SKOTY News

Reality TV, celebrity obsession hit Cannes screens

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:55:49 +0000

CANNES (Reuters) – Obsession with celebrity is the focus of Italian director Matteo Garrone’s new movie “Reality” at the Cannes film festival, one of two pictures in the lineup exploring the corrosive power of instant fame and the desire to be watched. Garrone is best known for his last film, the gritty “Gomorrah” about a Naples crime syndicate. But with “Reality” he switches gears, creating a modern day fairy tale whose protagonist’s soul is slowly and inexorably eroded by the lure of fame. …

Tiny Tots in the Dentist’s Chair Among Changes in Pediatric Dentistry

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:51:50 +0000

FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) — If you’ve been to the dentist with your children recently, you may have noticed that things have changed since you were a kid.

Japan firm unveils gesture controlling device

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:50:30 +0000

Japanese technology titan NEC has unveiled a gadget that allows users to control their TV, mobile phone or tablet computer using a virtual input device.

Eclipse Glasses Sold Out in Advance of Sunday’s Solar Eclipse

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:47:54 +0000

You probably won’t find eclipse glasses at your corner grocer or the local big box store. Ever. And right now, you’ll be hard pressed to find them anywhere.

Guantanamo tribunal weighs separate 9/11 trials

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:45:43 +0000

A special US military tribunal at Guantanamo is weighing whether to hold separate trials for five accused plotters of the September 11 attacks, a defense lawyer said.

Arizona elections chief seeks proof of Obama’s citizenship

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:40:31 +0000

(Reuters) – Arizona’s secretary of state said Friday he had asked officials in Hawaii to verify that Barack Obama was born in their state in order for the president’s name to appear on the November ballot in Arizona. Ken Bennett, who is Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign co-chairman in Arizona, said he made the request on behalf of a constituent. Earlier this year, hardline Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio announced that an investigation by his office had found that Obama’s birth certificate was a forgery. …

Before the game

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:38:59 +0000

Finalnd’s players gather around their goalkeeper before the quarter-final ice hockey game of the IIHF International Ice Hockey World Championship in Helsinki. Team Finland defeated Team USA 3-2.

Health Highlights: May 18, 2012

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:51:45 +0000

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Scramble for Facebook stock ends in “Face-flop”

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:50:37 +0000

NEW YORK (Reuters) – On Monday, 74-year-old Betty Tanguilig told her financial adviser to liquidate a $ 400,000 account and put all the proceeds into Facebook Inc IPO shares. Her adviser, Alan Haft, agreed to sell only $ 46,000 of the $ 400,000 account, one of several the retiree has. But at about 6:00 a.m. EDT Friday, Haft heard from his brokerage firm, E*Trade Financial Corp, that Tanguilig did not get any IPO shares. Tanguilig, a retired mother of eight, was furious. She has been on Facebook for many years and regularly logs in. “I had to have it,” she said. …

China solar stocks slump again after U.S. trade move

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:47:59 +0000

(Reuters) – Solar stocks slumped to fresh lows on Friday as investors continued to punish Chinese solar companies a day after the United States said it would impose new duties on imports from the world’s leading solar manufacturer. Suntech Power Holdings was down 4.2 percent, Trina Solar Ltd slid 5 percent and Yingli Green Energy dropped 7.5 percent, extending declines made on Thursday when the U.S. Commerce Department ruled China-based solar companies had violated trade rules and ‘dumped’ their products in the U.S. at below-market prices. …

TransCanada says Ontario nuclear reactor opening delayed

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:45:43 +0000

(Reuters) – TransCanada Corp said one of the reactors at the Bruce Power nuclear power facility in Ontario will not start operations in the second quarter due to a generator fault. The company said the technical fault happened on the non-nuclear side of the plant’s operations. The unit is not likely to be synchronized to the Ontario electrical grid in the second quarter, it said. After the refurbishment, which is expected to cost the company about C$ 2.4 billion, the project would have a capacity of more than 6,200 megawatts. …

Former VP Al Gore has a girlfriend

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:40:29 +0000

It appears Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former vice president Al Gore is back in the game. Back in the dating game, that is. He has, according to The Washington Post’s Reliable Source blog, a “serious girlfriend.” Her name is Elizabeth Keadle—better known as Liz—a well-heeled Democratic donor from Southern California in her 50s with [...]

Kyle Busch captures pole for Sprint All-Star race

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:38:56 +0000

Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks to the media before practice for Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star auto race in Concord, N.C., Friday, May 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

German baritone opera singer Fischer-Dieskau dead

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:55:40 +0000

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the renowned German baritone who performed for more than five decades on stages in Berlin, Vienna, London and New York, died Friday. He was 86.

Georgia Woman With Flesh-Eating Disease to Lose Hands, Right Foot

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:51:43 +0000

Aimee Copeland Shed No Tears, Family said

SEC to look at Facebook trade glitches

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:50:29 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Securities and Exchange Commission will review the Nasdaq trading glitches surrounding the initial public offering of Facebook Inc on Friday, an agency spokesman said. “As is our practice, staff will review the incident with Nasdaq to determine its cause and steps that will be taken to address it,” SEC spokesman John Nester said in a statement. (Reporting By Dave Clarke; Editing by Gary Hill)

Rocket, weather look good on eve of new space era

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:48:02 +0000

NASA hasn’t seen this much launch jitters since the space shuttle program ended last summer.

N.Irish police charge five dissidents with ‘terror’ offences

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:45:43 +0000

Northern Irish police charged five dissident republicans with “terror” offences on Friday.

Georgia woman learns toll of flesh-eating bacteria

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:40:22 +0000

Faced with the prospect of losing both hands and her one remaining foot, a young Georgia woman battling to survive a case of flesh-eating bacteria that has already claimed one leg mouthed the words “Let’s do this.”

Twitter Announces NASCAR Partnership; More Deals to Come?

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:39:00 +0000

Longtime informal social media buddies Twitter and NASCAR are making things official for next month’s Pocono 400 race. It’s Twitter’s first official partnership with a sports league, and may hint at a larger shift to come for the microblogging platform that has become a hit with sports fans in particular.

Photographer “blows away” subjects

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:55:43 +0000

Click image to see more photos. (Tadas Cerniauskas) An eye-popping photo series shows that perhaps there is no “good side” when your face is getting blasted by powerful gusts of wind. Lithuanian photographer Tadas Cerniauskas from the Tadao Cern studio created the work entitled “Blow Job.” He took the photos during a design exhibition in [...]

Pick Up Skills, Tips, and Tricks for Building a Successful Joomla! Website with Packt’s New Beginner’s Guide

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:50:29 +0000

Packt is pleased to announce the release of Joomla! 2.5 Beginner’s Guide book, an update to the popular Joomla! 1.5 Beginner’s Guide book for web designers to create a website within an hour. Written by Eric Tiggeler, this practical guide is designed to be placed alongside the computer as a mentor to design and manage content on a website with easy navigation by help of step-by-step tutorials and screenshots.Birmingham, UK (PRWEB) May 19, 2012 Packt is pleased to announce the release of Joomla! 2.5 Beginner’s Guide book, an update to the popular Joomla! 1. …

NASA to Watch Solar Eclipse from Grand Canyon Sunday

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:47:56 +0000

A solar eclipse is set to impress skywatchers around the world this weekend, and a team of NASA scientists are hosting a fun viewing party at one of the most spectacular destinations in the United States: The Grand Canyon.

Madagascar strongman says ready for accord with rival

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:45:37 +0000

Madagascar’s strongman leader Andry Rajoelina said Friday he was ready to make a political agreement with the president he ousted ahead of new elections.

Rocks Found on Beach Mysteriously Catch Fire in Woman’s Pocket

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:40:30 +0000

A California Mother Is Recovering From Second- and Third-Degree Burns

Kings beat Coyotes to reach brink of Stanley Cup final

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:38:57 +0000

Los Angeles left wing Dwight King scored 1:47 into the third period, giving the Kings a 2-1 National Hockey League victory over Phoenix to put them on the brink of the Stanley Cup Final.

Second Travolta accuser drops suit, hires celebrity attorney

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:55:41 +0000

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The second masseur who accused John Travolta of sexual battery dropped his lawsuit against the Hollywood star on Thursday and hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who said she may file a new complaint in a different court. Allred now represents the Atlanta-based man, known as John Doe No. 2, as well as the original Travolta sexual battery accuser, a Texas masseur known as John Doe No. 1. “We believe that the lawsuit should be filed in another court and, therefore, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice,” Allred said in a statement. …

All baby boomers should get hepatitis C test -CDC

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:51:52 +0000

(Reuters) – All baby boomers should be tested at least once for the liver-destroying hepatitis C virus, according to proposed guidelines from U.S. health officials released on Friday. The often-undiagnosed virus is transmitted through contaminated blood. While infection rates have dropped dramatically since the early 1990s – due in part to the introduction of blood and organ screening – many older adults are still at risk, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released the draft guidelines. …

Sudden wealth part of Silicon Valley’s everyday

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:50:41 +0000

In Silicon Valley, where sudden wealth is hardly something new and CEOs favor hoodies over bespoke blazers, Facebook’s IPO on Friday didn’t bring everyday life to a halt.

EPA report outlines potential Pebble mine risks

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:47:54 +0000

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – Large stretches of salmon-spawning streams and thousands of acres of wetlands would be wiped out if a large-scale mining project were to be built in southwestern Alaska’s copper-rich Bristol Bay region, according to a report issued Friday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The report, while not directly addressing it, is a potential blow to the massive Pebble copper and gold mine operation proposed by an international alliance of mining interests, and opposed by environmentalists and local native groups. …

Students defiant as Quebec unveils law to quell strikes

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:45:41 +0000

(Reuters) – Angry Quebec student leaders on Friday vowed to fight a tough new law to quell 14 weeks of strikes against tuition hikes, threatening to escalate their protests into a broad campaign of civil disobedience. The Quebec government, seeking to end demonstrations it says could harm the economy, says anyone organizing a protest of more than 25 people must give police eight hours’ advance notice, something critics see as an assault on civil liberties. …

Postal employee on workers’ comp caught running Boston Marathon

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:40:34 +0000

A U.S. District Court in Florida convicted a former Florida postal worker of health care fraud after she was caught participating in more than 80 long-distance races, including the Boston Marathon, all while taking workers’ compensation for a back injury. Jacquelyn V. Myers, 55, was also convicted of making false statements and faces up to [...]

Federer, Serena hammer out French Open threat

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:38:57 +0000

Roger Federer and Serena Williams took home trophies on Sunday from the Madrid Masters, with the pair of veteran champions hoping to channel their clay success into more glory at Roland Garros.

Make your mind up J.Lo, says “American Idol” producer

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:55:41 +0000

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Jennifer Lopez and “American Idol” producers played a cat-and- mouse game on Friday over the singer’s future on the TV talent show that revived her career and sent her to the top of a global celebrity power list. “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe said on Friday that Lopez must decide whether to sign up as a judge for a third year or go off in a new direction. …

Melanoma a Big Threat to Older Men

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:51:44 +0000

FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) — Older men have an increased risk of developing melanoma, but most are careless about sun protection and do not know how to properly check themselves for signs of skin cancer, a new survey reveals.

Facebook investors left guessing after Nasdaq glitch

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:50:30 +0000

(Reuters) – Individual investors were left in the dark for hours on Friday about whether their buy and sell orders for newly issued Facebook shares had actually been executed, in the latest of a series high-profile exchange glitches in recent years. Massive demand for the social networking giant’s initial public offering, which set a trading volume record for U.S. market debuts, led to a 45-minute delay in the start of trading in the stock. But it was what happened after trading started that had some on Wall Street fuming. …

Wheat jumps again on worries about dry weather

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:47:56 +0000

Wheat futures soared again Friday as more concerns about dry weather hit the market.

Equatorial Guinea government resigns

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:45:44 +0000

The government of Equatorial Guinea’s prime minister Ignacio Milam Tang resigned in line with a constitutional reform approved in November, the country’s communications minister said Friday.

Some healing for woman bullied as a teen

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:40:24 +0000

A woman who was bullied mercilessly in high school 25 years ago has gotten some closure from a class reunion page on Facebook. Lynda Frederick, a graduate of Orange Glen High in Escondido, Calif., in 1987, posted a heartbreaking poem about her experience on her school’s 25th class reunion page. Excerpts: that little girl who [...]

Kerr crashes out of Sybase Match Play

skoty_root — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:39:08 +0000

Cristie Kerr crashed out of the LPGA’s Sybase Match Play Championship on Friday, losing to Vicky Hurst 1-up on a day when four of the top-10 seeds moved to the third round.

Peter Berg discusses bringing “Battleship” to film

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:55:51 +0000

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Peter Berg parlayed successful acting work on TV shows like medical drama “Chicago Hope” to an even greater directing career of movies such as “Friday Night Lights,” which later became a TV series, and the Will Smith action flick “Hancock.” On Friday, Berg’s latest film, alien-invasion actioner “Battleship,” steams into theaters. It takes its title from the Hasbro board game in which two players engage in a guessing game to see who can sink the other’s naval ships. …

Facebook stock closes nearly flat in debut

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:50:30 +0000

It was barely a “like” and definitely not a “love” from Facebook investors as the online social network’s stock failed to live up to the hype in its trading debut Friday.

This Is Your Child’s Brain on Exercise; How to Make Schools Healthier

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:47:52 +0000

Discovered: Kids brains look different than adults brains when exercising, how to make schools healthier and how thunderclouds are contributing to climate change. This is your child’s brain on exercise. It looks different than your adult brain, finds research. When kids exercise they change the way their brains work. ”In the last several years there have been data suggesting that neurobiological changes are happening — [there are] very brain-specific mechanisms at work here,” explains researcher David Bucci. …

Cameron, France’s Hollande clash on Tobin tax

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:45:44 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron and new French President Francois Hollande clashed on Friday over the need for a financial transactions tax to fund growth but played down other differences over how to respond to the euro zone debt crisis. Both leaders said after a first 35-minute meeting at the British ambassador’s residence in Washington that they backed measures to cut deficits and spur growth in Europe, glossing over differences between Hollande’s pro-growth stance and Cameron’s emphasis on reducing debt. …

Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Goes on Food Stamps Budget

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:40:23 +0000

Like” us on Facebook.com/TrendingNow and follow Trending Now on Twitter: @Knowlesitall and @YahooTrending Can you get by on $ 1.48 per meal for a week? That’s the campaign challenge that the Food Bank for New York City has posed to those interested in seeing what it’s like to live on food stamps. Celebrity chef Mario Batali and his family [...]

Avalanche sign veteran forward Hejduk to one-year deal

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:38:54 +0000

(Reuters) – Veteran forward, team captain and three-time All-Star Milan Hejduk has signed a one-year contract to stay with the Colorado Avalanche through the 2012-13 season, the National Hockey League (NHL) team said on Friday. The softly spoken 36-year-old Czech Republic native, who helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2001, has played for the club for the last 13 years. A triple Olympian, Hejduk recorded 11 straight 20-goal seasons in Colorado from 1999-00 to 2010-11, and is just nine games short of becoming the first player in the franchise to appear in 1,000 games. …

Man with record-breaking 14-foot mustache has some grooming tips

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:55:48 +0000

Ram Singh Chauhan of India has the world’s longest mustache, 14 feet, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Chauhan had received attention long before entering the world record books. According to the London Telegraph, his famous facial hair was featured in the 1983 James Bond film “Octopussy” and he has made cameos in [...]

Fees Lead Some Kids to Skip After-School Sports: Survey

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:51:51 +0000

FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) — Schools that charge kids to participate in sports may be benching some children, a new survey finds.

Facebook stock debut fails to sizzle

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:50:39 +0000

It was barely a “like” and definitely not a “love” from Facebook investors as the online social network’s stock failed to live up to the hype in its trading debut Friday.

EPA: Mining could affect quality of water, fish

skoty_root — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:47:58 +0000

The possible failure of a dam holding waste from a large-scale mine near the headwaters of one of the world’s premier salmon fisheries in Alaska could wipe out or degrade rivers and streams in the region for decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a draft watershed assessment released Friday.