Was too lazy to put it into a nice dish... Whatever, it still tasted good... And plus it was only for bfg and me... :)Love cooking... I got wonderful stuff from family and hon...
I'm sad... Why? Been thinking and looking and gosh if I was to disappear tomorrow who'd give a fuck? maybe just bfg and family... I pay so much attention to others and like everything it just gets swept away into oblivion. I feel depressed and when I feel like this. I need to get the loneliness out of me. I cry and that's not even enough... I love life but just sometimes, like now, I feel like shit! Yeah, still somewhat young and all but the spirit, the spark and the want diminishes as the years go by. I tend to feel less and less part of this awful society. There are all sorts of things that I hate and detest from the world. I'm only one person. How do I, little old me, even begin to change anything in this awful, messy world!
I try to do nice things for people and put my heart and soul into it but in their eyes I only see that its not good enough. I helped this person in the street and she just pushed me and I felt like crying... I wanted to die and not be a human at that moment. Is it me, am I too sensitive? I speak to people and all I hear is that my opinion is not worth listening too and not good enough. I'm a fucking strong person, I have survived so much in this world. I've tried to end my life for the wrong reasons. I've endured many obstacles in my life. My life has not been a bed of roses at all... I been rich and poor... I've been alone and with others in my life.
I wish, sometimes, if it was possible to give my life to someone else who wants to be here... is that weird? I know that I cannot speak to people about this because they will only think that I'm fucked... or just laugh it off...
Whatever, I'll go and sink my sorrows into some Panettone and listen to music... and cry some more...
Secure Your Vista PC in 10 Easy Steps by Robert Vamosi, PC World
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 2:30 PM PST
While Windows Vista may be Microsoft's most secure operating system ever, it's far from completely secure. In its fresh-from-the-box configuration, Vista still leaves a chance for your personal data to leak out to the Web through Windows Firewall, or for some nefarious bot to tweak your browser settings without your knowing. But by making a few judicious changes using the security tools within Windows Vista--and in some cases by adding a few pieces of free software--you can lock down your operating system like a pro.
Use Windows Security Center as a Starting Point
Security Center; click for full-size image.For a quick overview of your security settings, the Windows Security Center is where you'll find the status of your system firewall, auto update, malware protection, and other security settings. Click Start, Control Panel, Security Center, or you can simply click the shield icon in the task tray. If you see any red or yellow, you are not fully protected. For example, if you have not yet installed an antivirus product on your machine, or if your current antivirus product is out-of-date, the Malware section of the Security Center should be yellow. Windows does not offer a built-in antivirus utility, so you'll want to install your own. For free antivirus, I recommend AVG Anti-Virus 8.
Use Windows Defender as a Diagnostic Tool
The Malware section also covers antispyware protection, and for that Windows Vista includes Windows Defender. The antispyware protection in your antivirus program usually trumps the protection Microsoft provides, but there are several good reasons to keep Windows Defender enabled. One is that every antispyware program uses a different definition of what is and what is not spyware, so redundant protection can actually offer some benefit.
Software Explorer; click for full-size image.Another reason to keep Windows Defender enabled: diagnostics. Click Tools, and choose Software Explorer from the resulting pane. You can display lists of applications from several categories such as Currently Running Programs, Network Connected Programs, and Winsock Service Providers, but Startup Programs is perhaps the most useful. Click on any name in the left window, and full details will appear in the right pane. By highlighting, you can remove, disable, or enable any of the programs listed.
Disable the Start Up menu
Start Up menu; click for full-size image.Windows Vista keeps track of all the documents and programs you launch in the Start Up menu. This can be convenient for some users, but it can also compromise your privacy if you share a computer within an office or household. Fortunately Windows Vista provides an easy way to tweak this setting. To protect your privacy, follow these steps:
1. Right click on the taskbar and select Properties.
2. Click on the Start Menu tab.
3. Uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened files.
4. Uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened programs.
5. Click OK.
Get Two-Way Firewall Protection
No desktop should be without a personal firewall, but even if the Security Center says you're protected, you may not be. The Windows Firewall within Vista blocks all incoming traffic that might be malicious or suspicious--and that's good. But outbound protection is not enabled by default. That's a dangerous situation if some new malicious software finds its way onto your PC. Microsoft did include the tools for Windows Vista to have a true two-way firewall, but finding the setting is a little complicated. (Hint: Don't go looking the Windows Firewall settings dialog box.)
Windows Firewall; click for full-size image.To get two-way protection in Windows Vista, click on the Start button; in the search space, type wf.msc and press Enter. Click on the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security icon. This management interface displays the inbound and outbound rules. Click on Windows Firewalls Properties. You should now see a dialog box with several tabs. For each profile--Domain, Private, and Public--change the setting to Block, and then click OK.
Even if you do this tweak, I recommend adding a more robust third-party firewall. I suggest either Comodo Firewall Pro or ZoneAlarm, both of which are free and fare very well in independent firewall testing.
Lock Out Unwanted Guests
If you share your computer with others (and even if you don't), Windows Vista includes a neat way to keep unwanted guests from guessing your system administrator password. When you set up users and declare one user as administrator (with full privileges), Windows Vista allows outsiders unlimited guesses at the password you chose. Here's how to limit the guesses.
1. Click Start, type Local Security Policy.
2. Click Account Lockout Policy.
3. Choose Account Lockout Threshold.
4. At the prompt, enter the number of invalid log-ins you'll accept (say, 3).
5. Click OK and close.
Now Audit Your Attackers
With the Account Lockout policy in place, you can now enable auditing to see any account attacks. To turn on auditing for failed log-on events, do the following:
1. Click the Start button, type secpol.msc, and click the secpol icon.
2. Click on Local Policies and then Audit Policy.
3. Right-click on Audit account logon events policy and select Properties.
4. Check the Failure box and click OK.
5. Right-click on Audit logon events policy and select Properties.
6. Check the Failure box and click OK.
7. Close the Local Security Policy window.
You can then use the Event Viewer (by running eventvwr.msc) to view the logs under Windows Logs and Security.
Secure Your Internet Explorer Settings
The Windows Security Center will also report whether your Internet Explorer 7 (or IE 8) security settings are at their recommended levels. If the screen shows this section as red, you can adjust the settings within the browser itself.
1. Within Internet Explorer, click Tools in the menu bar.
2. From the drop-down menu, click Internet Options.
3. Choose the Security tab.
4. Within the Security tab, click Custom Level.
Here you'll see a window with all the security options for the browser. If any are below the recommended level (if, say, some kind of malware reconfigured your browser settings), these options will be highlighted in red. To change an individual setting, click the appropriate radio button. To reset them all, use the button near the bottom of the tab. You can also change the overall security setting for Internet Explorer from the default Medium-High setting to the recommended High or Medium, if you wish. Click OK to save and close.
Use OpenDNS
Domain Name System (DNS) servers act as a phone book. When you type "pcworld.com" in the address bar, for instance, Internet Explorer sends that common-name request to your Internet service provider's DNS servers to be converted into a series of numbers, or an IP address. Lately, DNS servers have come under attack, with criminals seeking to redirect common DNS preferences to servers that their interests control. One way to stop such abuse is to use OpenDNS.
Go to Start, Control Panel, Network and Internet, and then click Network and Sharing Center. Under the tasks listed on the left, click Manage Network Connections. In the Manage Network Connections window, do the following.
1. Right-click on the icon representing your network card.
2. Click Properties.
3. Click Internet Protocol Version 4.
4. Click the Properties button.
5. Select the Use the following DNS server addresses radio button.
6. Type in a primary address of 208.67.222.222.
7. Type in a secondary address of 208.67.220.220.
8. Click OK.
Live With User Account Control
Disable UAC; click for full-size image.One area where some people might want to see the Windows Security Center turn red is User Account Control (UAC), perhaps the most controversial security feature within Windows Vista. Designed to keep rogue remote software from automatically installing (among other things), UAC has a tendency to thwart legitimate software installations by interrupting the process several times with useless messages. In Windows 7 you'll be able to set UAC to the level you want. Until then, you do have some options.
One is to disable UAC. I would caution against that, since UAC is meant to warn you of potential danger. Instead, install TweakUAC, a free utility that offers the ability to turn UAC on or off as well as an intermediate "quiet" mode that keeps UAC on but suppresses administration elevation prompts. With TweakUAC in quiet mode, UAC will appear to be off to those running as administrator accounts, while people with standard user accounts will still be prompted.
Check Your Work
Now that you've tweaked Windows Vista, you can keep tabs on your system's security with the System Health Report. This diagnostic tool takes input from the Performance and Reliability Monitor and turns it into an information-packed report that can spotlight potential security problems.
1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click System.
3. In the Tasks list, click Performance (near the bottom).
4. In the resulting Tasks list, click Advanced tools (near the top).
5. Click the last item on the resulting list: Generate a system health report.
The report will list any missing drivers that might be causing error codes, tell you whether your antivirus protection is installed, and declare whether UAC is turned on. You may want to run this report once a month just to make sure everything's still good.
Article is not in anyway written by me... It's originally from: www.pcworld.com
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 2:30 PM PST
While Windows Vista may be Microsoft's most secure operating system ever, it's far from completely secure. In its fresh-from-the-box configuration, Vista still leaves a chance for your personal data to leak out to the Web through Windows Firewall, or for some nefarious bot to tweak your browser settings without your knowing. But by making a few judicious changes using the security tools within Windows Vista--and in some cases by adding a few pieces of free software--you can lock down your operating system like a pro.
Use Windows Security Center as a Starting Point
Security Center; click for full-size image.For a quick overview of your security settings, the Windows Security Center is where you'll find the status of your system firewall, auto update, malware protection, and other security settings. Click Start, Control Panel, Security Center, or you can simply click the shield icon in the task tray. If you see any red or yellow, you are not fully protected. For example, if you have not yet installed an antivirus product on your machine, or if your current antivirus product is out-of-date, the Malware section of the Security Center should be yellow. Windows does not offer a built-in antivirus utility, so you'll want to install your own. For free antivirus, I recommend AVG Anti-Virus 8.
Use Windows Defender as a Diagnostic Tool
The Malware section also covers antispyware protection, and for that Windows Vista includes Windows Defender. The antispyware protection in your antivirus program usually trumps the protection Microsoft provides, but there are several good reasons to keep Windows Defender enabled. One is that every antispyware program uses a different definition of what is and what is not spyware, so redundant protection can actually offer some benefit.
Software Explorer; click for full-size image.Another reason to keep Windows Defender enabled: diagnostics. Click Tools, and choose Software Explorer from the resulting pane. You can display lists of applications from several categories such as Currently Running Programs, Network Connected Programs, and Winsock Service Providers, but Startup Programs is perhaps the most useful. Click on any name in the left window, and full details will appear in the right pane. By highlighting, you can remove, disable, or enable any of the programs listed.
Disable the Start Up menu
Start Up menu; click for full-size image.Windows Vista keeps track of all the documents and programs you launch in the Start Up menu. This can be convenient for some users, but it can also compromise your privacy if you share a computer within an office or household. Fortunately Windows Vista provides an easy way to tweak this setting. To protect your privacy, follow these steps:
1. Right click on the taskbar and select Properties.
2. Click on the Start Menu tab.
3. Uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened files.
4. Uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened programs.
5. Click OK.
Get Two-Way Firewall Protection
No desktop should be without a personal firewall, but even if the Security Center says you're protected, you may not be. The Windows Firewall within Vista blocks all incoming traffic that might be malicious or suspicious--and that's good. But outbound protection is not enabled by default. That's a dangerous situation if some new malicious software finds its way onto your PC. Microsoft did include the tools for Windows Vista to have a true two-way firewall, but finding the setting is a little complicated. (Hint: Don't go looking the Windows Firewall settings dialog box.)
Windows Firewall; click for full-size image.To get two-way protection in Windows Vista, click on the Start button; in the search space, type wf.msc and press Enter. Click on the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security icon. This management interface displays the inbound and outbound rules. Click on Windows Firewalls Properties. You should now see a dialog box with several tabs. For each profile--Domain, Private, and Public--change the setting to Block, and then click OK.
Even if you do this tweak, I recommend adding a more robust third-party firewall. I suggest either Comodo Firewall Pro or ZoneAlarm, both of which are free and fare very well in independent firewall testing.
Lock Out Unwanted Guests
If you share your computer with others (and even if you don't), Windows Vista includes a neat way to keep unwanted guests from guessing your system administrator password. When you set up users and declare one user as administrator (with full privileges), Windows Vista allows outsiders unlimited guesses at the password you chose. Here's how to limit the guesses.
1. Click Start, type Local Security Policy.
2. Click Account Lockout Policy.
3. Choose Account Lockout Threshold.
4. At the prompt, enter the number of invalid log-ins you'll accept (say, 3).
5. Click OK and close.
Now Audit Your Attackers
With the Account Lockout policy in place, you can now enable auditing to see any account attacks. To turn on auditing for failed log-on events, do the following:
1. Click the Start button, type secpol.msc, and click the secpol icon.
2. Click on Local Policies and then Audit Policy.
3. Right-click on Audit account logon events policy and select Properties.
4. Check the Failure box and click OK.
5. Right-click on Audit logon events policy and select Properties.
6. Check the Failure box and click OK.
7. Close the Local Security Policy window.
You can then use the Event Viewer (by running eventvwr.msc) to view the logs under Windows Logs and Security.
Secure Your Internet Explorer Settings
The Windows Security Center will also report whether your Internet Explorer 7 (or IE 8) security settings are at their recommended levels. If the screen shows this section as red, you can adjust the settings within the browser itself.
1. Within Internet Explorer, click Tools in the menu bar.
2. From the drop-down menu, click Internet Options.
3. Choose the Security tab.
4. Within the Security tab, click Custom Level.
Here you'll see a window with all the security options for the browser. If any are below the recommended level (if, say, some kind of malware reconfigured your browser settings), these options will be highlighted in red. To change an individual setting, click the appropriate radio button. To reset them all, use the button near the bottom of the tab. You can also change the overall security setting for Internet Explorer from the default Medium-High setting to the recommended High or Medium, if you wish. Click OK to save and close.
Use OpenDNS
Domain Name System (DNS) servers act as a phone book. When you type "pcworld.com" in the address bar, for instance, Internet Explorer sends that common-name request to your Internet service provider's DNS servers to be converted into a series of numbers, or an IP address. Lately, DNS servers have come under attack, with criminals seeking to redirect common DNS preferences to servers that their interests control. One way to stop such abuse is to use OpenDNS.
Go to Start, Control Panel, Network and Internet, and then click Network and Sharing Center. Under the tasks listed on the left, click Manage Network Connections. In the Manage Network Connections window, do the following.
1. Right-click on the icon representing your network card.
2. Click Properties.
3. Click Internet Protocol Version 4.
4. Click the Properties button.
5. Select the Use the following DNS server addresses radio button.
6. Type in a primary address of 208.67.222.222.
7. Type in a secondary address of 208.67.220.220.
8. Click OK.
Live With User Account Control
Disable UAC; click for full-size image.One area where some people might want to see the Windows Security Center turn red is User Account Control (UAC), perhaps the most controversial security feature within Windows Vista. Designed to keep rogue remote software from automatically installing (among other things), UAC has a tendency to thwart legitimate software installations by interrupting the process several times with useless messages. In Windows 7 you'll be able to set UAC to the level you want. Until then, you do have some options.
One is to disable UAC. I would caution against that, since UAC is meant to warn you of potential danger. Instead, install TweakUAC, a free utility that offers the ability to turn UAC on or off as well as an intermediate "quiet" mode that keeps UAC on but suppresses administration elevation prompts. With TweakUAC in quiet mode, UAC will appear to be off to those running as administrator accounts, while people with standard user accounts will still be prompted.
Check Your Work
Now that you've tweaked Windows Vista, you can keep tabs on your system's security with the System Health Report. This diagnostic tool takes input from the Performance and Reliability Monitor and turns it into an information-packed report that can spotlight potential security problems.
1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click System.
3. In the Tasks list, click Performance (near the bottom).
4. In the resulting Tasks list, click Advanced tools (near the top).
5. Click the last item on the resulting list: Generate a system health report.
The report will list any missing drivers that might be causing error codes, tell you whether your antivirus protection is installed, and declare whether UAC is turned on. You may want to run this report once a month just to make sure everything's still good.
Article is not in anyway written by me... It's originally from: www.pcworld.com
* New blog has been put on my list: renaissancejones.com
* Lisa Valez from LisaLisa and CultJam
* Article: Do you twitter how adorable
* Recorded Show: Polymer Clay Image Transfer Demo
* Video: MAC vs PC
* Article: Complete Guide to the Facial Expressions of Keanu Reeves view!
* Cookie Cutter Store: Copper Gifts
* Craft Supply store: www.allcraftsupplies.com
* Scrapbook blog: Samantha
* Blog: Okii Living
* Blog: Kerri Leonard and Christopher: food for thought/couple lives on 1 on a day
* Historias Engarzadas - Jolette
* Blogger Templates: blue flower border, Sugary Sweet by suckmylolly has free blogger designs.
* Article: 'Pushing Daisies’, ‘Dirty Sexy Money, ‘Life on Mars’ Cancelled’? Eli Stone thrown a bone?
* Here's a few websites that offer more reasons why cats possibly like plastic bags
* And another video channel: bettyca007
* A Japanese comedian that sang 'Night on Fire'Koriki Choshu
* Forum - template downloads
* Hang Mioku, crazy Korean lady who injected herself with cooking oil... Addicted to plastic surgery... Now deformed!
* Lisa Valez from LisaLisa and CultJam
* Article: Do you twitter how adorable
* Recorded Show: Polymer Clay Image Transfer Demo
* Video: MAC vs PC
* Article: Complete Guide to the Facial Expressions of Keanu Reeves view!
* Cookie Cutter Store: Copper Gifts
* Craft Supply store: www.allcraftsupplies.com
* Scrapbook blog: Samantha
* Blog: Okii Living
* Blog: Kerri Leonard and Christopher: food for thought/couple lives on 1 on a day
* Historias Engarzadas - Jolette
* Blogger Templates: blue flower border, Sugary Sweet by suckmylolly has free blogger designs.
* Article: 'Pushing Daisies’, ‘Dirty Sexy Money, ‘Life on Mars’ Cancelled’? Eli Stone thrown a bone?
* Here's a few websites that offer more reasons why cats possibly like plastic bags
* And another video channel: bettyca007
* A Japanese comedian that sang 'Night on Fire'Koriki Choshu
* Forum - template downloads
* Hang Mioku, crazy Korean lady who injected herself with cooking oil... Addicted to plastic surgery... Now deformed!
Article which found to be so freaken funny: The Lament of the Hardcore Wii owner. The latest video game sales charts from around the world for Nintendo Wii, Sony, Playstation 3 and Microsoft Xbox360 at VGchartz.
Wii Games I want and should check out:
[WiiWare Games]
* Strong bad (1000pts x 5)
* World of Goo (1500pts)
* Cursed Mountain
* The Conduit
* Mad World
* System Shock 4/Shodan
* Cooking Mama: World Kitchen
* Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party
* Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party2
* Driver: Parallel Lines
* Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine
* The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
* No More Heroes - ノーモア★ヒーローズ (Nō Moa Hīrōzu)
* No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle - ノー モア★ヒーローズ デスパレート ストラグル (Nō Moa Hīrōzu Desuparēto Sutoraguru [release: 2010])
* Taiko: Drum Master
* Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
* Wii Fitness
* Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros Treasure
* The Simpsons Game
* Super Smash Bros. Brawl
New Play Control! / Wii de Asobu being released sometime during 2009:
* Chibi-Robo!
* Pikmin
* Pikmin 2
* Pikmin 3
.....=.....=.....=.....=.....
Cooking Mama: Cook Off
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Furu Furu Park
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Mario Kart Wii
Samba de Amigo
Super Mario Galaxy
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Wii Fit
Wii Play
Wii Sports
Mario Party 8
Wii Games I want and should check out:
[WiiWare Games]
* Strong bad (1000pts x 5)
* World of Goo (1500pts)
* Cursed Mountain
* The Conduit
* Mad World
* System Shock 4/Shodan
* Cooking Mama: World Kitchen
* Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party
* Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party2
* Driver: Parallel Lines
* Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine
* The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
* No More Heroes - ノーモア★ヒーローズ (Nō Moa Hīrōzu)
* No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle - ノー モア★ヒーローズ デスパレート ストラグル (Nō Moa Hīrōzu Desuparēto Sutoraguru [release: 2010])
* Taiko: Drum Master
* Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
* Wii Fitness
* Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros Treasure
* The Simpsons Game
* Super Smash Bros. Brawl
New Play Control! / Wii de Asobu being released sometime during 2009:
* Chibi-Robo!
* Pikmin
* Pikmin 2
* Pikmin 3
.....=.....=.....=.....=.....
Cooking Mama: Cook Off
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Furu Furu Park
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Mario Kart Wii
Samba de Amigo
Super Mario Galaxy
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Wii Fit
Wii Play
Wii Sports
Mario Party 8
* BLOG = Gusts Of Popular Feeling
* The Grand Narrative
* Oppa - Wax: Lyrics, Translation, and Explanation (오빠 - 왁스: 가사, 번역, & 설명)
*
04 착한 사람.mp3
* All about BigBang search
* A search of Kpop stuff
* SeeYa Search
* Korean downloads, music, ost, dramas, etc...
* we got married [우리결혼했어요] - foreveryoung1977 [Video]
* Blog - K-pop music
* The Grand Narrative
* Oppa - Wax: Lyrics, Translation, and Explanation (오빠 - 왁스: 가사, 번역, & 설명)
*
04 착한 사람.mp3
* All about BigBang search
* A search of Kpop stuff
* SeeYa Search
* Korean downloads, music, ost, dramas, etc...
* we got married [우리결혼했어요] - foreveryoung1977 [Video]
* Blog - K-pop music
A&E:
Parking Wars
Discovery Channel:
Canada's Worst Driver
How It's Made
Myth Busters
Mighty Ships
Impact Earth
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Show
Cash cab
FOX:
House
King of the Hill
Family Guy
American Dad
Judge Joe Brown
TMZ
CBS:
The Mentalist
The Big Bang Theory
How I Met Your Mother
Worst week
NBC:
Martha Stewart Living
Chuck
Judge Judy
My Name is Earl
Heroes
My Own Worst Enemy
ABC:
Pushing Daisies
Private Practice
Dirty Sexy Money [sometimes]
AMC
OLTL
GH
The People's Court
Ugly Betty
Grey's Anatomy
Food Network:
Ace of Cakes
Nigella Express
Iron Chef
Good Eats
Dinner: Impossible [w/ brit guy]
Christine Cushing Live
Sugar
Barefoot contessa
Top chef
W:
Anna & Kristina's Grocery
The Shopping Bags
Will & Grace
HGTV:
World's Most Extreme Homes
Buy Me
House Hunters
Property Virgins
Colin and Justin’s Home Heist
The stagers
DHEAL:
Mystery Diagnosis
Dr. G. Medical Examiner
Health on the Line
MMM:
Listed
Popaganda
The Fabulous Life of...
Comedy Channel:
Strangers W/ Candy
Mad TV
Corner Gas
BBC:
Judge John Deed
Eastenders
Little Britain
Gavin & Stacey
Déjà View:
Three’s Company
Roseanne
Whatever Happened to?
Fanatical
Fine Living:
Kitchen Equipped
Catalogue This
Opening Soon
Shopping w/ Chefs
Insider’s List w/ Julie Moran
The Surreal Gourmet
I Want That!
The Cookworks
Neat
The Shopping Detective
American Shopper
G4Tech:
Unbeatable Banzuke
The lab w/ Leo Laporte
Attack of the Show
X-Play
Cnet TV
Animal Planet:
Animal Cops
Zoo Diaries
Secret World of Gardens
Extraordinary Animals
Vet Safari
Craftiest Animals
Animal Precinct
Vets in Practice
Working Animals
Fooled by Nature
Xtremely Wild
Whale Wars [just started watching]
RetroToons:
Reboot
Flintstones
Woody Woodpecker Show
Spider-Man
Tom & Jerry
The Jetsons
The Smurfs
Alvin & the Chipmunks
The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show
Merrie Melodies
Show Case:
Testees
About a girl
Da Kink in My Hair
The Outer Limits
G-Spot
The L Word
The Starter Wife
YTV & TOON:
Naruto
Futurama
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
The Ventura Bros.
Atomic Betty
Robot Chicken
Tripping the Rift
Parking Wars
Discovery Channel:
Canada's Worst Driver
How It's Made
Myth Busters
Mighty Ships
Impact Earth
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Show
Cash cab
FOX:
House
King of the Hill
Family Guy
American Dad
Judge Joe Brown
TMZ
CBS:
The Mentalist
The Big Bang Theory
How I Met Your Mother
Worst week
NBC:
Martha Stewart Living
Chuck
Judge Judy
My Name is Earl
Heroes
My Own Worst Enemy
ABC:
Pushing Daisies
Private Practice
Dirty Sexy Money [sometimes]
AMC
OLTL
GH
The People's Court
Ugly Betty
Grey's Anatomy
Food Network:
Ace of Cakes
Nigella Express
Iron Chef
Good Eats
Dinner: Impossible [w/ brit guy]
Christine Cushing Live
Sugar
Barefoot contessa
Top chef
W:
Anna & Kristina's Grocery
The Shopping Bags
Will & Grace
HGTV:
World's Most Extreme Homes
Buy Me
House Hunters
Property Virgins
Colin and Justin’s Home Heist
The stagers
DHEAL:
Mystery Diagnosis
Dr. G. Medical Examiner
Health on the Line
MMM:
Listed
Popaganda
The Fabulous Life of...
Comedy Channel:
Strangers W/ Candy
Mad TV
Corner Gas
BBC:
Judge John Deed
Eastenders
Little Britain
Gavin & Stacey
Déjà View:
Three’s Company
Roseanne
Whatever Happened to?
Fanatical
Fine Living:
Kitchen Equipped
Catalogue This
Opening Soon
Shopping w/ Chefs
Insider’s List w/ Julie Moran
The Surreal Gourmet
I Want That!
The Cookworks
Neat
The Shopping Detective
American Shopper
G4Tech:
Unbeatable Banzuke
The lab w/ Leo Laporte
Attack of the Show
X-Play
Cnet TV
Animal Planet:
Animal Cops
Zoo Diaries
Secret World of Gardens
Extraordinary Animals
Vet Safari
Craftiest Animals
Animal Precinct
Vets in Practice
Working Animals
Fooled by Nature
Xtremely Wild
Whale Wars [just started watching]
RetroToons:
Reboot
Flintstones
Woody Woodpecker Show
Spider-Man
Tom & Jerry
The Jetsons
The Smurfs
Alvin & the Chipmunks
The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show
Merrie Melodies
Show Case:
Testees
About a girl
Da Kink in My Hair
The Outer Limits
G-Spot
The L Word
The Starter Wife
YTV & TOON:
Naruto
Futurama
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
The Ventura Bros.
Atomic Betty
Robot Chicken
Tripping the Rift
Is Recycling Worth It? PM Investigates its Economic and Environmental Impact
Americans haul 82 million tons of trash to recycling centers each year. But does it pay off—for the environment or the economy? PM has some real answers.
By Alex Hutchinson - Photographs by Greg Miller
Published in the December 2008 issue.
The modern era of recycling began in the meandering wake of the Mobro 4000. The infamous garbage barge spent much of 1987 traveling up and down the eastern seaboard looking for a place to dump its 3000-ton load of New York trash. It was refused at every port. By the time the spurned vessel returned to Long Island, still ferrying its fetid cargo, it had become the poster child for what was trumpeted as a national crisis: dwindling landfill space. Faced with the scale of their own refuse, Americans took action. Nascent recycling programs blossomed into major operations. Municipalities invested in trucks for curbside pickups and in facilities to handle mountains of castoff material. Kindergartners were taught the virtues of separating clear glass from green. Almost overnight, it seemed, recycling was embraced by the public as a kind of all-purpose absolution for our environmental sins.
Yet doubts remained. Some critics wondered if, far from being an environmental panacea, recycling is actually a giant placebo that makes us feel virtuous but wastes both money and resources. Take the much- maligned plastic water bottle. It’s almost always made from petroleum, a resource that certainly seems worth conserving, and if you chuck it in the trash, the container will live on in a landfill for centuries. But how much diesel fuel does the truck that collects these bottles burn? How much energy does the recycling plant consume; what fumes does it emit into the atmosphere? And what does it all cost, anyway?
How Recycling Works
At a single-stream sorting facility, such as San Francisco's Recycle Central, a series of conveyor belts, giant magnets... (Diagram by Superfuture)
The economic case for recycling certainly got off to a difficult start. The sudden rise of curbside recycling in the late 1980s created a new source of “raw” materials that industry wasn’t yet equipped to exploit. Prices reflected that. Rumors spread that cities were paying exorbitant costs to get rid of recyclables—or were simply dumping them in landfills. When demand finally did pick up, it reached an unsustainable high: In the Pacific Northwest, for example, the price of a ton of mixed recyclables spiked from $33 in 1994 to $170 in 1995 and then plummeted back to $40 in 1996. This volatility in the recycling market discouraged further investment and provided more ammunition for skeptics.
In an influential 1996 New York Times Magazine article entitled “Recycling is Garbage,” John Tierney summed up the skepticism by asserting there was no landfill shortage and that the depletion of natural resources wasn’t a concern: “The [1970s] oil scare was temporary, just like all previous scares about resource shortages,” he wrote. In fact, the whole concept of recycling was fraught with trade-offs, he argued: “Saving a tree is a mixed blessing. When there’s less demand for virgin wood pulp, timber companies are likely to sell some of their tree farms—maybe to condominium developers.”
Over the following decade, the price of recyclables inched upward, but the fear that recycling might be an expensive boondoggle remained unchanged. In 2004, magicians-turned-debunkers Penn and Teller filmed an episode of their television show that echoed Tierney’s criticisms from eight years earlier. “The recycling industry creates pollution, has to be subsidized by the government because it’s cost-ineffective, and is completely unnecessary,” they declared. Meanwhile, recycling advocates were claiming exactly the opposite.
Current conditions are very different from those in 1996, or even 2004. The price of raw materials has skyrocketed in the past few years, and concerns about energy security and global warming now weigh more heavily in the debate. Still, the same two basic questions about recycling persist: Is it good for the environment? And does it make economic sense?
The Environmental Debate
According to one calculation, all the garbage produced in the U.S. for the next 1000 years could fit into a landfill 100 yards deep and 35 miles across on each side—not that big (unless you happen to live in the neighborhood). Or put another way, it would take another 20 years to run through the landfills that the U.S. has already built. So the notion that we’re running out of landfill space—the original impetus for the recycling boom—turns out to have been a red herring. Recycling critics also question the wisdom of deploying fleets of large, fuel-hungry trucks that duplicate the routes already driven by garbage trucks to take recyclables to reprocessing facilities that burn energy and emit pollution. And the resources saved aren’t always that rare: The virgin material conserved by recycling glass is mainly sand, and we’re a long, long way from a “peak sand” crisis.
To resolve the environmental debate once and for all, experts have begun to conduct detailed life-cycle analyzes on recycled goods, calculating the energy consumed from the moment they’re picked up by recycling trucks until they are processed into brand-new products. When compared with the amount of energy required to send the same goods to landfills or incinerators and make new products from scratch, the results vary dramatically, depending on the material.
Aluminum, for example, requires 96 percent less energy to make from recycled cans than it does to process from bauxite. At the other end of the spectrum, recycled glass uses only about 21 percent less energy—but it still comes out ahead, according to a study by Washington-based environmental consultant Jeffrey Morris. Recycled plastic bottles use 76 percent less energy and newsprint about 45 percent less, he found. Across the board, the key factor is the energy intensity of extracting virgin materials, which is an order of magnitude higher than that of recovering the same material through recycling. “Even if you doubled the emissions from collecting recyclables, it wouldn’t come close,” Morris says. Overall, he found, it takes 10.4 million Btu to manufacture products from a ton of recyclables, compared to 23.3 million Btu for virgin materials. And all of the collecting, hauling and processing of those recyclables adds just 0.9 million Btu.
That doesn’t mean the system is always efficient. The best recycling is closed-loop: Steel cans and glass bottles are recycled into more cans and bottles, which are in turn recyclable. But some materials are currently “downcycled” into less desirable products that can be recycled no further. Soft-drink bottles made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), for example, often end up as polyester fibers in clothing or carpets. It is possible to make new PET bottles from recycled stock, but the process is currently more expensive than making them from petroleum. Supply and demand also come into play: Britain imports so much wine that recycled green glass is simply used as construction aggregate; recycling it consumes more energy than just sending the bottles to a landfill.
The Economic Debate
Thanks to life-cycle assessments, there’s no longer any serious debate among policymakers about whether recycling makes sense environmentally. The economic debate, however, still rages. It’s surprisingly difficult to get a clear picture of how much municipal recycling programs cost compared to landfilling or incineration, because of hidden subsidies and long-term price guarantees given to all types of waste disposal. But it’s fair to say that, at this point, it generally costs a little more to recycle waste than it does to dump it.
Recycling economics are fundamentally local, since hauling and tipping fees—paid to trucking operations and processing facilities that handle waste—vary from about $24 per ton in the south central and west central regions of the U.S., to more than $70 in the Northeast, according to the most recent figures from the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA). Other local costs also differ dramatically. Taking some very rough estimates for illustration, it might cost $150 a ton to collect and process mixed recyclables. The price those recyclables fetch reached about $100 a ton earlier this year—so if the cost of taking that material to a landfill is more than $50 a ton, the recycling program will be a money saver. With a national average tipping fee of $34.29, most curbside programs still cost money.
Those numbers are changing rapidly, though. This past summer, the price for virtually all recyclables hit record highs, boosted by larger market forces. Plastics are made from oil, which has caused the price for recyclable plastic to double in the past two years. Glass is made of cheap sand, but it also contains energy-intensive soda ash, so the price of recycled glass has risen in lock step with energy prices. But the biggest factor, says industry veteran Jerry Powell, the editor of Resource Recycling Magazine, is “the recycling market’s most famous five-letter word, C-H-I-N-A.” With its ravenous demand for raw materials, China benefits from ultracheap shipping in container ships that would otherwise sail back to Asia empty. “China is a tree-poor country,” says Chaz Miller of the NSWMA, “so our recycled paper has become their forest, in a way.”
Just as crucially, while the current record-high prices may not endure, few fear the precipitous plunge that rocked the recycling market in 1995. Buyers are seeking long-term contracts with a guaranteed steady supply, which helps smooth the market fluctuations.
If recycling is truly becoming profitable, then that should end the debate—we can simply let the market decide what to recycle. The problem, according to University of Michigan professor Richard Porter, author of The Economics of Waste, is that recycling markets don’t function smoothly. If you drink a bottle of water, the apparent cost to you of throwing out the empty or recycling it are identical: zero. One way to create incentives for recycling is a “pay as you throw” policy, where homeowners pay for garbage collection based on the size of their garbage cans. More than 7000 communities, serving about a quarter of the U.S. population, have introduced this policy with success—their recycling rates are about 30 percent higher as a result.
New Technology
From a consumer’s point of view, one of the biggest knocks against recycling is the mind-numbingly complex rules about which plastics can be recycled when and in what forms. So those of us who don’t live in San Francisco can only envy that city’s residents, who since April have been instructed to toss any and all rigid plastic (and any other recyclables) into the same bin. From there, it goes to the city’s state-of-the-art Recycle Central facility, where each day 700 tons of flowerpots, Mr. Potato Head toys and other items are swiftly sorted into the appropriate piles by an array of technological wizardry—magnets for steel, eddy currents that repel aluminum, spinning disks and vacuum tubes that suspend gravity for plastics—along with a phalanx of eagle-eyed humans wearing thick gloves.
This single-stream sorting technology isn’t perfect. At some facilities, plastic bags snarl the conveyer belts, and broken glass contaminates other materials. But it represents the most important trend in recycling technology—and it’s improving. Even though a typical single-stream facility costs $8 million to $10 million, more than double the price of a dual-stream facility (where paper is collected separately), they have increased in number from 70 in 2001 to 160 in 2007.
One major advantage of single-stream is convenience: When Madison, Wis., changed from dual-stream to single-stream in 2005, the recycling rate leaped by 25 percent in the first year, while the projected annual cost increased by less than $3 per household. It’s a pattern that is being repeated elsewhere: About 700 of the country’s 10,000 curbside programs have made the switch.
Another benefit is efficiency, since collection costs typically eat up 50 to 60 percent of the budget. “That means efficiencies at the curb are crucial,” says Lori Scozzafava of the Solid Waste Association of North America. Houston, which boasts the nation’s worst recycling rate (2.6 percent), has a voluntary recycling program that forces its trucks to drive long distances between pickups. Single-stream collection, on the other hand, speeds up the process dramatically, especially with new trucks that empty bins automatically. Besides saving money in the long run, this increased efficiency, along with the greater volumes that people recycle, is allowing more types of plastics to be recovered.
The Verdict
Even after the environmental and economic questions have been answered, the decision about how much to recycle depends on how you reconcile those two factors. “High recycling rates are usually a function of, first, a political decision, and second, the strength of local markets,” Miller says. San Francisco’s 70 percent recycling rate isn’t enough for Mayor Gavin Newsom, who wants to ramp it up to 75 percent—even if that means making recycling compulsory. Houston’s willingness to squander resources with its paltry recycling rate is also as much a political decision as it is an economic one.
Most cities lie somewhere between those two extremes. For them, recycling is generally desirable, but it’s not automatically good and efficient and cheap. It takes significant up-front capital investment to implement a state-of-the-art single-stream recycling program. For that reason, the newfound stability of the recycling market is just as important as the high prices, because it allows cities to plan investments around future revenue streams. “Chicago used to pay haulers to take its recycled materials,” says Ed Skernolis of the National Recycling Coalition. Now, it has invested $24 million to buy recycling carts for 600,000 homes and will deliver the recyclables to a single-stream processing facility—which will now pay the city instead of being paid.
Ultimately, every community will develop its own unique program. “The bigger the city,” Porter says, “the more you can recycle.” The dividing line between environmental and economic factors will also begin to blur. On the Chicago Climate Exchange, the world’s first greenhouse-gas trading market, the price for a ton of avoided carbon-dioxide emissions peaked at over $7 this summer. Morris has created a model for municipal waste decision-makers that assigns values to environmental impacts ranging from toxins to acid rain and greenhouse gases. Most telling, though, is a recent study that found that about 90 percent of the material going to landfills has a market value. Given today’s economy, we won’t keep burying that value for long.
Article is not in anyway written by me... It's originally from: www.popularmechanics.com.
Americans haul 82 million tons of trash to recycling centers each year. But does it pay off—for the environment or the economy? PM has some real answers.
By Alex Hutchinson - Photographs by Greg Miller
Published in the December 2008 issue.
The modern era of recycling began in the meandering wake of the Mobro 4000. The infamous garbage barge spent much of 1987 traveling up and down the eastern seaboard looking for a place to dump its 3000-ton load of New York trash. It was refused at every port. By the time the spurned vessel returned to Long Island, still ferrying its fetid cargo, it had become the poster child for what was trumpeted as a national crisis: dwindling landfill space. Faced with the scale of their own refuse, Americans took action. Nascent recycling programs blossomed into major operations. Municipalities invested in trucks for curbside pickups and in facilities to handle mountains of castoff material. Kindergartners were taught the virtues of separating clear glass from green. Almost overnight, it seemed, recycling was embraced by the public as a kind of all-purpose absolution for our environmental sins.
Yet doubts remained. Some critics wondered if, far from being an environmental panacea, recycling is actually a giant placebo that makes us feel virtuous but wastes both money and resources. Take the much- maligned plastic water bottle. It’s almost always made from petroleum, a resource that certainly seems worth conserving, and if you chuck it in the trash, the container will live on in a landfill for centuries. But how much diesel fuel does the truck that collects these bottles burn? How much energy does the recycling plant consume; what fumes does it emit into the atmosphere? And what does it all cost, anyway?
How Recycling Works
At a single-stream sorting facility, such as San Francisco's Recycle Central, a series of conveyor belts, giant magnets... (Diagram by Superfuture)
The economic case for recycling certainly got off to a difficult start. The sudden rise of curbside recycling in the late 1980s created a new source of “raw” materials that industry wasn’t yet equipped to exploit. Prices reflected that. Rumors spread that cities were paying exorbitant costs to get rid of recyclables—or were simply dumping them in landfills. When demand finally did pick up, it reached an unsustainable high: In the Pacific Northwest, for example, the price of a ton of mixed recyclables spiked from $33 in 1994 to $170 in 1995 and then plummeted back to $40 in 1996. This volatility in the recycling market discouraged further investment and provided more ammunition for skeptics.
In an influential 1996 New York Times Magazine article entitled “Recycling is Garbage,” John Tierney summed up the skepticism by asserting there was no landfill shortage and that the depletion of natural resources wasn’t a concern: “The [1970s] oil scare was temporary, just like all previous scares about resource shortages,” he wrote. In fact, the whole concept of recycling was fraught with trade-offs, he argued: “Saving a tree is a mixed blessing. When there’s less demand for virgin wood pulp, timber companies are likely to sell some of their tree farms—maybe to condominium developers.”
Over the following decade, the price of recyclables inched upward, but the fear that recycling might be an expensive boondoggle remained unchanged. In 2004, magicians-turned-debunkers Penn and Teller filmed an episode of their television show that echoed Tierney’s criticisms from eight years earlier. “The recycling industry creates pollution, has to be subsidized by the government because it’s cost-ineffective, and is completely unnecessary,” they declared. Meanwhile, recycling advocates were claiming exactly the opposite.
Current conditions are very different from those in 1996, or even 2004. The price of raw materials has skyrocketed in the past few years, and concerns about energy security and global warming now weigh more heavily in the debate. Still, the same two basic questions about recycling persist: Is it good for the environment? And does it make economic sense?
The Environmental Debate
According to one calculation, all the garbage produced in the U.S. for the next 1000 years could fit into a landfill 100 yards deep and 35 miles across on each side—not that big (unless you happen to live in the neighborhood). Or put another way, it would take another 20 years to run through the landfills that the U.S. has already built. So the notion that we’re running out of landfill space—the original impetus for the recycling boom—turns out to have been a red herring. Recycling critics also question the wisdom of deploying fleets of large, fuel-hungry trucks that duplicate the routes already driven by garbage trucks to take recyclables to reprocessing facilities that burn energy and emit pollution. And the resources saved aren’t always that rare: The virgin material conserved by recycling glass is mainly sand, and we’re a long, long way from a “peak sand” crisis.
To resolve the environmental debate once and for all, experts have begun to conduct detailed life-cycle analyzes on recycled goods, calculating the energy consumed from the moment they’re picked up by recycling trucks until they are processed into brand-new products. When compared with the amount of energy required to send the same goods to landfills or incinerators and make new products from scratch, the results vary dramatically, depending on the material.
Aluminum, for example, requires 96 percent less energy to make from recycled cans than it does to process from bauxite. At the other end of the spectrum, recycled glass uses only about 21 percent less energy—but it still comes out ahead, according to a study by Washington-based environmental consultant Jeffrey Morris. Recycled plastic bottles use 76 percent less energy and newsprint about 45 percent less, he found. Across the board, the key factor is the energy intensity of extracting virgin materials, which is an order of magnitude higher than that of recovering the same material through recycling. “Even if you doubled the emissions from collecting recyclables, it wouldn’t come close,” Morris says. Overall, he found, it takes 10.4 million Btu to manufacture products from a ton of recyclables, compared to 23.3 million Btu for virgin materials. And all of the collecting, hauling and processing of those recyclables adds just 0.9 million Btu.
That doesn’t mean the system is always efficient. The best recycling is closed-loop: Steel cans and glass bottles are recycled into more cans and bottles, which are in turn recyclable. But some materials are currently “downcycled” into less desirable products that can be recycled no further. Soft-drink bottles made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), for example, often end up as polyester fibers in clothing or carpets. It is possible to make new PET bottles from recycled stock, but the process is currently more expensive than making them from petroleum. Supply and demand also come into play: Britain imports so much wine that recycled green glass is simply used as construction aggregate; recycling it consumes more energy than just sending the bottles to a landfill.
The Economic Debate
Thanks to life-cycle assessments, there’s no longer any serious debate among policymakers about whether recycling makes sense environmentally. The economic debate, however, still rages. It’s surprisingly difficult to get a clear picture of how much municipal recycling programs cost compared to landfilling or incineration, because of hidden subsidies and long-term price guarantees given to all types of waste disposal. But it’s fair to say that, at this point, it generally costs a little more to recycle waste than it does to dump it.
Recycling economics are fundamentally local, since hauling and tipping fees—paid to trucking operations and processing facilities that handle waste—vary from about $24 per ton in the south central and west central regions of the U.S., to more than $70 in the Northeast, according to the most recent figures from the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA). Other local costs also differ dramatically. Taking some very rough estimates for illustration, it might cost $150 a ton to collect and process mixed recyclables. The price those recyclables fetch reached about $100 a ton earlier this year—so if the cost of taking that material to a landfill is more than $50 a ton, the recycling program will be a money saver. With a national average tipping fee of $34.29, most curbside programs still cost money.
Those numbers are changing rapidly, though. This past summer, the price for virtually all recyclables hit record highs, boosted by larger market forces. Plastics are made from oil, which has caused the price for recyclable plastic to double in the past two years. Glass is made of cheap sand, but it also contains energy-intensive soda ash, so the price of recycled glass has risen in lock step with energy prices. But the biggest factor, says industry veteran Jerry Powell, the editor of Resource Recycling Magazine, is “the recycling market’s most famous five-letter word, C-H-I-N-A.” With its ravenous demand for raw materials, China benefits from ultracheap shipping in container ships that would otherwise sail back to Asia empty. “China is a tree-poor country,” says Chaz Miller of the NSWMA, “so our recycled paper has become their forest, in a way.”
Just as crucially, while the current record-high prices may not endure, few fear the precipitous plunge that rocked the recycling market in 1995. Buyers are seeking long-term contracts with a guaranteed steady supply, which helps smooth the market fluctuations.
If recycling is truly becoming profitable, then that should end the debate—we can simply let the market decide what to recycle. The problem, according to University of Michigan professor Richard Porter, author of The Economics of Waste, is that recycling markets don’t function smoothly. If you drink a bottle of water, the apparent cost to you of throwing out the empty or recycling it are identical: zero. One way to create incentives for recycling is a “pay as you throw” policy, where homeowners pay for garbage collection based on the size of their garbage cans. More than 7000 communities, serving about a quarter of the U.S. population, have introduced this policy with success—their recycling rates are about 30 percent higher as a result.
New Technology
From a consumer’s point of view, one of the biggest knocks against recycling is the mind-numbingly complex rules about which plastics can be recycled when and in what forms. So those of us who don’t live in San Francisco can only envy that city’s residents, who since April have been instructed to toss any and all rigid plastic (and any other recyclables) into the same bin. From there, it goes to the city’s state-of-the-art Recycle Central facility, where each day 700 tons of flowerpots, Mr. Potato Head toys and other items are swiftly sorted into the appropriate piles by an array of technological wizardry—magnets for steel, eddy currents that repel aluminum, spinning disks and vacuum tubes that suspend gravity for plastics—along with a phalanx of eagle-eyed humans wearing thick gloves.
This single-stream sorting technology isn’t perfect. At some facilities, plastic bags snarl the conveyer belts, and broken glass contaminates other materials. But it represents the most important trend in recycling technology—and it’s improving. Even though a typical single-stream facility costs $8 million to $10 million, more than double the price of a dual-stream facility (where paper is collected separately), they have increased in number from 70 in 2001 to 160 in 2007.
One major advantage of single-stream is convenience: When Madison, Wis., changed from dual-stream to single-stream in 2005, the recycling rate leaped by 25 percent in the first year, while the projected annual cost increased by less than $3 per household. It’s a pattern that is being repeated elsewhere: About 700 of the country’s 10,000 curbside programs have made the switch.
Another benefit is efficiency, since collection costs typically eat up 50 to 60 percent of the budget. “That means efficiencies at the curb are crucial,” says Lori Scozzafava of the Solid Waste Association of North America. Houston, which boasts the nation’s worst recycling rate (2.6 percent), has a voluntary recycling program that forces its trucks to drive long distances between pickups. Single-stream collection, on the other hand, speeds up the process dramatically, especially with new trucks that empty bins automatically. Besides saving money in the long run, this increased efficiency, along with the greater volumes that people recycle, is allowing more types of plastics to be recovered.
The Verdict
Even after the environmental and economic questions have been answered, the decision about how much to recycle depends on how you reconcile those two factors. “High recycling rates are usually a function of, first, a political decision, and second, the strength of local markets,” Miller says. San Francisco’s 70 percent recycling rate isn’t enough for Mayor Gavin Newsom, who wants to ramp it up to 75 percent—even if that means making recycling compulsory. Houston’s willingness to squander resources with its paltry recycling rate is also as much a political decision as it is an economic one.
Most cities lie somewhere between those two extremes. For them, recycling is generally desirable, but it’s not automatically good and efficient and cheap. It takes significant up-front capital investment to implement a state-of-the-art single-stream recycling program. For that reason, the newfound stability of the recycling market is just as important as the high prices, because it allows cities to plan investments around future revenue streams. “Chicago used to pay haulers to take its recycled materials,” says Ed Skernolis of the National Recycling Coalition. Now, it has invested $24 million to buy recycling carts for 600,000 homes and will deliver the recyclables to a single-stream processing facility—which will now pay the city instead of being paid.
Ultimately, every community will develop its own unique program. “The bigger the city,” Porter says, “the more you can recycle.” The dividing line between environmental and economic factors will also begin to blur. On the Chicago Climate Exchange, the world’s first greenhouse-gas trading market, the price for a ton of avoided carbon-dioxide emissions peaked at over $7 this summer. Morris has created a model for municipal waste decision-makers that assigns values to environmental impacts ranging from toxins to acid rain and greenhouse gases. Most telling, though, is a recent study that found that about 90 percent of the material going to landfills has a market value. Given today’s economy, we won’t keep burying that value for long.
Article is not in anyway written by me... It's originally from: www.popularmechanics.com.
I prepared them and the froze them for another time... The time was tonight... It was amazing! Love the way they turned out!
All that was yumminess! We have left overs for another day! Yum! With this was my second time with the recipe and this time around it came out even better then the first. Why? Cuz I made extra sauce and basted every 15 min and cooked it about another 45min... They were amazing!!!
recipe: Nigella's Maple Ribs n Chicken
This sucker "OLEDB32.DLL" is causing major freakers on IE, aaahhh... Want to freaken kick this m-f pc to the curb and get me a mac... But why do I say this and do nothing. WTF is wrong with me sticking to ms should go to mac. Ok, I have made up my mind and will try to see if I can order it and maybe get it by early Jan/09. Links to article that tell you about IE vulnerability [OLEDB32.DLL] and what/how to do:
Microsoft confirms that all versions of IE have critical new bug
It adds IE6 and IE8 Beta 2 to the list, recommends disabling .dll to stay safe
How to Safeguard Against
Clarification on the various workarounds from the recent IE advisory
How to Safeguard Against the IE Vulnerability
Microsoft: Big Security Hole in All IE Versions
Microsoft Security Advisory: Vulnerability in Internet Explorer could allow remote code execution
This is a 2006 MSDN library with an old article but still good.
Understanding and Working in Protected Mode Internet Explorer
Just saying this for developers but if you know your PC inside and out... and know the platform very well then this could be useful and may help you to understand more what's going on. I have Vista so I read like there's no tomorrow when it comes to this 'efing OS... aaaahh... If it's over your head which is was for me a few years ago when I looked into this library don't bother... It took me sometime to understand much of this gibberish... Now try to explain it to BFG, and to him it sounds like an alien language. All I say to him is don't touch, IE at all or anything that has to do with the OS, I'll handle it. Cuz any pc problems in my house are my issue. YEAH right I'll pay for someone to mess with my machine. Too many bad experiences have taught me to learn and do myself! Don't let some idiot touch your machine! Well, that's my opinion.
Microsoft confirms that all versions of IE have critical new bug
It adds IE6 and IE8 Beta 2 to the list, recommends disabling .dll to stay safe
How to Safeguard Against
Clarification on the various workarounds from the recent IE advisory
How to Safeguard Against the IE Vulnerability
Microsoft: Big Security Hole in All IE Versions
Microsoft Security Advisory: Vulnerability in Internet Explorer could allow remote code execution
This is a 2006 MSDN library with an old article but still good.
Understanding and Working in Protected Mode Internet Explorer
Just saying this for developers but if you know your PC inside and out... and know the platform very well then this could be useful and may help you to understand more what's going on. I have Vista so I read like there's no tomorrow when it comes to this 'efing OS... aaaahh... If it's over your head which is was for me a few years ago when I looked into this library don't bother... It took me sometime to understand much of this gibberish... Now try to explain it to BFG, and to him it sounds like an alien language. All I say to him is don't touch, IE at all or anything that has to do with the OS, I'll handle it. Cuz any pc problems in my house are my issue. YEAH right I'll pay for someone to mess with my machine. Too many bad experiences have taught me to learn and do myself! Don't let some idiot touch your machine! Well, that's my opinion.
Dang, I love CatWoman with Halle Berry. Love the way she turned off the music at the party... That scene was funny! Although some of the scenes in which she runs up the walls I find a bit freaky. The Mau cat that's on that movie is so freaken cute! Called Egyptian Mau, they're rare and the history is not been documented but its believed that they originate from African Wild cats due to its similarities. Once it was domesticated, it's been seen in Egyptian art [2200BC]. They were seen as companions, protectors, trained to hunt prey [fish, birds...] and returned it to their owners and even guardians of crops. If you would kill or seen killing a cat, it was a crime and death by stoning would be your judgment. These kitties can reach up to 30M/PH running! And their personalities if not wean correctly with a loving and caring hand they will not be shy and reclusive which they can eventually hiss and scratch if not socialized correctly in kitten-hood.
Me thinks Mitsuru has a little Egyptian Mau in her. She tends to love my company and attach herself to me. She loves to participate with me when I'm crafting, whether I like it or not. She'll want to be there... As Mau's love attention and dislike you having privacy, Mimi feels that if there's door close and you're inside that room she will meow, a plea of ' let me in.' And she welcomes me home when I come back but not to BFG... heee... BFG, is like why you and not me... heee... She will have conversations with me while crafting or just sitting next to me watching tv or surfing.
I wonder if this post should go on their blog? oh well... too lazy...
Been reading Lara again. She's so interesting... Ah brings back the times of partying in the gay village. Remember that Mondo... Amazing... That really gave me a platform to be very open minded to all sorts of things... K.O.X [now closed] really opened up my mind.. oh let's not forget the partying with Carolyne [RIP, my sweet friend] and all the girls at Sisters... aaahh, the times of clubbing! I also, remember my 1st girl kiss [heee, I kissed a girl by Kelly Perry just came on my itunes, while writing this, too funny!]... oh the memories... heee... and the swimming in our undies... and Carlos, HOT but bats for the other team! the under ground music was the best. Oh and when Warehouse parties that became RAVES, after hour clubs SKY, PlayGround, etc. and the hot bodies of the gay men... sheesh... Totally fun!!! Crap, how things have changed in my life... From wild to totally calm! But regrets not ONE!
Me thinks Mitsuru has a little Egyptian Mau in her. She tends to love my company and attach herself to me. She loves to participate with me when I'm crafting, whether I like it or not. She'll want to be there... As Mau's love attention and dislike you having privacy, Mimi feels that if there's door close and you're inside that room she will meow, a plea of ' let me in.' And she welcomes me home when I come back but not to BFG... heee... BFG, is like why you and not me... heee... She will have conversations with me while crafting or just sitting next to me watching tv or surfing.
I wonder if this post should go on their blog? oh well... too lazy...
Been reading Lara again. She's so interesting... Ah brings back the times of partying in the gay village. Remember that Mondo... Amazing... That really gave me a platform to be very open minded to all sorts of things... K.O.X [now closed] really opened up my mind.. oh let's not forget the partying with Carolyne [RIP, my sweet friend] and all the girls at Sisters... aaahh, the times of clubbing! I also, remember my 1st girl kiss [heee, I kissed a girl by Kelly Perry just came on my itunes, while writing this, too funny!]... oh the memories... heee... and the swimming in our undies... and Carlos, HOT but bats for the other team! the under ground music was the best. Oh and when Warehouse parties that became RAVES, after hour clubs SKY, PlayGround, etc. and the hot bodies of the gay men... sheesh... Totally fun!!! Crap, how things have changed in my life... From wild to totally calm! But regrets not ONE!
was reading about Windows 7 at techradar:
Everything you need to know about Windows 7
Why pick apart rumors for reliable info? Here's the truth...
Microsoft has been developing Windows 7 under a shroud of secrecy worthy of Apple, and it's led to a rash of rumors and unfounded expectations.
So let us state for the record: Windows 7 doesn't have a new kernel, it doesn't run in the cloud and it's not based on Midori (a research project focused on writing an OS in managed code).
In fact, Windows 7 uses the same driver model as Vista – and even refers to itself as version 6.1. We've got our hands on the Milestone Three (M3) pre-beta release of Windows 7, so read on to find out exactly what to expect from Microsoft's newest OS.
Windows 7's philosophy
You can get a good idea about future versions of Windows by looking at the progress of Office under Steven Sinofsky, now Senior Vice President of the Windows and Windows Live engineering group. The changes that he's made to the Windows team aren't just about what new features go into Windows; they're about the whole way that Windows is developed.
These changes are definitely a response to what happened with Vista, which he sees as a learning experience: "As engineers, you have to have some things that don't go as well as you would have liked and you have to go and learn what to prevent. We just really weren't ready when the product [was released]. We did a lot of work, we just didn't do enough and we didn't do the right kind of work, so we had to go and improve that."
The improvements that Sinofsky speaks of are centred within three key areas: the process of developing Windows; the concepts behind 7's key design principles; and the rebuilding of relationships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that were soured by Vista. Culturally, the Windows team is working in a very different way to previous incarnations. Instead of one team creating Tablet PC features, another team working on Media Center features and yet another team working on core Windows pieces (with none of those teams getting together and interoperating correctly at the end), one team now owns an entire feature across all the platforms from start to finish.
The new development process is more structured and more realistic about what can be achieved in three years, and key to this new process is ensuring that every feature included in each of the internal milestones is usable by the end of it. Compare that concept to what happened to the 'three pillars' of Vista. Indigo – the Windows Communication Foundation –does what was promised, but so far it's used mainly by Microsoft's own business applications. The Windows Presentation Foundation that shipped in Vista was ripped out and rewritten at the last minute because it was deemed not to work well enough. And WinFS – the long-awaited Object File System for creating an database of metadata and extensible schemas for different types of data – was shuffled off into SQL Server because Search fulfilled the needs of most users.
Principles for 7
The vision for Windows 7 doesn't sound like a snappy marketing slogan yet. Even Mike Nash, the Vice President for Windows Product Management, doesn't have one. He says: "The things you do today on Windows, Windows 7 makes easier; and the things you always dreamed of doing [are made] possible."
It's back to basics on the engineering side, says Gabriel Aul, the Program Manager in charge of Windows Performance. "Quality is a fundamental. Device compatibility is important. Other things are important too – like aesthetics, ease of use and the Help content – but this is really the foundation everything else has to build upon." That might sound obvious, but it's something that Microsoft needs to promise – and deliver.
What will 7 look like?
This time, a key concern for Microsoft in terms of design is the Windows user experience. To make this happen, there's been a bit of a re-shuffle; Sinofsky isn't the only person to move from the Office team to Windows. Julie Larson-Green, the person responsible for introducing the ribbon interface to Office 2007, is now Corporate Vice President of Program Management for the Windows Experience. A handful of accessories (including WordPad, Movie Maker and Paint) will get a version of the ribbon, but it's not the look of Office 2007 that you'll see in Windows 7: it's the principle of putting new features in the right place and making existing features easy to find.
The changes to the new Windows 7 user interface will be subtle, but they reflect a handful of design principles aimed at countering the perception that PCs are confusing and difficult to use. For example, there are six different methods that you can use to open up your email client in Vista, including icons on the desktop, in the taskbar and in the system tray as well as on the Start menu. Windows 7 replaces the majority of those with an icon on the taskbar that launches Outlook and gets you back to it once it's open. This concept is repeated for many applications, de-cluttering the desktop. And if you hover your cursor over the program's icon, you'll get a preview of the running program that can show the multiple windows inside the app. So you can see all of the tabs in IE8 without having to switch into the browser itself, for example.
Another addition to the user interface is the Jump List, which shows recent documents. If the app supports it, the Jump List can provide shortcuts to documents that you open often, your most frequently used tasks in an application (such as composing an email) and even the last track that you heard in Windows Media Player. Microsoft decided not to include an extra icon to get to the Jump List; it turned out to be distracting and easy to click when you didn't want to. This sort of decision is symptomatic of the principle that Windows 7 should be quieter than previous Windows OSes.
Examples of the new 'quieter' Windows model are everywhere. System messages go into the new Solution Center instead of popping up and getting in your way; applications can only show balloon messages in the notification area; and new icons that try to put themselves into the notification area are kept in a hidden list until you choose to put them in the tray. The UAC is still there, but it's now much less intrusive, and there's a slider that allows you to choose what you get elevation requests for. Other changes to the user interface are focused on making Windows 7 more intuitive to use. Small changes to the Explorer window mean that you can see more pictures in the same space. Move the mouse into the right-hand corner of the screen and your windows turn transparent so that you can see the desktop (which can now have gadgets all over it instead of just in the sidebar). Drag a window to the top of the screen and it maximises; drag it to the side and it takes up half of the screen so that you can easily see two windows side by side. These features are only partly about the way Windows 7 looks; a lot of them are about getting Windows out of the way.
Under the bonnet
Windows 7 uses the same kernel as Windows Server 2008 R2 (which is based on the kernel used in Vista, Server 2008 and Vista SP1), but that doesn't mean that there haven't been any changes. Similarly, Mac OS X and the iPhone may use the Mach kernel that Rick Rashid (the head of Microsoft Research) wrote 25 years ago, but that doesn't mean that Apple's operating system and revolutionary smartphone are at all comparable to the technology that the code was originally written for. The code within both kernels has been replaced and updated over the years.
The Windows 7 kernel has been through a code verifier that proves around 100 key properties, and it's been updated based on those tests. Low-level kernel locks that could block the Start menu and taskbar have been minimised to improve the speed of the user interface, and a new 'pre-wait' state for threads means that they're not held up by the dispatcher lock. There's also finer granularity in the page file database, which means that threads aren't waiting for memory locks as often.
These changes matter more for parallel multithreaded applications on massively multiprocessor and multicore systems with many gigabytes of memory (like Intel's Larrabee) than for standard desktop software; this is how Windows 7 will scale up to 256 processors. There are fewer changes than Microsoft made to the kernel between XP and Vista, but they're significant for the future.
What Microsoft isn't doing is throwing away the whole kernel – or the whole Vista code base – and starting from scratch. To avoid the same compatibility issues that Vista faced, Microsoft isn't changing the driver model, the graphics sub-system or the componentisation model for Windows 7. Drivers now run in a sandbox, so that a driver hanging won't affect other drivers or apps, but they don't need to be rewritten to support this. The version number is even staying at 6.1, so software vendors have fewer changes to make in installers. "That's not a statement about the amount of energy put in to this release or the scale or scope of the release," Sinofsky points out. "I don't think it's necessary to break everything to have a big change."
Article is not in anyway written by me... Its originally from: techradar
Everything you need to know about Windows 7
Why pick apart rumors for reliable info? Here's the truth...
Microsoft has been developing Windows 7 under a shroud of secrecy worthy of Apple, and it's led to a rash of rumors and unfounded expectations.
So let us state for the record: Windows 7 doesn't have a new kernel, it doesn't run in the cloud and it's not based on Midori (a research project focused on writing an OS in managed code).
In fact, Windows 7 uses the same driver model as Vista – and even refers to itself as version 6.1. We've got our hands on the Milestone Three (M3) pre-beta release of Windows 7, so read on to find out exactly what to expect from Microsoft's newest OS.
Windows 7's philosophy
You can get a good idea about future versions of Windows by looking at the progress of Office under Steven Sinofsky, now Senior Vice President of the Windows and Windows Live engineering group. The changes that he's made to the Windows team aren't just about what new features go into Windows; they're about the whole way that Windows is developed.
These changes are definitely a response to what happened with Vista, which he sees as a learning experience: "As engineers, you have to have some things that don't go as well as you would have liked and you have to go and learn what to prevent. We just really weren't ready when the product [was released]. We did a lot of work, we just didn't do enough and we didn't do the right kind of work, so we had to go and improve that."
The improvements that Sinofsky speaks of are centred within three key areas: the process of developing Windows; the concepts behind 7's key design principles; and the rebuilding of relationships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that were soured by Vista. Culturally, the Windows team is working in a very different way to previous incarnations. Instead of one team creating Tablet PC features, another team working on Media Center features and yet another team working on core Windows pieces (with none of those teams getting together and interoperating correctly at the end), one team now owns an entire feature across all the platforms from start to finish.
The new development process is more structured and more realistic about what can be achieved in three years, and key to this new process is ensuring that every feature included in each of the internal milestones is usable by the end of it. Compare that concept to what happened to the 'three pillars' of Vista. Indigo – the Windows Communication Foundation –does what was promised, but so far it's used mainly by Microsoft's own business applications. The Windows Presentation Foundation that shipped in Vista was ripped out and rewritten at the last minute because it was deemed not to work well enough. And WinFS – the long-awaited Object File System for creating an database of metadata and extensible schemas for different types of data – was shuffled off into SQL Server because Search fulfilled the needs of most users.
Principles for 7
The vision for Windows 7 doesn't sound like a snappy marketing slogan yet. Even Mike Nash, the Vice President for Windows Product Management, doesn't have one. He says: "The things you do today on Windows, Windows 7 makes easier; and the things you always dreamed of doing [are made] possible."
It's back to basics on the engineering side, says Gabriel Aul, the Program Manager in charge of Windows Performance. "Quality is a fundamental. Device compatibility is important. Other things are important too – like aesthetics, ease of use and the Help content – but this is really the foundation everything else has to build upon." That might sound obvious, but it's something that Microsoft needs to promise – and deliver.
What will 7 look like?
This time, a key concern for Microsoft in terms of design is the Windows user experience. To make this happen, there's been a bit of a re-shuffle; Sinofsky isn't the only person to move from the Office team to Windows. Julie Larson-Green, the person responsible for introducing the ribbon interface to Office 2007, is now Corporate Vice President of Program Management for the Windows Experience. A handful of accessories (including WordPad, Movie Maker and Paint) will get a version of the ribbon, but it's not the look of Office 2007 that you'll see in Windows 7: it's the principle of putting new features in the right place and making existing features easy to find.
The changes to the new Windows 7 user interface will be subtle, but they reflect a handful of design principles aimed at countering the perception that PCs are confusing and difficult to use. For example, there are six different methods that you can use to open up your email client in Vista, including icons on the desktop, in the taskbar and in the system tray as well as on the Start menu. Windows 7 replaces the majority of those with an icon on the taskbar that launches Outlook and gets you back to it once it's open. This concept is repeated for many applications, de-cluttering the desktop. And if you hover your cursor over the program's icon, you'll get a preview of the running program that can show the multiple windows inside the app. So you can see all of the tabs in IE8 without having to switch into the browser itself, for example.
Another addition to the user interface is the Jump List, which shows recent documents. If the app supports it, the Jump List can provide shortcuts to documents that you open often, your most frequently used tasks in an application (such as composing an email) and even the last track that you heard in Windows Media Player. Microsoft decided not to include an extra icon to get to the Jump List; it turned out to be distracting and easy to click when you didn't want to. This sort of decision is symptomatic of the principle that Windows 7 should be quieter than previous Windows OSes.
Examples of the new 'quieter' Windows model are everywhere. System messages go into the new Solution Center instead of popping up and getting in your way; applications can only show balloon messages in the notification area; and new icons that try to put themselves into the notification area are kept in a hidden list until you choose to put them in the tray. The UAC is still there, but it's now much less intrusive, and there's a slider that allows you to choose what you get elevation requests for. Other changes to the user interface are focused on making Windows 7 more intuitive to use. Small changes to the Explorer window mean that you can see more pictures in the same space. Move the mouse into the right-hand corner of the screen and your windows turn transparent so that you can see the desktop (which can now have gadgets all over it instead of just in the sidebar). Drag a window to the top of the screen and it maximises; drag it to the side and it takes up half of the screen so that you can easily see two windows side by side. These features are only partly about the way Windows 7 looks; a lot of them are about getting Windows out of the way.
Under the bonnet
Windows 7 uses the same kernel as Windows Server 2008 R2 (which is based on the kernel used in Vista, Server 2008 and Vista SP1), but that doesn't mean that there haven't been any changes. Similarly, Mac OS X and the iPhone may use the Mach kernel that Rick Rashid (the head of Microsoft Research) wrote 25 years ago, but that doesn't mean that Apple's operating system and revolutionary smartphone are at all comparable to the technology that the code was originally written for. The code within both kernels has been replaced and updated over the years.
The Windows 7 kernel has been through a code verifier that proves around 100 key properties, and it's been updated based on those tests. Low-level kernel locks that could block the Start menu and taskbar have been minimised to improve the speed of the user interface, and a new 'pre-wait' state for threads means that they're not held up by the dispatcher lock. There's also finer granularity in the page file database, which means that threads aren't waiting for memory locks as often.
These changes matter more for parallel multithreaded applications on massively multiprocessor and multicore systems with many gigabytes of memory (like Intel's Larrabee) than for standard desktop software; this is how Windows 7 will scale up to 256 processors. There are fewer changes than Microsoft made to the kernel between XP and Vista, but they're significant for the future.
What Microsoft isn't doing is throwing away the whole kernel – or the whole Vista code base – and starting from scratch. To avoid the same compatibility issues that Vista faced, Microsoft isn't changing the driver model, the graphics sub-system or the componentisation model for Windows 7. Drivers now run in a sandbox, so that a driver hanging won't affect other drivers or apps, but they don't need to be rewritten to support this. The version number is even staying at 6.1, so software vendors have fewer changes to make in installers. "That's not a statement about the amount of energy put in to this release or the scale or scope of the release," Sinofsky points out. "I don't think it's necessary to break everything to have a big change."
Article is not in anyway written by me... Its originally from: techradar
Gmail Gets Its Own PDF Viewer; My Computer Applauds
December 12, 2008 - 4:59 pm PDT - by Adam Ostrow
PDFs have always been one of my biggest computing nemesis: they slow my machine down to a crawl when opened and eat up a lot of disk space when saved. Gmail has just added a solution to address this: its own viewer that lets you view PDFs in your Web browser. It’s blazing fast, includes a search feature, and lets you download or print the PDF if you really need to.
The way it works is pretty simple. If you’re the recipient of a PDF, you’ll now get a “View” link along with the previously existing “Download” link. When clicked, the “View” link opens up a new tab, which promptly loads the PDF in Google Docs, without opening up any desktop software (ie – Adobe Reader). Other features of the viewer include options to zoom in and out, as well as quick paging via next/previous arrows.
As the recipient of a lot of PDF files, I’m pretty stoked about this addition to Gmail. On the other hand, it’s a bit of a blow to startups Scribd and Docstoc perhaps, who offer their own solutions for web-based PDF viewing [http://mashable.com/2008/06/11/docstoc-oneclic].
Also, and I’ll assume this is just temporary and give Google the benefit of the doubt, but the new PDF viewer doesn’t seem to work in Firefox, but works perfectly in Chrome.
Article is not in anyway written by me... Its originally from: mashable.com
Heee... how funny is this... the freaken cartoon on this article [see] reminds me of one night that BFG said exactly that to me by I responded that he go to bed... heee...
No headache needed: 46% of women choose Internet over sex
By Jacqui Cheng | Published: December 12, 2008 - 11:04AM CT
There's a xkcd comic that shows a person resisting going to bed because "someone is wrong on the Internet," which has become an Internet meme because it strikes a chord with so many of us. Admit it: we've all done it before, probably multiple times. But when we think of the type of person who does this, most of us think of men. That stereotype, it turns out, is not quite as true as we think. According to new survey results from Intel, women are more likely than men to willingly sacrifice sex for two weeks than risk losing Internet access for that long. And you thought headaches were a problem.
According to the survey of 2,119 adult Internet users, commissioned for Intel by Harris Interactive (full results will be published next week), 95 percent of all respondents said it was at least "somewhat" important to have devices that allow them to get online. 65 percent said that they simply could not live without Internet access, period. Clearly, this is a crowd that loves their Internet. But it wouldn't take much for this luxury-turned-utility to interrupt people's lives in the bedroom, it seems, and in trends that seem to be moving in opposite directions.
Almost half (46 percent) of all women said that they would choose the Internet over sex for two weeks. Broken down, the numbers are even more scary for the male side of the population: 49 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 34 would rather have the Internet than some tender lovin', and 52 percent between age 35 and 44 felt the same way. It looks like the numbers only go down in the upper age groups, who don't tend to spend as much time on the Internet in the first place.
Truer than we'd like to admit
Men have trouble resisting the succubus that is the online world either, but in lower numbers (30 percent overall). 39 percent of men between the ages of 18 and 34 said they would sacrifice sex for the Internet for two weeks, while a mere 23 percent of those between 35 and 44 said so.
Sex wasn't the only thing people ranked below Internet access in Intel's survey, though. Cable TV subscriptions, dining out, shopping for clothes, and gym memberships all lose out to the Internet when push comes to shove. In fact, TV seemed to be one of the most expendable of the non-people-related options, with 58 percent of all adults (male and female) saying they would rather give up TV for two weeks than live without Internet for even a single week.
In the spirit of things we would rather give up in order to stay online for two weeks, the Ars staff has come up with a list of things that we would sacrifice to keep our Internet on
* Phone service
* Shaving
* Bathing (Nate only)
* Air conditioning (in the summer, that is)
* TV (broadcast, cable, or even online)
* Caffeine
What are some of yours?
Further reading:
* Found via the Wall Street Journal: Not Tonight Dear, I'd Rather Blog
Article is not in anyway written by me... Its originally from: arstechnica.com
December 12, 2008 - 4:59 pm PDT - by Adam Ostrow
PDFs have always been one of my biggest computing nemesis: they slow my machine down to a crawl when opened and eat up a lot of disk space when saved. Gmail has just added a solution to address this: its own viewer that lets you view PDFs in your Web browser. It’s blazing fast, includes a search feature, and lets you download or print the PDF if you really need to.
The way it works is pretty simple. If you’re the recipient of a PDF, you’ll now get a “View” link along with the previously existing “Download” link. When clicked, the “View” link opens up a new tab, which promptly loads the PDF in Google Docs, without opening up any desktop software (ie – Adobe Reader). Other features of the viewer include options to zoom in and out, as well as quick paging via next/previous arrows.
As the recipient of a lot of PDF files, I’m pretty stoked about this addition to Gmail. On the other hand, it’s a bit of a blow to startups Scribd and Docstoc perhaps, who offer their own solutions for web-based PDF viewing [http://mashable.com/2008/06/11/docstoc-oneclic].
Also, and I’ll assume this is just temporary and give Google the benefit of the doubt, but the new PDF viewer doesn’t seem to work in Firefox, but works perfectly in Chrome.
Article is not in anyway written by me... Its originally from: mashable.com
Heee... how funny is this... the freaken cartoon on this article [see] reminds me of one night that BFG said exactly that to me by I responded that he go to bed... heee...
No headache needed: 46% of women choose Internet over sex
By Jacqui Cheng | Published: December 12, 2008 - 11:04AM CT
There's a xkcd comic that shows a person resisting going to bed because "someone is wrong on the Internet," which has become an Internet meme because it strikes a chord with so many of us. Admit it: we've all done it before, probably multiple times. But when we think of the type of person who does this, most of us think of men. That stereotype, it turns out, is not quite as true as we think. According to new survey results from Intel, women are more likely than men to willingly sacrifice sex for two weeks than risk losing Internet access for that long. And you thought headaches were a problem.
According to the survey of 2,119 adult Internet users, commissioned for Intel by Harris Interactive (full results will be published next week), 95 percent of all respondents said it was at least "somewhat" important to have devices that allow them to get online. 65 percent said that they simply could not live without Internet access, period. Clearly, this is a crowd that loves their Internet. But it wouldn't take much for this luxury-turned-utility to interrupt people's lives in the bedroom, it seems, and in trends that seem to be moving in opposite directions.
Almost half (46 percent) of all women said that they would choose the Internet over sex for two weeks. Broken down, the numbers are even more scary for the male side of the population: 49 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 34 would rather have the Internet than some tender lovin', and 52 percent between age 35 and 44 felt the same way. It looks like the numbers only go down in the upper age groups, who don't tend to spend as much time on the Internet in the first place.
Truer than we'd like to admit
Men have trouble resisting the succubus that is the online world either, but in lower numbers (30 percent overall). 39 percent of men between the ages of 18 and 34 said they would sacrifice sex for the Internet for two weeks, while a mere 23 percent of those between 35 and 44 said so.
Sex wasn't the only thing people ranked below Internet access in Intel's survey, though. Cable TV subscriptions, dining out, shopping for clothes, and gym memberships all lose out to the Internet when push comes to shove. In fact, TV seemed to be one of the most expendable of the non-people-related options, with 58 percent of all adults (male and female) saying they would rather give up TV for two weeks than live without Internet for even a single week.
In the spirit of things we would rather give up in order to stay online for two weeks, the Ars staff has come up with a list of things that we would sacrifice to keep our Internet on
* Phone service
* Shaving
* Bathing (Nate only)
* Air conditioning (in the summer, that is)
* TV (broadcast, cable, or even online)
* Caffeine
What are some of yours?
Further reading:
* Found via the Wall Street Journal: Not Tonight Dear, I'd Rather Blog
Article is not in anyway written by me... Its originally from: arstechnica.com
I made cabbage rolls last week and BFG loved them... I used a combination of all these recipes... I always cook with a little bit of everything and like to learn as much as I can, too! Plus, didn't use pressure cooker or dutch oven. The oven was out of the question. Instead, chose the stove, a regular pot, my own measurements and some of the ingredients... Had other recipes but I printed them out instead of saving them... :) Here are a few:
stuffed cabbage rolls ala aunt angela [video]
1 large green cabbage
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound ground veal
3/4 cup raw white long grain rice
1 stick butter
1 bunch Italian parsley
1 yellow onion
1 egg
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 quart beef broth (or water)
1 cup water
1 can crushed tomatoes (28oz)
Should cook for 2 hours at 350 degrees F., but check after an hour and add more water if they seem to dry)
===========*****============
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 pound ground pork
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 head savoy cabbage, cored
2 cups chicken stock, or as needed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee onion in butter until tender. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. When the onion is cool enough to handle, mix together the ground pork, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper until well blended.
Place the head of cabbage in a large pot, and add enough water to cover the cabbage halfway. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 minutes. As the outer leaves become translucent and soft, remove them one at a time by peeling them off with a wooden spoon. Trim off the thick ribs at the leaf stem.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish, and line the bottom with outer cabbage leaves. Lay a few more leaves on a clean work surface. Place a large spoonful of the pork mixture at the base of each leaf. Roll up towards the top. Repeat until filling is used up. Arrange the finished rolls over the leaves in the dish, and pour in just enough broth to cover the rolls. Place extra cabbage leaves over the top.
Cover, and bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. When finished, drain off broth from the dish into a small saucepan. Whisk together the flour and sour cream. Gradually stir the sour cream into the broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until heated, about 5 minutes.
To serve, arrange cabbage rolls on a platter, cover with sauce and sprinkle with dill. This goes perfectly with homemade noodles, or millet kasha.
FOOTNOTES: Pressure cooker
Arrange rolls as for oven baking, but cook for 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.
===========*****============
[The Geocities site has recipes that I want to try!]
HOLUPKIS (Cabbage Rolls)
Compiled 8/93 with Mom in Georgia's Real Kitchen!!
1 lg. head cabbage (core, parboil & separate leaves)
2lb ground beef
1 egg
1 c. Long grain rice (cook as directed, set aside)
1 large onion, 1/2 green pepper, 3 stalks celery with leaves, 1 large carrot (all chopped)
1 can tomato juice
Garlic salt (my addition)
Pepper
Saute' all chopped vegetables in melted margarine (or oleo as Mom said) until tender. (Mom also would saute' in bacon grease or salt pork if it was available because of the gooooooood flavor.) Mix ground beef, cooked rice, egg, and vegetables together with 1 tsp. Black pepper and 1 l/2 tsp. Garlic salt and combine everything until mixed well.
In the bottom of a 6 - 8 quart dutch oven, place a few cabbage leaves and cut off the veins from each cabbage leaf and place those on the bottom (waste not...want not)... Take each leaf and put 1 or 2 heaping tablespoons (depending on leaf size) of mixture and roll leaf up and tuck in the ends...Place side by side in pan and then layer as needed. Pour tomato juice over top. Place any remaining cabbage leaves on top to keep holupki from burning.
Cover with lid and place in 350 degree oven for 1 and 1/2 hours.. Lower heat to 300 degrees and bake an additional 2 - 3 hours. Make sure cabbage is tender. Cover and let sit in oven even an hour after it is turned off. The next day they are even better...
===========*****============
Golubvci (Cabbage Rolls)
1 whole head cabbage (about 3 pounds)
Boiling water
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup packaged precooked rice
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 slices bacon
1 can (16 ounces) tomatoes or sauerkraut
1/3 cup bouillon or meat broth
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large kettle
filled with boiling water. Cover; cook 3 minutes. Remove softened
outer leaves. Repeat until all large leaves have been removed (about 20 leaves). Cut thick center stem from each slice.
Saute meat with onion 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in rice, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Place 3 tablespoons meat mixture on each cabbage leaf. Roll each leaf, tucking ends in toward center. Fasten securely with wooden picks. Place each roll seam side down in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
Lay bacon slices over top of cabbage rolls.
Mix tomatoes, bouillon, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over cabbage rolls.
Cover; simmer about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
stuffed cabbage rolls ala aunt angela [video]
1 large green cabbage
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound ground veal
3/4 cup raw white long grain rice
1 stick butter
1 bunch Italian parsley
1 yellow onion
1 egg
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 quart beef broth (or water)
1 cup water
1 can crushed tomatoes (28oz)
Should cook for 2 hours at 350 degrees F., but check after an hour and add more water if they seem to dry)
===========*****============
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 pound ground pork
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 head savoy cabbage, cored
2 cups chicken stock, or as needed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee onion in butter until tender. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. When the onion is cool enough to handle, mix together the ground pork, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper until well blended.
Place the head of cabbage in a large pot, and add enough water to cover the cabbage halfway. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 minutes. As the outer leaves become translucent and soft, remove them one at a time by peeling them off with a wooden spoon. Trim off the thick ribs at the leaf stem.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish, and line the bottom with outer cabbage leaves. Lay a few more leaves on a clean work surface. Place a large spoonful of the pork mixture at the base of each leaf. Roll up towards the top. Repeat until filling is used up. Arrange the finished rolls over the leaves in the dish, and pour in just enough broth to cover the rolls. Place extra cabbage leaves over the top.
Cover, and bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. When finished, drain off broth from the dish into a small saucepan. Whisk together the flour and sour cream. Gradually stir the sour cream into the broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until heated, about 5 minutes.
To serve, arrange cabbage rolls on a platter, cover with sauce and sprinkle with dill. This goes perfectly with homemade noodles, or millet kasha.
FOOTNOTES: Pressure cooker
Arrange rolls as for oven baking, but cook for 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.
===========*****============
[The Geocities site has recipes that I want to try!]
HOLUPKIS (Cabbage Rolls)
Compiled 8/93 with Mom in Georgia's Real Kitchen!!
1 lg. head cabbage (core, parboil & separate leaves)
2lb ground beef
1 egg
1 c. Long grain rice (cook as directed, set aside)
1 large onion, 1/2 green pepper, 3 stalks celery with leaves, 1 large carrot (all chopped)
1 can tomato juice
Garlic salt (my addition)
Pepper
Saute' all chopped vegetables in melted margarine (or oleo as Mom said) until tender. (Mom also would saute' in bacon grease or salt pork if it was available because of the gooooooood flavor.) Mix ground beef, cooked rice, egg, and vegetables together with 1 tsp. Black pepper and 1 l/2 tsp. Garlic salt and combine everything until mixed well.
In the bottom of a 6 - 8 quart dutch oven, place a few cabbage leaves and cut off the veins from each cabbage leaf and place those on the bottom (waste not...want not)... Take each leaf and put 1 or 2 heaping tablespoons (depending on leaf size) of mixture and roll leaf up and tuck in the ends...Place side by side in pan and then layer as needed. Pour tomato juice over top. Place any remaining cabbage leaves on top to keep holupki from burning.
Cover with lid and place in 350 degree oven for 1 and 1/2 hours.. Lower heat to 300 degrees and bake an additional 2 - 3 hours. Make sure cabbage is tender. Cover and let sit in oven even an hour after it is turned off. The next day they are even better...
===========*****============
Golubvci (Cabbage Rolls)
1 whole head cabbage (about 3 pounds)
Boiling water
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup packaged precooked rice
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 slices bacon
1 can (16 ounces) tomatoes or sauerkraut
1/3 cup bouillon or meat broth
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large kettle
filled with boiling water. Cover; cook 3 minutes. Remove softened
outer leaves. Repeat until all large leaves have been removed (about 20 leaves). Cut thick center stem from each slice.
Saute meat with onion 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in rice, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Place 3 tablespoons meat mixture on each cabbage leaf. Roll each leaf, tucking ends in toward center. Fasten securely with wooden picks. Place each roll seam side down in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
Lay bacon slices over top of cabbage rolls.
Mix tomatoes, bouillon, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over cabbage rolls.
Cover; simmer about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
- yoo jin and her site.
- Hikikomori [ひきこもり or 引き籠もり]: People who have withdrawn from society, they may go out of the house but they live with their parents and refuse to be part of society. Can be for months, yrs or in severe cases decades. This happens during the school days... Found this so interesting... Japanese culture may have over 1 mil. with this... :0
- Park Yong Ha [박용하] - 가지마세요 [gajimaseyo] カジマセヨ (Don't go) [video]
- Idance: similar to DDR but not on a mat but on the pc...
- New movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" coming out soon. Read the story [read here] which is loosely based on a 1922 short story by the author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Bratt Pitt Starts as the main character...
other videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkQenQofxs8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkOs81R922w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x9-hxtZ6tM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43XfOfrt_3s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsLTOvmNLHs
- Hikikomori [ひきこもり or 引き籠もり]: People who have withdrawn from society, they may go out of the house but they live with their parents and refuse to be part of society. Can be for months, yrs or in severe cases decades. This happens during the school days... Found this so interesting... Japanese culture may have over 1 mil. with this... :0
- Park Yong Ha [박용하] - 가지마세요 [gajimaseyo] カジマセヨ (Don't go) [video]
- Idance: similar to DDR but not on a mat but on the pc...
- New movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" coming out soon. Read the story [read here] which is loosely based on a 1922 short story by the author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Bratt Pitt Starts as the main character...
other videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkQenQofxs8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkOs81R922w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x9-hxtZ6tM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43XfOfrt_3s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsLTOvmNLHs
- SeeYa Wikipidia
- [HQ] SeeYa - 그 사람 구두 III MV
- TaeYeon (태연) - 들리나요 (Can You Hear Me)
No matter what this song, really has a melancolic melody which is so sad and every time I hear it makes me sad and my throat hurts, like I'll start to cry... they have such a great music. Their videos are like little dramas this song is part 2-1 of their SHOES mini video drama.
Here's how they go:
part 1-1 = Shoes [구두]
part 1-2 = Crazy Love Song [미친 사랑의 노래]
part 2 = Sad Steps [슬픈 발걸음]
part 3-1 = That Person-Shoes 3 [그 사람 (구두 III)] and Without You [나 없이도]
part 3-2 = same both songs...
others:
Love Greeting [part 1] and Iced Lady [part 2]
The Day [part 1] and the day [part 2] SEEYA and Brown Eyed Girls...
Scent Of A Woman [여인의향기] part 1 and part 2
there's only one: Hateful [미워요]
new one just came out, its just a preview: Seeya feat. SG워너비 (김용준), 황정음, Mario - Going [가니-Gani] there's a live version of the song with Hot Girl [핫걸] from the same album but more dance-like music, cuz they usually are more romantic and ballad-like... the video for Hot Girl [핫걸] is out, freaken funny and has subs. Truly what a comeback!
Lyrics: SeeYa (씨야) - Shoes (구두)
In order to leave you,
I practised hating you
In order to forget you,
I practised hating you
I drink more than I eat
fill my stomach with alcohol
to cover my pain
because I am just a woman
who knows nothing
except loving you
I'll wear my high heels
and heavy make-up
So that you'll notice me
and change your mind
I'll wear even higher heels
and re-apply my make-up
Hope you'll hold me again and
perhaps change your mind
I drink more than I eat
fill my stomach with alcohol
to cover my pain
because I am just a woman
who knows nothing
except loving you
I'll wear my high heels
and heavy make-up
So that you'll notice me
and change your mind
I'll wear even higher heels
and re-apply my make-up
Hope you'll hold me again and
perhaps change your mind
I miss you, I miss you so much
but I have to hold it in, righ?
because I am just a woman
who knows nothing
except loving you
I'll wear my high heels...
I'll wear my high heels
and heavy make-up
So that you'll notice me
and change your mind
I'll wear even higher heels
and re-apply my make-up
Hope you'll hold me again and
perhaps change your mind
I'll wear my high heels...
- [HQ] SeeYa - 그 사람 구두 III MV
- TaeYeon (태연) - 들리나요 (Can You Hear Me)
No matter what this song, really has a melancolic melody which is so sad and every time I hear it makes me sad and my throat hurts, like I'll start to cry... they have such a great music. Their videos are like little dramas this song is part 2-1 of their SHOES mini video drama.
Here's how they go:
part 1-1 = Shoes [구두]
part 1-2 = Crazy Love Song [미친 사랑의 노래]
part 2 = Sad Steps [슬픈 발걸음]
part 3-1 = That Person-Shoes 3 [그 사람 (구두 III)] and Without You [나 없이도]
part 3-2 = same both songs...
others:
Love Greeting [part 1] and Iced Lady [part 2]
The Day [part 1] and the day [part 2] SEEYA and Brown Eyed Girls...
Scent Of A Woman [여인의향기] part 1 and part 2
there's only one: Hateful [미워요]
new one just came out, its just a preview: Seeya feat. SG워너비 (김용준), 황정음, Mario - Going [가니-Gani] there's a live version of the song with Hot Girl [핫걸] from the same album but more dance-like music, cuz they usually are more romantic and ballad-like... the video for Hot Girl [핫걸] is out, freaken funny and has subs. Truly what a comeback!
Lyrics: SeeYa (씨야) - Shoes (구두)
In order to leave you,
I practised hating you
In order to forget you,
I practised hating you
I drink more than I eat
fill my stomach with alcohol
to cover my pain
because I am just a woman
who knows nothing
except loving you
I'll wear my high heels
and heavy make-up
So that you'll notice me
and change your mind
I'll wear even higher heels
and re-apply my make-up
Hope you'll hold me again and
perhaps change your mind
I drink more than I eat
fill my stomach with alcohol
to cover my pain
because I am just a woman
who knows nothing
except loving you
I'll wear my high heels
and heavy make-up
So that you'll notice me
and change your mind
I'll wear even higher heels
and re-apply my make-up
Hope you'll hold me again and
perhaps change your mind
I miss you, I miss you so much
but I have to hold it in, righ?
because I am just a woman
who knows nothing
except loving you
I'll wear my high heels...
I'll wear my high heels
and heavy make-up
So that you'll notice me
and change your mind
I'll wear even higher heels
and re-apply my make-up
Hope you'll hold me again and
perhaps change your mind
I'll wear my high heels...
Started watching Glutton Bowl at GTV [GameTV] which was won by Takeru Kobayashi (小林尊) [ギャル曽根 BLOG]. Damn, bull testicles are gross... And cow tongue, which my grandma use to make me eat, I hate it, Yuk! Some foods made me hungry some made me want to throw up and others just cut my appetite... Sweet lord, whats wrong with these people... yuk... I wonder why Gal Sone (ギャル曽根, Gyaru Sone?, born Natsuko Sone (曽根 菜津子) wasn't in that arena. Is it because she's a woman? I wonder? Or is it she eats too slow and this show is like a has a certain time limit? Wonder...
[Here's the Story Version Video and the making of the video]
She also has a song 'Boom Boom めっちゃマッチョ!, boom boom very macho!' [パラパラ era from a few yrs ago, yah, which I still somewhat love, wish the Wii had some of parapara games, ne...] with the group 'Gyaruru' [ギャルル] also with Tokito Ami (時東 ぁみ) and Abe Asami (安倍 麻美)... Funny video though... heee... And found Onna No Ultra also by Gyaruru [ギャルル] but it's only the song no the vid.
some パラパラ loves:
- Soran Happies and Neko Hiroshi
- Hinoi Team (チーム): King Kong [live]
- Hinoi Team (チーム)ft. Koriki [長州小力, born Kazuteru Kubota (久保田和輝) he's a Japanese Comedian]: Night on Fire
- So Yu Jin [Korean - 소유진/So Yoo Jin]: Para Para Queen [live] [she gets pranked, too funny and more info. and blog/site]
- Youtube Channel that has so much ParaPara Vids: paraparaboypdx. When I see this, makes me want to take out my Initial D Cds [Initial D 1st Stage]... heee... some songs = Don't Stop The Music, Love is in Danger, I need Your Love, nights of fire [male and in English] and more... Going to get my Cds out! heee... :) Wonder if I have them in my old iPod...
Need to get my hands on: 平野 綾 (Hirano Aya) - God Knows [very cool video and this one is from the anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱) which had also the craze of doing the ending parapara style, example: video] heee... Hardgay Haruhi ED. hee, this one is cute too: Lucky ☆ Star - OP Full Dance (らき☆すた), The Zombies doing the dance... heee... ゾンビーズ 巫女巫女ナース
Funny video: 氣志團マブダチ・練習用反転ムービー. If I'm not mistaken is DJOZMA... heee... He'll be retiring and wants to be in the background instead, like producing and all that sort of stuff... this is well: アナタボシを踊ってみた... huh? ｳﾏｳﾏPV [karamelldansen], it's Swedish apparently? *scratch my head... but still cute looking... heee... made me freaken' laugh so much... watched some of his stuff and toally laugh: Caramell Dance Trooper his channel: youtube.com/user/tokyostormtrooper and his site: www.dannychoo.com and tokyo-trooper.com need to really explore this site too and see all his vids... they make me laugh... *tears in my eyes... LOL!
Found out that his father is Jimmy Choo, dang! His father is so proud of him. His made his way into the world without a dime from his father, what a great man to have. Hope, when he decides to settle down he gets a woman that will appreciate him and love him for him not his legacy. Good luck Danny... :)
youtube.com/user/Hibikimutsumikai Channel.
A weird thing I read about Lee Yoo-jin (이유진) [photos, more info., email: leeyoujin_2000Y!.co.kr] on Wikipedia? So, being biracial is so not taboo anymore... Crazy people who think it's a big deal can go to hell!!!
[Here's the Story Version Video and the making of the video]
She also has a song 'Boom Boom めっちゃマッチョ!, boom boom very macho!' [パラパラ era from a few yrs ago, yah, which I still somewhat love, wish the Wii had some of parapara games, ne...] with the group 'Gyaruru' [ギャルル] also with Tokito Ami (時東 ぁみ) and Abe Asami (安倍 麻美)... Funny video though... heee... And found Onna No Ultra also by Gyaruru [ギャルル] but it's only the song no the vid.
some パラパラ loves:
- Soran Happies and Neko Hiroshi
- Hinoi Team (チーム): King Kong [live]
- Hinoi Team (チーム)ft. Koriki [長州小力, born Kazuteru Kubota (久保田和輝) he's a Japanese Comedian]: Night on Fire
- So Yu Jin [Korean - 소유진/So Yoo Jin]: Para Para Queen [live] [she gets pranked, too funny and more info. and blog/site]
- Youtube Channel that has so much ParaPara Vids: paraparaboypdx. When I see this, makes me want to take out my Initial D Cds [Initial D 1st Stage]... heee... some songs = Don't Stop The Music, Love is in Danger, I need Your Love, nights of fire [male and in English] and more... Going to get my Cds out! heee... :) Wonder if I have them in my old iPod...
Need to get my hands on: 平野 綾 (Hirano Aya) - God Knows [very cool video and this one is from the anime: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱) which had also the craze of doing the ending parapara style, example: video] heee... Hardgay Haruhi ED. hee, this one is cute too: Lucky ☆ Star - OP Full Dance (らき☆すた), The Zombies doing the dance... heee... ゾンビーズ 巫女巫女ナース
Funny video: 氣志團マブダチ・練習用反転ムービー. If I'm not mistaken is DJOZMA... heee... He'll be retiring and wants to be in the background instead, like producing and all that sort of stuff... this is well: アナタボシを踊ってみた... huh? ｳﾏｳﾏPV [karamelldansen], it's Swedish apparently? *scratch my head... but still cute looking... heee... made me freaken' laugh so much... watched some of his stuff and toally laugh: Caramell Dance Trooper his channel: youtube.com/user/tokyostormtrooper and his site: www.dannychoo.com and tokyo-trooper.com need to really explore this site too and see all his vids... they make me laugh... *tears in my eyes... LOL!
Found out that his father is Jimmy Choo, dang! His father is so proud of him. His made his way into the world without a dime from his father, what a great man to have. Hope, when he decides to settle down he gets a woman that will appreciate him and love him for him not his legacy. Good luck Danny... :)
youtube.com/user/Hibikimutsumikai Channel.
A weird thing I read about Lee Yoo-jin (이유진) [photos, more info., email: leeyoujin_2000Y!.co.kr] on Wikipedia? So, being biracial is so not taboo anymore... Crazy people who think it's a big deal can go to hell!!!
Was watching House tonight ant there was a case that House was seeing in the Clinic and it was about parthenogenesis [virgin birth, asexual reproduction] which occurs in rarely nature to [ex. bees, reptiles fish and even in some plants], but more rarely in humans which always results in a female child due to the XX chromosome. But a hermaphroditic species can have both female and male off-springs as they have both XY chromosomes . Which can also, happen 1 in 5 million. The discovery.com has information reptiles and other species... Very cool... Found some articles:
- Second 'Virgin Birth' Documented in Shark. Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News [10-10-08] (video: A Mom Who Can Be Dad Too):
Oct. 10, 2008 -- The first documented virgin shark birth seemed like an odd miracle, but now a second female has become pregnant sans daddy, adding to the evidence that female sharks don't always need a male to conceive, according to a new study.
Virgin birth, scientifically known as parthenogenesis, has previously been proven in certain amphibians, reptiles, birds and bony fish. It's now suspected that most, if not all, female sharks possess the ability.
"Parthenogenesis may not have evolved in sharks," Demian Chapman, who led the research, told Discovery News. "It may just be an occasional mistake that sometimes occurs when eggs are left unfertilized."
Chapman, a shark scientist with the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, explained that during egg production, a female shark produces four cells. Only one of these becomes the egg. Another of the four is called "the sister polar body," which is a close genetic match to the egg.
During parthenogenesis, according to Chapman, "the sister polar body fuses with the egg and injects its chromosomes into it."
Related Content:
Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal
Female Sharks Reproduce Without Dad
How Stuff Works: Sharks
"Therefore, it acts like a sperm and triggers the development of an embryo," he said.
The discovery in this case is bittersweet, since the virgin shark in question, a female blacktip shark named "Tidbit," died after living for eight years without a male companion at the Virginia Aquarium.
An autopsy upon her death revealed that she was pregnant with a single offspring. DNA testing of the unborn offspring showed that it contained no genetic material from a father.
A paper outlining the findings appears in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology.
Chapman and his team made a similar discovery just last May, when a hammerhead residing at an Omaha, Neb., zoo became pregnant after not being in contact with male sharks for at least three years. DNA fingerprinting techniques were used in that case as they were for Tidbit.
The method is identical to how researchers handle human paternity testing.
Female sharks can store sperm for long periods of time, which is why the scientists needed to confirm, through the DNA analysis, the lack of paternal input.
Despite the novelty of the phenomenon, virgin births are inferior to regular shark births in two major respects.
First, the female appears to only be able to produce a single offspring in this manner. Females that mate can have litters ranging from a few to more than 100 shark pups, depending on the species.
Second, the offspring of a virgin birth has "reduced genetic diversity when compared to its mother or any other shark produced by sex," Chapman said, adding that the process is "no great white hope for depleted shark populations."
He hopes that future conservation efforts will focus on "robust shark populations with balanced gender ratios, rather than hoping for a bailout from some interesting quirk of reproduction."
Robert Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, told Discovery News that he supports the new findings since "the research methods are sound and the conclusion of a parthenogenetic birth in this shark species is proven."
Hueter said it's still possible that virgin births are more of "an egg developmental aberration rather than a physiological response to a lack of a mate," but he predicts "time will tell as more research is focused on this interesting subject."
Such revelations may come sooner rather than later, as Chapman is now analyzing the DNA of an offspring from yet another suspected virgin shark birth.
- Korean Cloned Human Cells Were Product of "Virgin Birth". Fraudulent cloned cells were likely the first example of a human egg turned directly into stem cells By JR Minkel:
Researchers say they have confirmed suspicions that embryonic stem cells claimed to be extracted from the first cloned human embryo by discredited South Korean scientist Woo Suk Hwang actually owe their existence to parthenogenesis, a process in which egg cells give rise to embryos without being fertilized by sperm.
A series of genetic markers sprinkled throughout the cells' chromosomes show the same pattern found in parthenogenetic mice as opposed to cloned mice, according to a report published online today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
The result suggests that, although Hwang deceived the world about achieving the first human cloning, his group was first to succeed in performing human parthenogenesis, which may offer a way of creating cells that are genetically matched to a woman for transplantation back into her body to treat degenerative diseases.
"I think this is an extremely important—and solid—paper," says stem cell researcher Robert Lanza, vice president of research and scientific development at Applied Cell Technology, a regenerative medicine company headquartered in Alameda, Calif., who did not take part in the study. "It conclusively proves that the stem cell line in question was not cloned as claimed, but rather was generated through parthenogenesis."
The result follows on the heels of an announcement last month by another California stem cell company, International Stem Cell Corporation (ISC) in Oceanside, that it had successfully achieved human parthenogenesis for the first time. Last year, Italian researchers claimed to have achieved the same feat but have yet to publish their results.
"The fact that this has now been achieved by two independent groups gives me a far greater degree of confidence," Lanza says.
The new finding brings a measure of closure to a story that first rocked the science world in February 2004, when Hwang and colleagues at Seoul National University announced they had cloned a female donor's cell by transferring its nucleus into one of her egg cells stripped of its nucleus in a procedure known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and harvested embryonic stem cells from the resulting fusion. They published the result the next month in Science.
The claim went up in smoke in January of 2006 after a probe by the university concluded that Hwang had fabricated the evidence, which followed a similarly damning assessment of a landmark paper from the previous year in which the group falsely reported creating 11 cell lines genetically matched to their donors.
Unsolved Mysteries
A cloned cell should be identical to its donor, but the probe found that of 48 common genetic variations, or markers, present in the 2004 cells, eight did not match their apparent donor. Investigators raised parthenogenesis as the most likely explanation but could not be certain.
Later, during a chance discussion with European colleagues, stem cell researcher George Daley of Children's Hospital Boston and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute learned that they had received samples of the cell line before the work was retracted. "We had read the suspicions that the cell was a parthenote, but also realized that it had never really been proven," Daley says.
To settle the case, they analyzed the genetic sequence of the cell line at 500,000 locations across the genome.
The DNA of any two people will differ on average at one of every 1,000 subunits, or base pairs, Daley says. When a chromosome from a sperm cell joins with that of an egg, these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs or "snips") tend not to match each other.
The same goes for cloned cells. But in contrast, pairs of matching chromosomes in parthenogenetic cells tend to match one another in the middle and differ near the ends because of a genetic mixing process called recombination. In their paper, Daley and colleagues report that the SNPs in the Korean cell line do indeed match toward the center of the chromosomes, similar to five parthenogenetic mouse cell lines that the team created for comparison.
In a separate analysis, they also found that three regions lacked the chemical modifications, or imprinting, that paternal genes impose on a fertilized embryo to prevent those genes from being activated.
Jeffrey Janus, president and director of research for ISC, agrees that "Dr. Hwang's cells have characteristics found in parthenogenetic cells" but remains cautious, saying "it needs more study."
The Irony of It All
Stem cell experts say that Hwang and his team probably had no clue what they had achieved, because if they had they would have claimed credit for it.
"I think this … is every bit as exciting as the SCNT they were claiming," says stem cell researcher Kent Vrana of Pennsylvania State University, who pioneered parthenogenesis in monkeys. "Parthenotes by their very nature are nonviable embryos, so you're not destroying embryos, which has some ethical advantages."
Vrana says the Korean team used a procedure common in attempts to induce parthenogenesis and SCNT alike, in which they injected egg cells with calcium and a protein synthesis inhibitor to mimic what happens when sperm fertilizes an egg.
To achieve SCNT, they first had to extract each egg's DNA and then inject the donor cell nucleus. Daley says the Korean scientists must have inadvertently left the DNA intact in one of the 242 egg cells they injected. "They claimed they verified the removal of the DNA,'' Daley says, "but obviously they didn't."
The injection of the donor nucleus could have failed if the injecting needle pulled it back out when withdrawn from the egg or if the egg somehow rejected the introduced nucleus, Vrana says.
Hwang's group purported to rule out parthenogenesis as an explanation in part by showing that two genes normally activated by paternal DNA were inactive in the cells. But Daley says such experiments are easy to misinterpret and are less conclusive than sequencing SNPs.
"I think they were just so blinded by what they hoped to accomplish, they missed it," Vrana says.
As a result, in late June, more than a year after Science retracted the 2004 paper, researchers at ISC were able to claim the discovery of human parthenogenetic cell lines as their own in the journal Cloning and Stem Cells. The group reported growing multiple parthenogenetic embryonic stem cell lines by incubating eggs in a warm, low-oxygen culture medium.
Before today's announcement, the work was already "awfully convincing," Vrana says, and surprisingly successful: out of some 50 donated eggs, the company grew six cell lines. Parthenogenesis in monkeys typically works only once every 90 eggs, he says.
Banking on Parthenotes
The therapeutic potential of parthenogenetic cells remains to be seen. The lack of imprinting from the paternal DNA may cause the cells to behave abnormally as they develop. Furthermore, they must have matching immune proteins to be transplanted back into a donor.
In principle, tissue banks of parthenogenetic cell lines could include enough different immune protein combinations to treat up to half of the U.S. population—men as well as women—Lanza says. But he adds that if human parthenotes routinely contain as many genetic mismatches as the Korean cells, the number of eggs needed to create such a bank could be prohibitively large.
Daley says his group hopes to acquire donated eggs from women with inherited diseases and use parthenogenesis to create cell lines to study those disorders. In the future, researchers will have to determine whether similar cells are safe and effective when transplanted.
"We're a long, long way," Daley says, "from realizing therapeutic uses of these cells."
- Virgin Births Lead to Transplantable Stem Cells. Stem cells created from unfertilized mice eggs are successfully transplanted without immune rejection By JR Minkel:
In the future individual egg cells may serve as the source for stem cells that doctors can transplant back into people if necessary to treat nerve damage and debilitating diseases, if researchers can extend a new procedure used on mice for making transplantable stem cells.
"This is just a small step along the way, but it's an important one," says stem cell researcher Paul Lerou of Children's Hospital Boston and Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. Lerou and his colleagues extracted stem cells from embryolike clusters of cells grown from the unfertilized eggs of female mice that the researchers coaxed into dividing. They injected the stem cells back into related mice, where they grew without being rejected by immune cells, the group reports in a paper published online December 14 by Science.
In principle the method could make it easier to create human stem cells and potentially carry out still far-off treatments for spinal cord injuries and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. "I think it's very attractive and this paper shows it has the potential to do really great things," says molecular biologist Kent Vrana of Penn State University.
Researchers have previously proposed growing embryonic stem cells using so-called therapeutic cloning, in which the nucleus of a donor's body cell is placed in an egg cell stripped of its nucleus. The problem is that the process would likely require at least 100 donated egg cells to work even once, judging from the number of eggs needed to clone animals.
To avoid this, Lerou's team in essence tricked unfertilized egg cells from mice into dividing the same way that a growing embryo would. Researchers induce this effect, called parthenogenesis, by exposing ovulating or immature eggs to a chemical that prevents them from splitting their two sets of chromosomes into two daughter cells with one set each. The process works about 70 percent of the time in mice and nonhuman primates, Lerou says.
Normally, such cells would be genetically mismatched with cells like those of their donor. Specifically, the donor would have genes for two different proteins called major histocompatibility complexes (MHC), one on each chromosome 17 in its genome. The so-called parthenote embryo, however, would have identical pairs of chromosomes, so it would have only one MHC. If a cell's MHCs do not match those of the rest of the organism, the immune system will attack and reject those cells in much the same way it rejects a transplanted organ that comes from an incompatible donor.
A parthenote's chromosomes are not completely identical, however. An egg cell starts off containing both sets of chromosomes, each of which is copied and one of which then gets expelled. Before that expulsion, the different chromosomes mix together a bit so that a chromosome that would normally have one MHC protein sometimes gets the other one instead, giving the parthenote two different MHCs.
The researchers hypothesized that they could make compatible matches if they were able to isolate the few cells in the bunch with both MHCs. Toward that end, they analyzed the genomes of individual cells from their parthenotes and, lo and behold, found a few with both proteins. When they transplanted those cells into mice that also had a mixed set of MHC proteins, the parthenote cells took hold and grew into the three major kinds of embryonic tissue.
"It's pretty solid data," says stem cell researcher Jose Cibelli of Michigan State University. "If that is going to hold true in humans we don't know, but it is very encouraging." He cautions, however, that stem cells of any origin must still prove stable when transplanted to hold any hope of treating disease. One possible hitch: Parthenotes might not grow properly, because they lack important contributions from male genes.
These articles are not in anyway written by me
- Second 'Virgin Birth' Documented in Shark. Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News [10-10-08] (video: A Mom Who Can Be Dad Too):
Oct. 10, 2008 -- The first documented virgin shark birth seemed like an odd miracle, but now a second female has become pregnant sans daddy, adding to the evidence that female sharks don't always need a male to conceive, according to a new study.
Virgin birth, scientifically known as parthenogenesis, has previously been proven in certain amphibians, reptiles, birds and bony fish. It's now suspected that most, if not all, female sharks possess the ability.
"Parthenogenesis may not have evolved in sharks," Demian Chapman, who led the research, told Discovery News. "It may just be an occasional mistake that sometimes occurs when eggs are left unfertilized."
Chapman, a shark scientist with the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University, explained that during egg production, a female shark produces four cells. Only one of these becomes the egg. Another of the four is called "the sister polar body," which is a close genetic match to the egg.
During parthenogenesis, according to Chapman, "the sister polar body fuses with the egg and injects its chromosomes into it."
Related Content:
Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal
Female Sharks Reproduce Without Dad
How Stuff Works: Sharks
"Therefore, it acts like a sperm and triggers the development of an embryo," he said.
The discovery in this case is bittersweet, since the virgin shark in question, a female blacktip shark named "Tidbit," died after living for eight years without a male companion at the Virginia Aquarium.
An autopsy upon her death revealed that she was pregnant with a single offspring. DNA testing of the unborn offspring showed that it contained no genetic material from a father.
A paper outlining the findings appears in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology.
Chapman and his team made a similar discovery just last May, when a hammerhead residing at an Omaha, Neb., zoo became pregnant after not being in contact with male sharks for at least three years. DNA fingerprinting techniques were used in that case as they were for Tidbit.
The method is identical to how researchers handle human paternity testing.
Female sharks can store sperm for long periods of time, which is why the scientists needed to confirm, through the DNA analysis, the lack of paternal input.
Despite the novelty of the phenomenon, virgin births are inferior to regular shark births in two major respects.
First, the female appears to only be able to produce a single offspring in this manner. Females that mate can have litters ranging from a few to more than 100 shark pups, depending on the species.
Second, the offspring of a virgin birth has "reduced genetic diversity when compared to its mother or any other shark produced by sex," Chapman said, adding that the process is "no great white hope for depleted shark populations."
He hopes that future conservation efforts will focus on "robust shark populations with balanced gender ratios, rather than hoping for a bailout from some interesting quirk of reproduction."
Robert Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, told Discovery News that he supports the new findings since "the research methods are sound and the conclusion of a parthenogenetic birth in this shark species is proven."
Hueter said it's still possible that virgin births are more of "an egg developmental aberration rather than a physiological response to a lack of a mate," but he predicts "time will tell as more research is focused on this interesting subject."
Such revelations may come sooner rather than later, as Chapman is now analyzing the DNA of an offspring from yet another suspected virgin shark birth.
- Korean Cloned Human Cells Were Product of "Virgin Birth". Fraudulent cloned cells were likely the first example of a human egg turned directly into stem cells By JR Minkel:
Researchers say they have confirmed suspicions that embryonic stem cells claimed to be extracted from the first cloned human embryo by discredited South Korean scientist Woo Suk Hwang actually owe their existence to parthenogenesis, a process in which egg cells give rise to embryos without being fertilized by sperm.
A series of genetic markers sprinkled throughout the cells' chromosomes show the same pattern found in parthenogenetic mice as opposed to cloned mice, according to a report published online today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
The result suggests that, although Hwang deceived the world about achieving the first human cloning, his group was first to succeed in performing human parthenogenesis, which may offer a way of creating cells that are genetically matched to a woman for transplantation back into her body to treat degenerative diseases.
"I think this is an extremely important—and solid—paper," says stem cell researcher Robert Lanza, vice president of research and scientific development at Applied Cell Technology, a regenerative medicine company headquartered in Alameda, Calif., who did not take part in the study. "It conclusively proves that the stem cell line in question was not cloned as claimed, but rather was generated through parthenogenesis."
The result follows on the heels of an announcement last month by another California stem cell company, International Stem Cell Corporation (ISC) in Oceanside, that it had successfully achieved human parthenogenesis for the first time. Last year, Italian researchers claimed to have achieved the same feat but have yet to publish their results.
"The fact that this has now been achieved by two independent groups gives me a far greater degree of confidence," Lanza says.
The new finding brings a measure of closure to a story that first rocked the science world in February 2004, when Hwang and colleagues at Seoul National University announced they had cloned a female donor's cell by transferring its nucleus into one of her egg cells stripped of its nucleus in a procedure known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and harvested embryonic stem cells from the resulting fusion. They published the result the next month in Science.
The claim went up in smoke in January of 2006 after a probe by the university concluded that Hwang had fabricated the evidence, which followed a similarly damning assessment of a landmark paper from the previous year in which the group falsely reported creating 11 cell lines genetically matched to their donors.
Unsolved Mysteries
A cloned cell should be identical to its donor, but the probe found that of 48 common genetic variations, or markers, present in the 2004 cells, eight did not match their apparent donor. Investigators raised parthenogenesis as the most likely explanation but could not be certain.
Later, during a chance discussion with European colleagues, stem cell researcher George Daley of Children's Hospital Boston and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute learned that they had received samples of the cell line before the work was retracted. "We had read the suspicions that the cell was a parthenote, but also realized that it had never really been proven," Daley says.
To settle the case, they analyzed the genetic sequence of the cell line at 500,000 locations across the genome.
The DNA of any two people will differ on average at one of every 1,000 subunits, or base pairs, Daley says. When a chromosome from a sperm cell joins with that of an egg, these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs or "snips") tend not to match each other.
The same goes for cloned cells. But in contrast, pairs of matching chromosomes in parthenogenetic cells tend to match one another in the middle and differ near the ends because of a genetic mixing process called recombination. In their paper, Daley and colleagues report that the SNPs in the Korean cell line do indeed match toward the center of the chromosomes, similar to five parthenogenetic mouse cell lines that the team created for comparison.
In a separate analysis, they also found that three regions lacked the chemical modifications, or imprinting, that paternal genes impose on a fertilized embryo to prevent those genes from being activated.
Jeffrey Janus, president and director of research for ISC, agrees that "Dr. Hwang's cells have characteristics found in parthenogenetic cells" but remains cautious, saying "it needs more study."
The Irony of It All
Stem cell experts say that Hwang and his team probably had no clue what they had achieved, because if they had they would have claimed credit for it.
"I think this … is every bit as exciting as the SCNT they were claiming," says stem cell researcher Kent Vrana of Pennsylvania State University, who pioneered parthenogenesis in monkeys. "Parthenotes by their very nature are nonviable embryos, so you're not destroying embryos, which has some ethical advantages."
Vrana says the Korean team used a procedure common in attempts to induce parthenogenesis and SCNT alike, in which they injected egg cells with calcium and a protein synthesis inhibitor to mimic what happens when sperm fertilizes an egg.
To achieve SCNT, they first had to extract each egg's DNA and then inject the donor cell nucleus. Daley says the Korean scientists must have inadvertently left the DNA intact in one of the 242 egg cells they injected. "They claimed they verified the removal of the DNA,'' Daley says, "but obviously they didn't."
The injection of the donor nucleus could have failed if the injecting needle pulled it back out when withdrawn from the egg or if the egg somehow rejected the introduced nucleus, Vrana says.
Hwang's group purported to rule out parthenogenesis as an explanation in part by showing that two genes normally activated by paternal DNA were inactive in the cells. But Daley says such experiments are easy to misinterpret and are less conclusive than sequencing SNPs.
"I think they were just so blinded by what they hoped to accomplish, they missed it," Vrana says.
As a result, in late June, more than a year after Science retracted the 2004 paper, researchers at ISC were able to claim the discovery of human parthenogenetic cell lines as their own in the journal Cloning and Stem Cells. The group reported growing multiple parthenogenetic embryonic stem cell lines by incubating eggs in a warm, low-oxygen culture medium.
Before today's announcement, the work was already "awfully convincing," Vrana says, and surprisingly successful: out of some 50 donated eggs, the company grew six cell lines. Parthenogenesis in monkeys typically works only once every 90 eggs, he says.
Banking on Parthenotes
The therapeutic potential of parthenogenetic cells remains to be seen. The lack of imprinting from the paternal DNA may cause the cells to behave abnormally as they develop. Furthermore, they must have matching immune proteins to be transplanted back into a donor.
In principle, tissue banks of parthenogenetic cell lines could include enough different immune protein combinations to treat up to half of the U.S. population—men as well as women—Lanza says. But he adds that if human parthenotes routinely contain as many genetic mismatches as the Korean cells, the number of eggs needed to create such a bank could be prohibitively large.
Daley says his group hopes to acquire donated eggs from women with inherited diseases and use parthenogenesis to create cell lines to study those disorders. In the future, researchers will have to determine whether similar cells are safe and effective when transplanted.
"We're a long, long way," Daley says, "from realizing therapeutic uses of these cells."
- Virgin Births Lead to Transplantable Stem Cells. Stem cells created from unfertilized mice eggs are successfully transplanted without immune rejection By JR Minkel:
In the future individual egg cells may serve as the source for stem cells that doctors can transplant back into people if necessary to treat nerve damage and debilitating diseases, if researchers can extend a new procedure used on mice for making transplantable stem cells.
"This is just a small step along the way, but it's an important one," says stem cell researcher Paul Lerou of Children's Hospital Boston and Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. Lerou and his colleagues extracted stem cells from embryolike clusters of cells grown from the unfertilized eggs of female mice that the researchers coaxed into dividing. They injected the stem cells back into related mice, where they grew without being rejected by immune cells, the group reports in a paper published online December 14 by Science.
In principle the method could make it easier to create human stem cells and potentially carry out still far-off treatments for spinal cord injuries and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. "I think it's very attractive and this paper shows it has the potential to do really great things," says molecular biologist Kent Vrana of Penn State University.
Researchers have previously proposed growing embryonic stem cells using so-called therapeutic cloning, in which the nucleus of a donor's body cell is placed in an egg cell stripped of its nucleus. The problem is that the process would likely require at least 100 donated egg cells to work even once, judging from the number of eggs needed to clone animals.
To avoid this, Lerou's team in essence tricked unfertilized egg cells from mice into dividing the same way that a growing embryo would. Researchers induce this effect, called parthenogenesis, by exposing ovulating or immature eggs to a chemical that prevents them from splitting their two sets of chromosomes into two daughter cells with one set each. The process works about 70 percent of the time in mice and nonhuman primates, Lerou says.
Normally, such cells would be genetically mismatched with cells like those of their donor. Specifically, the donor would have genes for two different proteins called major histocompatibility complexes (MHC), one on each chromosome 17 in its genome. The so-called parthenote embryo, however, would have identical pairs of chromosomes, so it would have only one MHC. If a cell's MHCs do not match those of the rest of the organism, the immune system will attack and reject those cells in much the same way it rejects a transplanted organ that comes from an incompatible donor.
A parthenote's chromosomes are not completely identical, however. An egg cell starts off containing both sets of chromosomes, each of which is copied and one of which then gets expelled. Before that expulsion, the different chromosomes mix together a bit so that a chromosome that would normally have one MHC protein sometimes gets the other one instead, giving the parthenote two different MHCs.
The researchers hypothesized that they could make compatible matches if they were able to isolate the few cells in the bunch with both MHCs. Toward that end, they analyzed the genomes of individual cells from their parthenotes and, lo and behold, found a few with both proteins. When they transplanted those cells into mice that also had a mixed set of MHC proteins, the parthenote cells took hold and grew into the three major kinds of embryonic tissue.
"It's pretty solid data," says stem cell researcher Jose Cibelli of Michigan State University. "If that is going to hold true in humans we don't know, but it is very encouraging." He cautions, however, that stem cells of any origin must still prove stable when transplanted to hold any hope of treating disease. One possible hitch: Parthenotes might not grow properly, because they lack important contributions from male genes.
These articles are not in anyway written by me
