidad utiliza un área del tamaño de Sudamérica para cultivo y un área del tamaño de África para criar ganado. A ello se suma que se ha construido el equivalente a una presa de grandes proporciones cada día desde hace 130 años y que decenas de miles de grandes presas están distorsionando el flujo natural de ríos, lo que afecta a ecosistemas que han existido durante miles de años.

El problema del deshielo

El deshielo de la Antártida durante el verano es diez veces más rápido que hace 600 años y se aceleró en los últimos 50 años, reveló un estudio internacional. Un grupo de investigadores perforó a 364 metros de profundidad en la isla de James Ross, en el norte del glaciar antártico, para medir las temperaturas de hace varios centenares de años. Las capas sucesivas en las muestras revelan el movimiento de deshielo y de recongelación.

La investigación publicada en la revista Nature Geoscience mostró que aunque las temperaturas han aumentado regularmente desde hace centenares de años, el deshielo se intensificó hacia la mitad del siglo XX, afirma este estudio. Eso significa que el calentamiento en la Antártida alcanzó un tal nivel que incluso leves aumentos de temperatura pueden causar una fuerte aceleración del deshielo.

El problema del dióxido de carbono

El nivel de dióxido de carbono, el gas que más contribuye al calentamiento global, este año superó una barrera simbólica y alcanzó niveles nunca vistos en la Tierra en millones de años.

Los monitores científicos declararon que el gas llegó a una media diaria que supera las 400 partes por millón (ppm). Se trata solo de un momento aislado en el cuentakilómetros, pero también de un recordatorio serio de que los esfuerzos para controlar las emisiones provocadas por la actividad humana han fallado.

La cantidad de gas en el aire no había sido tan alta desde hace, al menos, tres millones de años, es decir, antes de que los humanos evolucionaran, y los científicos creen que el aumento augura cambios muy importantes en el clima y el nivel del mar.

"Esto significa que estamos perdiendo rápidamente la posibilidad de mantener el clima por debajo del umbral que se creía tolerable”, dijo Ralph Keeling, científico a cargo de las mediciones

LIFESTYLE AND NEWS - New cycle tracks in Dubai: RTA planning cycling routes for 11 neighbourhoods - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

2013-04-28T07:19:00.001-07:00

Dh40 million project to be completed by 2016

Dubai: Cycling enthusiasts in Dubai are in for a treat as projects to build new tracks across 11 locations in the city have been launched, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.

The announcement from RTA comes close on the heels of opening a 75-km long Dubai Cycling Course in Seih Assalam, part of a cycling master plan that includes a 25km track in Jumeirah as well as smaller tracks near Mall of the Emirates, Al Mamzar Park and Al Mizhar Park.

Apart from these tracks, RTA is currently constructing a 4.5-km-long track in the central district of Bur Dubai, and has completed the designs of four tracks linking Jumeirah Road with four Metro stations on Shaikh Zayed Road. Additionally, the authority has completed the construction of 1,400 bike racks around all Metro stations.

Following the successful implementation of the first phase of the cycling master plan, RTA has now approved construction of cycling tracks in 11 residential areas stretching 52km at a cost of Dh40 million.

“The construction of the cycling tracks is part of a master plan developed by RTA to provide dedicated cycling spaces across the entire Dubai emirate in a bid to encourage the use of bikes as an environment-friendly transit means, as well as for the benefit of cycling enthusiasts,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA.

Work on the new cycling tracks will begin this year and will be completed by 2016.

Residential areas like Al Barsha, Al Khawaneej, Al Warqa, Al Quoz, Al Safouh Road, Al Mamzar Park, Mushrif Park, Hor Al Anz East, and Mirdif, have been selected for the project.

Al Tayer said the areas were selected based on various parameters including their popularity with tourists and their aesthetic nature. The areas are also frequented by cyclists and serve the Metro and public transport stations.

“The design of the tracks has been tailored to ensure the security and safety of bikers and the locations have been selected keeping in mind the convenience of residents and visitors to the areas, suitability of the site, traffic safety, and the appeal to pedestrians,” added Al Tayer.

Al Tayer said that since 2008 RTA has developed a Cycling Master Plan that included charting routes for bikes within the rights-of-way as well as separate lanes.

The Plan detailed the specifications and standards of separating cycling tracks from pedestrian pathways, and addressed the intersection points with cycling tracks, provision of biking racks in general and at the public transport stations in particular, cycling lanes in entertainment areas, materials to be used in the construction of cycling tracks, and signage for bikes and tracks.

So far the biggest of the cycling projects constructed by the RTA has been the 75-km-long Dubai Cycling Course. The first part of this course stretching 18km alongside Al Qudra Road North was opened in January. The second part of the course, which was opened in March, stretches about 49km, starting from the front of Bab Al Shams Hotel up to Al Qudra Road roundabout, then turns southward alongside the road leading to Seih Assalam.

The course includes public utilities and shops for hiring bikes, gear and accessories in addition to a medical clinic.

TRAVEL AND RELAX - Grand stretch in the evening - IRELAND

2013-04-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Campfires are the only light around, and the pounding sound is the Pacific surf breaking on the shore. This is literally the end of the road

Yoga by the seashore in Costa Rica. Photograph: Getty

On the first evening, I wear hiking boots to dinner. It gets dark soon after six this close to the equator and the path from the main house to the kitchen isn’t lit. I’m carrying my torch and watching out for snakes. Apparently they like to snooze in the leaves around the trunks of trees. The fer-de-lance is the most dangerous: if you don’t get anti-venom quickly you won’t die, but you might lose a leg . . . Unknown creatures scurry into the undergrowth as I pass by, but I make it safely. And then feel pretty silly: everyone else gathered around the big communal table is in flip-flops, or barefoot.

The Yoga Farm is on the edge of the forest in the far south of Costa Rica, a full day’s journey from the capital San José. The bus from Golfito takes three hours to cover the last 60 kilometres, most of it unpaved. Narrow wooden bridges cross rivers, full, we’re told, of crocodiles. It arrives just after sunset. Campfires are the only light around, and the pounding sound is the Pacific surf breaking on the shore. This is literally the end of the road. It’s another 40 kilometres or so to Panama, but you would need a horse or a boat to get there.

When the old American school bus stops, the last remaining passengers – Guaymi Indians in colourful clothes, who are among the last of Costa Rica’s surviving indigenous tribes – melt into the forest with their bundles. For visitors to the yoga farm it’s a steep 15-minute climb up a dirt track with a backpack and a torch.

In the rainy season, parts of it are regularly washed away. Christy, who runs The Yoga Farm with her partner Patrick, says everyone has a similar look on their face when they finally make it, what she calls their “what the hell am I doing here face.”

The Celeste Waterfalls in Costa Rica (Catarata Celeste).

The Yoga Farm is an intentional community, dedicated to a yogic lifestyle in harmony with the environment, but its message is gentle and gradual. Every day our teacher Dana sets an intention for our practice – gratitude, care for others, care for the earth. Class is on a beautiful wooden deck with a view of the sea. Food is mainly vegan/vegetarian and alcohol in moderation is fine, away from the main house. The people here are a mix of volunteers and guests, mainly Americans and Canadians, but with a smattering of Europeans. Once a week Christy teaches yoga in Spanish for the local community.

SCIENCE AND HEALTH - Forced exercise can reduce anxiety and depression - INDIA / USA

2013-04-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON: Being forced to exercise can reduce anxiety and depression just as much as voluntary exercise does, according to new research.

Past studies have shown that people who exercise are more protected against stress-related disorders. And scientists know that the perception of control can benefit a person's mental health.

However, it has been an open question whether a person who feels forced to exercise, eliminating the perception of control, would still reap the anxiety-fighting benefits of the exercise.

People who may feel forced to exercise could include high school, college and professional athletes, members of the military or those who have been prescribed an exercise regimen by their doctors, said Benjamin Greenwood, an assistant research professor in the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of Integrative Physiology.

"If exercise is forced, will it still produce mental health benefits? It's obvious that forced exercise will still produce peripheral physiological benefits. But will it produce benefits to anxiety and depression?" Greenwood said.

To seek an answer to the question Greenwood and his colleagues, including Monika Fleshner, a professor in the same department, designed a lab experiment using rats. During a six-week period, some rats remained sedentary, while others exercised by running on a wheel.

The rats that exercised were divided into two groups that ran a roughly equal amount of time. One group ran whenever it chose to, while the other group ran on mechanised wheels that rotated according to a predetermined schedule.

For the study, the motorised wheels turned on at speeds and for periods of time that mimicked the average pattern of exercise chosen by the rats that voluntarily exercised.

After six weeks, the rats were exposed to a laboratory stressor before testing their anxiety levels the following day.

The anxiety was quantified by measuring how long the rats froze, a phenomenon similar to a deer in the headlights, when they were put in an environment they had been conditioned to fear.

The longer the freezing time, the greater the residual anxiety from being stressed the previous day. For comparison, some rats were also tested for anxiety without being stressed the day before.

"Regardless of whether the rats chose to run or were forced to run they were protected against stress and anxiety," said Greenwood, lead author of the study appearing in the European Journal of Neuroscience.

The sedentary rats froze for longer periods of time than any of the active rats.

"The implications are that humans who perceive exercise as being forced - perhaps including those who feel like they have to exercise for health reasons - are maybe still going to get the benefits in terms of reducing anxiety and depression," he said.

APRIL 15TH - NEXT "WORLD GOOD THINKING DAY" - SHARE AND ENJOY!

2013-04-03T06:35:00.001-07:00

THIS MONDAY APRIL 15TH IS THE NEW AND NEXT “GOOD THINKING DAY”

ONCE AGAIN WE ENCOURAGE ALL THE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD TO SPEND FIVE MINUTES OF THAT DA, THINKING OR MEDITATIING ABOUT SOMETHING GOOD FOR YOURSELF, FOR THE HUMANITY AND / OR TO THE WORLD. POSITIVNESS !!!

TO AVOID THE MESSAGES GIVEN BY TV, MAGAZINES AND AL MEDIA NEWS, WE WILL THINK ABOUT A POSITIVE THING TO SHARE WITH THE ENTIRE WORLD.

IT CAN BE JUST MEDITATING , THINKING POSITEIVELY, WHISHING GODNESS TO YOU, TO YOU CLOSER PEOPLE, AND EVERYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO.

A MESSAGE OF PECE NOT FOR THE WORLD, BUT PEACE THAT IS LOCATED INSIDE OUR BODY AND OUR SOULS, JOINING FORECES TO MAKE OURSELVES BETTER AND TOGETHER GENERATE A WORLD WIDE GOOD THINKING DAY, IN ORDER TO SHOW AND DEMOSTRATWE THAT WE ARE READY TO ENJOY THE LIFE AS IT IS GIVEN TO US AND WILL BE GRATFULL FOR THE LIFE WE WERE GIVEN

REMEMBER JUST FIVE MINUTES, YOUR FIVE MINUTES TO BE CONCIOUS THAT WE ARE HERE, AND WE ARE ALL FOR ONE REASON, LIVE IN PEACE WITH OURSELVES, ENJOY EACH AND SINGLE MINUTE OF OUR LIVES AND WISH THE BEST TO EVERY SINGLE HUMAN AND NOT HUMAN LIVING CREATURE OF THIS PLANET

ENJOY! JOIN! SHARTE!

THE GOOD WILL TIMES

PLANETA / MUNDO - Millones comienzan a apagar las luces en La hora del planeta - MUNDO

2013-03-23T09:10:00.001-07:00

Sídney se sumió en la oscuridad este sábado por la noche con motivo de la campaña "La hora del planeta" contra el cambio climático, marcando el inicio de un evento que dará la vuelta al mundo.

Los organizadores de este evento esperan que cientos de millones de personas a través de más de 150 países apaguen las luces durante 60 minutos el sábado por la noche -a las 20.30 en hora local- en una muestra simbólica de apoyo para el planeta.

En Uruguay, el director general de la Presidencia, Diego Pastorín, informó que el Poder Ejecutivo adhiere a la campaña mundial por lo que las luces de la Torre Ejecutiva permanecerán apagadas desde las 20:30 hasta las 21:30 de este sábado.

La Secretaría de Comunicación de Presidencia informó además que en 2012 UTE adhirió a la iniciativa y que durante esa hora se ahorraron diez megavatios, el equivalente a diez estadios Centenario iluminados a pleno.

MÁS LUCES APAGADAS. Quedarán a oscuras el edificio del Kremlin de Moscú, la puerta de Brandeburgo de Berlín, las cataratas del Niágara, las murallas de Dubrovnik (Croacia), el estadio olímpico de Pekín, la antigua ciudadela de Erbil en Kurdistán, las plazas Al Jundi y Palestina de Gaza, la Sirenita de Copenhague, la alhambra de Granada y la Puerta de Alcalá de Madrid, entre muchos otros edificios emblemáticos.

La ciudad de Sídney apagó sus luces a las 6.30 horas en medio de una salva de aplausos de una pequeña multitud que se reunió para admirar el sombrío horizonte y el halo verde que rodeaba a la ópera de Sídney, como símbolo de las energías renovables.

"Es muy emocionante", dijo Jessica Bellamy, una habitante de Sídney. "Ha sido una noche muy inspiradora porque se trata de esperanza y cambio".

El año pasado más de 150 países participaron en lo que es la mayor manifestación ecologista del mundo, y este año el movimiento sedujo a países como Palestina, Túnez, Surinam y Ruanda.

En Australia, donde se originó esta campaña lanzada por la organización Fondo Mundial por la Naturaleza (WWF), la ópera de Sídney y el puente de la bahía de Sídney fueron uno de los primeros monumentos a nivel mundial en apagar sus luces.

"Lo que comenzó como un evento en Sídney en 2007 con dos millones de personas, se ha convertido en una tradición en todo el país y en todo el mundo", dijo Dermot O´Gorman, director de WWF en Australia.

"Creo que el poder de la ´Hora del Planeta´ reside en su capacidad de conectar a las personas y conectarlas a un tema que realmente les importa, como es el medio ambiente", expuso O´Gorman mientras que la ciudad estaba sumida en la oscuridad.

"La ´Hora del Planeta´ es una muestra de que hay millones de personas alrededor del mundo que quieren movilizarse", añadió.

Mientras admiraba el espectáculo de personas cenando a la luz de las velas y de emblemáticos edificios sumergidos en la obscuridad, O´Gorman opinó que la "Hora del Planeta" ha jugado un papel importante en la concientización del uso de energía.

"La ´Hora del Planeta´ siempre ha sido acerca de hacer caer en cuenta a las personas de que todos tenemos el poder de cambiar el mundo en el que vivimos", dijo O´Gorman.

La extinción de las luces en los monumentos más representativos de Sídney será imitada por países de todo el mundo, con las Torres Petronas en Malasia, el estadio Nido de Pájaro en Pekín, y el Burj Khalifa en Dubai.

En China, el famoso Bund de Shanghai apagará sus luces, mientras que en la ciudad central de Wuhan, el puente del río Yangtze se sumergirá en la oscuridad.

En Japón, las iluminaciones de la Torre de Tokio serán apagadas y los visitantes podrán pedalear en bicicletas para generar energía iluminando así una obra de arte en forma de huevo.

El horizonte de la próspera ciudad de Singapur se oscurecerá durante una hora, cuando más de 100 edificios, que participan en el evento, apaguen sus luces.

ONLY GOOD NEWS, NOTHING ELSE, JUST ENJOY LIVING!

2013-03-05T05:01:00.001-08:00

Have you ever realized that, besides 99% of the news on tv, radio, paper etc, shows not good news, like "war here" "conflict there" or "xx people died" and news like that, telling about death, war, sikness, hungry, conflicts and things related to that, again besides it, NOBODY, neither the tv broadcasts, neither the writers not even the people that reads, listen, watch those news, just pays attention to this but DOES NOT SHARE THE FEELING THAT THE PEOPLE AFFECTED IN THOSE NEWS FEELS.

So having this into consideration, if we dont share neither care about the people that is not having a good time in their lives, than why wath those news? does ir gives us something goo for our lives? NO!. Does it teaches something to us? NO! so lets just turn off the TV, radio and avoid reading / comment those news that are nothing but sickness to our hearth and spend some times reading some good news and feeding our brain and most of all OUR SOUL with time to worry about what we really want and what our hearth lead us to go!

THE GODD TIMES ARE COMMING! LETS SHARE OUR PLEACE, LOVE AND WELL BEING TOGETHER!

ENVIRONMENT / NATURE - 9,000-strong penguin colony discovered in Antarctica - WORLD

2013-02-11T04:34:00.000-08:00

9,000-strong penguin colony discovered in Antarctica

The writer has posted comments on this articlePTI | Feb 10, 2013, 05.56 PM IST

The massive emperor penguin colony had never ever encountered humans until researchers found them on Antarctica's Princess Ragnhild Coast.

WASHINGTON: A huge 9,000-strong colony of emperor penguins has been discovered in Antarctica after scientists spotted their poo trails in satellite images.

The massive emperor penguin colony had never ever encountered humans until researchers found them on Antarctica's Princess Ragnhild Coast.

Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey noticed the trail in 2009 while studying satellite images of Antarctica and it was not until December last year that three researchers from the International Polar Foundation found the colony.

Alain Hubert, founder of the International Polar Foundation, said the penguins were curious rather than scared of them, National Public Radio (NPR) reported.

"When you arrive, they just come to see you, to watch you, to turn around you. The penguins - and especially the emperors -- they are so human. They're so cute," Hubert said.

Since the penguins had never encountered humans, Hubert says they weren't scared, just curious.

Hubert and his team live at the research station during the Antarctic summer and are focused on studying climate change, not penguins.

After they encountered a number of emperor penguins, they were convinced that a colony must be close by. They decided to make the treacherous 48-Km trip east to the sea ice.

"First of all, you have to imagine you're in the middle of nowhere - without any visibility, with complete whiteout after 24 hours driving on the ice -- you go down to the sea," said Hubert.

After navigating their way to the sea, they searched for hours and found more penguins than they had ever imagined. Hubert says that seeing so many animals huddled together was like being on another planet.

"I spent more than five years of my life in the polar regions, but that was the kind of moment that I wouldn't have expect(ed) to be able to just enjoy. It's a privilege," Hubert said.

If there was enough penguin poop to see from space, it seems like there would be quite a stench on the ground. Hubert says it wasn't a problem.

"It's too cold, really, to smell it, you know? I spoke to some scientists and they told me if it was a bit warmer, it's really smelly, " Hubert said.

HEALTHY LIFE - Foods for a good night’s sleep - INDIA

2013-02-11T04:29:00.002-08:00

Foods for a good night’s sleep (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Insomnia or lack of sleep can have a terrible effect on your body besides a rough morning. We list out certain food that can help you get sound sleep.

Bananas: Researchers have found that having a banana before going to bed can help people suffering from sleep apnea by keeping their throats open and therefore reduce the risk of choking. Bananas are also excellent source of magnesium and potassium, minerals that help prevent muscle spasms or cramps during the night, making them a good bedtime snack as well especially after a heavy exercise session.

Cherries: A natural source of melatonin, researchers in the Journal of Sleep and Sleep Disorders indicate that consuming cherries before bed helped people sleep faster and easier. The fruit is a natural sleep aid.

Flax seeds: These are ideal for increasing levels of sleep regulating serotonin in the body due to high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to help reduce anxiety, depression and stress which are leading causes of insomnia.

Dairy products: Some research suggests that a deficiency of calcium in the diet can cause disturbed sleep patterns and a lack of deep sleep. Dairy products come to our rescue.

Oats: It is a good source of tryptophan. Try eating a small bowl of porridge before bed to help you get some deep sleep.

VIDA - Solo con pensar logran generar movimientos - URUGUAY

2013-02-11T04:14:00.000-08:00

Los avances en el desarrollo de interfaces cerebro-máquinas posibilitarían mejorar la vida de personas discapacitadas. La misma tecnología se aplica en videojuegos de última generación.

Una mujer que no puede moverse de la cama consigue con su cerebro desplazar a un robot que le permite recorrer buena parte de su casa, ver qué está sucediendo e interactuar con algún miembro de su familia. También puede desplazar el cursor de su computadora o darle órdenes a un brazo artificial. Un hombre, con artrosis, consigue acercar su mano con un guante especial a una botella y logra agarrarla, servirse y luego dejarla.

Esos son solo algunos de los últimos progresos en el desarrollo de interfaces cerebro-máquina (Brain Computer Interfaces, BCI ), un campo de investigación que tiene ya varias décadas pero que en los últimos años logró resultados que comienzan a cambiar la vida de los discapacitados.

Los avances se difundieron en el marco del anuncio esta semana por parte de la Comisión Europea de que el Proyecto Cerebro Humano (Human Brain Project) será buque insignia en el área de la ciencia para los próximos años. La iniciativa es ambiciosa: simular todas las funciones del cerebro basándose en supercomputadoras. Para ello invertirán diez años, la colaboración de 80 instituciones y un presupuesto de, por lo menos, 1.190 millones de euros.

En los últimos días un equipo de científicos europeos presentó varios progresos. Se trata de investigadores que trabajaban desde hace cuatro años en el Proyecto Tobi (Herramientas para la interacción cerebro-computador por sus siglas en inglés), una iniciativa coordinada por la Escuela Politécnica Federal de Lausana, que con un presupuesto de 12 millones de euros desarrolló durante cuatro años (hasta enero último) tecnología práctica para la interacción entre el cerebro y las computadoras.

Durante la investigación participaron más de cien personas con discapacidad. Lo primero que hicieron fue identificar las áreas en que el BCI podía tener un impacto real en esa población: comunicación y control; reemplazo o recuperación motora; y entretenimiento.

Los científicos consiguieron desarrollar una serie de tecnologías que incrementan la comunicación de personas con discapacidad, que tienen así la posibilidad dar órdenes al cerebro y poder sustituir lo que tradicionalmente se hace con un teclado estándar o con el mouse. También crearon una interfaz gráfica adaptada a la navegación para personas con discapacidades severas. A través del pensamiento, el paciente mueve un cursor en una estructura de árbol para alcanzar rápidamente un personaje o una acción deseada.

A su vez, desarrollaron un pequeño robot ("Robotino") que permite a una persona sin posibilidades de moverse reconstruir vínculos sociales gracias a que es controlado a distancia con el pensamiento. Para conseguirlo asociaron la electroencefalografía, el reconocimiento de signos, detectores de obstáculos e Internet. Una vez que todos esos elementos funcionaron entre sí, el paciente fue capaz de "pasearse" virtualmente en un entorno familiar gracias a la cámara y a la pantalla incorporadas al robot.

En diciembre, se había presentado otro caso con resultados sorprendentes: una paciente paralizada desde el cuello para abajo, internada en una clínica de rehabilitación en Suiza, con un brazo robótico controlado por el cerebro pudo alimentarse por sí misma -cumplió su sueño de agarrar y comer sola un chocolate- y logró mover objetos de uso cotidiano. Para ello fue necesario colocar pequeños implantes en la corteza izquierda de su cerebro, la parte que da inicio al movimiento. "La mujer hizo las maniobras con la coordinación, habilidad y velocidad casi similar a la de una persona sana", dijo el autor principal del estudio, el profesor Andrew B. Schwartz, de la Universidad de Pittsburgh al publicar su investigación en la revista The Lancet.

VIDEOJUEGOS. Con tecnología similar varias compañías apuntan también a ampliar el mercado de los videojuegos. "OpenVibe 2" es el nombre del proyecto más revolucionario: usa el pensamiento del jugador para controlar las acciones que transcurren en el juego. Si éste piensa en mover la mano izquierda, una pelota en la pantalla se trasladará hacia esa dirección; si piensa en mover alternadamente los pies, una nave de La Guerra de las Galaxias emprende el vuelo.

La semana pasada, el equipo de científicos del Instituto francés de investigación en informática (INRIA) presentó detalles del proyecto. Jonathan y José, quietos frente a la pantalla y con una especie de gorra de baño con decenas de electrodos en su cabeza, eran los jugadores. Primero los hacían mover las manos, abriendo y cerrando los dedos repetidamente y la pelota en la pantalla comenzaba a moverse. Luego, ni siquiera tenían que mover la mano, sino concentrarse y pensar que lo estaban haciendo. "El objetivo es meter un gol y para eso tienes que tener mejor control mental que tu adversario", dijo Jonathan. De todos modos, esa tecnología aún está en pañales.

Microsoft también está revolucionando la escena. Su división de investigación, Microsoft Research, mostró IllumiRoom, un desarrollo que parece sacado de la película Minority Report. "Difumina la línea que hay entre el contenido en pantalla y el entorno en que nos encontramos, permitiendo combinar el mundo físico y virtual", dice en el blog de Microsoft Research Andy Wilson, quien lidera el equipo de este producto. Usan el dispositivo Kinect (dotado de cámaras y sensores) para escanear la habitación donde se va a jugar. Luego, proyectan en ella imágenes que convierten a la pieza en una extensión del televisor. Puede transformarse en un callejón sin salida durante un juego de acción o en una selva tropical en uno de aventuras. *En base a El Mercurio/GDA

NATURALEZA - La sorprendente vida sexual de las tortugas carey - PERU

2013-02-05T03:56:00.000-08:00

La sorprendente vida sexual de las tortugas carey

Las tortugas carey —una especie de tortugas marinas en peligro de extinción— prefieren la monogamia

(Foto de USFWS/Southeast, bajo licencia Creative Commons)

(BBC Mundo). Las tortugas carey, una especie de tortugas marinas en peligro de extinción, prefieren la monogamia.

Así lo afirma un estudio enfocado en el comportamiento sexual de estos animales, llevado a cabo en las islas Seychelles y publicado en la revista Molecular Ecology.

Poco se conocía anteriormente acerca de la manera en que se reproducen estas tortugas, que viven bajo el agua en las lejanías del mar.

Pero los científicos se sorprendieron al descubrir que estos animales mantienen un vínculo sexual exclusivo durante el período de reproducción y crianza.

El estudio, llevado a cabo por investigadores de la Universidad de East Anglia, en Reino Unido, reveló que las tortugas hembra almacenan el esperma de un solo macho y lo usan para fertilizar varias nidadas de huevos.

“El almacenamiento de esperma” se puede observar en ciertas especies de animales, incluyendo reptiles, aves y tortugas marinas.

Las hembras tienen la capacidad de almacenar esperma viable de varios machos durante largos períodos de tiempo, por lo que técnicamente sus nidadas de huevos pueden provenir de más de un padre.

MONÓGAMOS POR ELECCIÓN
Para analizar el tema en profundidad, los investigadores llevaron a cabo pruebas de ADN en crías de tortugas carey, con el fin de identificar la cantidad de machos involucrados en el proceso de fertilización durante el período de reproducción.

Las pruebas revelaron que la mayoría de los nidos de huevos fueron engendrados por un solo macho, y que ningún macho fertilizó a más de una hembra durante los 75 días que duró la temporada en cuestión.

“Nos sorprendió que se comporten de esa manera porque la monogamia genética es poco común en los animales, suele verse en casos excepcionales”, explicó el doctor David Richardson, miembro del equipo de investigación.

Según los estudios, la tendencia mantener a una única pareja no se debe a una falta de oportunidades.

“Es improbable que haya pocos machos dando vueltas en alta mar”, dijo el doctor Richardson.

“Creemos que se están apareando en las lejanías del océano, en donde también se alimentan, a lo largo del Índico occidental”, añadió.

VARIABILIDAD GENÉTICA
El número de machos tortugas carey que contribuye a la formación de la siguiente generación es importante para la supervivencia de la especie, ya que se traduce en una mayor variabilidad genética.

“La variabilidad genética ayuda a que las tortugas sean más resistentes ante nuevas amenazas o adversidades que se presenten”, señaló Richardson.

La Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (IUCN por sus siglas en inglés) catalogó a las tortugas carey como especie en peligro de extinción, tras años de ser cazadas de forma masiva.

Sus caparazones están muy cotizados dentro del comercio ilegal. Se utilizan principalmente para fines decorativos.

Presentes en aguas tropicales alrededor del mundo, las tortugas hembra se reúnen en sitios de anidación –generalmente en las costas, como por ejemplo en la isla Cousine- cada varios años para poner alrededor de cinco nidadas de huevos a lo largo de la temporada.

Generalmente los cruces ocurren en el mar, por lo que las muestras de ADN ayudaron a comprender comportamientos que no son perceptibles a simple vista.

Richardson le dijo a la BBC que este estudio, junto con informes independientes que evidencian un aumento en el número de tortugas carey, indican que “en términos de conservación, la situación parece ser menos grave de lo que se pensaba”.

Aún así, el equipo espera que la investigación ayude a los conservacionistas a entender mejor el comportamiento de estos animales, para así poder tomar medidas que contribuyan a su preservación

ENVIRONMENT - Angpow for Mother Nature - MALAYSIA

2013-02-05T03:43:00.000-08:00

Spare a thought for the environment when you give the traditional red packets during the festival.

THIS week, thousands of folks will dutifully line up at bank counters to exchange wads of old (though not necessarily soiled) bank notes for brand new ones – all in the name of tradition.

For the Chinese, it is a must to use crisp, new notes to fill an angpow, the red envelope containing cash that is given out during Chinese New Year for good luck.

The insistence of using only new notes for angpow, however, is far from being a benign practice. Each year, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) prints and issues 100 million pieces of S$2 notes in the run-up to the Lunar New Year. But only about half of these new notes are actually required to meet normal circulation demand, meaning that an additional 50 million notes are printed just for the sake of tradition. The unfortunate consequence is that MAS would eventually have to accumulate these excess S$2 notes, and destroy these rather durable polymer (plastic) notes way before the end of their intended lifespan.

Printing bank notes creates a rather significant carbon footprint. In the case of Singapore, printing the extra 50 million S$2 polymer notes consumes more than 200,000kWh of electricity, in addition to 10 tonnes of ink. In the Malaysian context, that amount of electricity is enough to power 1,000 Malaysian homes for a month (each consuming close to 200kWh each month, or nearly RM44).

“This is a waste of precious resources and is not environmentally friendly,” said MAS in a press release last month.

Singapore is not the first to recognise the deletrious effects of using only new notes for angpow. Hong Kong, which is even more steeped in tradition, started the ball rolling as far back as 2006, when the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) ran a campaign to bring about change in the way angpow is given out so that the environmental impact could be reduced.

For Hong Kong and Singapore, the way to go is persuading the public to accept “as-good-as-new” notes, which are fairly new bank notes retrieved immediately by banks right after the festivities ended and kept for the next season. MAS has embarked on an initiative this Lunar New Year to encourage the public to use as-good-as-new S$2 notes. “While MAS will continue issuing brand new S$2 notes, we hope the public will participate in the initiative. We can celebrate Lunar New Year with the giving of angpow, and do our bit in reducing wastage and preserving the environment,” said assistant managing director Foo-Yap Siew Hong.

Its Go Green initiative is supported by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) as well as the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

“Our member banks will promote the use of the good-as-new notes at their branches, automated teller machines and websites. They will also deploy more service staff to promote these notes at the branches and encourage their own staff to use these notes,” said ABS director Ong-Ang Ai Boon.

Singaporean photographer Kwong Kwai Chung thinks it is a sensible move by MAS. “Sometimes, we don’t have time to go to the bank, and sometimes, if we get there, the notes we want are out of stock. As long as the notes look presentable, I will take them. Another advantage of slightly used polymer notes is that they are more easily sorted by hand. Have you noticed how new notes tend to stick to each other?”

Into its seventh year now, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s push to green the angpow-giving tradition remains on course. “As the Chinese New Year draws near, HKMA encourages the public to continue supporting the use of good-as-new notes, instead of brand new ones, for lai see (another Cantonese word for angpow). Good-as-new notes are perfectly suitable for use as lai see, given that Hong Kong’s currency notes are maintained at a high standard of cleanliness,” it said in a press release last month.

What are the chances of seeing a similar initiative happening here? If there is any comfort, Bank Negara has been quietly recirculating “almost new” RM5 polymer notes since its introduction in 2004. “While recognising the tradition of giving angpow and duit raya (during Hari Raya Aidilfitri), there is an increasing need to manage natural resources to preserve the environment and to enhance efficiency in the distribution of bank notes. Re-circulating the notes will reduce the need to print new notes,” it said in a written reply to The Star.

Bank Negara said that its move to introduce polymer RM1 (last year) and RM5 notes was already a green act in itself. Polymer notes generally last three times as long as paper notes. Wear and tear on paper money is costing us plenty. From 1985 to 1995, Bank Negara destroyed 4.9 billion pieces of torn and defaced paper notes. This works out to roughly 490 million pieces destroyed each year and this comes at a significant cost to the environment, other than to our coffers.

Being non-porous, polymer notes do not absorb water, oils and liquids, so they do not deteriorate as fast as paper notes. Polymer notes in bigger denominations have lifespans ranging from five to six years or more while smaller denominations like RM1 and RM5 last between two and three years compared to six and eight months for paper.

Naturally, opinions vary on whether as-good-as-new is good enough. For marketing specialist Wong Siah Ping, a red packet cannot qualify as an angpow if old notes are used. “A new note is pretty much the essence of an angpow, which must not only look like one, but also smell like one,” said Wong, who nonetheless is willing to reconsider her position if there is enough evidence to show that too much harm is done by rigid adherence to tradition.

For reporter Lee Mei Li, using new notes, especially when it comes to RM1 and RM5, hints that the giver had made the effort in welcoming the new year. “It’s always nice to have new notes because it shows that you made an effort to go to the bank to exchange the notes, and that you thought about Chinese New Year instead of doing it all last minute. However, slightly used notes is still OK for RM50 and above, as you don’t give that sum to many people.”

The arduous task of lining up for new notes every year easily riles up many, especially when they are told that their preferred denomination is out of stock. “Bank Negara doesn’t really print many new notes now, right? In the last few years, my bank offered only used RM5 and RM10 notes,” said another reporter, Wong Li Za. “But since the RM5 notes are polymers, they still look fairly new but not some of the RM10 notes. Personally, I like to give and receive crisp new notes. There is a feel-good factor there, compared to getting or giving old, brown or faded notes. I can settle for slightly used notes, provided they are in good condition.”

Writer S.M. Chiew’s way of coping with the annual hassle of going to the bank is by bartering with her children. “I change the old notes with the new ones that they get in their angpow from others. Many people would like to give new notes but don’t have the time to queue up in banks.”

Professor Yam Kah Kean, a specialist in Chinese culture at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, said one must not lose sight of the purpose of an angpow. “An angpow is a token to wish someone good luck and prosperity. It is the symbolism of giving and receiving of red packets that is important, and not so much what is inside the packet,” said Yam.

Half of Hong Kong seems to agree with him. According to HKMA, the share of as-good-as-new notes issued in the run-up to Chinese New Year has increased from 20% in 2006 to around 45% in recent years. Is it time then, that Malaysians consider giving an angpow for the environment, other than for luck?

ENVIRONMENT - China sets emission reduction target - CHINA

2013-02-05T03:35:00.001-08:00

Updated: 2013-01-24 19:18

A man wearing a mask rides a bicycle on a hazy day in Beijing, Jan 23, 2013. [Photo by Zou Hong/Asianewsphoto]

BEIJING - China has set a new emissions reduction target for 2013 by promoting an aggregate indicator budget control system for major pollutants, the minister of environmental protection said Thursday.

Emissions of chemical oxygen demand and sulfur dioxide in 2013 will be reduced by 2 percent year on year, while that of ammonia nitrogen and nitrogen oxides will fall by 2.5 percent and 3 percent, respectively, Zhou Shengxian, the minister, said.

The emissions of four major pollutants -- sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen -- recorded year-on-year drops of at least 2 percent in 2012, Zhou said at a national meeting held here.

Zhou vowed to press for including PM2.5, air-borne particles measuring 2.5 microns or less in diameter, in the country's major pollutant monitoring and measuring system.

This year the country will start monitoring six major pollutant indices, including PM2.5, in 113 cities on the state environmental protection list, he said.

Currently, the monitoring of four national major pollutants as well as PM2.5 and ozone (O3) are conducted in four municipalities, 27 provincial capitals, as well as three key regions -- east China's Yangtze River Delta, south China's Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area in the north.

The ministry will also ban the operation of vehicles registered before 2005 under exhaust emissions requirements, Zhou said, adding that efforts will be made to improve the quality of gasoline and diesel.

To cope with an air quality crisis, contingency measures will be adopted, such as suspending or limiting the production of certain vehicles and limiting emissions and car usage, he said.

However, he said the country faces a long battle in controlling PM2.5 intensity.

By 2015, the ministry aims to reduce the PM2.5 intensity in three key regions by 6 percent annually, he said.

The ministry has also set timetables for cities experiencing different degrees of air pollution. Cities where average air pollution levels are 15 percent higher than the national standard or less should work to bring the levels to standard by 2015.

Cities suffering heavy air pollution that is 30 percent above the national standard or higher should try to meet standards by 2030, and cities between the previously mentioned categories are expected to meet the standards by 2020.

FOOD + HEALTH - "Let's change the way we eat at home" - ITALY

2013-02-05T03:24:00.000-08:00

A journey in the startup of "food 2.0", or how to raise the quality of our spending. By relying on organic food or kilometer zero by MAURO MUNAFO '

When it comes to startup, thought flies immediately to computers, the web, the virtual Silicon. But if there is one sector in Italy which can boast the highest concentration of new online activity, and in fact should not surprise, is what concerns food and cuisine. The grocery store, choose recipes, sautee for friends and gather around a table are so routine actions that we consider now unchangeable. Yet many young entrepreneurs are convinced that there can be something to improve and that the right place to start doing it is just our country, with its culture of good flavors. A journey in the startup of "food 2.0" is therefore a must.

No meal could begin without having the ingredients and the first step can only be devoted to spending. In addition to sites that allow you to send home as chosen at the supermarket, growing attention to the organic product and per kilometre zero, thanks to local portals like Clods in Rome, Biokistl in Tyrol, Casina Cornale in Cuneo and Cortilia in Lombardy, which allow you to choose and send home their local and seasonal products: from vegetables to eggsfrom fruit to cold meats and honey.

"Alerted consumers on topics such as seasonality and quality of what they order," explains Marco

Porcaro, serial startupper and founder of Cortilia, "the agricultural world is little and evil on the web and our goal is to shorten the world's longest chain, the food, and put in direct contact with the producer and the consumer".

Cortilia was born under the name of Geomercato in 2011 and has since collected more than 10,000 members and 600 thousand euros of funds from business angel and venture capitalists. We worked today a team of seven people in their thirties, struggling with the online platform organization, logistics and transportation in Milan and nearby towns. "We move bits, like other technology startups, as well as Zucchini," continues Porcaro, "all the logistics is our responsibility and we also submitted sample quality checks and to educate small producers on how to make the best use of the internet".

Those who not only has no time for shopping, but also for ideas on what to cook and does not want to risk out of hand, you may find interesting as proposed by iDinner, startup of Sardinia a few months landed even in large northern cities and soon also in Central Italy. The iDinner product is simple: a charge for 4 dinners for a family of 2 or 4 persons, with all ingredients (fresh seasonal) needed to follow the recipes recommended by team nutritionist.

"We are two families with children who do not like to eat the same things," says Andrea Masci, a founder of iDinner, "but as all parents know, go to the supermarket with children makes you crazy and you can not always get what you want or think about what prepare". After a long study of details, and taking a cue from the Swedish experience (thanks to a team member who comes from the Scandinavian country), in April 2012 iDinner opened its doors in Cagliari and, after the summer, he landed in Milan and Turin. "Today we make a fifty deliveries per week and our customers are mostly people who work all day, fail to do your shopping and you are stewed of takeout. We care to guarantee a great variety in recipes and ingredients that we propose. All at an affordable price ".

Not too far from what was thought to be iDinner, but married at the world of wine, is the idea behind 3Wine, veronese startup founded by Alberto Zampini and aimed at those who love wine but you lose between labels and quality.

"Once a month I like to organise a dinner at home with friends," says Zampini, 33 years and returned to Italy in order to launch his bet, "because I didn't know what to cook ever and the best wine to pair with food I came up with the idea of 3Wine taste box". As other companies send customers home boxes with shoes, tricks or other products, 3Wine sends three bottles of wine chosen by experts and combined with a series of recipes to enjoy them to the fullest.

"We try to create a culinary path, advising of simple dishes and sending the right wine to accompany them," continues Zampini, "there are 3 sommelier that each month choose the wines of medium-high quality around which we created the product then we send to customers with a shopping list with all ingredients that serve for dinner that we recommend. In this way you can organize dinners in which discover new foods and wines ".

Groceries, wines and recipes may be useful, but there is also the other side of the coin: eat at home than others. And on this front works NewGusto, which promises to let us feast in other people's homes.

"The idea came from a necessity," says Antonio Ruscitti, co-founder of NewGusto, "Christian, one of the other founders, is a good fork and a lover of travel: but when he went to other cities or countries was unable to try the local cuisine and not that of restaurants for tourists".

Antonio, Christian and others team components have launched NewGusto in 2011, with the aim of creating a platform to "share" their kitchen and know each other around a table, collecting up to today over ten thousand members from 59 countries. "We like to call ourselves a couchsurfing: table instead of the couch though, here you are sharing a Chair in the kitchen and then have users decide whether to divide the expenses or to pay or fewer guests. People want to know each other and the food can be the best way to do it ".

NATURE - The lights in fantastic Lapland - FINLAND

2013-01-23T03:36:00.001-08:00

According to Nasa, the Northern Lights will put on their brightest display in 50 years this winter. Determined to track them down, Sarah Marshall enlists the help of Aurora hunters in Lake Inari, Finland

Image Credit: Getty Images
When solar winds meet the Earth’s magnetic field and particles collide with oxygen in the Ionosphere, the resulting glow will be green.

There are detailed scientific explanations for the enigmatic aurora borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights, but Lapland’s Sami people have their own understanding. “My grandma would tell stories about a fox racing across the hills to reach home,” says Markku, a Finnish photographer who chases the lights on nightly safaris. “He moved so quickly, it looked like his tail was on fire, blazing across the sky.”

In fact the Northern Lights originate 146 million kilometres away when solar flares hurl high-energy particles, known as solar winds, into space. When these winds meet the Earth’s magnetic field some of the particles collide with the gases in the Ionosphere, causing them to glow and flicker in myriad colours – from greens and yellows (when the particles meet with oxygen), to reds, blues and violet (when they meet with nitrogen).

According to Nasa, the aurora borealis are currently at their most powerful for 50 years, with activity peaking until March this year. Markku, whose family runs the cosy Wilderness Hotel in northern Finnish village Nellim, which sits above the Arctic Circle, claims his hometown is one of the best places to observe the Earth’s greatest light display. He boasts of seeing the aurora 240 days a year – 24-hour daylight hampers the remaining 125 – and says at times the lights have been so powerful they’ve caused electricity to stop working in the village.

Low horizons and a lack of light pollution certainly provide favourable conditions for the lights, while the nearby pine-forest-fringed Lake Inari is an attractive setting for budding photographers. Intrigued, I book a four-day stay at the hotel through The Aurora Zone, which specialises in small-group Northern Lights holidays to Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

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A round, friendly Finn, with a torchlight strapped to his forehead and laden down with camera equipment, Markku briefs us before our first expedition and whets our appetite with stories of his favourite sightings. Aged 12, he recalls returning home from a disco and witnessing a burning whirlpool overhead. It moved so quickly, he feared it might actually gobble him up. Such activity, known as a corona, is an aurora-hunter’s holy grail, often occurring after a night of intense activity. Sightings are rare but, as Markku enthusiastically points out, not impossible.

Seduced by swirling images and colourful stories, we head out, driving along icy roads into the forest. Rows of tall, thin pine trees stretch into infinity, standing to attention like obedient sentinels guarding the nearby Russian border. We stop and set up our camera tripods on a bridge crossing Lake Inari, which is only just beginning to freeze. If the lights do turn up, we’ll be treated to a dazzling display of reflections.

But there’s still one vital element missing – a star. To see the lights, we need a clear sky. We sit and wait, as the temperature drops below zero. But after two hours, all we have for our trouble is a faint glimmer picked up by our camera sensors. Disappointed, we head to a campfire to warm up.

Ever the optimist, Markku tries to reassure us. “Don’t worry, I have a 100 per cent success rate with guests. I’m not about to break that now,” he promises. In reality, there’s no guarantee for seeing the aurora. A number of websites chart solar activity and offer predictions, and there’s even a phone app that allegedly sends alerts when the lights are playing ball. None is particularly reliable.

Daytime attractions

Trips aren’t cheap and it’s a long way to travel, but one way to get the most out of a holiday is to combine nightly aurora safaris with daytime activities. Options at the Wilderness Hotel include forest walks and boat rides to one of the 3,000 islands in Lake Inari, or snowmobiling and ice fishing in winter. Lotta, a laid-back tomboy with a devious sense of humour, leads us on a trek through the forest, collecting lingonberries to make a sauce for tonight’s dinner: reindeer meat with creamy mashed potato.

The sun hangs low, casting long shadows across the forest floor. A sprinkling of snow covers the tundra like icing sugar, and jagged ice crystals are already starting to form on the lake. After reaching the top of a hill, we search for wood to build a campfire and barbecue sausages. Lotta pulls out an axe and starts to chop a trunk already blown over by the wind.

The sense of space is overwhelming; for miles only the tips of trees are touching the sky. There are just 150 residents in Nellim, most earning their trade as reindeer herders. But don’t ever ask locals how many reindeer they own; it’s a social faux pas tantamount to quizzing a city worker about the size of his pay packet.

There’s no village centre as such, although a simple, wooden Orthodox church buried in the woods provides a meeting point for the community. Locals tend to be either lively and eccentric or shy and sombre, and an above-average number of men appear to have beards; something I discover on our visit to Tankavaara, where prospectors first struck gold in 1870. The Goldpanning Finnish Open (where prospectors from all over the world compete) still takes place here every summer, but during winter tourists can hone their gold-hunting skills indoors at the Gold Museum.

Judging by the photos of legendary panners, having a long, wiry beard is a prerequisite for striking it lucky. I sift through grit and water but only manage to uncover a small fleck. This certainly isn’t a way to get rich quick.

We decide to have lunch at the Goldprospector’s Restaurant, where Europe’s northernmost jazz festival Kaamosjazz is held every November. Owner Petti, a former prospector, has decorated the quirky space with record sleeves and a collection of 1,500 empty drinks cans. I leave with a vial of gold dust flakes, a gift from Petti, but now my sights are set on far greater riches.

The luxury of space and silence

It’s our final night at the Wilderness Hotel, and after three evenings of lukewarm activity, Markku is determined to find the show we were all expecting. Wearing insulated body suits and snow boots borrowed from the hotel, we set off determined to stay out all night if we have to. But we don’t have to wait long for a star; the sky is peppered with silver flecks, some falling like burning embers.

At midnight, a band of green light sweeps gently across the horizon like a blade of grass swaying in the wind. Over the next few hours, the lights grow in intensity. By 4am, my feet are frozen numb and a layer of thin ice has formed on the back of my jacket. But my patience is finally rewarded. Dancing across the horizon like a neon ribbon trailed by a rhythmic gymnast, the aurora has woken up. Playful and unpredictable, she’s even more bewitching than I imagined.

I could stay here for hours. Markku spends every night searching for the lights and claims he’s never seen the same show twice. The lights have been a triumph but the appeal of Nellim is actually far greater. This is a true wilderness, where space and silence are luxuries to be cherished. Along with a handful of humans, only reindeer, bears, wolves and lynx reside here – along with a fox, still racing nightly across the sky.

Inside Info

Sarah Marshall was a guest of The Aurora Zone (01670 785 012, www.theaurorazone.com). The company offers a ‘Winter Lights over Lake Inari’ tour, with regular departures and good availability until March 2013. It costs from Dh6,340 per person (based on two sharing) including three nights’ full board, expert guiding and activities as described plus warm winter clothing and boots. Emirates flies to Helsinki from around Dh3,800 return (www.emirates.com), from where you can catch a Finnair flight to Ivalo for around Dh700 return (www.finnair.com).

ENVIRONMENT II - God’s Own Forest - INDIA

2013-01-23T03:23:00.003-08:00

JYOTI SHETTY and NALA PONNAPPA experience the sacred forest of Kodagu and come back wiser

Walking along the edge of the Devara Kaadu, the sacred forest dedicated to goddess Bhagawati in Karada village, Kodagu, we were searching for a path to get into the forest. Tucked away in a corner and spread over nine acres, rarely has anyone entered the hallowed precincts of this sacred grove. Yet, we were there looking for a small clearing and were relieved to find one.

We walked slowly over a thick carpet of dead leaves, tapping our walking sticks intermittently for any wayward snake or insect. Then we came to a grinding halt. The clearing did not go deep enough; we had to take another path to move ahead.

All along, the intertwining vines formed a curtain, snaking high up. To part these or even break a twig is considered sacrilegious. No wonder, as no paths were cut through the jungle, vines grew all over just like cobwebs.

Ancient groves like these are deeply revered by the local communities. The groves, which are hubs of biodiversity, are found largely in Karnataka’s Kodagu, or Coorg region. For the nature-loving Kodava community, Devara Kaadu is a place of worship to appease its favourite deities. Over a hundred years ago, there were more than a 1,000 such sacred groves in the region. Now there are only 350 left.

We stopped by an old tree to catch our breath. We found the peace and quiet overpowering. We had entered into the realms of an authentic untouched forest, most revered by the Kodavas. Not even cows graze here. Were we trespassing? What if the gods get angry?

Forest Deities

With so many questions welling up in our minds, we moved on. There is not much of wildlife here. The tigers, wild dogs and flying squirrels are all long gone; wild boars can be sighted occasionally but then it’s the Kodavas’ favourite dish. Then what was it about the forest that looked so intimidating? Was it the myth and stories that floated around these dark, eerie forests working on our minds?

The screen of lush vegetation all around was very appeasing, but the crunching leaves below were not. We kept an eye out for any camouflaged insects and reptiles. Stepping on dead wood was equally dangerous; being hollow, they crumble when you step on them.

At last we reached a sunlight-drenched clearing from where a path led to the Bhagawati Temple; the sunlight lifted our spirits and reassured us.

The priest was not very welcoming though. His apprehension was understandable. He did not want too many inquisitive travellers disturbing the peace of the forest.

Most villages in Coorg have temples dedicated to deities such as Devi Bhadrakali, Aiyyappa, Shiva or Iguthappa. These places of worship double up as venues for numerous religious functions and celebrations, with the sacred groves forming an impressive backdrop, changing colours with the season. Sometimes new leaves on the huge trees look like red and yellow festoons, fluttering away in the gentle breeze as if celebrating deep forest secrets.

Villagers were allowed to take wood and any edible fruits only from the fringes; even today, the heart of the Devara Kaadu is untouched, unspoilt, and pristine.

Sacred groves are an integral part of the shrines to which they are attached. In every village, the sacred grove exists because of the temple.

The size of the sacred grove is not important; the world has a lot to learn from the tradition of forest conservation that every village in Kodagu upholds. Each grove has three common features: the deity, the temple forest and the sacred tank. Tree diversity is high in these groves. Whoever said conservation of forest began in the 21st century?

Myths To The Rescue

In and around our village, there are two prominent groves besides the one we entered — in Kadanga near the Arupatt Temple and a smaller grove near the Ishwara Temple in Chelavara.

The forests regenerate, thrive, and live entirely as nature deems fit. The weak trees rot and fall, making way for new growth, allowing sunlight to penetrate and provide succour from the dark covers of tall overgrowth and much-needed compost. Some of the deadwood is used to renovate the temples.

The core of the Devara Kaadu remains untouched, and even the temple priests don’t venture deep inside. During the Boluk Namme or Festival of Lights, an annual ceremony held in April, the entire village congregates; chicken is sacrificed at the edge of the forest to appease the resident gods.

However, over time, mankind multiplied faster than the forest growth and maintaining the eco system became a big challenge. To curtail land-grabbing, the priests came up with myths and legends. The locals believe that the gods hunt in these forests and some even say that the spirits of their ancestors rest in the woods.

If we can take a leaf out of the Devara Kaadu, there is so much to learn. We can peep into the original terrain and gain insight into what the landscape must have been in ancient times. Sadly, commercialisation, in the form of coffee plantations, hotels and homes has not spared even these revered forests.

To educate the future generation on the importance of forests and tell them about the symbiotic relationship that exists between the groves and mankind, this slice of Kodava culture has to be preserved and conserved. We have to venerate the gods and spirits of the forests, so that they protect us. After all, the tradition of tree worship has its roots in the vedas, where the ficus tree has been described as housing the fertility spirits of the mythical gandharvas and apsaras.

ponnappa48@gmail.com

GOOD! ENVIRONMENT - Dolphin population rises to 152 in Chilika lake in Orissa - INDIA

2013-01-23T03:17:00.003-08:00

As per estimation carried out in 2013 there had been an increase in population by 4.6 per cent compared to last year, he said adding the number of dolphins last year was 145.

Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: Good news for wildlife lovers from Chilika Lake. The population of Irrawaddy dolphins has increased by 4.6 per cent compared to last year's census.

"Irrawaddy dolphin population of Chilika lagoon is estimated to be 152 comprising 118 adults, 16 sub-adults and 18-calves & neonates," Ajit K Patnaik, the chief executive of Chilika Development Authority (CDA) said today.

As per estimation carried out in 2013 there had been an increase in population by 4.6 per cent compared to last year, he said adding the number of dolphins last year was 145.

The number of calves and neonates observed during the survey carried out recently is 18. A significant observation of 2013 population estimation was the sighting of dolphins in Northern sector. Eight dolphins were sighted from Northern sector, an indication of expansion of their habitat, he said.

Another significant observation is the increase in the number of calves and neonates, which is 38.9 per cent increase over the last year's figure.

Chilika, about 70 km from here, is the natural abode of highly endangered Irrawaddy dolphins ( Orcaella brevirostris). The present distribution range of this species is only in Asia - from Chilika to Indonesia within South East Asia and South Asia.

The total population of these animals in the world is estimated to be less than 7500 (highest 6400 reported from Bangladesh) and the population in Chilika is considered to be the highest single lagoonal population, Patnaik said.

A number of organizations, including state's forest department, were engaged in the population survey which was carried out following line Transect method.

WELLBEING - 9 Attitudes towards a happy ‘You - INDIA’

2013-01-04T02:36:00.000-08:00

9 Attitudes towards a happy ‘You’ (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

Times of India

The key to happiness is to do the same things you do everyday but with a slightly different approach. Start bringing those changes in your attitude towards life and you'll see how simple it is to be happy!

Life Coach Ramon Llamba shares nine significant attitudes that help you become happier in life.

Gratitude
Appreciate what you have and value it. Try counting your positives and be grateful for all the good things and people in your life. Stop complaining and be thankful for what you already have and you'll soon start feeling happy.

Optimism
Treat failure as an opportunity to learn a new and better lesson from life, and that's the trick to manufacture optimism in life. Never give up trying because that's an indication that something better is in store. Once you start harbouring an optimistic attitude towards life, success will automatically follow.

Avoid comparison
Nothing is as awful as comparing yourself to someone else. If you think you're better that the other person, you're letting yourself regale in an unhealthy sense of superiority. If you demean yourself in front of others, it means all your hard work and progress has been in vain. While social comparisons are unhealthy, self-improvement is effective.

Kindness
There's a scientific reason behind every act of kindness that you do. Helping someone selflessly releases serotonin in your brain (Serotonin is the hormone that controls your mood) and hence makes you feel good about yourself almost instantly. Try doing one act of kindness everyday to flush out the toxins of depression from your system.

Nurture relationships
Relationships keep us alive and kicking. In fact, according to research studies loneliness doubles people's mortality rates. A circle of good friends, loving family members and cheerful colleagues are a reminder that you have people who care about you. There's nothing like having someone who you can share your experiences with. So nurture these relationships and say goodbye to a lonesome existence.

Forgive
Hatred is a negative feeling and harbouring it will have nothing but negative effects on your well-being. Stop thinking about the hateful emotion/person and let it go. Forgive if needed, take things lightly and let it not affect your system.

Commit to your goals
If you have a goal, work towards it. Anything is achievable if you put your heart into it. Wholehearted dedication and diligence can bring extraordinary results and consequentially add to your happiness.

Spirituality
Spirituality teaches us that life is bigger than us and it helps us connect to the larger meanings of life. Practice spirituality to understand the source of all creation and feel connected to everything that exists in this world.

Care for your body
Love yourself and love your body! Your physical condition has a direct connection with your well-being. A fit body and healthy mind is reflective of happiness. Start working towards the health of your physical, mental and emotional energy by caring for your body.

NOT ALONE? - Our galaxy contains 100 billion planets: Study - INDIA

2013-01-04T02:27:00.000-08:00




	Contrary to previous belief, the latest research by astronomers suggests star systems with planets are actually the norm across the cosmos. Times of India WASHINGTON: Our galaxy contains at least 100 billion planets - approximately one for every star - and many of them could harbour life, a new study claims. Contrary to previous belief, the latest research by astronomers suggests star systems with planets are actually the norm across the cosmos. Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology made their estimate while analysing planets orbiting a star called Kepler-32 - planets that are representative of the vast majority of planets in our galaxy, NASA said. "There are at least 100 billion planets in the galaxy, just our galaxy," said John Johnson, assistant professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech and co-author of the study. "That's mind-boggling," said Johnson in a statement. "It's a staggering number, if you think about it. Basically, there's one of these planets per star," added Jonathan Swift, lead author of the study. One of the fundamental questions regarding the origin of planets is how many of them there are. Like the Caltech group, other teams of astronomers have estimated that there is roughly one planet per star, but this is the first time researchers have made such an estimate by studying M-dwarf systems, the most numerous population of planets known. The planetary system in question, which was detected by NASA's Kepler space telescope, contains five planets. Two of the planets orbiting Kepler-32 had previously been discovered by other astronomers. The Caltech team confirmed the remaining three, then analysed the five-planet system and compared it to other systems found by Kepler. M-dwarf systems like Kepler-32's are quite different from our own solar system. For one, M dwarfs are cooler and much smaller than the Sun. Kepler-32, for example, has half the mass of the sun and half its radius. The radii of its five planets range from 0.8 to 2.7 times that of Earth, and those planets orbit extremely close to their star. The whole Kepler-32 system fits within just over a tenth of an astronomical unit (the average distance between Earth and the Sun) - a distance that is about a third of the radius of Mercury's orbit around the Sun. The fact that M-dwarf systems vastly outnumber other kinds of systems carries a profound implication, according to Johnson, which is that our solar system is extremely rare.

ONE MORE YEAR - NEW GOOD THINGS TO COME, A BETTER YEAR FOR EVERYONE

2012-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

At the end of one year, everybody spend times reviewing what went right and what went wrong, tv shows, radios, newspapers, all media stations of all kinds remember good and bad thing happened in this 2012.

We only remember the good things! and we wish you the best and to keep looking at THE GOOD WILL TIMES!

Because good things always happents and more, and even more and better things will keep happening till the end of our days, with no more words to say that,"thanks", enjoy" "happiness" "wisdom" peace" "love"

WISH THE BEST TO EVEWRY SINGLE PERSON IN THE WORLD AND THE UNIVERSE!!!!

HEALTH AND FITNESS - Five tips to avoid holiday weight gain - MALAYSIA

2012-12-26T03:18:00.001-08:00

According to research, most people gain around one kilo a year in midlife, and the added bulk tends to arrive around holiday time.

Heftier people tend to gain even more -- 2.2 kilos -- and as most anyone knows, weight loss doesn't come easy. Your best approach: keep it off in the first place, and here's how.

1. Don't eat seconds, and keep the serving dish off the table.

According to Dr. Mache Seibel of the Huffington Post, keeping the serving trays in the kitchen can reduce your food intake by up to 29 percent.

2. Sleep

Research has linked sleep-deprived people with increased belly fat, compared to those who slumber for seven hours. But Dr. Seibel says don't overdo it: too much sleep, more than seven hours a night, can increased belly fat as well.

3. Skip the eggnog

While drinking alcohol is part of the merriment for a lot of us, avoid drinking your calories. Opt for red or mulled wine over white wine, beer, or spirits, advise British fitness trainers Shaun Petafi and Dean Connor, in a statement from Rippedtoshreds.co.uk. Red wine is packed with fewer empty calories and higher in flavonoids, polyphenols, and heart-protecting reservatrol. Frozen creamy drinks can have as many as 800 calories, while eggnog with a jigger of rum comes at more than 400 calories a glass.

4. Control your snacking

Avoid racking up extra calories with snacks, but if you must, opt for meat or cheese rather than cakes or biscuits, say Petafi and Connor. Also monitor your appetizers, which can add 1,000 extra calories to your meal, writes Seibel.

5. Go easy on the starches

Starchy foods such as breads, rice, pasta, cakes, potatoes and yams can cause insulin levels to spike, resulting in more fat storage, say Petafi and Connor. Opt for a second slice of turkey, but leave the stuffing alone. Or pile on the non-starchy vegetables, such as cabbage, kale, spinach, leeks, and broccoli.