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Many student aspire to be part of the University of California Berkley incoming student population.

While entrance examinations and aptitude examinations and panel interviews are routine screenings for a student to be admitted in such a university, just this month, something else is new. In addition to SAT scores, applicants are taken DNA (dioxyribonucleic acid) test for three gene parameters. Such genes will indicate and reveal how strong one students capacity is to resist alcohol, his ability to metabolize folic acid and the sugar lactose.

Just like any other tests, this will be kept confidential in the school’s database. Of course, knowing the results, the students will be able to take advantage of the data on how they can improve their way of living better to follow a healthier lifestyle. Furthermore, they were previously asked to widen their knowledge on living healthy and acquiring a healthy lifestyle by reading journals. According to the Mark Schlissel, Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences of the University of California Berkley, “We don’t just give you books to read. We involve you in cutting edge issues in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. You won’t see this anywhere else in higher education.”, proud of their unique values and continued pursuit of academic excellence.

Related posts:

1. SAT Scores And DNA Testing For Upcoming College Applicants
2. NIU Shooting; Only One Student Injured
3. Avail A Free iPad, But You Need To Study For That

An international investigation into the sinking of a South Korean Naval vessel has determined that a North Korean torpedo most likely caused the the ‘Cheonan’ to go down. Forty-six South Korean sailors died. A White House statement last night condemned the sinking of the Cheonan as an “act of aggression.” Deep breath:

This act of aggression is one more instance of North Korea’s unacceptable behavior and defiance of international law. This attack constitutes a challenge to international peace and security and is a violation of the Armistice Agreement.

South Korea’s president, Lee Myung-bak, warned of “resolute countermeasures” against the North. This is the North Korean response, according to The Washington Post:

North Korea immediately denounced the investigation as a “sheer fabrication” and accused the South of “pointing a dirty finger at us like a thief.” It added that if there is any retaliation or punishment of the North, it will respond with “various forms of tough measures including all-out war.”

Which probably counts as a restrained response from Pyongyang. A battery of senior administration officials will be in Beijing this weekend for wide-ranging talks, which will now include the prospect of referring the dispute to the United Nations Security Council.

Stunt Man LOOPS Loop on Skate Sled

LOOPING the loop on a roller skate sled holds no terrors for Fred A. Deline, Los Angeles acrobat.

Mr. Deline, who often doubled for the late Lon Chaney when the movie script required the services of an acrobatic stunt man, straps a four-wheeled sled to his back, shoulders and legs. The vehicle is padded to reduce the shock of the sudden impact. The stunt man’s head is protected by a helmet-like hood attached to the framework of the sled.

To perform the stunt, perfect timing is essential. With the apparatus on his back, he slides down the sharply-inclined chute, spins once in the air and lands feet-first on the springboard.

Electric EYE Tests Eggs for FRESHNESS

EVEN an unborn chick can have no secrets from the all-seeing eye of the photoelectric cell. Now an egg may be placed in front of one of these electric eyes, and an electrical meter, calculated in “chicken life” units, will indicate just how far the embryo chick has grown and how long it will be before the youngster will pick his way to the light.

In the test, the egg is placed between the light source and the photo cell, which registers the degree of light transmitted by the egg. This quantity of light, which depends upon the freshness of the egg, is registered on a supplementary meter, so that the poultryman can see at a glance how his hatch is coming along. The machine also tests eggs for freshness, rejecting the bad ones.

Hold on to your seat folks, because if Amazon’s deal wasn’t good enough for you, then this one sure will. Credit goes to RMB, who posted in the forums that the Pre Plus can be had for free here on AT&T From Wirefly, less then a day after officially launching for $149.95 with a bundled touchstone charging dock. The Deal from Wirefly does seems to be location specific so if you are contemplating on getting a Pre Plus on AT&T, then this seems to a good time as any to do it, just be sure to enter your Zip code beforehand to see if you are eligible for the offer. All in all, a very good deal, which should hopefully lead to more sales, and more webOS devices is always a good thing, right?

                                                                            Thanks to RMB in the forums!

 

Thursday May 20, 2010 a serious cyclone has hit southeastern India, leaving behind broken power lines and damaging electrical installations bringing darkness all over the place.

Around 15 people have died during the cyclone, waves grew as high as 3 meters and it was raining like crazy according to Chief Minister Andhra Pradesh.

Peak winds reached up to 100 kilometers (60 miles) per hour mixed with heavy rain. The cyclone hit the coastal town of Bapatla which is around 400 kilometers (250 miles) southeast of Hyderabad that is the state capital.

More than 50,000 perople have been evacuated as welfare agencies guided them to safety. It is said to have been the worst cyclone in 14 years. Those affected are given temporary shelter at government buildings and schools said minister Dharmana Prasad Rao.

According to some sources 55 fishermen went missing after this tragedy, officials told vessels and owners to stay in port.

“We are making all-out efforts to prevent the loss of human lives and to minimize damage to public and private property,” Rosaiah told reporters.

Related posts:

1. Cyclone Tomas Hits Island of Fiji
2. Fifteen People Dead from Cyclone in India
3. Tomas Cyclone Battered Fiji

The collar bone, called the clavicle, is the bone which is most frequently broken in our bodies. Categorized as a long bone, this particular bone forms part of the body’s shoulder girdle (that is, pectoral girdle).

Situated on either side of a human body’s chest, this bone links your sternum (that is, breastbone) to your scapula (that is, shoulder bone).

Bone strength is of crucial importance to avoid fractures in general and it is significantly reduced in individuals with osteoporosis. While you find professional athletes fall exceptionally hard very often, they usually don’t end up with fractured or broken collar bones since they undergo training on how to fall correctly.

In many people, in particular women, you can actually see or feel this bone bulging out.

Is this the next stroke of brilliance from Infiniti? We’ll have to wait until the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event in August to find out.

As has been its custom the past couple of years, Nissan’s luxury-division carmaker has been revealing its wares at events surrounding the California concours. And today we’ve obtained teaser “brush strokes” of two cars to be shown there this summer.

Here’s what we know: One of the Pebble debuts will be a mainstream vehicle, the other a performance version. The vehicles are expected to be derivatives of current models in the portfolio.

We can say with certainty they’ll wear Infiniti badges, but speculation of either one being a coupe variant of the new M sedan is wrong, we’re told.

Officially, Nissan and Infiniti spokespeople are saying wait until August for more clues.

For more

Source: Car news, reviews and auto show stories

At just 24 years old, the young American Idol contestant and Lee DeWyze is a true American idol.
And, last night, after playing the song “Hallelujah” in the singing contest, the audience of the arena in Los Angeles not only exploded in applause, but also the name of Lee turned up today in one of the topics most followed on Twitter and Google.

It stressed that the show’s judge, Simon Cowell, was that Lee gave the theme to interpret it in the penultimate night of singing contest. The English music producer was more than delighted with DeWyze, after his interpretation.

If you are asking, who got kicked off american idol may 19th? The answer is Casey James. He had a serious motorcycle accident at the age 21, but he overcame the injuries and got this far in the competition.
The may 19th American Idol results: Lee is competing for the title of American Idol with Crystal Bowersox. The final show will be broadcast live and live in Peru, on Wednesday 26 and through the sign of Sony.

Related posts:

1. American Idol 2010: Goodbye Casey James
2. Watch Lee Dewyze “Hallelujah” video
3. It’s Boy vs Girl in American Idol Season 9 Finale

The stories coming out of Chinese gadget manufacturer Foxconn keep getting worse. Now, there’s a video clip floating around the Chinese internet that shows a group of guards getting physical with some workers. Updated More »










China – Foxconn – Suicide – Asia – Apple

In the wake of a lawsuit by the SEC and a day-long grilling by the Senate, Goldman Sachs is feeling pretty battered. The New York Times piled it on yesterday, with a sprawling front page article that claims Goldman’s clients are questioning whether to continue doing business with the bank. There’s little doubt that Goldman’s bankers and traders have thick enough skin to handle some criticism from Washington, but if they start losing business, then that’s a real problem. A bank is only as strong as its relationships. Does Goldman really have reason to fear? Probably not.

The Times article uses nearly 3,500 words to argue that Goldman’s clients have lost trust. But it really boils down to four criticisms of the firm. Let’s consider each, then the broader claim that Goldman’s business might be hurt due to its actions over the past few years.

Washington Mutual and New Jersey

Two of the article’s sections make essentially the same argument. First, Goldman underwrote securities for failed bank Washington Mutual and the state of New Jersey. Ultimately, however, Goldman bet against Washington Mutual once it realized the retail bank’s problems. Goldman also advised clients to buy protection against New Jersey’s potential default as the state’s fiscal problems became clearer. Should we be outraged at Goldman treating its clients this way?

There are two points here. First, of course these clients were angry at Goldman: the bank exposed their problems. But wouldn’t it have been worse to recognize their issues and ignore them? Then Goldman would have done a disservice to its hundreds of other clients who it advises, as well as its shareholders.

Second, the division of the firm that underwrites securities is completely separate from its proprietary trading desk and municipal research team. Some years ago, banks were required to put “Chinese walls” up to prevent these groups from colluding. It’s irrelevant to the prop traders and muni researchers who the firm underwrites for — that’s not supposed to affect their actions or opinions.

Auction Rate Securities

Next, the article faults Goldman for its involvement with auction rate securities. Yes, Goldman was wrong to think that these securities would be okay. But then, so was every other investment bank. Virtually all were advising clients to sell auction-rate securities, and all got out as quickly as possible when they realized how poorly the securities would perform as liquidity was drying up.

But the article also blames Goldman for not breaking a contract so to treat one client more favorably regarding its auction rate securities. So the bank should have ignored a contract in order to voluntarily endure losses due to the risk a client agreed to take on? How do you think Goldman shareholders would feel about that decision? Goldman has a fiduciary duty to maximize their profit, which arguably outweighs any desire it has to protect clients form themselves.

Collateral Calls

Is Goldman responsible for the fall of AIG? The article appears to make that utterly wild implication. It criticizes Goldman for requesting collateral to cover mortgage-related losses on assets backing loans it provided to AIG and other firms. Goldman — rightly — recognized the deterioration of these assets. So what exactly was the bank guilty of? Again, it was just hedging its own risk, so to protect its shareholders and profits. Ignoring a bad loan when you can guard against its losses isn’t good customer service: it’s stupid business.

Its Unwritten Principle

This point sort of relates to the last one. The article complains that Goldman has an unwritten 15th principle:

any business in any industry, has potential conflicts and we all have an obligation to manage them effectively

In other words, even though your clients are important, you should not lose sight of the big picture. This isn’t just good business sense; it’s basic common sense. Let’s say you loan your brother your car from time to time. He’s family, arguably the strongest relationship bond possible. But if he develops an alcohol problem and wants to borrow your car to drive to a bar one night, would you let him? Of course not. Similarly, if Goldman realizes a client could cause its shareholders a grave loss, then it must do what it can to prevent that, despite the relationship.

Are Customers Really Growing Weary of Goldman?

The Times piece manages to find five or so past clients of Goldman that no longer wish to work with the bank. But what about the other thousand or so? Is it plausible that all of the bad press will lead the others to question doing business with the firm? Warren Buffett doesn’t think so. He argues that Goldman’s clients understand the bank wears many hats, and that could sometimes conflict with a client’s interest.

The industry sources I spoke with also agreed. One equity analyst at a fund that deals with Goldman in its market-making capacity said his firm has no intention of changing its relationship with the bank due to recent allegations. He doesn’t believe many other firms the bank trades with will either.

The analyst has also observed little impact to Goldman’s underwriting so far. Goldman continues to play a prominent role in recent new issue equity offerings that hit the market, he says. He imagined a worst-case scenario being that Goldman goes from lead manager to co-manager on some deals until Washington turns its microscope off.

Sophisticated clients know what they’re getting when they do business with Goldman: a highly skilled market maker that always keeps its own interest in mind. And that’s okay — every bank that hopes to remain in business is ultimately out for its own interest. But the fact that it cares about its own well being doesn’t mean it can’t also provide excellent service to its clients.

Goldman Sachs – Washington Mutual – New Jersey – Warren Buffett – Business

It was bound the happen sooner or later. The inevitable parody video has been cut: Big horse (named Franklin), big gun and big accent included.

The spoof website Funny or Die has produced a fake campaign ad after Dale Peterson’s Internet sensation.

In his bid to head up Alabama’s Agriculture Commission, Peterson’s take no prisoners-style (complete with a big horse and big gun) has made him a cyberspace star. That ad has been viewed 800,000 times since Sunday.

Now Funny or Die has spoofed his ad, making fun of Peterson’s walk, talk and gun as well.

Click here to see Funny or Die’s spoof ad.

Here’s an idea.

Original ad: “I’ve been a farmer, a businessman, a cop, a marine during Vietnam, so listen up.”

Spoof ad: “I’ve been a farmer, a cop, a volunteer, I sat people in a movie theater one summer…so listen up.”

Click here to see Dale Peterson’s original ad.

After the first spy shots of the Opel Astra Sports Tourer emerged in March, here is the first spy video of the station wagon model which was taken as the car underwent testing at the Nurburgring. The Astra Sports Tourer will be presented this summer with its official photos, after which its first public debut will be at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in autumn.

The Astra Sports Tourer is similar in the rear to the larger Insignia Sports Tourer model, although it does seem to be a sportier and more aggressive wagon model. The underlying platform is slightly longer than the Astra sedan while the engine range will be exactly that of the Astra five-door model that was recently launched.

The new Opel Astra is certainly enjoying some success and after the Sports Tourer model is presented, we will also see the sports three-door version followed by the Astra cabriolet (to return to a classic soft top model), and another sedan model which will appear under Buick in the US.

Opel Astra Sports Tourer spy shots

Wild Queensland nut trees are vital to the future of a $500 million a year industry but they are officially vulnerable to extinction, with less than three per cent of the remaining range fully protected in national parks or nature reserves, according to new analysis by WWF- Australia.

More widely known as the macadamia nut, the two edible species of wild Queensland nut trees are only found in sub-tropical rainforests stretching from Bundaberg in south-east Queensland to Lismore in northern NSW, an area which has seen rapid development in recent decades.

Analysis by WWF-Australia and Spatial Ecology Laboratory at the University of Queensland has found just 1.3 per cent of the remaining distribution of the smooth Queensland nut (Macadamia integrifolia) and only 2.1 per cent of the rough shelled Queensland nut (Macadamia tetraphylla) is protected inside national parks and nature reserves.

Only about 1000 smooth-shelled and less then 2000 rough-shelled Queensland nut trees remain alive in the wild after 200 years of logging, clearing and development in these now heavily populated regions.

"The Queensland nut is Australia’s only crop developed from a wild native species and the source of a lucrative $500 million industry," Dr Taylor said.

"But despite its strategic economic value and cultural significance, little is being done to bring its remaining natural habitat into nature reserves."

Cultivated Queensland nut trees, even those grown in Australia, all derive from as few as six wild specimens collected from Australia and bred in Hawaii last century.

Without genes for resistance to pests and diseases from wild populations, the narrow gene pool of cultivated trees puts Queensland nut production worldwide at risk of a pest or disease outbreak.

"In 2008 the state government committed to add 4.3 million hectares to the Queensland national parks system by 2020. The Queensland nut is one clear example of the real economic benefits that could result from meeting this promise," Dr Taylor said.

More information

Dr Martin Taylor, WWF-Australia Protected Areas Policy Manager, 0406 384 289

Charlie Stevens, WWF-Australia Media Manager- Qld, 0424 649 689

Web and mobile instant messaging (IM) aggregator service provider eBuddy, based in Amsterdam, has announced that its Mobile Messenger app has zoomed past one million downloads in less than three months on Nokia’s Ovi Store.

The app has been downloaded by users in more than 203 countries, the company adds – a testament to the global footprint of Nokia.

The app has garnered over 930 reviews on the Ovi Store and a 4/5 star rating. Alternatives on Nokia’s Ovi Store include Nimbuzz and fring.

That said, eBuddy is easily one of the most popular mobile instant messaging applications in the world – it enables millions of users around the world to chat for free in one, aggregated interface across all major IM networks including AIM, Facebook Chat, Google Talk, Hyves, ICQ, MySpace, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger.

In total, eBuddy’s mobile applications have been downloaded over 75 million times, and more than 15 million unique mobile users access eBuddy every month, sending over 7.5 billion messages.

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Buick, GM

When General Motors debuted the Buick Regal GS at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, they made it very clear that the car on stage, which looked production-ready, was purely a concept – nothing more. Even though the white show car with its beefed up appearance and 20-inch wheels looked like it was ready to roll (it was, after all, a rebadged Opel Insignia OPC), no final decision had been made about whether or not the automaker would actually produce the turbocharged version of the new pride-and-joy Regal sedan. Lest anyone forget, this is an important car for Buick, as it’s charged with attracting a significantly younger crowd of buyers to the brand. The GS would certainly help do the trick, and now, it sounds like all systems are go for the hotter than hot Regal.

The Detroit News reports that Tom Stephens, Vice Chairman of Global Product Development for GM, has confirmed that the Regal GS has been approved for production and that it could hit showrooms at some point next year. If the specs outlined for the Detroit show car are anything to go on, this means that a turbocharged 2.0-liter four will be under the hood, likely producing 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. What’s most interesting, though, is that the show car routed this power to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. On top of that goodness, the Regal GS uses a new system called Interactive Drive Control, which allows drivers to choose from normal and sport driving modes, as well as a top-thrill GS mode where the torque split has a stronger rear bias.

If the production car is largely unchanged from the concept we saw back in January, we’ll jump for joy. And while we’re definitely getting our hopes up, we’ll wait until GM issues the official word before we start saving our pennies.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: GM gives Buick Regal GS the green light originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 May 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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About a month ago, General Motors said it will be breaking up with long-time ad agency Campbell-Ewald, a Detroit-based ad agency that has worked for the automaker since 1919. Chevrolet eventually moved its ad account to Publicis Worldwide, a Paris based agency.

New reports say that GM’s new marketing chief, Joel Ewanick, plans to shift primary responsibility for Chevy’s advertising to Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

According to sources that spoke with AdWeek, the move will undo the decision in April to transfer creative work on Chevrolet to Publicis Worldwide. Ewanick, who was hired by GM earlier this month, used Goodby when he led marketing at Hyundai Motor America.

AdWeek also says that Campbell-Ewald is being rehired for Chevrolet retail and sponsorship work.

Publicis USA CEO Susan Giannino said she has heard nothing and is continuing its work on Chevrolet as planned. Goodby declined to comment.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Bangkok is a city located in Thailand. It is located above the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. It is the capital city of the country.

It was established as the capital in 1782 by King Rama I. It has experienced immense growth throughout the years and has developed into a metropolis. It has a population of approximately 6.1 million people. It covers a span of 604 Square Miles. It is the major port for the country.

The city is the only cosmopolitan area in a country of mostly small towns. Bangkok has become a major tourist destination. This has developed as a result of its abundant cultural attractions and full nightlife. It is the center for Thailand’s cultural, financial, and educational endeavors.

The core inflation rate is holding steady at 0.9 percent, the lowest rate in 44 years. The United States actually experienced a month of deflation in April. Still, yesterday, The New York Times felt it fitting to warn that the Federal Reserve — all too aware of the above statistics — might be overlooking other data points that suggest creeping inflation and a need to raise interest rates sooner rather than later. The piece warns, “If the Fed is behind the game, there’s a good chance everyone will suffer.”

The first “leading economic indicator” mentioned?

Whole Foods, purveyor of richly priced organic onions and other groceries, last week raised its best estimate for same-store sales growth this year to as much as 7 percent from as little as half that. Its shares have gained 45 percent this year, while those of price-conscious Wal-Mart are down a bit.

The second?

The chief executive of one of America’s biggest banks contends that the strength of the American economy will surprise everyone. The hedge fund manager John A. Paulson has been busy telling investors he is seeing the upward side of a V-shaped recovery. His investments in banks and other economy-driven stocks back up the view.

That is right. The Fed is overlooking the obvious. How could one stroll into one’s local bourgeois purveyor of Kombucha and prosciutto and not think, “Millions of unemployed? Bah! All is well in this kingdom!” And when a Wall Street baron who made billions off of the economy’s collapse promises the recovery is right around the corner — it is, right?

Wrong. There are no signs of imminent inflation. There are many more signs of potentially problematic deflation: The current rate of core consumer prices is below the Federal Reserve’s target, and the central bank is withdrawing its emergency quantitative easing programs and has interest rates as close to zero as possible.

This question of inflation is no academic matter. If the Fed begins fighting inflation, it will begin tightening the money supply and slowing the rate of growth in the economy. That, in turn, will choke off the recovery that the millions and millions of unemployed are counting on. Crying “inflation” too early would be catastrophic for the economy, and yet many economic commentators seem strangely eager to do it.

If The New York Times wants to see signs of inflation, of course it can go out and find them. But improving sales at Whole Foods and the promises of a hedge fund billionaire? I think those are signals the Fed can safely ignore, in lieu of focusing on the horrific economic headline numbers.

Ed Cairns attended Oxfam’s foreign policy debate on Monday. Whose side did he come down on?

Let’s not be naïve. I never expected any serious discussion about foreign policy in the election. And there wasn’t any. Thank goodness that silence is over. Tonight the BBC’s World Tonight and Chatham House debate Britain’s role in the world. But Oxfam pipped them to the post on Monday with a lively debate, hosted by the BBC’s own Jeremy Bowen, on whether foreign policy can be ethical and in the national interest at the same time.

The last Tory government accused Bowen, reporting from the bloody Bosnian conflict of the 90s, of being a “fully paid up member of the something-must-be-done club”.  Oxfam’s Barbara Stocking would be an active member too.  But she argued at the debate that we must stop the raping and killing in modern day Srebrenicas not just because it is right – obviously Oxfam’s motive – but also because it raises the UK’s “moral authority”.

The Telegraph’s Mary Riddell argued the same, stating that neither Tories nor Labour have a “monopoly on bad foreign policy,” but the new coalition government could get it right in the future. Just when you thought “ethical foreign policy” was dead, she said, it was back – rebranded as “enlightened self interest” – and because we live in a small world where violence, like climate change, knows no borders.

Academic David Chandler was having none of it. “Moralising makes irrational policy,” he said, claiming the disastrous Iraq war was driven by ethics, not politics – perverse ethics, but ethics.

The Daily Mail’s Peter Oborne had more time for the “something-must-be-done club”. He just thought we should have the sense to know the limits of what can be done.

Who was right? Stocking and Riddell of course. But I’m biased. I work for Oxfam.

Something must be done. But it must be well thought-out and honest. And far more about tough diplomacy than the half-baked invasion of Iraq.

Thank goodness at least that the election is over, and we can talk about these things again.

Oxfam and the UK general election