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In this day and age, even the average sedan is packing some serious heat under the hood. It didn’t use to be like this and there was a time when even “sports cars” were listed under 150 horsepower. For those unfamiliar with the history behind the horsepower wars, follow the jump for an infographic primer from the 1960s to the present day.

[Source: Auto Insurance for Autoblog.com]

Continue reading Engine power has increased 112% since 1980… and other fun facts about the Horsepower Wars

Engine power has increased 112% since 1980… and other fun facts about the Horsepower Wars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 May 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The days of time-division multiplexing (TDM) managing the majority of our phone calls is coming to an end. The soon-to-be obsolete switches have too many issues, and offer limited opportunities to expand.

Conservation: TDM switches require constant bandwidth per channel, emit a whopping 1.7 billion kg of CO2 each year in the U.S., which is equivalent to 361,000 cars being driven for a year (1).

Operating expenses (OPEX): Power usage of TDM switches account for 2-3 percent of a network’s total OPEX (2).

Adapting to new user behavior: Phone service with voicemail doesn’t cut it anymore. Data networks and voice networks are enmeshed in one giant network that allows people to simultaneous download, chat, video conference and engage in a variety of online social activities.

Offering a far more efficient and next-gen solution is the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architectural framework, which unifies fixed and cellular switching. Alcatel-Lucent offers its own IMS End-to-End Solution, which offers the following benefits:

• Total communications – from simple voice-over-IP (VoIP) to enhanced multimedia communications.
• One IMS switch can replace multiple TDM switches. Reduce OPEX with fewer offices to manage.
• IMS equipment can scale from a few users to thousands.
• Low-energy scalable switches emit less heat, reducing expenses in energy consumption and cooling.

To learn how Alcatel’s new communications architecture reduced footprints by 75 percent and power use by 65 percent, make sure to read “Alcatel-Lucent IP Multimedia Subsystem: Eco-efficiency Makes Economic Sense.” Then learn how those savings can apply to your enterprise by checking out Alcatel-Lucent Data Network Solutions by business type.

Click here to view all Alcatel-Lucent posts

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A coal miner working at Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine when it exploded last month, killing 29 colleagues, described the operation this week as “a ticking time bomb,” where the management valued production over safety and workers didn’t protest for fear of being fired.

“The ventilation system they had didn’t work,” said Stanley “Goose” Stewart, a 15-year veteran of the UBB mine who was 300 feet underground when the blast occurred. “With no air moving it gave me the feeling that area was a ticking time bomb.”

There was plenty of warning that the conditions in the UBB mine were dangerous, Stewart told House lawmakers. The mine had experienced “at least two fireballs” prior to the April 5 blast, he said, suggesting not only that the vent systems were faulty, but that there were also problems with the mine’s methane sensors.

“How could methane build up to that point where a fireball could start?” he asked during a field hearing of the House Education and Labor Committee in Beckley, W.Va., near the site of the UBB blast.

The allegations — which are strikingly similar to those made by a growing number of Massey workers, both veterans and active miners — arrive just four days after Don Blankenship, Massey’s bellicose CEO, told Senate Democrats that miner safety is the company’s top priority.

“Massey does not place profits over safety,” Blankenship testified before the Senate Appropriations Labor Subcommittee last Thursday. “We never have and we never will. Period.”

Although the UBB mine had been cited for safety violations more than 600 times since the start of 2009, Blankenship argued that the mine’s safety history is irrelevant because “abatement [of hazards] is mandatory.”

“At Massey, we always fix the problem,” he said, “even if we disagree with the penalty.”

But Stewart, along with a number of relatives of UBB victims, had a dramatically different story, telling lawmakers that Massey managers frequently cut corners to maximize production, even when it came at the expense of the workers’ safety.

Steve Morgan, for instance, father of 21-year-old Adam Morgan, who was killed during the blast, testified that it was common for workers in UBB to pull down the ventilation curtains — the plastic sheets that direct the flow of fresh air and prevent methane gas from accumulating — because they can get in the way of heavy equipment, slowing down production.

“Ventilation was so bad he was sent home early several times, including once about a week before the explosion because they weren’t getting enough air,” Morgan said.

Gary Quarles, a Massey miner whose son, Gary Wayne, was also a victim of the UBB disaster, told lawmakers that Massey foremen in the mines are warned when inspectors arrive on the site — a system lending workers some time to get the place cleaned up before the inspectors get underground. “When the word goes out,” Quarles said, “all effort is made to correct any deficiencies or direct the inspector’s attention away from any deficiencies.”

And Stewart said that his crew was once asked to switch out a ventilation system without evacuating the affected section of the mine, as required by law. “I’m not sure MSHA was aware of the whole situation,” he said, referring to the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Workers didn’t complain, Stewart said, because “we knew that we’d be marked men and the management would look for ways to fire us” — a message echoed by most of the other witnesses to Monday’s hearing.

As a sign of how highly Massey values efficiency, UBB miners were denied vacation last summer after they failed to meet production targets, Stewart said.

“I felt like I was working for the Gestapo at times,” he said. “We did some things right, but were forced to do some things wrong.”

If the allegations were isolated, they might be easy to ignore. But there’s a pattern emerging from all the scrutiny of Massey that’s followed last month’s disaster. Chuck Nelson, another former Massey miner who spoke with TWI from his West Virginia home last month, said the trends are hardly limited to the UBB mine.

“I worked at six different Massey mines and every single one of ‘em operated the same way,” said Nelson, who now volunteers for the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.

Massey, which was quick to issue a statement following last week’s Senate hearing, has so far been silent in the face of the more recent allegations.

Toda semana estamos trazendo alguma má notícia relacionada a algum supercarro que não tem um final feliz. Alguns ficam abandonados em ruas desertas ou em linhas de trem debaixo de camadas de neve, outros tem incêndios misteriosos ou apenas uma batida comum, como é o caso da primeira Ferrari 458 Italia a passar por isso. Mas espera ai, uma batida comum em uma Ferrari?

Ferrari não é um carro comum, uma batida em um carro desses deve abalar mais o coração do dono do que seu próprio bolso, não sei se teria forças para aguentar. Enfim, desabados à parte, a foto acima mostra um acidente que aconteceu no dia 20 de maio, às 13:45 (horário local da Polônia).

O motorista foi burro imprudente o bastante para dirigir seu carrão a uma velocidade de 120 a 140 Km/h em uma rua estreita (vejam a foto novamente) e movimentada, sem mencionar que o limite de velocidade era de 60 Km/h. O pseudo-piloto tentou se desviar de um ônibus e perdeu o controle, batendo em um Volkswagen Bora. A polícia afirma que a culpa foi do motorista da Ferrari, por estar em alta velocidade. Vejam mais fotos da lambança que o motorista burro imprudente fez a seguir.

Imagens do acidente

Via | Topspeed

Job-Nabbing Help

It’s tough to find a job when you’ve been unemployed. But it helps if potential employers know you’ve been boosting your resume, building your skills or actively networking – not just biding your time. Bob Podgorski, Coordinator of the St. Hubert Job and Networking Ministry in Hoffman Estates, will offer a talk on highlighting your post-layoff productivity at the next edition of Harper College’s Career Stimulus, a monthly career-boosting program focused on getting local residents the job-hunting and job-nabbing support they need. The May session runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Friday, May 28 in the Wojcik Conference Center on Harper’s main campus. Podgorski’s keynote discussion, “How to Show You Are Not Standing Still,” will provide tips for being smartly productive during a layoff and advice on defining your activities for potential future employers. It’s the latest in a series of Career Stimulus topics focused on supporting the unemployed as they begin to land more interviews and see more career options amid a gradually rebounding economy. Breakout sessions will address launching a new business, stress and money management, job search library resources, personal success tips and tools for jumpstarting or restarting a career. Participants should bring 25 copies of their resume or business card for networking purposes. Career Stimulus, launched in 2009 to provide Northwest suburban residents with post-layoff help in a downturned economy, has drawn 300 regular members and helped hundreds of community members revamp their resumes, energize their job hunt and work toward new careers. “Today, as companies begin to hire again and more people begin to land interviews and get jobs, our local residents are facing different career concerns than they were in the recent past,” Adult Learning Special Assistant Nancy Wajler says. “We’re filling those new needs with even more sophisticated support.” Career Stimulus is free for first-timers. Subsequent sessions are $10. Memberships are available for $85; they include a year of meetings, one-on-one sessions with a Harper career coach, workshops, and materials for and admission to an intensive “NetWorthing” session focused on making networking work. You do not need to be a Harper resident to participate.  For more, visit www.harpercollege.edu or call 847.925.6438.

Media Note: How do you show employers you haven’t been wasting time while unemployed? Bob Podgorski is available for interviews in advance of the event. Interviews also are available with Career Stimulus participants who have landed jobs and with Harper Adult Learning Special Assistant Nancy Wajler, who can comment on how job clubs may need to change as America slowly climbs out of a recession. Contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

Still Time for Nominations

Nominations still are being accepted for Harper College’s Distinguished Alumni Award, an annual honor saluting former Harper students for outstanding career and community achievements. The nomination deadline has been extended to Monday, May 31. The awards first were handed out in 2008 as part of the College’s 40th Anniversary celebration. Ten recipients, representing a variety of educational journeys, have been honored since then. This year, between six and eight Distinguished Alumni will be inducted. Recipients will be lauded at a November reception; they also must agree to return to campus at least one more time within the year to be a guest speaker or participate in a student roundtable. “The recipient of this award will have the opportunity to inspire others, including the students who are now part of the same campus that helped so many alumni get their start,” says Catherine Brod, Educational Foundation Executive Director and Vice President of Community Relations. Previous honorees have included an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, an 80-something retiree still taking – and teaching – courses, a mayor, a fire chief and a National Geographic-honored geoarchaeologist. To be eligible, nominees must have completed Harper credit courses, made notable moves in their career and shown professional growth in their chosen field, and had a positive impact on their community through leadership or volunteering. Forms are available at Harper’s Alumni Relations Office, Room A317, Building A on the Palatine campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine, or online, www.harpercollege.edu/alumni. For more information, call 847.925.6490.

Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

Student Art Exhibition

Artwork from community members enrolled in Harper College continuing education painting and drawing courses will be on display from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 25 in the Harper College Exhibition Space, Room C200, Building C on the main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. The exhibit, “Paintings and Portraits: Artists in Full Bloom,” will showcase works from students enrolled in oil and acrylic painting and portrait drawing courses with instructor Daryl Harris. Harris, who studied at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and spent a decade teaching art, now is a Chicago artist and illustrator. The exhibition and accompanying reception is free and open to all. Harper offers a host of open-to-all art courses for community members throughout the year. For more information, including a list of courses and fees, call Continuing Education at 847.925.6300 or visit www.harpercollege.edu/ce.

Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

New Novel

Harper College Assistant Professor Glenn Taylor turned to his home state of West Virginia for the inspiration for his first novel, a literary debut that made him a finalist for a prestigious national writing award and earned him the support of HarperCollins Publishers. For his second novel, released on Tuesday, May 11, Taylor again draws on that state’s rich history for a post-World War II story about a man, his community and the race and class issues that haunted the 1950s and 1960s American south. The Marrowbone Marble Company is a tale of struggle, loss and oppression, Taylor says – but also of faith and love over the course of three decades. It tells the story of Loyal Ledford, who works the swing shift tending furnace at a West Virginia glass factory and courts the boss’ daughter until Pearl Harbor is attacked, setting his life on a new course. The book is published by Ecco, a division of HarperCollins. Taylor’s debut novel The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart was featured as part of Barnes & Noble’s “Discover Great New Writers” collection, and made Taylor a 2008 National Book Critics Circle awards finalist – putting him in the company of authors like Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates and John Updike. Taylor, who has taught English and fiction writing at Harper since 2002, was born and raised in Huntington, W. Va., and attended Ohio University. He earned a master’s in fiction writing from Texas State University. He lives in Mount Prospect with his wife and three sons.

Media Note: For interviews with or high-resolution pictures of M. Glenn Taylor, contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

Harper Golf Open

The Harper College Educational Foundation will host its annual Golf Open on Monday, June 14 at the Inverness Golf Club, 102 N. Roselle Road in Palatine. The event, a fundraiser for student programming and scholarships, includes 18 holes of golf, lunch, a cocktail reception, an awards banquet and buffet dinner for $500. Those who don’t wish to golf can attend the cocktail reception, banquet and buffet dinner for $125. Various levels of sponsorships are available. The Open also will feature a raffle (prizes include free rounds of golf) and a live auction for 2010 Cubs. vs. Cardinals and Sox vs. Cubs tickets. All proceeds benefit Harper’s Resource for Excellence Fund, which bolsters the College with programming, scholarships and other support where it’s most needed, in accordance with community needs. “Today, in the face of decreased state funding and an increased demand for community college services, we are even more grateful for the support we receive from our community through events like this one,” says Catherine Brod, Executive Director of the Harper College Educational Foundation. “Our Golf Open is another wonderful opportunity to come together for the purpose of championing our students.” The Open will kick off with a 10 a.m. registration and free golf clinic. The shotgun start is at 11:30 a.m. To attend, purchase raffle tickets, become a sponsor or make a donation, call 847.925.6490 or visit www.harpercollege.edu.

Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].

Photo Opportunities

Event: Continuing Education Student Art Exhibition

Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 25

Location: Art Exhibition Space, Room C200, Building C

 

Event: Educational Foundation Golf Open

Time: 11:30 am Monday, June 14

Location: Inverness Golf Club, 102 N. Roselle Road, Palatine

 

Event: InZone summer kids camp. Courses include fishing, cooking, film and fashion options.

Date: Mondays-Thursdays from June 7 through August 12 (call for best days/times)

Location: Campus-wide

 

Making poor lending decisions is by no means uniquely American. In case you haven’t heard, the Europeans are going through a debt crisis of their own right now, and it’s bound to have an impact on America’s economy. Seems that several broke countries have lent massive amounts to other broke countries and nobody can pay each other back. Bailouts are inevitable, but where is the money going to come from? Some other broke economy! And round and round it goes. Comedy team Clarke and Dawes take the piss out of it all in a mock business game show.

Hello college students. Artsy ones. It’s summer, that most magical of seasons. You want an awesome art internship with a website you love. We have one. More »










Education – Colleges and Universities – College Life – Art – College

With the premier of “Sex and the City 2” in New York City’s Radio City Hall, the ladies of the sex and the city are back once again to your televisions. And the red carpet was marvelous with all the four actresses appearing in beautiful gowns.

Sarah Jessica Parker appeared in one shouldered yellow gown which was from Valentino Collection and she was looking absolutely stunning with her make up and hairs. Everything went well with her gown according to USA today.

Cynthia Nixon appeared in a black gown from Carolina Herrera which just caught the public eyes. It was hard to say, if the gown was made for her or she was made for that gown. Kristin Davis as usual looked pretty and cute in her pink chiffon gown, it fit her very well.

Kim Cattrall looked like a sexy lady in her 50’s, though no one can tell she is 50. She was wearing a gold embellished gown from Naeem Khan. All the cast members were present for the premiere, but the 4 ladies were the main attraction and everyone was curious to see what they were wearing.

Related posts:

1. Sex and the City 2 Premiere
2. John Travolta to be a Father Again
3. Teacher Beats Student in Houston

Eyeballs deep in tax debt and engaged to marry another woman, Aaron Carter never too busy to sound off on the mess that is his former sweetheart Lindsay Lohan.

Aaron single-handedly set off Tween Pandemonium when he was caught in a love triangle with then-teenage pop rivals Lindsay and Hilary Duff. In the years since, Aaron’s battle addiction and a harrowing trip to VH1’s Celebrity Rehab.

The ex-heartthrob thinks his own struggles make him an authority on Linds’ well-publicized recent legal woes. Here’s what Carter had to say: “It hurts me to see that. I hope she can really learn something from this. They are going to make an example of you now, Lindsay, and you deserve it,” Aaron told OK! “You don’t get in the car with two people and go chasing after your assistant going a hundred miles an hour down PCH. I don’t know what to say about it anymore. I’m pissed!”

Paul Gray, the bassist from Grammy award winning band Slipknot was found dead in a hotel room in Iowa. An employee of a hotel found Gray dead in his room and informed the police about it, Gray was 38 years old. Jacoby Shaddix, the lead singer of metal band said, Paul was a good person and he will be missed by many people.

Gray had been living in the hotel for couple of days according to the police sergeant. The cause of staying in a hotel or his death is not known yet, an autopsy has been planned for Tuesday. Paul Gray was best known for his masks, trashing sound and aggressive lyrics. Music director of Des Moines rock station said, it is huge loss, Paul was the friendliest and caring people he knew and he was a very good bass player he said.

Slipknot was one of the popular metal bands and no one can replace it. Paul Gray’s death was unexpected and it is devastating news for everyone not only in America but all over the world.

Related posts:

1. Cause Of Death: Paul Gray Autopsy Due Tomorrow, Slipknot Silenced
2. Paul Gray Dead- No More Slipknot Bass Player: Farewell Slipknot Bassist!
3. Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray – Found Dead in a Hotel Room

Ryan McBride wrote:

Cambridge, MA-based Genzyme (NASDAQ:GENZ) has won FDA approval to sell its Pompe disease drug alglucosidase alpha (Lumizyme) made in 4,000-liter batches at its plant in Geel, Belgium, the company reported this morning. The FDA approved the drug for treating patients who are at least 8 years old with Pompe, a rare genetic disease that robs people of their ability to make an enzyme that breaks down sugars that build up and enlarge heart and muscle tissues. Genzyme’s drug replaces the lacking enzyme. The disease, which can be fatal, causes symptoms such as lung infections and respiratory failure, according to the National Institutes of Health.

New bail conditions were imposed on actress Lindsay Lohan by Los Angeles County superior court judge at a hearing on Monday. These conditions included bracelet to detect alcohol, she was totally prohibited from drinking any alcohol, and she must attend for weekly drug tests.

Lohan was already 11 minutes late when she reached the courtroom, and she left the court after hearing all the conditions and with a bracelet on her hand. Judge Marsha Revel ordered Lindsay to stay in Los Angeles until her next probation hearing on 6^th of July. When Revel ordered Lindsay not to leave L.A area, Lindsay was not happy to hear this, her face showed a stress which was visible.

Lohan’s lawyer said, the alcohol monitor bracelet and random drug tests would interfere with the shooting of Lohan’s movie next month, but Judge Revel said, shooting work must be delayed. The bracelet will detect if she has ingested any alcohol, it will collect the information and transfer it to the modem. Judge Revel also said, Lindsay must attend alcohol classes regularly and follow all the conditions which were ordered.

Related posts:

1. Lindsay Lohan Story
2. Lindsay Lohan in court after returning to Los Angeles
3. Lindsay Lohan back in L.A

An alligator snapping turtle was caught by a fisherman named Sun Yongcheon in Weishan Lake, Anhui province, China.

Alligator snapping turtles are not native to China because it can only be found in North America. It is the largest of the North American freshwater turtles. Alligator Snapping Turtles are characterized by a large, heavy head and a long thick shell with three dorsal ridges of large scales.

The spokesman for the Jining Fishing Bureau said this was the first time an alligator snapping turtle had been found in their local water system. It was probably someone’s pet before being dumped in the lake, the local fishing department said. The creature’s alien status meant that it could have posed a danger to the local ecological system, they added.

The alligator snapping turtle measures 76 cm long and 30 cm wide and weighs 7 kg. The fisherman was surprised after catching this striking creature. “I suddenly noticed a black thing was hooked on the net, which scared me. It was struggling and biting the net when I pulled it up,” he said.

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2. Bono undergone emergency neurosurgery
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It may not share cinnamon’s universal applicability to consumables, but turmeric is another spice with some powerful culinary and medicinal qualities that deserves our attention. Turmeric, known officially as Curcuma longa and historically as Indian saffron, is a rhizome of the ginger family. Its horizontal root system is dug up, baked, and ground into a fine orange powder, which then goes into any number of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Southeast Asian dishes. Pretty much every curry you come across anywhere, for example, includes a generous portion of turmeric. Common yellow mustard also includes turmeric, mostly as a food colorant.

Turmeric imparts a unique flavor: slightly bitter and a bit spicy, with a mustard-like scent. Upon tasting a dab of turmeric powder by itself for the first time, one is reminded of curries and other Asian stews. It’s a bit of an “Aha!” moment, in fact; you’re finally direct witness to the identity of that secretive flavor lurking within the explosiveness of the common Asian curry after all those years of take out and home cooking with anonymous curry powder mixes. Turmeric itself is actually fairly mild and unassuming, so using it as a solitary spice won’t turn every dish into a curry bonanza – in case you were worried.

Here are a few ways to experiment with the stuff in the kitchen:

• Turmeric pairs well with fish, often accompanied by little else than salt, pepper, and some lemon juice.
• For roasted chicken, I’ll sometimes rub the dry, raw bird with a turmeric-butter mixture before it enters the oven.
• You can turn that same turmeric butter into turmeric ghee – in Ayurvedic tradition, turmeric and ghee have a potent synergistic effect. Just mix softened butter with turmeric a couple hours before clarifying it.
• Add a few teaspoons to your chili for a curious subtlety that’ll make tasters scratch their chins and wonder aloud.
• The next time you roast a winter squash, sprinkle the finished flesh with turmeric, cinnamon, and butter.
• Simmer a teaspoon of turmeric and a teaspoon of cardamom in a cup of coconut milk for ten minutes. Remove, strain, and add a dash of cinnamon for a hearty, healthy drink.
• Roast fresh cauliflower dusted with turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper and tossed in your cooking fat of choice.
• Try this Moroccan Chicken Casserole.

Years ago, I did a short piece of the anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory effect of turmeric. Turmeric was shown to improve insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels in rodent models. Mice given the supplement were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and they enjoyed greater body fat losses. Good, promising stuff all around. Plus, there’s plenty more:

Alzheimer’s/Dementia

• Curcumin supplementation has shown promise in treating and preventing Alzheimer’s disease: an overview.
• Sustained low doses of curcumin were actually more effective in reducing beta-amyloid plaques than higher doses.
• AD incidence is lower in regions with high levels of turmeric usage, like in India (compared to the United States) and in East Asia (compared to Europe).

Cancer

• The anti-cancer effects of curcumin: an overview.
• Curcumin induces breast cancer cell apopstosis.
• Unlike many other anticancer agents that suppress the host’s immune system, curcumin is actually immunorestorative.
• Disrupted cell growth is a large factor in cancer development, and curcumin has a regulatory effect on cell function.
• Large and small bowel cancer rates are relatively low in India, especially among rural folks (eating a more traditional diet, one assumes).

Miscellany

• Turmeric extract high in curcumin was able to halt the progression of rheumatoid arthritis in animal model; the higher the curcumin content, the greater the effect.
• Curcumin inhibits the type of inflammation associated with arthritis.
• Topical curcumin speeds up the healing of wounds.
• Curcumin can reduce muscle soreness and the resultant performance loss after exercise.

Most of the research on turmeric has revolved around curcumin, an active, antioxidant component of the spice. By weight, curcumin content of turmeric powder goes no higher than 3.14% – not a terribly large amount, considering the therapeutic curcumin dosages being studied. Doses of between 2-6g are typically used in curcumin research, and it’s basically impossible to eat enough turmeric to ingest that amount of curcumin. Say you wanted a daily intake of 3g of curcumin, obtained through turmeric powder. Assuming you go the strongest stuff, you’d have to take about 3 ounces (conversion reminder: 16 ounces is 1 pound is 454 grams) of turmeric powder on a daily basis. That’s a lot of spice powder. I don’t care how much you love Indian food – it’s not going to be easy. Luckily, curcumin is non-toxic, and doses of up to 12g daily have been safely used. Note, though, that curcumin is a potential anticoagulant, so anyone taking prescription anticoagulants should check with their physician before supplementing.

Despite the focus on extracted curcumin, the epidemiology of cancer in India and other turmeric-using countries suggest that low, regular doses are beneficial, especially in cancer prevention. I love the taste, myself, so I’ll continue to use it regardless. I think you should, too.

Got any great turmeric recipes? Any success stories after using it as a health supplement? Let us know in the comments!

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Related posts:

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Call us skeptical but we’re not quite sure this is legit. A regular on myDroidWorld’s forums just posted a bunch of screenshots that are supposed to be a Droid running Froyo. There are shots of the app launcher, new Car Home, the camera, and updated search options. Really everything but the About Phone screen which will show the phone’s model number, firmware, and kernal version — you know, everything that would confirm his claims. So yeah, this might be the first look at the Droid running Android 2.2 or, well, it’s not. [MyDroidWorld via Droid-Life]

According to a recent study, even by decreasing one’s daily intake of sugary drinks by a small amount can lead to improvements for those suffering from high blood pressure.  The study showed that by reducing the daily amount by one can (how many cans do Americans drink in a day?) that one can reduce blood pressure from 1.8 points in systolic pressure down to 1.1 points of systolic pressure; a total drop of 0.7 points in systolic pressure.

According to assistant professor of epidemiology at Louisiana State University Health Science Center School of Public Health, Dr. Liwei Chen, the study “found a direct dose-response relationship.  Individually, it was not a big reduction. But population-wise, reducing total consumption could have a huge impact.”  In other words, the 0.7 drop in systolic pressure does not represent a startling breakthrough for any given individual, but if you added up a lot of people, say everyone in America, it adds up to a much bigger drop.

The study was conducted on a group of elderly people who did not consume a large amount of sugary drinks to begin with; it was stated that their level of consumption was already far below the American average of 2.3 drinks a day.

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Ready for your daily dose of viral marketing? This Lenovo video is just that, but it’s also an interesting look at the development of Lenovo’s upcoming ThinkCentre M90z all-in-one desktop PC. These folks know all-in-one desktops and the M90z looks to be the best yet. Launch data and specs should drop soon. Hopefully.

Gentry gives the modern man more than just the tie as the conversation piece or the only detailed accessory he has in his attire. Gentry box sets come complete with tie, collar clip, pocket square, and tie bar for a more complete look. Gentry accessories come in two collections: The Fitzgerald and The Hemmingway. Both contain three types of sets and include a different combination of ties, pins, pocket squares, and tie bars. Options also include herringbone, linen, and cotton ties. Available now at Gentry’s Online Shop.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s 2010 Federal Summit focused on how green site and building practices can be used to implement President Obama’s new executive order (13514), which calls for all federal buildings to be net-zero by 2030 and the federal government to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 28 percent by 2020. 

Martha Johnson, administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), said the U.S. government makes purchasing decisions that impact 350 million square feet per year, meaning its a “fulcrum for sustainable performance.” Johnson introduced the GSA’s zero environmental footprint (ZEF) initiative, which aims to eliminate the negative impact of the federal government on the environment. “This is our moonshot. It’s the right thing to do, but we need to take risks, innovate, and get out of our comfort zone.” Johnson added that the government is also now taking a cradle-to-cradle (C2C) approach so we create “design use and reuse cycles.” She also said the GSA has been incentivizing investment in “seeding new technologies,” such as more efficient roof-based solar panels.

USGBC CEO Rick Fedrizzi said the GSA’s zero environmental footprint (ZEF) initiative is a critical component to spreading green site and building best practices. He that across the U.S. one million square feet of building space is already being certified LEED every day. While environmentalists argue that this is “still a tiny amount, it’s still the largest demonstration project in U.S. history.”

Panelists at one session focused on calculating the costs and benefits of sustainable sites and buildings with a new accounting model: sustainable return on investment (SROI). Stephane Larocque, Principal Economist, HDR Architecture, said SROI is about determining the “triple bottom line.” To ensure all stakeholders buy-in to the SROI calculated by the model, HDR holds “public calculation sessions” to generate transparency.

Larocque outlined the main components of HDR’s model: benefits and costs. Benefits include cash benefits (reduced costs) and non-cash benefits (health, productivity, water, resiliency, safety, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced air contanimants). Costs included capital, operating, maintenance and waste disposal. Once the model (which HDR developed as an excel spreadsheet) is integrated with a set of data on each factor, HDR creates a set of financial results,  financial + internal non-cash impacts, and financial + internal and external non-cash costs and impacts. HDR said “it’s all about monetizing inputs, adding social and environmental factors, and using good data sources.”

To ensure they use good data sources, HDR does ”meta-research analyses,” covering all known environmental and scientific research on a given social or environmental factor. As an example, HDR will aggregate and select a median number from all legitimate research studies with numbers on the economic benefits of green buildings on worker health. To create a price on CO2 emissions that can be used in the model, a range of data types were considered. “We looked at financial insurance markets, Chicago carbon exchange, and E.U. carbon markets, willingness-to-pay surveys, and expert opinions.” HDR also looked at EPA state-by-state data on environmental pollutants per megawatt hour of energy. “We can create a probability curve around these values to generate an example cost of CO2 for our model.” Still, HDR enables a wide range of numbers to be plugged in. For instance, some people think climate change isn’t real, so they’d put the cost of one ton of carbon at zero. In comparison, the E.U. currently said the cost is around $75 per ton. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has listed $33 per ton in its TIGER challenge grants. 

In the recent project, a government hospital was calculating the SROI of LEED silver vs. doing nothin. HDR monetized the external non-cash benefits of LEED silver, which generated “more robust returns.” In another example, Johns Hopkins University determined that the financial return of its campus sustainability initiative was 11 percent, but once society’s perspective was added in, the return was 43 percent. “In this case, external benefits had to be added in to get grant money and gain Board approval for the campus greening project. SROI was used to prove environmental stewardship.”

Sustainable sites’ internal and external non-cash benefits were explored by applying the model to the army-run Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital, a landscape case study mentioned. Inside, the hospital focused on improving natural lighting and energy efficiency. Outside, the hospital invested in increasing access to nature through healing gardens, green roofs, and expanded green space. An overall integrated site design was used to improve patient recovery rates. One of the additional benefits: $40,000 in GHG emissions costs were saved per year. In a U.S. Marine’s hospital in Korea, pervious pavements and healing gardens were also added to both achieve financial success and increase the return on investment to Korean society as a whole. “Sustainable site benefits include CO2 and criteria air contaminants avoided.”

HDR concluded that many projects still use plain-old ROI, NPV or other methods, to determine project financing, which means a lot of sustainable projects don’t get built. Adding “environmental externalities” into any ROI model is crucial to increased investment in sustainability. 

The firm has gotten a wide range of support for the model, including a mention at the Clinton Climate Initiative, and Larocque said he will be developing a curriculum on the model with Harvard and Columbia universities. Unfortunately, HDR has yet to make the model (or data sets) available to all. Hopefully, checklists and assessment tools will be forthcoming.

Learn more about HDR’s approach in this powerpoint presentation.

Image credit: K. Duteil / ASLA 2006 General Design Honor Award. The Elizabeth & Nona Evans Restorative Garden Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland, Ohio. Dirtworks