Blog

scribd.com

The Art of Ancient Egypt: A Resource for Educators.
Metropolitan Museum

Available for download free of charge in PDF format.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, OS, Odds and ends, Snow Leopard

I was eating a late post-Christmas breakfast this morning and perusing my email when I came upon a note from my friend and fellow Apple Consultants Network member Michael Kimble. Mike’s been involved with Apple products since before the Mac arrived, so he has seen product trends come and go for decades. In his email, he mused that:

“I’ve been wondering if Apple, on their Jan. 26th product announcement, won’t start to differentiate OS X to include OS X Mobile, OS X Touch, OS X Desktop & OS X Server. But rather than discreet versions of the OS, it is a spectrum where features of one version can slide up and down the scale depending on the functionality of the hardware platform it’s running on. It seems to be moving in that direction whether a formal acknowledgment is made or not.”

It’s not that far a stretch to see Apple adding another variety of OS X to the family tree. As a result of yesterday’s post about the as-yet-unannounced Apple tablet, TUAW reader Dillon made a similar observation to Mike’s:

“Just a thought, but if the new Apple tablet ran straight iPhone OS, then it would probably be released in June with annual iPhone update… meaning that the Mac tablet will probably run a cross between Mac OSX 10.6 and iPhone OS or just Mac OSX 10.6.

Apple really won’t release something unless it is speedy enough. They don’t even let you run a background app or multitask on the iPhone due to speed issues. If they wanted to make a speedier tablet it would make sense that they would [deliver] a hybrid of the two operating systems, allowing better speed, battery, and more functionality than the iPhone, yet something not as relatively bulky as Snow Leopard.”

Three of the four operating systems already exist (and there’s always the family member they keep locked in the closet — the Apple TV — with its odd edition of Mac OS 10.4 Tiger). All it would take is for Apple to add a new version of the OS that would, as Dillon points out, allow background processing and true multi-tasking, yet pull out a lot of the more weighty components of OS X.

What do you think? Is a new, formal acknowledgment of a new Apple OS on the way, or will the tablet run a beefier version of the iPhone OS? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Illustration from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerpixel/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

TUAWCould Apple be moving to a spectrum of operating systems? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

It’s been a rough decade for Duke Nukem (and a particularly tough year for developer 3D Realms), but it looks like 2010 will be the start of a comeback for the flat-topped action hero of so many cringe-inducing one-liners — or at least that’s what 3D Realms has planned. Speaking in the first issue of Gamesauce magazine (via Shacknews), CEO Scott Miller reveals that they have a number of new Duke Nukem games in the works.

“The next few years should see a strong resurgence in Duke,” Miller says. “There are numerous other Duke games in various stages of development, several due out this year. We are definitely looking to bring Duke into casual gaming spaces, plus there are other major Duke games in production. Almost all of these [projects] are unannounced.”

While Miller wouldn’t specify what the projects were, it’s likely a couple of them are the two remaining iPhone Duke Nukem games Miller promised earlier this year. Then there’s Duke Nukem Trilogy in the works for Nintendo DS and PSP, and according to Shacknews, a rumored port of Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project for Xbox Live Arcade. And on top of all that, last month 3D Realms released an image from what was apparently a new game called “D-Day,” with “Duke Nukem” teasing on his Facebook page that he “doesn’t stay down for long.”

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

If Legend of Zelda series director Eiji Aonuma had his way, we’d all be looking forward to Link’s Crossbow Training 2 instead of another full-fledged Zelda title right now. In an interview with gamesTM magazine (via NowGamer), Aonuma revealed his real interest in making the next Zelda title was to create a sequel to the Wii Zapper pack-in game.

“To tell you the truth, I actually wanted to create Link’s Crossbow Training 2,” Aonuma said. “I thought that we should do something more and better in the field of the first person shooter, based on our experience of the first game. For example, I was thinking that maybe we could intensify the multiplayer mode. The original game was really just a solo game but I thought that we could add a true multiplayer mode with multiple users playing together, from remote areas, over the Wi-Fi Connection.”

So why aren’t we anticipating a new online multiplayer Zelda crossbow FPS right now? ecause Nintendo higher-ups (mercifully?) shot Aonuma’s idea down. “The fact of the matter is that a lot of people inside Nintendo insisted that I should work on a new Legend Of Zelda title rather than working on more Crossbow Training,” Aonuma said.

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini, Rumormill

According to the Lamborghini lovers at the Teamspeed Forums, there’s a new, even higher-performance version of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 on the way to the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. No surprise, really, as the Gallardo’s successor isn’t expected until 2012 or so, and Lambo is always working on improving the breed.

We’re told to expect a 10-horsepower bump up to 570 ponies, which will then be distributed to all four wheels (making this the LP570-4, naturally). A stripped-down interior (a la the Gallardo Superlegerra), an updated aero package including a new front spoiler and a large carbon fiber rear wing, a reworked front suspension arrangement, and carbon ceramic brakes may also be in the works.

Looking past the possible LP570-4, an LP590-2 swan song for the current Gallardo range could be in the offing for 2011. Assuming it’d follow in the footsteps of the the Gallardo L550-2 Valentino Balboni, that the theoretical LP590-2 would eschew all-wheel drive and go old-school, sending all 590 horsepower to the rear wheels.

If these rumors prove accurate, dealers and VIP customers ought to get a sneak peek of the Gallardo LP570-4 in January, prior to the car’s official debut in Geneva. Sales are apparently pegged for May of 2010. Thanks for the tip, DJ!

[Source: Teamspeed.com]

Rumormill: Lamborghini LP570-4 SV headed to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

The Mind-Blowing Sexual Experience That Shes Always Dreamed Of… Here Is The Ultimate Mens Guide To The Techniques, Positions, And Skills To Give Any Woman The Most Powerful Of Her Life… Even If Shes Never Had An Before… Guaranteed.

Revolutionary Sex:.

Didn’t get what you wanted over the holidays? Still have a little money left in the bank? Here’s a handful of enticing deals for some lazy Sunday shopping.

– Refurbished 2GB Sansa Fuze for $23 (Woot.com)

– Xbox 360 Arcade for $179 (Amazon via dealnews)

– New Super Mario Bros. Wii for $40 (Best Buy via FatWallet)

– Spaceballs Blu-ray for $9 (JR.com via dealnews)

– Xbox Live points 10% off (Amazon via FatWallet)

– Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox 360 for $39 (Target via dealspl.us)

– Free Blu-ray player with 42- or 46-inch Insignia HDTV purchase (Best Buy via dealnews)

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

We told you previously that Roku might be adding some hidden porn to their service, but we didn’t expect it to be this soon. Adult entertainment company EroticVision.TV just announced that they are teaming up with Roku to bring lots of nasty, nasty, girls (and boys) to your living room.

This isn’t just generic cable tv porn either. EroticVision will the be the portal on your Roku box, but the content is provided by a multitude of sites for your self-abusing pleasure. The only site currently listed at launch is the decidedly not mainstream Wasteland.com – a BDSM related site.

The Roku parental controls will block little Timmy from seeing all this content of course, and your box must be registered with the EroticVision.TV site in order to even make viewing a possibility, but the future of porn is here.

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

Off-topic but interesting and some great pictures – The Deadliest place on Earth? Surviving Cueva de los Cristales – The Giant Crystal Cave.

No longer are vegan and vegetarian omega 3s limited, because now DHA and EPA are not exclusive to fish oil supplements.   The vegetarian aware and vegan omega 3 consumer will now be able to afford the the same omega-3 health benefits and opportunities previously enjoyed only from animal-oils by now using algae oil.   Other oils may have less desirable formulas than your newest sustainable source for omega-3 DHA oil.

Vegetarian dieters and vegans already have a lower risk of heart problems and other diseases complicated in many by certain fatty acids in-excess, or deficient, in the diet.   However, DHA is still the most difficult omega-3 to get from our foods and vegetarians may need to take supplements to get enough DHA by taking algae oil.

Like most red-meat heavy diets, vegetable-based lighter diets are also low in omega 3 fats. Flax seed oil contains a less beneficial precursor omega-3 often called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which eventually allows your body to produce some docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaeoic acid (EPA), but not enough. The DHA and EPA fats are the Omega-3s most people are lacking, regardless of their dietary choices, and the ones most people need.

Vegetarian Omega 3 Food Sources: Omega 3 benefits are generally associated with fish and fish oil, but those are not the only sources rich in marine fatty acids now that there is algae oil.   Unfortunately, flax oil and milled flax seeds are the richest vegetarian ALA omega 3 source, it’s clear flax doesn’t have DHA or EPA.   Neither does hemp seed omega-3 oil, or linseed oil or olive oil, which contain smaller amounts of only the precursor omega-3 nutrient. Tofu and walnuts have some omega nutrients, but are actually higher in omega 6s than omega 3s.   Dark, leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and other vegetables also have these powerful nutrients and make great additions to your diet for other reasons.

Vegetarian Omega 3 fortified eggs are one food that has added omega 3 benefits because the producers are often naturally feeding the chickens an abundance of flax seeds.   Milk producers and yogurt companies frequently add vegetarian based ALA, but more are using vegetarian DHA.   For strict vegetarian diets, however, so many foods are off the list, but it doesn’t mean that the choosy consumer can’t enjoy the health benefits of algae oil DHA supplemets, a 100% vegan product.   Several brands of margarine and salad dressings use alternative seed oils, not healthy olive or flax oil as their base. If you are drinking milk alternatives, consider soy drinks that include flax seed products or DHA from algae oil.   Yet another source of ALA for vegetarians is grain breads. The biggest rule of thumb is to read labels since different brands use different vegetarian omega-3 sources.

For great info on vegan vitamins, vegetarian supplements and nutrition, visit www.vegetarianvitaminsguide.com today!

SAALAAM Natural Herbal Vegan HOOKAH SHISHA Tamarindo

US $2.93 End Date: Sunday Dec-27-2009 14:55:54 PST Buy It Now for only: US $2.93 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Vegans and Vegetarians Get New Omega 3 Dha and Epa Exclusive Offering is a post from the Vegetarian Vitamins Guide blog where you can find suggestions and advice from vegetarians and vegans on vegetarian diets, supplements, vitamins and overall nutrition.

Related Vegetarian Vitamins Posts:

1. Are their Vegetarian Omega-3 Supplements? I know I can get Omega-3 from flax seed etc….
2. Are Omega 3 Fats Important To Fetal Development? DHA is an essential fatty acid found right through your…
3. Does A High Fat Diet Cancel The Health Benefits Of Fish Oil? I have talked previously about the health benefits of fish…
4. Deva Organic Vegan Vitamins Flax Seed Oil, Omega-3, 90 Vcaps Product DescriptionOrganic, Unrefined, Cold Pressed. As an alternative to…
5. How Do Vegetarians Get Vitamins And Nutrients Usually Found In Meat? I’m in the process of transitioning to a vegetarian diet,…

Today I want to share with you a diet tip that can help you reduce your anxiety and depression .  I’ve always believed that to successfully cope with anxiety you have to use plenty of different tools and I’d like to suggest that you put whey protein into your toolbox.

Now, if you can’t consume milk or milk derived products, whey protein will not be of much use to you, so to these people, I owe you one.  But for everyone else that can consume milk derived products, let me introduce you to whey protein.  This stuff is absolutely amazing, and yes I do drink it.  I don’t work on a farm and have no connections to the dairy industry, so no this isn’t a commercial plug.  It just works and I want to tell you how.

Whey protein can do lots of things, for example, it can help you to heal wounds faster, lower cortisol, manage your weight, prevents bone loss, control cholesterol, and researchers believe it may even prevent cancer!  OK, before I get carried away, let’s just focus on how it can reduce anxiety and depression.

What is Whey?

Whey is made from cow’s milk and is a by product of the cheese making process.  Whey is the watery stuff that is separated from the curd and is usually made into a powder mix.  Depending on the brand you buy, it may not be the best tasting thing in the world, but nowadays there are many brands of whey protein that come in vanilla, chocolate and other flavors that are reasonably tasty.

What’s in Whey?

Whey is jammed packed with amino acids and various vitamins.  There are however two main amino acids that I want to talk about:  Tryptophan and Glutamine.

1. Tryptophan – This is an essential amino acid (meaning it’s not made by the body) typically found in whey protein powders.  Tryptophan aids in the the production of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter many researchers believe is linked to anxiety and depression.

It’s thought that having low levels of serotonin in the brain can make you anxious, depressed, and alter your mood in general.  So increasing serotonin should, hypothetically at least, make you feel better.  Also, unlike Prozac and other drugs used to maintain serotonin levels in the brain, consuming amino acids like tryptophan actually helps to make more serotonin, and as far as I know whey protein (milk) doesn’t make you want to kill yourself like some SSRIs (anti-depressant meds) do, so it can’t hurt.

2. Glutamine –  Is a non-essential amino acid (meaning the body can produce it) that is known to reduce anxiety.  Glutamine is a precursor of GABA which “regulates neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system,” i.e., keeps you calm.

I really don’t want to start spewing science babble about amino acids, neurotransmitters, and all the rest of it.  Don’t get me wrong, this type of thing is useful to know, but my point is that WHEY IS GOOD.

I drink whey isolate because it’s about 90% protein, which means it has lots of those awesome amino acids I was talking about, but less fat and lactose than whey concentrate.

Preparation is also a snap.  Because it comes in powdered form you simply mix the whey protein with water or milk and simply stir, shake, or blend it.  You can also add fruit to the mix.

Here’s a Quick Protein Shake Recipe:

1 banana

1 scoop of whey protein

half cup of water or milk

1/2 cup low fat yogurt

1/2 cup of ice

Blend until smooth and tasty looking.

You can add any and all kind of fruit, but I like to use bananas because they contain tryptophan and boost energy without making you feel all wild eyed like coffee does.

Whey protein is not known to have any side effects if you tolerate milk well.  That said, some have posited that drinking too much whey protein can damage the kidneys and or liver if abused, so I’d air on the side of caution and keep consumption to under 48g per day.

Remember that you also get protein from food, like meats for example, so you don’t have to go crazy and start downing jugs of this stuff.  It is simply a supplement to the rest of your diet.

The bottom line is that amino acids are the building blocks of our bodies.  They help keep our nervous system healthy and promote the production of beneficial neurotransmitters that help regulate mood.

Protein is made from amino acids, and whey powder mix has lots of protein in it.  It’s natural and is a great addition to any anti-anxiety arsenal.

But please, do some research and look into it further for yourself.  I don’t want to over hype whey protein like some summer blockbuster film.  You know the one, were all your friends over sell the movie as the best thing ever, then when you go see it you feel robbed and empty because it sucked.

Whey protein is not a magic serum, but it certainly contains the basic building materials for a healthy brain.  I started using it because I work out a great deal and it helps me recover from intense workouts.  But I also noticed that after I drank it I felt relaxed and calm.

The worst that could happen is that you get some gas and a little bloated.  That’s not a huge price to pay for something that could potentially reduce your anxiety and depression.  Cheers!

Filed under: Deals

‘Tis the season to shop until your brains melt (or skip it all entirely, depending on your interpretation of the term holiday). In that spirit, for the next few weeks we’ll be rounding up a dozen daily deals courtesy our friends at DealNews.com. Each afternoon tune in to TUAW for this handy summary. Keep in mind that while our posts will live on, the deals won’t. Each is lovingly generated by the deal-bot every day, so get ‘em while they’re hot. Enjoy!

• PopCap Games: [PC Games] PopCap Games Holiday Sale: 50% off all games, deals for $10
• Musician’s Friend: Musician’s Friend coupon: 15% off select items
• Geeks.com: [Notebook Carrying Cases] AWP 14″ Molded Laptop Backpack for $15 + $9 s&h
• Kohls: [Books & Magazines] Kohl’s sale: 50% off 2010 team calendars + extra 20% off, free shipping
• Tanga: [Magazines] 1-Year Subscription to Entrepreneur Magazine for $3
• SupermediaStore: [CD/DVD Cases] 4 SuperMediaStore 104-Disc CD / DVD Wallets for $20 + free shipping, more
• Sears: [Plasma TVs] Samsung 50″ 600Hz 720p Plasma Widescreen HDTV for $700 + pickup
• Kohls: [Digital Camcorders] Shift3 Slide Mini Digital Camcorder for $32 + free shipping
• Best Buy: [46″ – 47″ LCD TVs] Samsung 46″ 120Hz 1080p Widescreen LCD HDTV for $1,000 + pickup
• Beach Camera: [50″ – 52″ LCD TVs] Sharp AQUOS 52″ 1080p Widescreen LCD HDTV for $999 + free shipping
• Apple Store: [iPods] Refurbished Apple iPod nano 16GB MP3 Player for $129 + free shipping
• Staples: [Color Inkjet Printers] Brother MFC-790CW Wireless All-In-One Printer w/ Touchscreen LCD for $100 + free shipping

TUAWDozen Daily Deals for December 27, 2009 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

California, US | Museums and Collections

Keepsakes of loved one and the dead have long been a part of human culture. This memento collection reached an almost compulsive level in Vienna in the early 1800s, with phrenologists collecting the skulls of famous composers, and curio hunters cutting off locks of hair of anyone of note, until the recently passed was nearly bald.

The head of Haydn was exhumed and separated by a phrenologist who wished to locate Haydn’s genius, as was Mozart’s. (Mozart’s it should be noted, may not have been the composers skull at all, as it was exhumed from a mass grave some years after his death.) Haydn’s skull was eventually re-interred with the body after nearly 150 years – Haydn spent many of those years with someone else’s skull playing the role. Mozart’s, if it is indeed his, is in the possession, of the Mozarteum.

So it was with Beethoven. After his passing in 1827, at Beethoven’s own request, he was given an autopsy, providing the first chance to take a few mementos. After roughly sawing the skull apart one of the doctors pocketed perhaps the most historically valuable part of Beethoven, his ear bones. Later at his funeral, after his skull had been awkwardly put back together and his face re-applied, acquaintances, strangers, and curio hunting fops thought little of cutting off locks of Beethoven’s hair until the composers famous wild mane was sheared down to nothing.

This would not be the last chance to grab bits of Beethoven. Exhumed in 1863 to study his deafness, they found the temporal bones gone, but still attempted to discover what they could. But before he was put back in the ground, one of the doctors couldn’t resist and held on to some more pieces of the skull, including large pieces from the back of the skull.

Perhaps what is most amazing, is not that these secular relics were taken, but that they survived the next 150 years. The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies has the distinct, and perhaps dubious, honor of possessing what remains of the great composer, above ground at least.

The first item in their possession is what is known as the “Guevara Lock” (not to be confused with the lock of Che Guevara’s hair and called such because most of the money paid for it at auction came from Dr. Alfredo Guevara) it is three to six inches of 582 brown, white and grey hairs. The lock was snipped from Beethoven’s head the day of his funeral by fellow composer Ferdinand Hiller and passed down to his son, eventually finding its way to a 1994 Sotheby’s auction.

More surprisingly in the collection is the skull bits. Taken in secret, they only surfaced in 2005. Passed from one doctor, most likely Breuning who took them during the 1863 exhumation, to another, Dr. Romeo Seligmann, and the bits stayed in the Seligmann family until they were passed to the childless Albert Seligmann’s heir Tom Desmines. When Desmines began to suffer from dementia the bits were passed to another Seligmann heir’s child, Paul Kaufmann.

By this time, despite the fact that the box was labeled “Beethoven,” Kaufmann was naturally fairly skeptical as to their origins. However, officials at the Center had heard rumors of such fragments, and went looking for them, finally tracking them down with Kaufmann. Able to test the fragments against the hair, they were able to say with great confidence that both had belonged to Beethoven.

The hair and skull bits reveled something else about Beethoven, long wondered about. Both had extremely high levels of lead in them suggesting that what killed Beethoven was lead poisoning. His hearing loss, however, is still a mystery. While lead poisoning can sometimes cause hearing loss, it is unclear that this was the case for Beethoven’s hearing loss.

Until the bone fragments taken at his original autopsy, the ones containing his ear bones and lost in the 1840s, turn up, we may never be sure.

Despite text messages from his wife saying there was “no chance” Urban Meyer would reconsider his shocking retirement announcement, apparently he has done exactly that.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Gators coach Urban Meyer will take a leave of absence for an indefinite amount of time before returning as head coach. Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio will take over as the interim head coach.

Meyer, who had attributed his retirement decision to concerns over his health, admitted to the New York Times that he had been suffering from chest pains. Meyer revealed that he had passed out for 90 minutes and needed hospitalization following the SEC championship game. Multiple outlets have said that Meyer told his team that he has been hospitalized several times since that incident, all related to additional medical tests for a cardiac condition.

Palm Beach Post beat writer Benjamin Volin commented that Meyer may need a heart valve replacement, an in-patient surgical procedure which would require Meyer to be monitored in the intensive care unit and be sidelined for considerable time before until cleared to return to work.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said that Florida AD Jeremy Foley had floated the leave of absence option to Meyer for at least a week before Meyer made his initial decision to retire.

In a press conference in New Orleans today, Meyer said his change of heart and decision to take the leave of absence rather than retire came after spending time with the team at practice in the wake of his initial announcement.

“It was our players,” Meyer said.

He informed his wife and children of the decision as they joined the team for the flight from Gainesville to New Orleans.

During the Q&A portion of the press conference, Meyer declined to discuss any specific medical condition that prompted his decision, but said that he did not have a heart attack. He would not disclose medical advice doctors have given him regarding stepping away from coaching.

As far as a timeline for his return, Meyer said the “intention is there” to be back as the head coach.

“If I am able to go coach, I want to coach at one place… it’s the University of Florida,” Meyer said.

When pressed for his “gut feeling”, Meyer said that thinks he will be back on the sidelines for the 2010 season.

© fanblogs.com

View the original post or comment on Breaking: Meyer not retiring; will take leave of absence…

The first two episodes of the new season of DogTown will focus on some of the rescues from Michael Vick’s pit bulls used in dogfighting. Not only will these shows help you better understand the horrors of dogfighting, but you’ll see that even with the worst cases, there’s still hope.

In January 2008, DogTown received 22 Vick pit bull rescues as a last hope for rehabilitation. These were the worst cases of the group. On the first new episode airing January 1, you’ll meet Georgia, a Vick Rescue who has made great progress. She may even become a spokesdog, working with DogTown manager John Garcia.

Georgia, the Michael Vick pit bull curious about the camera

The January 8 episode will focus on another Vick rescue, Handsome Dan. He’s indeed handsome too! Most of the other Vick rescues had made steady progress, but Handsome Dan still suffered from crippling fear of people. He has to overcome that fear in order to find a permanent home with a new family. With Handsome Dan, and the other dogfighting rescues, it’s amazing to see these canines finally receive the love and support they need to learn how to act like a dog for the first time in their horrible lives.

Current fans of DogTown already know about the great work done at DogTown, the home of misfit and neglected dogs that’s part of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the biggest no-kill animal facility in the US. I think it says a lot about us as human beings that this place of last hope for dogs exists and is supported by so many. I had the pleasure to watch some of these new episodes in advance, and I really enjoyed seeing how the DogTown trainers and veterinarians work so hard to help these dogs that would otherwise never be adoptable.

Other episodes in the new season will feature a shepherd mix rescued from the 2006 Lebanon-Israel war, a mixed-breed feral dog that survived living in the wild by the Grand Canyon, a morbidly obese Chihuahua that must lose weight before adoption, a Shar-Pei mix who was left behind in a foreclosed home and several more rescue and rehab stories.

New episodes of this soulful series start Friday, January 1 at 10 pm ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel. For dog lovers, I can’t think of a better thing on the tube this new year.

(Image via National Geographic Channel)

Post from: Blisstree

New DogTown Episodes Start January 1

If we ate all our meals at home, the question wouldn’t be necessary

According to data compiled by the NPD Group, if you’re an average American, you will purchase just a hair fewer than 200 meals at sit-down or fast-food or takeout or other types of restaurants in the coming year.

Just for the record, you’ll consume 78 of those meals where you buy them, take 58 of them home, eat 34 of them in your car and take 23 of them to work.

That’s a tidy number of meals, a little more than one every other day, and it highlights the recent debate over whether to post the calories contained in food items on the menus at those restaurants. The essence of the debate is: Do such postings actually do any good, as measured by whether they significantly influence how many calories the patrons order?

So far, the handful of studies on the subject tend to contradict one another: posting seems to reduce calorie intake in some circumstances, and not in others. But a bit of clarity may be at hand, thanks to one of the serious heavyweights in health education, the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, which just reported a research project involving more than 300 restaurant customers.

It turns out that the key element is context

The essentials: One-third of the diners were given menus with calorie listings for the entrees, one-third of them got menus with calorie listings and a printed reminder that the recommended daily calorie load for a typical adult is 2,000, and a third got menus with no caloric information.

The last group wound up consuming around 1,630 calories at dinner and later in the evening. The first group, by comparison, consumed . . . around 1,630 calories.

It looks pretty gloomy for the pro-posting advocates, but wait: the second group, those who got the postings and the daily limit reminder, put away just 1,380 calories. That’s a difference of 250 calories per meal, no small potatoes when you multiply it by 193 restaurant meals, which gets you a total of 48,250 calories a year, the rough equivalent of at least one clothing size.

This experiment will have to be repeated with considerably more test subjects in more eating establishments located in more geographical areas, especially if the restaurant industry has anything to say about it, but if the results hold, we’ve learned something fairly important weight-control-wise: we tend to take calories more seriously, and consume them accordingly, when we know how much of our healthy daily allotment they use up.

To really be effective, perhaps the postings shouldn’t even be in numbers of calories, but in the percentage of a healthy daily intake that they represent. At least the math would be a bit easier.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

From the RSS feed of CalorieLab News (REF3076322B7)

To post calories on menus or not to post: There may be an answer

Seems the PS3 blog wasn’t as affected by the usual Christmas news drought as the PSP blog. Lots of new things this week: MAG went gold and an open beta’s been dated, the God of War 3 demo hit