Chelsea Vs. Southampton: Live Stream Details, TV Channel And Preview getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Chelsea Vs. Southampton: Live Stream Details, TV Channel And Preview

Jose Mourinho has played down concerns over Chelsea’s dismal defeat to Basel in midweek and suggested that inconsistency in performances is inevitable with the inexperienced squad at his disposal. Despite having secured their place in the Champions League knockout phase, Chelsea regressed substantially in Switzerland from the display that beat West Ham 3-0 just three days earlier. Yet, ahead of the visit of Southampton on Sunday, Mourinho explained that he is content with the team’s position at this early stage of his second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.

“We still have some more work to do tomorrow and hopefully on Sunday we will be ready,” he said, according to Chelsea’s official website. “If I forget the performance from our last match the situation is fine. We are close to the league leaders, we have qualified for the last 16 in the Champions League and we are in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup.

“Of course I didn't like the performance [against Basel], but I have to live with it, especially in a team without years and years to work together, or without enough maturity to keep that stability match after match, and with some fatigue added. We will try everything not to repeat it.”

The biggest area of criticism for Chelsea has been their options up front. Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba have scored just three Premier League goals between them this season, sparking criticism of the decision to allow Romelu Lukaku to leave on loan and speculation that a striker will be recruited in January. Mourinho, though, has declared that his current front men will remain unaltered for the remainder of the campaign, while also suggesting that there are unsaid reasons behind Lukaku’s move to Everton.

Chelsea are unlikely to have an easy time of things on Sunday when they take on a Southampton side just two points behind them in the Premier League table. Saints coach Mauricio Pochettino knows Mourinho well from his matches against Real Madrid during his spell in charge of Espanyol. The Argentine suffered defeat to Mourinho on each of their four meetings in Spain, but he has belief that Southampton can end Mourinho’s long unbeaten run as Chelsea manager at Stamford Bridge.

“We know that they have lost very few games at Stamford Bridge and that their record there is amazing, so we are fully aware that we are going to be facing a very tough side,” he said, according to Southampton’s official website. “It will be a tough game but we go there with the right mentality.”

Southampton suffered a setback last time out when a much-replayed error from Artur Boruc gifted league leaders Arsenal the opening goal in their 2-0 win. There is good news, though, with Luke Shaw having recovered from a dead leg that forced him off at half time at the Emirates. Jack Cork and Gaston Ramirez are set to return to the squad, while Guly do Prado and Kelvin Davis are ruled out.

Chelsea will be without both Eto’o and David Luiz through injury.

Where to watch: The Barclays Premier League match will kick off at Stamford Bridge at 11.10 a.m. ET. Coverage will be provided by the NBC Sports Network, with a live stream available on NBC Sports Live Extra.

Chelsea Vs. Southampton: Live Stream Details, TV Channel And Preview

Manchester United Vs. Tottenham: Live Stream Info, TV Channel And Probable Lineups getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Manchester United Vs. Tottenham: Live Stream Info, TV Channel And Probable Lineups

David Moyes has challenged his Manchester United players to start producing the kind of performance that saw them blast Bayer Leverkusen 5-0 in midweek on a regular basis. United came up with their best display since Moyes took the reins this summer in confirming their place in the Champions League knockout phase in emphatic style with a hammering of the side currently second in the Bundesliga on their own turf. But, ahead of their meeting with Tottenham at White hart Lane on Sunday, Moyes signaled that greater consistency was key.

“The best is to come and I still think we can continue to improve and progress," he said at his pre-math press conference, according to Manchester United’s official website.

"We had some little bits of inconsistency at times, which we need to try to do better with, but there have been moments that have shown we are beginning to come right back into form. That is what I hope. Midweek certainly showed what we are capable of when we are playing well and the job is to do that week in, week out."

United’s scintillating display was built on the trio of Ryan Giggs, Shinji Kagawa and Wayne Rooney, which now gives Moyes a major selection dilemma. Giggs, who incredibly turned 40 on Friday, may not be able to play at a high level twice in just four days, while the possible return of Robin van Persie could mean Kagawa again moving out wide with Rooney dropping in behind. Van Persie has been nursing a groin injury, but is expected to have a late fitness test.

After three successive Premier League wins, United lost more valuable ground on those sides above them when conceding an injury-time equalizer at Cardiff City last week. Still, it was nothing compared to the blow suffered by their next opponents, Tottenham.

Having been struggling to score goals in the early part of the season, Andre Villas-Boas’ side suddenly conceded a flurry of them in losing 6-0 to Manchester City. Still, the situation isn’t necessarily nearly as gloomy as subsequent headlines have painted it out to be, with Tottenham just a point behind United in the Premier League table and still within touching distance of the top four. Villas-Boas is eager for the team to help eradicate the memory of last week’s humiliation with a strong showing against the champions.

“We were hurt after the display against City, the players, the staff, everyone involved in the club,” he said, according to Tottenham’s official website. “We all want to bounce back and it’s the first opportunity in the Premier League to do that.

“I think our fans will help us try to get one over them and hopefully we can do that.”

Tottenham did get a victory on Thursday in beating Tromso 2-0 in Norway. Villas-Boas made nine changes for the encounter and is likely to recall many of those left out. The fact that Roberto Soldado played the full 90 minutes suggests that he may be dropped against United. Emanuel Adebayor, who made his first appearance of the season against City, could start, although he is nursing a groin injury. Christian Eriksen, Danny Rose and Harry Kane are all still ruled out.

Tottenham (probable)

G: Lloris

D: Walker, Kaboul, Dawson, Vertonghen

M: Sandro, Paulinho

Lennon, Holtby, Sigurdsson

F: Adebayor

Manchester United (probable)

G: De Gea

D: Smalling, Vidic, Evans, Evra

M: Cleverley, Fellaini

Valencia, Rooney, Kagawa

F: Van Persie

Where to watch: The Barclays Premier League match will kick off at 7 a.m. ET. Coverage will be provided by the NBC Sports Network, with a live stream available on NBC Sports Live Extra.

Manchester United Vs. Tottenham: Live Stream Info, TV Channel And Probable Lineups

VIDEO Motorcycle Racer Killed In Crash: Doriano Romboni Run Over During Race getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® VIDEO Motorcycle Racer Killed In Crash: Doriano Romboni Run Over During Race

Doriano Romboni, an formerly renowned Italian motorcycle racer, died after falling from his bike and being struck by another racer on Saturday in Italy, according to recent reports.

Romboni was reportedly flown via helicopter to a hospital south of Rome following the crash.

Attending an event in memory of fellow Italian racer Marco Simoncelli, the 44-year-old had last raced professionally in 1998. During his nine year Grand Prix career Romboni included six victories, and 22 trips to the podium.

Romboni rode for Honda, Aprilia, and MuZ at the 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc levels.

What looks to be a photo of the incident can be viewed here at Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

The video below shows the same picture of what is supposedly Romboni lying on the track, and later a picture of paramedics attending to him.

VIDEO Motorcycle Racer Killed In Crash: Doriano Romboni Run Over During Race

Scientists Explain Why Males’ Company Can Be Deadly For Females In Some Species getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Scientists Explain Why Males’ Company Can Be Deadly For Females In Some Species

The mere presence of male roundworms can significantly shorten the lifespan of their female counterparts, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California.

The researchers, who discovered this characteristic in laboratory roundworms, said if carried out after reproduction, this "male-induced demise" could be useful in conserving precious resources for a male's offspring or to decrease the supply of mates for male competitors.

It was known already that the company of some male worms and flies can be deadly for their female or hermaphroditic counterparts. While there has been no clear-cut explanation, some researchers have speculated that the physical stress of mating could cause their early death.

But the new study suggests that sex is not only to be blamed here. It seems males also carry out a calculated plan at the molecular level to kill off the baby-makers once they are done with their jobs.

“We've found that males induce the expression of a large number of genes involved in sensation and signaling in hermaphrodites,” Anne Brunet, the university associate professor of genetics and the study’s lead author, said in a statement. “This raises the possibility that the male-induced demise is not just due to the physical stress of copulation but instead involves some degree of active signaling. Indeed, we found that just placing hermaphrodites on plates where males had previously been present was sufficient to induce the premature demise of hermaphrodites.”

The researchers examined the common laboratory roundworm, known as Caenorhabditis elegans, which is one millimeter long and translucent. These creatures generally live for about 20 days, and their normal population consists of about 0.01 to 0.1 percent males with the remainder consisting of hermaphrodites that have both male and female reproductive organs.

The study, published Thursday in Science Express, showed that male worms can initiate the killing process even across distances. The continuous presence of young males can shorten the average lifespan of C. elegans hermaphrodites by more than 20 percent.

The researchers said the effect persisted even when the genders were prevented from co-mingling, or when the hermaphrodites were sterile. In addition, affected hermaphrodites also displayed premature symptoms of aging, such as slower movement, an increased incidence of paralysis, general decrepitude and structural decline.

The researchers placed hermaphrodites on laboratory dishes that had formerly contained male worms. They found that the hermaphrodites exhibited a shortened lifespan, indicating that the males had left behind some substance that was harming them.

“The observation that this male-induced demise is present in several species of worms and has also been shown in flies suggests that it could have some adaptive benefits,” Brunet said. “It will be interesting, of course, to determine whether males also affect the lifespan of females in other species, particularly mammals.”

Scientists Explain Why Males’ Company Can Be Deadly For Females In Some Species

VIDEO Arsenal 3-0 Cardiff: Highlights; Ramsey And Flamini Goals Take Gunners 7 Points Clear getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® VIDEO Arsenal 3-0 Cardiff: Highlights; Ramsey And Flamini Goals Take Gunners 7 Points Clear

Aaron Ramsey continued his incredible season with two goals against the club that first nurtured him to help put Arsenal seven points clear at the top of the Premier League. Ramsey, who got his football education at Cardiff City before departing for the Emirates as a 17-year-old, again showed the realization of the promise first witnessed in the Welsh capital by expertly guiding a header into the corner just before the half-hour mark.

It was no more than Arsenal deserved in a first half in which they hit the cross bar inside 90 seconds through Jack Wilshere and completely dominated proceedings. To their credit, Cardiff improved dramatically from the dormant attacking force witnessed in the opening half to make Arsenal sweat on their lead until Mathieu Flamini came off the bench to hammer home a fine strike with four minutes remaining before Ramsey got his second in injury time.

For all their endeavor after the break, Cardiff struggled to create a regular threat on the Arsenal goal. A superb save from Wojciech Szczesny scuppered the home side’s only real chance of coming from behind against one of the Premier League’s big guns for the second week running, following their draw with Manchester United last week.

There were some uncomfortable moments for Arsenal in the second half, but it was another professional away performance of the type that title runs are built on. And with every passing week, Arsenal’s claims for a first Premier League title since 2004 must be taken ever more seriously.

More to follow.

VIDEO Arsenal 3-0 Cardiff: Highlights; Ramsey And Flamini Goals Take Gunners 7 Points Clear

ArcelorMittal, Nippon Steel To Buy ThyssenKrupp’s Alabama Plant For $1.55B getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® ArcelorMittal, Nippon Steel To Buy ThyssenKrupp’s Alabama Plant For $1.55B

The world’s two largest steelmakers, ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT) and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. (TYO:5401) have agreed to jointly buy ThyssenKrupp’s (FRA:TKA) steel plant in the U.S. for $1.55 billion, in a move likely to reduce the import of raw steel into the U.S.

The purchase is expected to be financed through a combination of equity and debt at the joint venture level, ArcelorMittal said in a statement on Friday. The agreement brings to an end 18 months of bidding and negotiations involving the world’s top steel companies, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The plant in Calvert, Ala., has a total capacity of 5.3 million tons, and the deal includes a six-year agreement to purchase 2 million tons of steel slabs a year from ThyssenKrupp’s integrated steel mill complex in Rio de Janeiro. But ArcelorMittal would also supply the plant with raw steel from its other plants in the U.S., indicating lesser imports of raw steel.

“The automotive market is an identified franchise business for ArcelorMittal, and the Calvert facility will complement ArcelorMittal’s existing auto business in the United States,” the Luxembourg-based company said.

ArcelorMittal, with its 40 percent market share in North America’s automotive steel industry, claims a major influence over supply and pricing, and its joint venture with Nippon-Sumitomo could mean antitrust problems while obtaining regulatory approval, according to WSJ.

ThyssenKrupp’s Brazilian plant, which has been dogged by losses, is also expected to benefit from the deal, because the deal mandates buying 2 million tons of steel slabs from the plant for six years.

“The company’s current facilities for the auto segment in the U.S. are at high levels of capacity utilization and the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) automotive market is expected to show an increase in vehicle production of approximately 15 percent over the next decade,” ArcelorMittal said.

“This acquisition will also strengthen ArcelorMittal’s position in supplying the NAFTA energy industry, which is expected to demonstrate growing demand for energy pipe and tube products due to increases in oil and natural gas exploration and production,” the company added.

ArcelorMittal, Nippon Steel To Buy ThyssenKrupp’s Alabama Plant For $1.55B

Washington Asks US Carriers To Comply With China’s Air Defense Zone Rules getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Washington Asks US Carriers To Comply With China’s Air Defense Zone Rules

A helicopter of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force lifts off from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington during Annual Exercise 2013, at sea in this November 27, 2013 handout provided by the U.S. Navy. While the U.S. Navy would not confirm the exact coordinates, they were able to say the event took place, at one point at least, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) south east of Japan's southern most the islands of Okinawa. This is in the general vicinity, though not within, China's new airspace defense zone. Reuters

U.S. commercial airlines have been advised to notify Chinese authorities before entering China’s newly proclaimed air defense identification zone, or ADIZ, over the East China Sea, although the Pentagon said earlier this week that U.S. military operations “will not in any way change” as a result of China’s announcement.

The State Department, in a statement issued Friday, said the advisory does not mean the U.S. government has accepted China’s assertion of its power over the East China Sea, covering a set of disputed islands known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

“Freedom of overflight and other internationally lawful uses of sea and airspace are essential to prosperity, stability, and security in the Pacific,” the State Department said. “We remain deeply concerned by China's Nov. 23 declaration of an “East China Sea Air Identification Zone.””

“The U.S. government generally expects that U.S. carriers operating internationally will operate consistent with NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) issued by foreign countries. Our expectation of operations by U.S. carriers consistent with NOTAMs does not indicate U.S. government acceptance of China's requirements for operating in the newly declared ADIZ.”

Japan has told its carriers not to comply with China’s ADIZ rules, while several regional commercial airliners, such as Singapore Airlines Ltd. (SGX:C6L), Australia’s Qantas Airways Limited (ASX:QAN) and South Korea’s Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd. (KRX:003490) have said they will notify Chinese authorities before flying through the protected zone.

Beijing said Thursday that it will deploy fighter jets in the area to monitor movement of airplanes and for defense purposes.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Wednesday that other countries need not “panic” over the ADIZ, adding that it is a “justified act of self-defense,” and not targeted at any specific nation.

“Relevant countries need not make a fuss, panic or relate themselves to it,” Qin said at a news briefing in Beijing, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that Tokyo will respond to the ADIZ “firmly but in a calm manner,” adding that he will “cooperate with allied countries, neighboring countries and international organizations,” the Mainichi Shimbun reported.

The issue is expected to be top on the agenda during bilateral talks between U.S. and Japanese officials when Vice President Joe Biden visits Japan next week.

Washington Asks US Carriers To Comply With China’s Air Defense Zone Rules

Air Defense Zone: China, US, Japan Jets Probe Each Other in East China Sea getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Air Defense Zone: China, US, Japan Jets Probe Each Other in East China Sea

China and the United States Friday continued to probe eachother on the heels of China’s unilateral extension of a air defense zone that the other regional powers – Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan – refuse to recognize.

China launched two fighter planes Friday to investigate flights by a dozen U.S. and Japanese reconnaissance and military planes into China’s so-called “air defense zone” – most of which is legally in international territory.

China announced last week that all aircraft entering the zone – a maritime area between China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan – must notify Chinese authorities beforehand, USAToday reported Friday. The Beijing government also said it would take unspecified defensive measures against those that don’t comply.

The United States and the neighboring nations said they will not honor the new zone, and have added that China’s unilateral act unnecessarily raised tensions.

The issue almost certainly will come up for discussion early next week when U.S. Vice President Joe Biden travels to Japan, China and South Korea.

At this juncture, the international relations and diplomatic community appears to be divided and a little perplexed over China’s unexpected assertiveness, with some seeing the move as ill-conceived and without an end game, while others characterized it as yet another chess move by China to assert itself more in regional affairs in the postmodern era.

Air Defense Zone: China, US, Japan Jets Probe Each Other in East China Sea

Ice Circle In North Dakota Caught On Camera, What Caused Rare And ‘Surreal’ Phenomenon? [VIDEO] getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Ice Circle In North Dakota Caught On Camera, What Caused Rare And ‘Surreal’ Phenomenon? [VIDEO]

First crop circles, now this? Video of an enormous ice circle spinning in a river in North Dakota is making its way around the Internet after a hunter filmed the strange phenomenon last Saturday. The footage shows the ice circle, shaped like a giant flapjack, revolving like a frozen merry-go-round in the middle of the dark river. The icy disk was estimated to be nearly 55 feet in diameter.

The Associated Press reported that George Loegering, a 73-year-old retired engineer, was hunting with relatives when he spotted the ice circle in the Sheyenne River. He pulled out his camera to film what he told The Associated Press was a “surreal” encounter.

“It’s an amazing wonder,” Loegering said while filming the ice circle. “Don’t have a clue how it did it, but that thing is rotating, as you can see.” He even described how concentric rings of ice near the ice circles’ edge made him think the ice circle was growing.

So what caused the amazing ice circle in North Dakota? Although strange, ice circles aren’t as rare as you might think. According to NBC News, spinning frozen disks turn up every now and then in cold climates, especially in the Arctic, Scandinavia and Canada. And there’s actually a perfectly logical explanation for why they occur – and it doesn’t involve extraterrestrial spaceships making splash landings on Earth.

According to Allen Schlag, a National Weather Service hydrologist in Bismarck, N.D., floating bits of ice in the river were caught in an eddy, a circular movement of water like a whirlpool that doesn’t move with the rest of the current. He told The Associated Press the ice circle is pretty much a “collection of ice cubes” swirling about in the eddy.

The National Post explained the ice circle phenomenon slightly differently, noting that as water cools, it releases heat that turns into frazil ice – loose, needle-shaped particles of ice that can cluster together. If the current of the river allows this frazil ice to accumulate, it can form an ice circle, “a dense, heavy piece of ice with high ridges and a low center.”

Another theory is that ice circles form at bends in the river where the rushing water creates a force called “rotational shear.” This force can break off a piece of ice that rotates. As it spins, its edges become smooth as they grind against surrounding ice.

To see Loegering’s video of the ice circle in North Dakota, click here. Below, check out a similar ice circle video uploaded to YouTube by YouTube user ‪Jérôme Joncas.

Ice Circle In North Dakota Caught On Camera, What Caused Rare And ‘Surreal’ Phenomenon? [VIDEO]

Mike Tomlin Interference: Did Steelers Head Coach Block Ravens WR Jacoby Jones' Kick Return On Purpose? [VIDEO] getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Mike Tomlin Interference: Did Steelers Head Coach Block Ravens WR Jacoby Jones' Kick Return On Purpose? [VIDEO]

Thursday night’s primetime matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens held serious implications for the playoff prospects of both AFC North teams. However, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin may have taken his quest to reach the postseason a bit too far.

Tomlin is currently under fire for his role in an incident that occurred during the second quarter of the Ravens’ 22-20 victory over the Steelers. The Steelers coach appeared to purposely block Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones’ path during a kick return, costing Baltimore a key touchdown.

The Ravens were nursing a 13-7 lead when kick returner Jacoby Jones caught the ball and broke free of the Steelers’ kick coverage. Jones appeared to have a clear path to the end zone, but was forced to change direction to avoid Tomlin, who had wandered out onto the field near the 40-yard line.

The slight delay allowed Steelers defender Cortez Allen to tackle Jones, preventing a touchdown and some key insurance points for the Ravens. Ravens fans didn’t take kindly to Tomlin’s alleged interference, but the Steelers coach insisted after the game that he was watching the kick return on the stadium’s Jumbotron and hadn’t noticed that he’d blocked Jones’ path.

"I always watch the returns on the Jumbotron; it provides a better perspective for me,” Tomlin told reporters after the game, via NFL.com. “Obviously, I lost my placement as he broke free, and saw at the last second how close I was to the field of play."

When asked if he was aware of the NFL's rule against coaches walking out onto the field, Tomlin was contrite in his response. "Tell me something I don't know. I do it quite often, like everybody else in the National Football League. I was wrong, I accept responsibility for it," he said.

After the game, James was diplomatic when asked if he believed that Tomlin had purposely gotten in his way. "It broke my stride a little bit," Jones said. “I still shouldn’t have gotten caught.”

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was less forgiving. “Mike Tomlin stopped us one time, I think,” he told reporters.

The game’s officials did not penalize Tomlin for his actions on the play; however, if they had decided that Tomlin had intentionally interfered with Jones, the Ravens would likely have been awarded an automatic touchdown, USA Today reports. Furthermore, the Steelers would have been assessed a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Tomlin may not have been penalized at the time, but he’ll still likely face discipline from the NFL. League officials will review the play during the week, and Tomlin “should be penalized” for stepping onto the field, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Do you think that Tomlin interfered with Jones’ kick return on purpose? A video of the play in question can be viewed below (play begins around the :40 mark), or over at USA Today. Sound off in the comment section with your opinion.

Mike Tomlin Interference: Did Steelers Head Coach Block Ravens WR Jacoby Jones' Kick Return On Purpose? [VIDEO]

Sony PSN Issues: PlayStation Network Sign-In Problems, Features Limited As PS4 Release Arrives getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Sony PSN Issues: PlayStation Network Sign-In Problems, Features Limited As PS4 Release Arrives

Sony released a statement on its official Twitter account, stating that it would investigate the issue. As the PS4 release date arrives worldwide, several system outages are likely as Sony attempts to deal with the heavy traffic of new users.

Sony says it has limited some PSN features, such as the "What's New" section, as well as the ability to view submenus, in order to reduce network issues. The manufacturer says it will restore the features shortly after the PS4 launches.

The PSN outage follows an issue earlier this week where users’ passwords were reset automatically. Some users complained that they were unable to sign-in to PSN despite entering a correct “date of birth” and email address to reset their password.

The PSN password reset also began affecting PS4 and PS3 owners in the U.S. a few days later. Sony says that it is resetting user passwords “purely as a precautionary measure” and was caused by “irregular activity”.

In 2011, Sony had over 77 million user accounts had passwords stolen by hackers for PlayStation Network and other services, costing the company $171 million. Less than six months after the initial breach, hackers were able to again compromise 93,000 PSN accounts.

Sony announced that when it launched the PS4 in the U.S. earlier this month, it sold over one million consoles in 24 hours. Sony’s Fergal Gara told CVG that PS4 “stock allocation in the UK is very healthy indeed and we go into this ready and willing and break our own previous launch record."

Follow Thomas Halleck on Twitter

Sony PSN Issues: PlayStation Network Sign-In Problems, Features Limited As PS4 Release Arrives

Black Friday Deals 2013: Stay Home, Buy Online getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Black Friday Deals 2013: Stay Home, Buy Online

Ah, Thanksgiving. Time for mountainous heaps of food and road trips to see family members who tear at your will to live.

And, of course, shopping.

While bargain hunters storm the castles of Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Gamestop to the horror of the retail chains’ unfortunate employees, you could spend quality time with your family. Maybe your grandmother will knit a nice new scarf for you while she rants about LBJ and compares President Obama to Emperor Nero.

Instead of spending hours donning urban camouflage gear, pitching the $400 tent you bought from Dick’s and camping in suburban parking lots in anticipation for crazy Black Friday deals, you could be doing something far more enjoyable. Maybe staying home, playing some video games in peace?

I’ve never understood this part of American culture - granted, it’s not the only part but I digress - that we’d give up an entire day to go shopping, braving people zoos and fool corrals in the hopes of saving a hundred bucks on a TV and maybe fifty on a game system. Do we really believe that this is the only time, nearly a month before Christmas Day, that we could obtain the electronic devices we lust after?

Black Friday itself is a horrendous experience from either side of the cash register. Before I was a writer, I worked in retail from my teenage years until my early twenties.

I worked birthdays. Easter. Thanksgiving Day. Christmas Eve. New Year’s Day, even after I turned 21. While none of those days were particularly enjoyable, they paled in comparison to Black Friday. Normal, mostly-civilized citizens transformed into physical manifestations of greed, pushing and arguing over bags of dog food that had been discounted 30 percent. And for what? A few dollars saved? Even if we ran out of a particular item, it would likely be restocked before the holidays. If you were buying a present, there was still plenty of time.

Were this a zombie apocalypse and we were raiding stores for food items, I’d understand. But Americans kill each other every year on Black Friday, trying to buy nonessential items. We trample one another for 55 inch LED TVs and whatever the hot gadget of the season is (this year, the PS4 and Xbox One). Lives are lost for pieces of plastic and circuit boards.

But now, Black Friday isn’t just one day - many retailers opened on Thanksgiving night to give the hungry shoppers an even earlier jump on their deals. The holiday has become a 36 hour shopping extravaganza, complete with glittery lights and employees wearing a hybrid expression of despair, feigned enthusiasm, and homicidal impulse facetiously greeting patrons.

I can’t help but laugh at the show of patriotism. After all, what’s more American than Thanksgiving and consumerism?

Some retailers bundled current-gen consoles with games for the “holiday,” so it might be worth dropping the cash if you’ve been wanting something. But it must be asked - why bother wading into the cesspool of pugnacious WalMart stormtroopers (who are as equally apt as their Galactic Empire counterparts) when the deals will be offered online? Thanks to the little miracle we know as the Internet, you could purchase pretty much anything you want while laying down with your laptop open, picking crumbs out of your beard and wiping your hands free of corn syrup detritus on your Halo 4 shirt.

Amazon, eBay, Best Buy, Walmart, Target - you name the shop, they’ll be running similar if not better sales online throughout the weekend and Monday obviating any need to participate in the Black Friday charade.

You’re better off staying home (if you’re lucky enough to have the day off from work) and spending time with the people you love, doing something you all enjoy - video games, perhaps. There are plenty of party games on all of the current gen systems, and you can even get digital versions of tabletop games like Monopoly. Nobody can cheat and steal money from the bank, and what’s normally a 4 hour affair can go as quickly as 45 minutes.

Or you could break out Wii Sports and challenge your sister to a few rounds of baseball, confident of your victory. Until she starts whacking everything you throw into the upper deck. Either way, you’ve still had fun, and you haven’t spent the night camping in the middle of winter just to be first in line for a game.

Simon Pegg had the right idea:

Go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over.

Black Friday Deals 2013: Stay Home, Buy Online

Seattle Sehawks Vs. New Orleans Saints: Betting Odds, Prediction And Preview getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Seattle Sehawks Vs. New Orleans Saints: Betting Odds, Prediction And Preview

It’ probably the biggest game of the 2013 NFL regular season in the NFC. The conference’s two best team, the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints, are set to face off on Monday Night Football.

Seattle enters Week 13 with the best record in football (10-1) and a three-game lead in the NFC West. New Orleans is just one game back (9-2) for the No.1 seed, though they don’t have as much of a secure lead in their division, as they sit just one game ahead of the Carolina Panthers.

A win for either team would put them in the driver’s seat to have the top spot in the conference and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The ability to play every postseason game in front of their home fans would go a long way in getting the winning team to the Super Bowl. No teams are better at home than the Seahawks or Saints. Seattle hasn’t been defeated at CenturyLink Field since 2011. The Saints are not only unbeaten at home in 2013, but they’ve never lost against the point spread.

Fortunately for the Seahawks, they’ll be home on Monday night. The betting line as them listed as 4.5-point favorites. Three of their home wins have come by at least 21 points. They had a near slip up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week Nine, but made a 10-point comeback in the fourth quarter and won in overtime.

For as dominant as the Saints have been this season, they haven’t been nearly as good on the road. They’re 3-2 away from New Orleans, with none of their victories coming by more than one score. On the road, the Saints have covered just one point spread.

Despite the location of the contest, New Orleans might be facing Seattle at the most ideal time. The Seahawks’ vaunted pass defense is somewhat depleted, as two key members of their secondary will be out. A groin injury will sideline starting cornerback Brandon Browner, while and Walter Thurmond is set to miss four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

"We're still trying to work through it. I'll say it again, I've always found myself looking for guys that maybe other people don't see something special in and we take a chance on a guy here or there that needs some extra consideration and care," head oach Pete Carroll said. "And sometimes guys they have issues and things pop up but I've always been kind of hopeful and make guys find the best in them and bring it out. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't."

With a healthy defense, the Seahawks match up well with the Saints. They are second in the league, allowing 180.4 yards through the air per game. New Orleans relies on Drew Brees and the passing game for the majority of their points. They are second in passing offense, but could have trouble scoring if that gets stifled by Seattle. Twenty-two other teams average more yards on the ground per game than the Saints.

Betting Odds: Seattle-4.5, 47

Prediction: The Saints might be the second best team in the NFC, but on the road they’ve been no better than average. Seattle’s secondary is somewhat undermanned, but Richard Sherman, possibly the best cornerback in the NFL, will be ready to go. The Seahawks are one of the best teams at forcing turnovers, and Brees threw two interceptions in New Orleans’ last loss. He could have a few miscues on Monday. Russell Wilson leads a balanced offensive attack, and Seattle’s run game should be able to have some success.

Predicted Score: Seattle 24, New Orleans 17

Seattle Sehawks Vs. New Orleans Saints: Betting Odds, Prediction And Preview

National Dog Show 2013 Results: 'Jewel,' American Foxhound, Wins Best In Show; Full List Of Best In Group Winners getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® National Dog Show 2013 Results: 'Jewel,' American Foxhound, Wins Best In Show; Full List Of Best In Group Winners

More than 1,500 canines entered the 2013 National Dog Show in hopes of being named “Best In Show,” but only one walked away with the prestigious honor.

GCH Kiarry’s Pandora’s Box, an American Foxhound also known as “Jewel,” left the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center as “Best In Show” for the 12th annual National Dog Show, the Associated Press reports. Best In Show judge Randy E. Garren selected Jewel from among the seven dogs that were named “Best In Group.”

By winning the title of “Best In Show,” Jewel, a 3-year-old bitch, became the first American Foxhound to win the National Dog Show. Furthermore, her victory marked the first time that the competition’s winner came out of the “Hound” category.

After the competition, Jewel’s handler, Lisa Miller of Mechanicsville, Md., heaped praise upon her charge. “Jewel flies around on a loose lead, then she stops and free stacks with a look that says, ‘Beat me.’ She is probably the best American Foxhound I’ve ever bred,” Miller said, according to the Associated Press.

Jewel’s “Best In Show” victory as the National Dog Show is just the latest accomplishment in her storied career. At last year’s tournament, she won the “Best In Group” for the Hound category, and she won the same title at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last February.

She is the winningest American Foxhound in history, the Associated Press reports. “I never have seen one that good [as Jewel] and may never see one better,” Garren said after the event. “Not only does she look good but it is clear that she would be great in the field also.”

Airing directly after NBC’s coverage of the 2013 Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Dog Show had an impressive 18 million viewers. The event was actually held on Nov. 16, but aired for the first time on Thursday.

NBC will air an encore edition of the 2013 National Dog Show this Saturday night, Nov. 30, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in all time zones. A full list of the event’s winners can be viewed below.

Best In Show

“Jewel,” American Foxhound

Best In Group

Hound: “Jewel,” American Foxhound

Herding: “Fawny,” Bearded Collie

Toy: “Rodger,” Pekingese

Terrier: “Ryder,” Norfolk Terrier

Sporting: “Riley,” Irish Water Spaniel

Non-Sporting: “Honor,” Bichon Frise

Working: “Schweitzer,” Standard Schnauzer

National Dog Show 2013 Results: 'Jewel,' American Foxhound, Wins Best In Show; Full List Of Best In Group Winners

World Cup 2014: Meet The Caxirola, The Quieter Alternative To The Vuvuzela getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® World Cup 2014: Meet The Caxirola, The Quieter Alternative To The Vuvuzela

Perhaps you recall the vuvuzela, the plastic horn that provided the buzzy soundtrack for the 2010 World Cup? Well, next year’s World Cup in Brazil has a new signature instrument, and thankfully, scientists have already determined that it won’t sound like a chorus of flatulent demons when blown en masse.

Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown designed a new maraca-like instrument for the soccer tournament that he’s dubbed the “caxirola.” This is a new take on an African and South American instrument called the caxixi, which is traditionally made from a tightly woven basket lined with a flat bottom made from dried gourd, and filled with seeds. The noise comes from shaking the caxixi such that the seeds strike that flat bottom.

“The caxirola respects auditory boundaries,” Brown told the Brazilian news portal G1 in April. “It reproduces the sounds of nature, of the sea, so we work with the best engineers to make sure the sound will be pleasing and nice.”

Some modern caxixis are made with metal, but the caxirola is made with "green and sustainable" plastic, Brown says. “We have to be responsible.”

But is the caxirola really a quieter, gentler noisemaker than the vuvuzela? Talita Pozzer and Stephan Paul, researchers at Brazil’s Federal University of Santa Maria, decided to investigate. They asked 22 people who’d never seen a caxirola before to play it, then recorded the noise the instrument made.

They found that the caxirola is slightly louder if you shake it along its longer axis, but either way, the instrument isn’t much louder than normal conversation. Importantly, the caxirola’s rattle is also 45 decibels lower than the vuvuzela, which corresponds to a sound energy of about 1/30,000th that of the honking plastic horn. Pozzer and Paul are scheduled to present their findings next week at the annual meeting of the Acoustic Society of America in San Francisco, Calif.

The researchers’ next step will be to measure the caxirola’s sound power levels. Unlike sound pressure levels, an instrument’s sound power is consistent across distances and surroundings. Then Pozzer and Paul can use a computer program to simulate what thousands upon thousands of caxirolas would sound like inside a soccer stadium.

It’s still uncertain whether the caxirola will actually be making a big splash at next year’s World Cup. Some soccer fans have found that the handheld instruments are handy projectiles, and a disgruntled crowd hurled the instruments to the pitch earlier this year, interrupting a match between the Portuguese soccer club Vitoria F.C. and Brazilian club Bahia. In May, Brazilian officials banned the caxirola from the Confederations Cup – a dry run of sorts for the World Cup -- this past June, and may keep the ban in place for the main event in 2014.

So, while the vuvuzela might have exposed people to riskily high levels of sound and also had the potential to spray germs throughout a packed crowd, at least it wasn’t heavy enough to be thrown at another fan’s head.

World Cup 2014: Meet The Caxirola, The Quieter Alternative To The Vuvuzela

Colorado State Sen. Evie Hudak Resigns Instead Of Facing Recall Vote Pushed By Gun Rights Groups [PHOTO] getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Colorado State Sen. Evie Hudak Resigns Instead Of Facing Recall Vote Pushed By Gun Rights Groups [PHOTO]

Instead of facing a recall vote spearheaded by gun rights activists, a Democratic state senator from Colorado chose to resign, citing the costs of holding a special election and the preservation of the state’s new gun control laws.

State Sen. Evie Hudak, a Democrat representing Jefferson County, resigned in a letter Wednesday. Her seat was targeted by gun rights activists trying to wrest control of the Colorado legislature from Democrats in the wake of the 2013 gun rights bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper. The legislation was spurred by the 2012 Aurora, Colo., theater shooting during the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” in which 12 people were killed and 70 others were injured.

"This decision has been difficult to make," Hudak wrote in her resignation letter, according to the Denver Post. "I believe I have listened closely to the ideas and concerns of my constituents in the past five years, both through over 100-town hall meetings and community coffees I have hosted, and in the thousands of e-mails and phone calls from engaged citizens in my community."

Hudak’s decision to resign means that another Democrat will replace her in the Colorado State Senate. State law requires that she be replaced by a member of her own party. A recall election would have meant voters could have replaced Hudak with a Republican.

In her resignation letter, Hudak referenced Colorado’s new gun control laws as part of the reasoning for her stepping down.

“By resigning, I am protecting these important new laws for the good of Colorado,” she wrote, according to the New York Times.

She also cited the costs of the recall election, which she pegged at $200,000.

Hudak’s opponents said her decision to resign may have skirted the will of the voters.

“This is a cowardly way out of the recall,” Joe Nevillle of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, the organization that led the recall against Hudak, told the Post.

Colorado State Sen. Evie Hudak Resigns Instead Of Facing Recall Vote Pushed By Gun Rights Groups [PHOTO]

PS4 Europe Launch Day: Consumers Summon American Black Friday Spirit With Sony PlayStation 4 Release [VIDEO] getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® PS4 Europe Launch Day: Consumers Summon American Black Friday Spirit With Sony PlayStation 4 Release [VIDEO]

All eyes in the United States were set on Black Friday in the United States. But, on the other side of the pond, consumers were also lining up well before midnight to get in on the shopping action – for the midnight launch of the Sony (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation 4.

While the US got a head start with the PS4 release on Nov. 15, Europe was left waiting until Nov. 29, oddly coinciding with the hordes of Black Friday shoppers back in the US. While Europeans continued to wait for the PS4, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) stepped in to fill the brief void with the Nov. 22 launch of the Xbox One in the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria and other countries.

Despite this brief gap between PlayStation 4 launches, European PS4 fans were clearly just as excited as their American counterparts, who were looking to add to their PS4 collections on Black Friday.

Hordes of shoppers lined up across Europe to get their hands on the next-gen PS4. While some of the PS4 lines were long, but orderly and peaceful, some took on the American Black Friday spirit.

One such video clearly shows the chaos that ensued at a Media Markt in Innsbruck, Austria. Unlike the orderly ticket and queue system that typically happens for most system launches, consumers were left to make a mad dash for the PS4 units that were stored at the end cap of a Media Markt aisle. Hordes of shoppers are seen in the video storming the stack of PlayStation 4 units, which appeared to be picked clean in a matter of seconds.

What was your experience with the European launch of the Sony PS4? Let us know in the comments.

For Americans still looking to purchase the Sony PlayStation 4, IBTimes has also compiled a list of retailers that may have the PS4 or Xbox One in stock.

PS4 Europe Launch Day: Consumers Summon American Black Friday Spirit With Sony PlayStation 4 Release [VIDEO]

The Week In Science: T. Rex Tissue, Aggressive HIV, Thanksgiving In Space getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® The Week In Science: T. Rex Tissue, Aggressive HIV, Thanksgiving In Space

It’s hard out here for a baby male lion. A new Nat Geo Wild documentary, “Game of Lions,” explores the unique challenges faced by little Simbas. Young male lions are kicked out of their prides by the reigning older males when they’re around two years old, and from there it’s a hard road to adulthood. The young males will have to roam through the countryside, avoiding the territories of other prides, where they could be attacked and killed. Ranging young males without a pride are also more likely to come into contact with humans – and their traps. If a young lion wants to lead a pride, he’ll have to fight the reigning king, usually to the death. [LiveScience]

Sexually frustrated male fruit flies die prematurely, living only about 40 percent as long as their satisfied compatriots. [BBC]

A newly identified strain of HIV appears to be more aggressive than other types of the virus. Swedish researchers found that the A3/02 strain, which is a fusion of two other types of HIV, progresses to AIDS within five years, which is up to two and a half years faster than its parent viral strains. [TIME]

Tongue piercings aren’t just a way to shock Mom over the holidays; doctors are using them to help paralyzed people get around. A special implanted tongue stud allows a paralyzed patient to control their wheelchair, along with other tasks: using a cell phone, or surfing the Web. When the patient moves their tongue around, a sensor relays the tongue’s position to a headset, which translates into a command for the device the person is using. Since people with even the most grievous level of spinal cord injuries retain use of their tongues, the system is ideal for a wide range of paralyzed people – and much easier to use than the current contraptions that require patients to blow or gulp air through a tube. [Fox News]

Ever wonder how astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving? It’s hard enough to eat in zero gravity, but did you know that being in orbit affects your sense of smell and taste, too? [CNN]

Some years ago, scientists found what seemed like preserved tissue from the insides of Tyrannosaurus rex bones that were over 68 million years old. Other scientists were flabbergasted that the tissue could have survived in that form for so long, and suggested it was something else – remnants of a bacteria infestation later on, perhaps. But Mary Schweitzer, the scientist behind the discovery, thinks she might know how the dinosaur flesh stayed soft for eons. Iron in the T. rex’s blood might have acted like formaldehyde to preserve the proteins and cells of the tissue since Cretaceous times. [Discovery]

The Week In Science: T. Rex Tissue, Aggressive HIV, Thanksgiving In Space

China Responds Sarcastically To Japan's Request To Revoke 'ADIZ' Air Defense Zone getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® China Responds Sarcastically To Japan's Request To Revoke 'ADIZ' Air Defense Zone

Tension over disputed islands in the East China Sea rose further after China declared an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the airspace of the territory. In response to backlash from Japan and the U.S., China has sent fighter jets and an early warning aircraft to patrol the area.

China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency announced the air patrolling after aircraft from South Korea, Japan and the U.S. flew through the newly-demarcated air zone, challenging the ADIZ rules. A particular cluster of islands, referred to as the Diaoyu by China and the Senkaku by Japan and the U.S., has been a point of tension between the two East Asian nations for several years. Beijing had previously only responded by saying it was aware of the flights and was monitoring them.

Shen Jinke, a spokesman for the Chinese air force, described the Chinese military aircraft flyover as “a defensive measure and in line with international common practices” in an official statement. “China’s air force is on high alert and will take measures to deal with the diverse air threats to firmly protect the security of the country’s airspace,” Shen also said.

In addition, China’s defense ministry hit back at Japan’s objections to the ADIZ. “Japan has absolutely no right to make irresponsible comments regarding China setting up the East China Sea ADIZ,” ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said at a press conference. Japan also has an ADIZ, which was established 44 years ago in 1969. In response to a reporter asking for a comment on requests from both Japan and the U.S. to revoke the Chinese ADIZ, Yang reportedly responded by sarcastically saying “We would like ask Japan to revoke its own ADIZ first, China will then consider this request in 44 years.”

China Responds Sarcastically To Japan's Request To Revoke 'ADIZ' Air Defense Zone

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes: 11 Meal Ideas To Use Up That Leftover Turkey getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes: 11 Meal Ideas To Use Up That Leftover Turkey

But look at it this way: On the bright side, you don't have to cook for at least the next week, and you'll save some money on your monthly grocery expenses. Yet you don't want to eat like it's Thanksgiving forever, and you certainly don't want to hear the dreaded, "Turkey again?" whining.

So, you'll have to come up with a creative way to use up that leftover turkey as well as the mashed potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce and stuffing. Plus, you'll make more time for shopping the Black Friday sales.

Not a clue what to do with the rest of your turkey and side dishes? Here are 11 recipes and meal ideas that don't taste like leftovers.

Curried Mash Potato and Turkey Soup recipe

Turkey and vegetable soup is a bore, so try this spin on a hearty soup to use up your roasted turkey and mashed potatoes, spiced with a bit of curry powder, in just 20 minutes. [Recipe from Oprah.com]

Thanksgiving Macaroni & Cheese recipe

On the cheap, this macaroni and cheese dish can me made with your favorite pasta plus turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce in just 40 minutes. The best part? The kids will love it. [Recipe from FoxNews.com]

Mushroom, Turkey and Potato Pie recipe

There's nothing easier than throwing some ingredients, like your leftover turkey, string beans and mashed potatoes, into a baking pan. So try this comfort dish which can be made in 30 minutes. [Recipe from Oprah.com]

Double Grilled Cheese and Turkey recipe

Everyone loves grilled cheese so try this classic hit with your favorite bread, maybe even leftovers from that Thanksgiving dinner basket. [Recipe from Food52]

Turkey Hash recipe

If you're in the mood for something fried with turkey and mashed potatoes, try this hash patty recipe which you can whip up for a snack or quick bite in 30 minutes. [Recipe from Oprah.com]

Turkey and Waffles recipe

This easy recipe uses frozen waffles and that leftover turkey. Add bacon for an extra breakfast kick. [Recipe from FoodieCrush.com]

Hot Turkey Sandwich recipe

The classic Thanksgiving leftover idea? The sandwich. But in case you need convincing, or if you find it hard to assemble a sandwich, try this "recipe." [Via SimplyRecipes.com]

Pulled Turkey BBQ recipe

Sick of the plain turkey sandwich? You can make this pulled turkey and cranberry BBQ sandwich, with instructions how to make a special barbecue sauce. For lazy cooks, substitute with your favorite bottled BBQ sauce. [Recipe from FoodNetwork.com]

Turkey Club Salad recipe

Nothing easier than a salad, like this one which you can personalize with your favorite ingredients. [Recipe from ABCNews]

Tacos de Papa (Potato Tacos) recipe

A spin on the classic taco, this uses up all of those mashed potatoes. Consider also adding in turkey, corn and maybe gravy for a topping. [Recipe from Sweet Life Bake]

Turkey and Mushroom Risotto recipe

This risotto could make for a side dish or a full meal for a family or small group. [Recipe from Bon Appetit]

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes: 11 Meal Ideas To Use Up That Leftover Turkey

First E-Cigarette ‘Vaping Zone’ Opens Inside Heathrow Airport getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® First E-Cigarette ‘Vaping Zone’ Opens Inside Heathrow Airport

Earlier this week, electronic cigarette manufacturer Gamucci opened what has been billed as the first indoor airport venue where passengers can enjoy e-cigarettes in the International Departures Lounge of Terminal 4 at London Heathrow. The so-called “vaping zone,” adjacent to the duty-free shops, lets fliers smoke e-cigarettes and sample Gamucci’s line of products.

The new 30-square-meter (325-square-foot) Gamucci Zone restricts entry to those 18 and over and is open from 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily. Taz and Umer Sheikh, co-founders of Gamucci, said they are frequent travelers themselves who identify with “the frustrations smokers endure” when they go through security.

“We hope our vaping zone will offer an environment to satisfy their cravings,” they said in a joint statement ahead of the launch. “Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe, with millions of passengers through each year from all of the world. The Gamucci Zone at Heathrow complements our positioning as a global brand sold in 55 countries worldwide.”

According a recent study from Euromonitor International, global sales of e-cigarettes are now worth $2 billion, with the U.K., U.S., Russia and Germany comprising the largest markets. Independent consumer research company Nielsen points to Gamucci as the fastest-growing brand in the U.K. among an increasingly crowded field of competitors.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes don’t produce smoke but rather vapor. Gamucci claims that all of its products are non-combustible and allow smokers “to enjoy nicotine without any of the by-products of combustible tobacco.” Several institutions, however, including the British Medical Association, advise that e-cigarettes should be included on traditional smoking bans in public spaces.

“Electronic cigarettes are subject to the same restrictions as standard cigarettes and therefore cannot be used inside terminal buildings, except in the designated e-cigarette lounge in Terminal 4,” Heathrow notes on its website. “They can be carried on your person, but please check with your airline on whether they are allowed on board the aircraft.”

Though the device falls into a gray area in terms of where and when it can be used, nearly all U.S. and European airlines have individually banned e-cigarettes in recent years.

In Britain, as is the case elsewhere, an increasing number of other places have barred the use of e-cigarettes, including trains, planes, bars and restaurants, making Heathrow Airport a notable exception to the trend. Health officials worry that the emerging product could expose more people to nicotine addiction and lure the younger generation to tobacco products.

However, Heathrow’s move appears to be a popular one. A survey of 1,000 travelers conducted by travel search engine Skyscanner found that a majority of people (57 percent) surveyed wouldn’t object to other airports following suit and licensing similar vaping zones. Sentiment was considerably higher among smokers (70 percent) than among nonsmokers (50 percent).

Less than half of travelers (40 percent) were in favor of vaping zones onboard the actual aircraft, though 64 percent of smokers said they’d consider buying and using them onboard if they were available.

First E-Cigarette ‘Vaping Zone’ Opens Inside Heathrow Airport

Japanese Company Proposes Giant Solar Panel Belt Around Moon To Solve Energy Problems getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Japanese Company Proposes Giant Solar Panel Belt Around Moon To Solve Energy Problems

Shimizu Corporation (TYO:1803), a Japanese construction company, has proposed to tackle Japan’s, and possibly the entire planet’s, energy problems by setting up a giant belt of solar panels around the Moon’s equator.

Tokyo-based Shimizu said its “lunar solar power generation concept” would pave the way for a “virtually inexhaustible, nonpolluting” source of energy, adding that work on the belt could be started as early as 2035 if it receives adequate funding, although the company did not provide details about the cost of such a venture.

Because the lunar equator receives a steady amount of solar energy, Shimizu has proposed that sunlight can be converted into electricity using solar cells at a power-generation facility that would be built at the lunar equator. The electricity can then be transmitted through cables to the lunar side facing the Earth, before they are converted into microwave and laser power for transmission to the Earth, according to details available about the project on the corporation’s website.

“Electric power generated by a belt of solar cells around the lunar equator will be transmitted and beamed to the Earth from the near side of the Moon, or the side that always faces the Earth,” Shimizu said on its website.

Shimizu said its mega-scale solar power belt, which could be as wide as 400 kilometers (248 miles), would eliminate inefficiencies due to bad weather experienced by solar power technology on Earth, and would serve as a continuous source of clean energy round the year.

Japan was forced to shut down its 50 nuclear reactors following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 that triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant -- the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. Nuclear reactors had been the source of 30 percent of Japan’s electricity needs, which was poised to rise to at least 40 percent by 2017, prior to the Fukushima disaster.

Shimizu’s proposal has drawn interest as attention has shifted to alternative sources of energy to replace nuclear plants, as the public grows increasingly opposed to the risks involved in reopening the nation’s nuclear energy facilities.

Shimizu has also proposed to exploit lunar resources as much as possible in constructing the solar belt, saying water can be extracted from the lunar surface using hydrogen taken from the Earth. Robots, which will be tele-operated from the Earth, will play a key role in constructing the belt, the company said.

Japanese Company Proposes Giant Solar Panel Belt Around Moon To Solve Energy Problems

Thai Protesters Storm Army Headquarters And Ruling Party Offices getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Thai Protesters Storm Army Headquarters And Ruling Party Offices

Anti-government demonstrators in Thailand, in a serious escalation of the protest movement, stormed the army headquarters and offices of the ruling party on Friday, signaling intensifying political tensions in Bangkok aimed at toppling Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration, a day after she survived a no-confidence vote in parliament.

The disgruntled protesters belonging to varied social backgrounds, including city-dwelling middle class and supporters of a monarchy, are united in their opposition toward former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the powerful brother of Yingluck and a highly divisive figure in Thai politics.

Protesters, led by Suthep Thaugsuban, who was the deputy prime minister in 2010 when the government ordered a crackdown that killed dozens of protesters, call for an end of the “Thaksin regime,” which they propose to replace with an unelected “people’s council.”

Thaksin, the first Thai prime minister to lead an elected government through a full term, has been stripped of $1.4 billion in family assets over allegations of corruption, but he remains massively popular among the rural poor, mainly due to his policies that offered cheap medical care and debt relief, and his contempt for Bangkok's influential elite. He was ousted in a military coup in September 2006, following which he has been living in self-imposed exile in London and Dubai. Despite his absence on the ground, Thaksin is one of the key decision-makers of the ruling Puea Thai Party.

A protester, among thousands who had gathered inside the army compound in Bangkok, said: “We want to know whether the army will stand by the people not a dictator,” Agence France-Press reported. Demonstrators, who have carried out peaceful protests so far, had earlier cut off electricity to the national police headquarters.

However, compared to about 180,000 people who took part in an opposition rally on Sunday, the protesters' numbers had fallen significantly by Friday, even as their spirits were kept up with “free food and a party atmosphere,” AFP reported.

Thai Protesters Storm Army Headquarters And Ruling Party Offices

Black Friday 2013: How To Find PS4, Xbox One On Black Friday getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Black Friday 2013: How To Find PS4, Xbox One On Black Friday

While both systems are still somewhat difficult to find – especially in urban areas, some major chains are promising that both next-gen consoles will be in stock – but only while supplies last.

Walmart is offering both systems at their suggested retail prices. The Xbox One will set buyers back $499 and the PS4 will cost $399. The store is also selling the Xbox 360 for the reasonable price of $99 – and the PS3 for $149.

Turtle Beach gaming headsets can also be found at the super chain for $39.96.

Retailer GameStop, which will open its stores at midnight on Friday, is offering the same availability on the Xbox One and PS4. Like Walmart, neither systems are offered at discounted prices. The same goes for games. Popular next-gen titles will set you back the typical full price of $60, even though PS3 and Xbox 360 games will be available at discounted prices on web sites like Amazon and Gamestop.com.

Will you be braving the Black Friday crowds in search of a PS4 or Xbox One? Leave a comment below.

Black Friday 2013: How To Find PS4, Xbox One On Black Friday

Japan Manufacturing Records Fastest Improvement In 7 Years; Inflation Refuses To Inch Up getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Japan Manufacturing Records Fastest Improvement In 7 Years; Inflation Refuses To Inch Up

Manufacturing operations in Japan recorded the fastest rate of improvement in November in more than seven years, while output grew at its sharpest since September 2009, riding on rising foreign and domestic demand, the purchasing managers’ index, or PMI, released by Markit-JMMA on Friday, showed.

Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.1 in November, up from 54.2 in October, indicating the strongest performance in operating conditions since July 2006. November also marked the ninth straight month of expansion in factory activity, with the index staying above the no-change 50.0 reading.

“New export orders, buoyed by the weak yen, hit a 42-month growth high in November,” Claudia Tillbrooke, a Markit economist, said in a statement. “If the pace of this expansion is maintained into 2014, it may serve to compensate for the expected weakening of consumer demand following April’s scheduled consumer tax hike. Exports could be further bolstered by the outcome of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, due to conclude in December.”

Meanwhile, Japan’s annual inflation rate in October was pegged at 1.1 percent, same as in September, while monthly inflation in October was up 0.1 percent from the previous month, suggesting that the country has a long way to go before it achieves the 2 percent yearly inflation target set by the Bank of Japan, or BoJ, for 2015.

The minutes of October’s BoJ meeting released earlier this week showed the central bank’s officials are not entirely optimistic about achieving the inflation target, with Takehiro Sato, a member of the monetary policy board, insisting that the final statement note that the consumer price index is facing downward pressure.

Industrial production in Japan grew 4.7 percent on a year-on-year basis in October -- slower compared to September, when a 5.1 percent expansion was reported. On a monthly basis, industrial output grew 0.5 percent in October, reversing a decline of 0.9 percent in the previous month, but missed consensus expectations of a 2 percent growth.

The unemployment rate was pegged at 4 percent in October, slightly above expectations of 3.9 percent, but same as the jobless rate recorded in the previous month, data released by the Japan Statistics Bureau showed.

Household spending rose 0.9 percent on a yearly basis in October, as analysts had expected, but significantly lower than a 3.7 percent growth recorded in the previous month.

Japan Manufacturing Records Fastest Improvement In 7 Years; Inflation Refuses To Inch Up

Sarah Hershberger, Ohio Amish Girl, Family Fled To Avoid Chemotherapy getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Sarah Hershberger, Ohio Amish Girl, Family Fled To Avoid Chemotherapy

After the courts ordered 10-year-old Sarah Hershberger to continue cancer treatments for her leukemia, the Amish girl and her family have fled to find alternatives to chemotherapy.

Sarah Hershberger and her parents, Andy and Anna, have not contacted a court-appointed guardian assigned to them two months ago, Fox News reports. The family, which had been fighting in court to stop the 10-year-old’s chemotherapy and begin a regimen of herbs and vitamins, reportedly left their rural home in Homer Township, Ohio, back in October, the Associated Press reports

“They don’t want Sarah to be taken away,” attorney Maurice Thompson said.

The family fled in October, days before a state appellate court appointed “limited guardianship” to registered nurse and attorney Maria Schimer to make medical decisions for the girl instead of her parents. The family has appealed the decision to both the appeals court and the Ohio Supreme Court.

While doctors at Akron Children’s Hospital say Hershberger’s leukemia is treatable – with an 85 percent chance of surivial-- she will die without chemotherapy. Authorities discovered the family fled when a taxi was sent to Hershberger’s home two months ago to take the girl to the hospital. Someone at the home said the family was not there, the Medina Gazette reports.

The family’s whereabouts continue to remain unknown.

“All I know is that she and her parents don’t seem to be at her house,” Clair Dickinson, an attorney representing Schimer, said, adding the last time the 10-year-old received a round of chemotherapy was in June.

Hershberger’s parents initially accepted chemotherapy for their daughter but changed their mind when they saw its side effects. In September, the family reportedly left the U.S. to seek alternative treatment for their daughter.

David Augenstein, who publishes the online Journal of Natural Food and Health, said he has spoken to the family and says they are back in the United States.

“I can’t tell you where they’re at, but they’ll call periodically from an undisclosed location using someone else’s phone,” Augenstein told the Medina Gazette.

The family are members of the Amish community, which are inherently insular, shunning most aspects of modern life, including electricity. But healthcare practices vary across Amish communities. Since the Bible does prohibit the use of the latest medicines, some Amish use modern healthcare services while others opt for alternative treatments. They do not object to surgery or other high-tech measures, although they are less likely to user heroic life-saving measures than non-Amish patients, according to research at Elizabethtown College.

Dickinson said there are no plans to find the family or force Hershberger into chemotherapy. Hershberger, who was diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, could die within a year if she doesn’t receive chemotherapy.

"I'm very concerned about her," Dickinson said.

Sarah Hershberger, Ohio Amish Girl, Family Fled To Avoid Chemotherapy

Asia Economic Outlook 2014: Leaders And Laggards getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Asia Economic Outlook 2014: Leaders And Laggards

The year 2014 will see Asia rely more on the rest of the world for growth, not vice versa, predicts Rob Subbaraman, chief economist for Asia outside Japan at Nomura in Singapore.

Persistently loose monetary policy has fueled private credit booms across Asia, but more than the level, it is the speed at which credit is outpacing nominal gross domestic product growth that concerns economists.

Past financial crises in major economies are often preceded by the private credit-to-GDP ratio rising sharply by 30 percentage points in the five years before the crisis, according to Nomura, and many Asian countries have either breached, or are close to, this mark since 2008.

“Asia needs to tighten policy and accelerate structural reforms, or it will become a breeding ground for future financial crises,” Subbaraman said in a note to clients.

A debt-fueled asset-price boom stimulates growth, but not forever. If policymakers decide to slowly deflate the bubble for long-term sustainability, then near-term growth will likely take a hit as the wealth-effect fades and debt-servicing costs mount. Nomura expects Asia ex-Japan’s total GDP growth to fall below 6.0 percent in 2014.

The worst outcome would be a continuation of the status quo, allowing bubbles to form and eventually burst, leading to outright recession.

Next year will see a divergence of performance across Asian economies, opening up the biggest disparities in decades. Here is how Nomura anticipates the growing divide between Asia’s leaders and laggards:

The Leaders

Korea: Nomura expects South Korea’s GDP to rise to 4.0 percent in 2014 from 2.9 percent this year, driven by exports. Korea's high valued-added exports will likely benefit from improved demand from the U.S., euro area and Japan -- more than offsetting slowing demand from China and other emerging markets.

Nomura expects the Bank of Korea to start to reduce its accommodative policy stance by hiking policy rates by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Philippines: Nomura lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2013 to 7.1 percent from 7.3 percent, taking into account the impact of the typhoons in the fourth quarter. However, the firm also raised its 2014 GDP growth forecast to 6.7 percent from 6.2 percent, reflecting its view that reconstruction will spur economic activity in the months ahead.

The country’s economy is built on strong fundamentals: The combination of strong growth, a solid external surplus, stable politics and still-positive reform prospects sets the Philippines apart from its regional peers. Economists expect Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to hike rates by 100 basis points in 2014, starting in the second quarter.

Malaysia: Political risks have subsided and Nomura expects a rejuvenation of fiscal reforms to result in positive sovereign rating action. Its open economy will benefit from an export recovery. The firm forecasts GDP growth to rise to 4.5 percent in 2014 from an expected 4.3 percent in 2013, reflecting the improvement in global growth, which should more than offset weaker domestic demand.

The Bank Negara Malaysia will likely hike rates by a cumulative 50 basis points in the second half of 2014.

The Laggards

China: The world’s second-largest economy’s GDP growth probably peaked at 7.8 percent in the third quarter of 2013 and will slow to 7.5 percent in the last three months of this year. Nomura is looking for the slowdown to continue into 2014, with GDP growth of 7.1 percent year-over-year in the first quarter and 6.7 percent in the second. For the full year, China is expected to growth at a rate of 6.9 percent in 2014 and 6.8 percent in 2015.

The reasons behind this relatively bearish forecast are primarily policy tightening affecting the property market and infrastructure investment. Some corporate defaults are likely, helping to stamp out moral hazard. Progress on structural reform will be slow.

India: The country’s economic growth appears to be near its trough. Nomura believes that growth has bottomed out, but the recovery will be very gradual, with GDP growth rising only marginally to 4.8 percent year-over-year in 2014 from 4.7 percent in 2013. A stronger pickup in 2015 is likely with GDP growth rising to 5.7 percent.

With growth bottoming out, the policy focus will shift to containing inflation. In 2014, Nomura expects CPI inflation to average 9.3 percent, remaining above 9 percent for a sixth consecutive year. This will probably force the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to hike rates by a further 50 basis points to 8.25 percent by mid-2014.

Indonesia: Due to the tighter policy environment, Nomura forecasts 2014 GDP growth to be unchanged from this year at 5.7 percent, which is subdued when compared to average growth of 6.3 percent over 2010-2012.

Bank Indonesia is expected to focus on stability over growth, hiking by a further 50 basis points in the first quarter of 2014. Nomura expects Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (PDI-P party) to win the July presidential election. Reform momentum looks set to slow and may not pick up even after the election.

Thailand: Populist policies have borrowed growth from the future and fueled household debt. There is a scarcity of capital and skilled labor. Politics are unstable. Weak foreign direct investment (FDI) has meant more hot-money flows to finance the current account deficit. Nomura sees policy rates on hold in 2014.

Asia Economic Outlook 2014: Leaders And Laggards

Apple Consumer Lawsuit Thrown Out After Judge Rules Plaintiffs Failed To Prove ‘Economic Injury’ getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Apple Consumer Lawsuit Thrown Out After Judge Rules Plaintiffs Failed To Prove ‘Economic Injury’

A consumer lawsuit against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), claiming that the company breached its privacy policy, was thrown out on grounds that the plaintiffs failed to prove they incurred any harm by relying on the company’s alleged misrepresentation.

The lawsuit filed in 2011 alleged that Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple collected information on the four plaintiffs' locations through their iPhones and iPads, despite the devices’ geo-location feature having been turned off. But, U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh in San Jose, Calif., said there was no proof of “economic injury as a result” of Apple’s policy.

They “failed to establish a genuine issue of material fact concerning actual reliance,” Koh wrote in a ruling issued on Nov. 25, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. She acknowledged that the plaintiffs provided proof to support their claims, but said the case was weakened because some of their statements were contradictory.

The ruling in favor of Apple came a week after Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) agreed to pay $17 million to settle a dispute with 37 states and the District of Columbia after the Mountain View, Calif.-based company was found to dodge privacy settings on Apple’s Safari browser and stored web tracking “cookies” on the browser, circumventing default privacy settings.

“By tracking millions of people without their knowledge, Google violated not only their privacy, but also their trust,” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement at the time.

However, in October, a Delaware judge had dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Google over a similar complaint, saying the plaintiffs could not prove that they suffered any harm due to Google’s actions, or convince the judge that their legal rights were violated.

In August 2012, Google had agreed to pay $22.5 million to settle charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, for slipping cookies into Apple's Safari browser.

“No matter how big or small, all companies must abide by FTC orders against them and keep their privacy promises to consumers, or they will end up paying many times what it would have cost to comply in the first place,” Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the FTC had said at the time, in a statement announcing the settlement.

Apple Consumer Lawsuit Thrown Out After Judge Rules Plaintiffs Failed To Prove ‘Economic Injury’

Do Medium-Sized Black Holes Exist? Scientists Find Clues getdiscountz.blogspot.com

getdiscountz.blogspot.com ® Do Medium-Sized Black Holes Exist? Scientists Find Clues

Scientists at NASA are investigating whether black holes, which can be both petite and monstrous, also come in an in-between size.

According to scientists, black holes can be about 10 times the size of the sun, or can boast the equivalent in mass of up to 10 billion suns. However, the existence of a medium-sized black hole is yet to be confirmed, and to do that, NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, is examining a class of black holes that are expected to fall into the proposed mid-sized category.

“Exactly how intermediate-sized black holes would form remains an open issue,” Dominic Walton of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, said in a statement. “Some theories suggest they could form in rich, dense clusters of stars through repeated mergers, but there are a lot of questions left to be answered.”

Scientists said evidence of medium-sized black holes might come from objects called ultraluminous X-ray sources, or ULXs, that are pairs of objects in which a black hole voraciously feeds off a normal star. And, though this feeding process is similar to what happens around supermassive black holes, it is not as big.

In addition, the bright glow of X-rays coming from ULXs is too great to be the product of typical small black holes. This, and other evidence, scientists believe, indicate that objects could be intermediate in mass, with 100 times to 10,000 times the mass of our sun.

According to NASA, NuSTAR is collaborating with other telescopes to examine the ULXs, and provide a first look at high-energy X-rays to help scientists get better estimates of the objects’ mass and other characteristics.

In a research paper, which is to be published in the Astrophysical Journal, Walton and his colleagues reported that they had accidentally found a ULX, which had not been noticed before, in the Circinus spiral galaxy 13 million light years away. The scientists studied the object with the help of NuSTAR and data from other instruments such as the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton satellite, NASA's Chandra, Swift and Spitzer space telescopes, and Japan's Suzaku satellite.

The results of the study indicated that the black hole in question is about 100 times the mass of the sun, which puts it right at the border between small and medium-sized black holes.

In another research paper, accepted to be published in the Astrophysical Journal, Matteo Bachetti of the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie in Toulouse, France, and his colleagues examined two ULXs in NGC 1313, a spiral galaxy known as the "Topsy Turvy galaxy," also about 13 million light years from Earth.

"It's possible that these objects are ultraluminous because they are accreting material at a high rate and not because of their size," Bachetti said. "If intermediate-mass black holes are out there, they are doing a good job of hiding from us."

Do Medium-Sized Black Holes Exist? Scientists Find Clues