Amos Stevens
New Member
Thanks Yudansha for that explanation about bootlegging!
you might not have known this
- Thread starter yudansha
- Start date
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Computer software...
"There is more money to be made moving fake computer software than in hard drugs, investigators and criminals are discovering." - Sgt. Doug Fisher
Another interesting thing:
A Space.com article estimates that there are at least 10 quadrillion (10,000,000,000,000,000) ants on the planet. That's nearly 2 million ants for every single person. (The human population is over 6 billion).
(You're welcome, Amos for bootlegging.)
"There is more money to be made moving fake computer software than in hard drugs, investigators and criminals are discovering." - Sgt. Doug Fisher
Another interesting thing:A Space.com article estimates that there are at least 10 quadrillion (10,000,000,000,000,000) ants on the planet. That's nearly 2 million ants for every single person. (The human population is over 6 billion).
(You're welcome, Amos for bootlegging.
)
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Said to be, by many reviewers, the best hotel in the world:
The sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, situated on its own manmade island, certainly is one of the poshest hotels on the planet. It's in the upper echelon of nearly every published ranking, and appears at the very top of many lists, including Institutional Investor magazine's 23rd annual survey of the world's best hotels.
The Burj Al Arab is an all-suite hotel, and each bi-level suite is equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, a 42-inch plasma TV, a personal butler, a jacuzzi, remote-control technology that would make the Jetsons jealous, and a "business centre" featuring a laptop computer, a copier/printer/fax machine, and Internet access. Other features of the hotel include a helipad, three swimming pools, facilities for parasailing and scuba diving, boardrooms with translation booths, karate classes, and five high-class restaurants — one of which is reached via submarine.
The cheapest room at the Burj Al Arab (it's hard to imagine any of the hotel's guests asking for "the cheapest room available") is around US$650, and if you're a true connoisseur, you can get one of the two "Royal Suites" with private elevators and rotating beds for around US$10,000.
It's luxurious, no question. In fact, it's frequently referred to as a "seven-star" hotel, although you should take all star ratings with a grain of salt. There is no global star-rating system for hotels. Some of these ratings are assigned by local governments, others come from travel agents or Web sites who are also trying to rent those hotel rooms, while others are presumably unbiased industry ratings (AAA, Michelin, Mobil). The vast majority of these systems offer nothing higher than five stars. In most publicized ratings, the Burj Al Arab is considered "five-star" or "five-star deluxe."
In the end, the designation "most luxurious hotel in the world" is a subjective one. People's tastes differ — I'd prefer high-speed Internet and an in-room cinema to laundry service and a spa, but what do I know? So the only way to decide who gets the steak dinner is to visit all of these hotels yourself — or pay me to do it.
Suites ('cheapest' --> most expensive):
The sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, situated on its own manmade island, certainly is one of the poshest hotels on the planet. It's in the upper echelon of nearly every published ranking, and appears at the very top of many lists, including Institutional Investor magazine's 23rd annual survey of the world's best hotels.
The Burj Al Arab is an all-suite hotel, and each bi-level suite is equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, a 42-inch plasma TV, a personal butler, a jacuzzi, remote-control technology that would make the Jetsons jealous, and a "business centre" featuring a laptop computer, a copier/printer/fax machine, and Internet access. Other features of the hotel include a helipad, three swimming pools, facilities for parasailing and scuba diving, boardrooms with translation booths, karate classes, and five high-class restaurants — one of which is reached via submarine.
The cheapest room at the Burj Al Arab (it's hard to imagine any of the hotel's guests asking for "the cheapest room available") is around US$650, and if you're a true connoisseur, you can get one of the two "Royal Suites" with private elevators and rotating beds for around US$10,000.
It's luxurious, no question. In fact, it's frequently referred to as a "seven-star" hotel, although you should take all star ratings with a grain of salt. There is no global star-rating system for hotels. Some of these ratings are assigned by local governments, others come from travel agents or Web sites who are also trying to rent those hotel rooms, while others are presumably unbiased industry ratings (AAA, Michelin, Mobil). The vast majority of these systems offer nothing higher than five stars. In most publicized ratings, the Burj Al Arab is considered "five-star" or "five-star deluxe."
In the end, the designation "most luxurious hotel in the world" is a subjective one. People's tastes differ — I'd prefer high-speed Internet and an in-room cinema to laundry service and a spa, but what do I know? So the only way to decide who gets the steak dinner is to visit all of these hotels yourself — or pay me to do it.
Suites ('cheapest' --> most expensive):
Not that I'll ever be able to afford it here.
I saw this hotel featured on an episode of the Discovery Channel, yudansha! It also delved into the problems with building it and showed it from beginning to end. It was a great special; very informative. The place is as magnificent at these pictures--and then some!
Thanks, yudansha.
I particularly enjoyed this one. And great pics!!
I saw this hotel featured on an episode of the Discovery Channel, yudansha! It also delved into the problems with building it and showed it from beginning to end. It was a great special; very informative. The place is as magnificent at these pictures--and then some!
Thanks, yudansha.
I particularly enjoyed this one. And great pics!!
Amos Stevens
New Member
Thanks Yudansha-I will just be glad to take the money that one evening takes in at that hotel!
yudansha
TheGreatOne
LOL Amos! I wouldn't mind that either! LOL LOL
I wonder what sort of tips the staff gets there... It would be a nice summer job. (but somehow I'm getting a feeling that the staff works there only for the tips and that they get absolutely no income from the hotel).
Amos and Serena, you are very welcome. I liked reading it too.
I especially liked this: "five high-class restaurants — one of which is reached via submarine" ... now, does anyone have a sub for sale? (I don't mean from Subway)
Oh, and Serena, "great pics!!" ... yeah and I took all those myself!
I wonder what sort of tips the staff gets there... It would be a nice summer job.
(but somehow I'm getting a feeling that the staff works there only for the tips and that they get absolutely no income from the hotel).Amos and Serena, you are very welcome. I liked reading it too.
I especially liked this: "five high-class restaurants — one of which is reached via submarine" ... now, does anyone have a sub for sale? (I don't mean from Subway
)Oh, and Serena, "great pics!!" ... yeah and I took all those myself!
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Is it illegal to throw out coins?
According to the Criminal Code of Canada, Part XII "Offences Relating to Currency," Section 456:
Every one who
(a) defaces a current coin, or
(b) utters a current coin that has been defaced,
is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
("Utter" is earlier defined as including "sell, pay, tender and put off.")
So if you run a penny through a machine that turns it into a picture of Niagara Falls or the Golden Gate Bridge, you're technically committing a crime. If you chop a coin in half, melt it down, leave it on a railroad track, shoot it with a gun, or blow it up, you're also committing a crime. Throwing out a coin doesn't seem to be a problem, unless you also destroy it. If it's still intact at the bottom of a landfill somewhere, you could argue that you haven't broken the law.
This law is obviously not strictly enforced, and the Canadian Money Tracker site claims "there are no cases in Canada in recorded history of anyone being convicted or even being brought to trial for defacing money." Until that happens, we probably won't know what the penalty is.
The United States has a similar law, but it specifically refers only to coins that have been defaced or mutilated for fraudulent purposes.
If you've got some free time, the Criminal Code of Canada is a pretty fun thing to browse. Besides this coin law, there are many arcane sections like:
Engage in prize fight
Offensive volatile substance (stink bombs)
Transport person to bawdy house
Fail to keep watch of person towed by vessel
Pretend to practice witchcraft
Immoral theatrical performance
According to the Criminal Code of Canada, Part XII "Offences Relating to Currency," Section 456:
Every one who
(a) defaces a current coin, or
(b) utters a current coin that has been defaced,
is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
("Utter" is earlier defined as including "sell, pay, tender and put off.")
So if you run a penny through a machine that turns it into a picture of Niagara Falls or the Golden Gate Bridge, you're technically committing a crime. If you chop a coin in half, melt it down, leave it on a railroad track, shoot it with a gun, or blow it up, you're also committing a crime. Throwing out a coin doesn't seem to be a problem, unless you also destroy it. If it's still intact at the bottom of a landfill somewhere, you could argue that you haven't broken the law.
This law is obviously not strictly enforced, and the Canadian Money Tracker site claims "there are no cases in Canada in recorded history of anyone being convicted or even being brought to trial for defacing money." Until that happens, we probably won't know what the penalty is.
The United States has a similar law, but it specifically refers only to coins that have been defaced or mutilated for fraudulent purposes.
If you've got some free time, the Criminal Code of Canada is a pretty fun thing to browse. Besides this coin law, there are many arcane sections like:
Engage in prize fight
Offensive volatile substance (stink bombs)
Transport person to bawdy house
Fail to keep watch of person towed by vessel
Pretend to practice witchcraft
Immoral theatrical performance
tora
Funmaker
Ancient Chinese Technology-Those ancient Chinese...
Knowing Your Way - Compass
A working model of the oldest instrument in the world which is known to be a compass. The spoon or ladle is of magnetic lodestone, and the plate is of Bronze. The circular center represents Heaven, and the square plate represents Earth . The handle of the spoon points south. The spoon is a symbolic representation of the Great Bear. The plate bears Chinese characters which denote the eight main directions of north, north-east, east, etc., and symbols from the I Ching oracle books which were correlated with directions. Separately marked are the finer gradations of twenty-four compass points, and along the outermost edge are the twenty-eight lunar mansions. This type of compass has been scientifically tested and found to work tolerably well - It was used not for navigation, but for quasi- magical purposes.
A simple mariner's compass - a bowl of water on which floats a magnetized steel needle, pointed north and south. The main marking, for south, is usually colored in red, but is not in this instance. It is the fourth from top, counting clockwise; this compass is not oriented properly for the photograph.
Knowing Your Way - Compass
A working model of the oldest instrument in the world which is known to be a compass. The spoon or ladle is of magnetic lodestone, and the plate is of Bronze. The circular center represents Heaven, and the square plate represents Earth . The handle of the spoon points south. The spoon is a symbolic representation of the Great Bear. The plate bears Chinese characters which denote the eight main directions of north, north-east, east, etc., and symbols from the I Ching oracle books which were correlated with directions. Separately marked are the finer gradations of twenty-four compass points, and along the outermost edge are the twenty-eight lunar mansions. This type of compass has been scientifically tested and found to work tolerably well - It was used not for navigation, but for quasi- magical purposes.
yudansha
TheGreatOne
(Maclean's) Health | Science:
Antidepressants - Health Canada warned pregnant women to avoid taking a broad range of antidepressants, including such popular brands as Prozac, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, and Paxil. It said the drugs can cause problems in newborns - withdrawal, breathing difficulties, body rigidity and constant crying. The warning also extended to some medications designed to stop smoking.
Antidepressants - Health Canada warned pregnant women to avoid taking a broad range of antidepressants, including such popular brands as Prozac, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, and Paxil. It said the drugs can cause problems in newborns - withdrawal, breathing difficulties, body rigidity and constant crying. The warning also extended to some medications designed to stop smoking.
Littledragon
Above The Law
yudansha said:
Wow thats interesting, I didn't know that.
yudansha
TheGreatOne
The most dangerous jobs:
When you're trying to find the "most dangerous job," one question to ask is "Dangerous in what way?"
Dangerous to your marriage? Stripping, acting, anything that involves frequent travelling. Dangerous to your carefully cultivated reputation as a high-class gentleman? Fast food employee, janitor, supermarket bagger. But what you're probably looking for is the ultimate danger: the danger of dying on the job.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following occupations had the highest rate of fatality per 100,000 employees (2002 numbers are the most recent available):
Occupation Fatalities per 100,000 workers
Timber cutters 117.8
Fishers 71.1
Pilots and navigators 69.8
Structural metal workers (e.g. skyscraper construction) 58.2
Driver-sales workers (e.g. pizza delivery) 37.9
Roofers 37.0
Electrical power installers 32.5
Farmers 28.0
Construction labourers 27.7
Truck drivers 25.0
U.S. AVERAGE 4.0
Causes of death range from being struck by falling objects (construction workers) to drowning (fishers) to homicides (delivery drivers). Highway accidents are the No. 1 on-the-job killer overall.
These statistics, of course, are only for workers in the United States, but presumably the situation in Canada and much of the rest of the world is reasonably similar. (Though each country has its own unique quirks — reindeer herding is said to be the most dangerous job in Sweden.)
The occupations listed are fairly broad. If we break them down, we can find even more dangerous jobs. For instance, "Alaskan crab fisherman" is often cited as the most dangerous job in the world. These fishers work with heavy equipment in brutal conditions, and are forced to work very quickly because of the shortness of the crab season. The fatality rate for Alaska crab fishermen in the '90s averaged 400 per 100,000 per employees per year.
In the list above, only occupations with at least 30 fatalities and 45,000 employees (in the U.S.) are considered. This leaves out a bunch of dangerous niche jobs, like minesweeper, elephant trainer, or front-line soldier. Not to mention questionable "occupations" like daredevil, kamikaze pilot, or suicide bomber.
http://www.bls.gov/iif/home.htm
When you're trying to find the "most dangerous job," one question to ask is "Dangerous in what way?"
Dangerous to your marriage? Stripping, acting, anything that involves frequent travelling. Dangerous to your carefully cultivated reputation as a high-class gentleman? Fast food employee, janitor, supermarket bagger. But what you're probably looking for is the ultimate danger: the danger of dying on the job.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following occupations had the highest rate of fatality per 100,000 employees (2002 numbers are the most recent available):
Occupation Fatalities per 100,000 workers
Timber cutters 117.8
Fishers 71.1
Pilots and navigators 69.8
Structural metal workers (e.g. skyscraper construction) 58.2
Driver-sales workers (e.g. pizza delivery) 37.9
Roofers 37.0
Electrical power installers 32.5
Farmers 28.0
Construction labourers 27.7
Truck drivers 25.0
U.S. AVERAGE 4.0
Causes of death range from being struck by falling objects (construction workers) to drowning (fishers) to homicides (delivery drivers). Highway accidents are the No. 1 on-the-job killer overall.
These statistics, of course, are only for workers in the United States, but presumably the situation in Canada and much of the rest of the world is reasonably similar. (Though each country has its own unique quirks — reindeer herding is said to be the most dangerous job in Sweden.)
The occupations listed are fairly broad. If we break them down, we can find even more dangerous jobs. For instance, "Alaskan crab fisherman" is often cited as the most dangerous job in the world. These fishers work with heavy equipment in brutal conditions, and are forced to work very quickly because of the shortness of the crab season. The fatality rate for Alaska crab fishermen in the '90s averaged 400 per 100,000 per employees per year.
In the list above, only occupations with at least 30 fatalities and 45,000 employees (in the U.S.) are considered. This leaves out a bunch of dangerous niche jobs, like minesweeper, elephant trainer, or front-line soldier. Not to mention questionable "occupations" like daredevil, kamikaze pilot, or suicide bomber.
http://www.bls.gov/iif/home.htm
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Origins of a few phrases... Why is this considered to be a difficult thing?
To "have your work cut out for you" probably comes from sewing, referring to the moment when the pieces of material are cut out to fit the pattern, but all the hard work — the actual sewing — has yet to be done. As the Word Detective says, "your task is clear and ready to be tackled, but all the more daunting because you can clearly see exactly what needs to be done." This phrase, too, dates from at least the 1600s.
There is a name for a 5-year period (as there is "decade" for a 10-year period): it's called "lustrum." ("Half-decade" is more common.)
To "have your work cut out for you" probably comes from sewing, referring to the moment when the pieces of material are cut out to fit the pattern, but all the hard work — the actual sewing — has yet to be done. As the Word Detective says, "your task is clear and ready to be tackled, but all the more daunting because you can clearly see exactly what needs to be done." This phrase, too, dates from at least the 1600s.
There is a name for a 5-year period (as there is "decade" for a 10-year period): it's called "lustrum." ("Half-decade" is more common.)
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Where is the hottest place in the world?
(There is this one club in South Beach — man, you should see the chicks there!)
Looking only at "natural" air temperatures (there are certainly volcanoes and ovens that are much, much hotter places), the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 58°C (136°F), at Al Aziziyah, Libya, in 1922. But that was just at one point in time. If you went there today, it almost certainly wouldn't be 58°C.
If you're looking for heat in general, Al Aziziyah figures into the conversation, but the hottest place on Earth — based on average annual temperature — is probably the Dallol (or Danakil) Depression in Ethiopia, with an average year-round temperature of 34°C (94°F). California's Death Valley also gets a few votes.
Source: Earth's Extremes
(There is this one club in South Beach — man, you should see the chicks there!)
Looking only at "natural" air temperatures (there are certainly volcanoes and ovens that are much, much hotter places), the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 58°C (136°F), at Al Aziziyah, Libya, in 1922. But that was just at one point in time. If you went there today, it almost certainly wouldn't be 58°C.
If you're looking for heat in general, Al Aziziyah figures into the conversation, but the hottest place on Earth — based on average annual temperature — is probably the Dallol (or Danakil) Depression in Ethiopia, with an average year-round temperature of 34°C (94°F). California's Death Valley also gets a few votes.
Source: Earth's Extremes
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Tony Danza ... and ... charter schools
Tony Danza will host his own show 'The Tony Danza Show' starting next week. Danza was a professional boxer until 1980, two years into his five-year stint on Taxi.
Charter Schools: a comparison of fourth-grade test scores across the U.S. found experimental charter schools lagging behind public schools in both reading and math, even when results were adjusted for income and race. A decade-long experiment, charter schools are publicly funded institutions run by parents or private organizations, often with a particular bent.
Tony Danza will host his own show 'The Tony Danza Show' starting next week. Danza was a professional boxer until 1980, two years into his five-year stint on Taxi.
Charter Schools: a comparison of fourth-grade test scores across the U.S. found experimental charter schools lagging behind public schools in both reading and math, even when results were adjusted for income and race. A decade-long experiment, charter schools are publicly funded institutions run by parents or private organizations, often with a particular bent.
Interesting bit about the hottest place on earth. I'm always fascinated with extremes, or the "top" lists. Great link there, too, for Earth's extremes! I enjoyed reading all of those.
And I was a bit surprised to read that about the charter schools lagging behind--especially since they were adjusted for income and race.
Don't recall hearing that before about a half-decade being called a lustrum, either!
Thanks for some interesting articles there, yudansha.
And I was a bit surprised to read that about the charter schools lagging behind--especially since they were adjusted for income and race.
Don't recall hearing that before about a half-decade being called a lustrum, either!
Thanks for some interesting articles there, yudansha.
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Did you know that Tony Danza was a professional boxer, Serena? - that was news to me.
You're very welcome, Serena!
A Brief History of Wine 'Science'
Genomics, it seems, is just man's latest attempt to graft science on the noble grape.
Some earlier approaches:
1750BC - The Egyptians prescribe wine to purge the body of worms, regulate the flow of urine, treat asthma [maybe that's why Seagal might like a drink or two of some healthy wine...] and act as an enema. For these purposes, wine is mixed with kyphi, a combination of gums, resin, herbs and spices - not to mention the hair of asses, animal dung and bird droppings.
1000BC - The Greeks, aware that lead kills bacteria, store wine in lead vessels to aid in preservation. Unfortunately, lead also kills humans. Resin, still found in retsina, is later added as a natural preservative. In Sparta, newborns are dipped in wine in the belief that if they go into convulsions as a result, they have epilepsy.
200BC - Cato, a Roman politician, suggests flowers soaked in wine as a cure for snakebites, gout and constipation. Strong wine mixed with acidic pomegranates is taken for tapeworms and gripe.
33AS - Roman soldiers reportedly give wine to Christ on the cross, to act as an anaesthetic.
Dark Ages - Monks clarify red wines with egg whites and white wines with fish bladders. Clarification improves taste and shelf life.
Middle Ages - Cistercian monks in France introduce "cru," a system of classifying wine. An impressed Pope Alexander III exempts them from the tithe in 1171 - and in 1180 threatens to excommunicate anyone who challenges the law.
1630 - In Britain, the switch from wood- to coal-fired ovens creates more durable glass - and stronger wine bottles. This, along with the introduction of cork stoppers, improves wine's shelf life. But bottle makers can't produce consistent sizes, so in 1636 Parliament bans the selling of bottled wine: wine is bought in barrels and then stored in bottles.
Late 1850s - Louis Pasteur determnes that fermentation, the process that converts grape sugar to alcohol, is performed by yeast.
1991 - The French Paradox: scientists wonder how the French can eat so much fatty food yet avoid heart disease. Red wine is credited and sales spike briefly.
You're very welcome, Serena!
A Brief History of Wine 'Science'
Genomics, it seems, is just man's latest attempt to graft science on the noble grape.
Some earlier approaches:
1750BC - The Egyptians prescribe wine to purge the body of worms, regulate the flow of urine, treat asthma [maybe that's why Seagal might like a drink or two of some healthy wine...] and act as an enema. For these purposes, wine is mixed with kyphi, a combination of gums, resin, herbs and spices - not to mention the hair of asses, animal dung and bird droppings.
1000BC - The Greeks, aware that lead kills bacteria, store wine in lead vessels to aid in preservation. Unfortunately, lead also kills humans. Resin, still found in retsina, is later added as a natural preservative. In Sparta, newborns are dipped in wine in the belief that if they go into convulsions as a result, they have epilepsy.
200BC - Cato, a Roman politician, suggests flowers soaked in wine as a cure for snakebites, gout and constipation. Strong wine mixed with acidic pomegranates is taken for tapeworms and gripe.
33AS - Roman soldiers reportedly give wine to Christ on the cross, to act as an anaesthetic.
Dark Ages - Monks clarify red wines with egg whites and white wines with fish bladders. Clarification improves taste and shelf life.
Middle Ages - Cistercian monks in France introduce "cru," a system of classifying wine. An impressed Pope Alexander III exempts them from the tithe in 1171 - and in 1180 threatens to excommunicate anyone who challenges the law.
1630 - In Britain, the switch from wood- to coal-fired ovens creates more durable glass - and stronger wine bottles. This, along with the introduction of cork stoppers, improves wine's shelf life. But bottle makers can't produce consistent sizes, so in 1636 Parliament bans the selling of bottled wine: wine is bought in barrels and then stored in bottles.
Late 1850s - Louis Pasteur determnes that fermentation, the process that converts grape sugar to alcohol, is performed by yeast.
1991 - The French Paradox: scientists wonder how the French can eat so much fatty food yet avoid heart disease. Red wine is credited and sales spike briefly.
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Interesting statistics on life...
Americans with higher eductaion live six years longer than high school dropouts;
Oscar winners outlive unsuccessful nominees by four years (not necessarily bad news for Seagal as I don't think he even was nominated for Oscars...);
CEOs outlive corporate VPs;
The elderly who attend worship services weekly live longer than those who don't.
On average, white U.S. males live to be 75 vs. 68 for blacks;
for women, the racial gap is 80 vs. 75;
Married flks outlive singles (but men benefit more than women do);
Older siblings live longer than younger ones (good to know);
Mothers slightly outlive childless women (but I bet nonetheless both have quite fruitful and fulfilling lives);
Smoking typically costs you five years;
obesity costs an average of 7.1 years for females, 5.8 years for males;
Those who sleep SEVEN HOURS A NIGHT live longest!
Tall folkd (1.83m to 1.9m for men, 1.7m to 1.75m for women) average three more years than short people (ain't that a kicker);
Japanese live longest: 81 years, Zambians shortest: 33 years;
Immigrants to the U.S. outlive natives by three years;
Below - the world's tiniest survivor:
Americans with higher eductaion live six years longer than high school dropouts;
Oscar winners outlive unsuccessful nominees by four years (not necessarily bad news for Seagal as I don't think he even was nominated for Oscars...);
CEOs outlive corporate VPs;
The elderly who attend worship services weekly live longer than those who don't.
On average, white U.S. males live to be 75 vs. 68 for blacks;
for women, the racial gap is 80 vs. 75;
Married flks outlive singles (but men benefit more than women do
);Older siblings live longer than younger ones (good to know
);Mothers slightly outlive childless women (but I bet nonetheless both have quite fruitful and fulfilling lives
);Smoking typically costs you five years;
obesity costs an average of 7.1 years for females, 5.8 years for males;
Those who sleep SEVEN HOURS A NIGHT live longest!
Tall folkd (1.83m to 1.9m for men, 1.7m to 1.75m for women) average three more years than short people (ain't that a kicker
);Japanese live longest: 81 years, Zambians shortest: 33 years;
Immigrants to the U.S. outlive natives by three years;
Below - the world's tiniest survivor:
Attachments
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Stress, and depression....
Why A Stress Test May Not Be Enough
The widely used stress test, or treadmill test, may not be finely tuned enough to catch early heart disease, says a study in the 'Journal of the American College of Cardiology.' Researchers found that 56% of the moe than 1,000 patients who passed a treadmill test, which measures how well the heart withstands exercise, scored above 100 on a follow-up screen for coronary calcium deposits. That puts them at elevated risk for a heart attack within five years. The study's authors say at-risk patients - such as smokers, diabetics or those with high cholesterol or blood pressure - should get a coronary calcium scan, even if they ace their stress test.
Teens and Depression
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that a new analysis of clinical data backs the idea that some antidepressant drugs increase the risk of suicide in teens. Debate over the issue, which has been simmering for more than a year, is complicated by the fact that depresession alone makes suicide more likely and that the risks vary widely among different drugs. (Prozac, for example, seems to cause fewer problems than other drugs.) A decision by the FDA on new warning labels will probably come in September. Meanwhile, a study of 400 youths, in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association,' concluded that Prozac works best when combined with cognitive-behaviour therapy.
Why A Stress Test May Not Be Enough
The widely used stress test, or treadmill test, may not be finely tuned enough to catch early heart disease, says a study in the 'Journal of the American College of Cardiology.' Researchers found that 56% of the moe than 1,000 patients who passed a treadmill test, which measures how well the heart withstands exercise, scored above 100 on a follow-up screen for coronary calcium deposits. That puts them at elevated risk for a heart attack within five years. The study's authors say at-risk patients - such as smokers, diabetics or those with high cholesterol or blood pressure - should get a coronary calcium scan, even if they ace their stress test.
Teens and Depression
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that a new analysis of clinical data backs the idea that some antidepressant drugs increase the risk of suicide in teens. Debate over the issue, which has been simmering for more than a year, is complicated by the fact that depresession alone makes suicide more likely and that the risks vary widely among different drugs. (Prozac, for example, seems to cause fewer problems than other drugs.) A decision by the FDA on new warning labels will probably come in September. Meanwhile, a study of 400 youths, in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association,' concluded that Prozac works best when combined with cognitive-behaviour therapy.