The Search by Nora Roberts

The Search is a novel by the No.1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts, about Fiona Bristow, a professional canine search-and-rescue trainer who barely escaped being killed by a serial killer several years ago. When a new cabinetmaker moves to the island where she has found refuge, bringing a puppy with him, romance begins to blossom. Then a new serial killer starts to strike nearby, and Fiona is afraid she won't be able to escape this time.

To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life-a quaint house on an island off Seattle's coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare... Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona's cop fiancé and his K-9 partner. On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He's the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon's house, and he's at his wit's end.

To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can't handle. Simon, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. Simon never wanted a puppy-and he most definitely doesn't want a woman.

Cape Town Tourism Booming

The Cape Town tourism sector is reporting a marked improvement in traffic at restaurants, shops, and attractions for the month of December, and the accommodation sector is also reporting a positive holiday upswing.

Following a mid-December poll of Cape Town Tourism members, where over half of respondents expected a marginally better summer season this year (when compared with that of summer 2010-2011), tourism numbers seem to be improving beyond what was initially anticipated, and there is every indication that Cape Town has seen the start of a very positive peak season.

Actual statistics across the board are not yet available, but Cape Town International Airport reported an earlier start to the season this year with a 14 percent increase in international arrivals compared with November 2010. An 11.7 percent increase was felt in regional arrivals, and a 3.6 percent increase was noticed in domestic arrivals during November 2011. January and February are traditionally peak months for international arrivals, and a steady year-on-year increase in international tourists is expected, too.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits 3-D

The Pirates! Band of Misfits, is an upcoming 3-D stop-motion animated film, based on the first two books from Gideon Defoe's The Pirates! series, The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists and The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling.

Pirate Captain -- a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It’s a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist, but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure!

The film is directed by Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt starring Hugh Grant as The Pirate Captain, Salma Hayek as Cutlass Liz, Jeremy Piven as Black Bellamy, Imelda Staunton as Queen Victoria, David Tennant as Charles Darwin, Martin Freeman as The Pirate with a Scarf, Lenny Henry as Peg-Leg Hastings, Brian Blessed as The Pirate King and Russell Tovey as The Albino Pirate. Scheduled to be released on March 30, 2012 by Columbia Pictures.

Kanye West's New Design Company, DONDA

Kanye West took to social networking site Twitter January 5 to announce the details of his new design label, which has been named after his late mother.

"I have started a new company and I'm so excited about the name.... it's got the best name ever of all companies of all time!!! The name of the company is DONDA," wrote the musician.

The rap star spent two hours online offering details on the company, as well as citing his fashion inspirations and musing on his status as a style icon.

West, who premiered his women's fashion label DW at Paris Fashion Week in October, says the new company will "galvanize amazing thinkers," ranging from architects and clothing designers to "tech guys" and doctors.

Ex-Fleetwood Mac Guitarist, Bob Weston Dies at 64

British guitarist who played with Fleetwood Mac in the 70's, has died aged 64. Police say Weston's body was found in his north London home on Tuesday after neighbors raised the alarm.

Police found Weston's body in his London home on January 3, after friends became concerned about the "the lack of response, having not seen him for a couple of days", explains a message on BobWeston.com.

"He was found in his bed with the TV on; it is presumed he was asleep and didn't suffer," according to a post on the website.

Police said that his death was not being treated as suspicious. An autopsy revealed the causes of death as gastric intestinal hemorrhage, cirrhosis of the liver and throat problems.

Weston joined Fleetwood Mac in 1972 as replacement for Danny Kirwan, and played on the band's albums "Penguin" and "Mystery to Me." But during an American tour the next year, Mick Fleetwood discovered Weston was having an affair with his wife, Jenny Boyd. Weston was fired.

He released several solo albums and played with musicians including Long John Baldry, Murray Head, Sandy Denny and Steve Marriott.

Saeed Ajmal is 'working on a special delivery"

Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal will unveil the "special delivery" he has been working on during Pakistan's upcoming Test series against England in the UAE.
Earlier in August, before Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe, he said that he was saving the variation for the England series, and has now has confirmed that he will try it.
"I am working on a special delivery," he said at Pakistan's training camp in Lahore. "I won't tell you about it but you will know it when you see it.
"If it does not prove to be reliable then I will shift my focus back to the deliveries that have brought me success and I will keep that variation for the next series."
Ajmal was the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket in 2011, with 50 wickets from eight games at an average of 23.86, and was a key factor in Pakistan winning five of those Tests. He recognised his important role to play against England.
"We are going fully prepared and are working on special plans for their batsmen. I am aware of the weight of responsibility on me and am ready for it."

Amir Khan's 'mystery man' identified, WBA vice-president insists a 'direct rematch'

The 'mystery man', who is accused of interfering with score cards during Amir Khan's match with Peterson, has been identified by IBF as one of their officials.

Golden Boy Promotions, Khan's promotors, claimed that the IBF told that he was one of their officials named Mustafa Ameen.

"His name is Mustafa Ameen and the IBF have confirmed to us his name, and they have confirmed to us that he's involved in an official capacity with the IBF," Schaefe, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, told Sky Sports News.

World Boxing Association (WBA) vice president said that Amir Khan should be given rematch with Lamont Peterson.

Desperate Khan, who lost WBA and light-welterweight world titles on a split points decision to Peterson and had two points deducted by referee Joe Cooper, had earlier accused that a man was interfering with the judges’ scorecards during the fight on Twitter on Thursday afternoon.

"I want to know the reason this person sat there and what's going on. We did the table plan with Golden Boy Promotions and the WBA official was already in his seat and the IBF official was already in his seat, so who is this person? What's he doing talking to the WBA? Why is he handling the slips?," said Khan's business manager Asif Vali.

WBA's vice president, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, insisted there would be an investigation and said that, in his view, “there should be a direct rematch”. He explained: “You have to guarantee fairness, you have to guarantee that no one who isn’t directly involved can sit at the table.”

The WBA official also criticised “poor security measures” by the local commission, in allowing the unsanctioned official to be ringside.

p2 - End Of Slavery In Western Europe

Slavery ended in Western Europe in the 7^th century, when a British girl, Bathilde, who was  Balthild was beautiful, intelligent, modest, and attentive to the needs of others, was taken as a slave and sold to Clovis II, King of the Franks (638–655). Clovis fell in love with and married her. After the king died, Bathilde, acting as regent for their three young sons, outlawed slavery. She was later canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

Headline Jan 7, 2012 / The Enemy Within

The Enemy Within 

&

Misery Outside

US, Japan, Britain, Pakistan, nay nay, the whole World is upto its eyeball in debt. What realistic growth scenario can the most optimist amongst us envision. Worse still, what will the world's fragmented democracies yield without any budgetary discipline???


All economists have failed. They never could grasp the global picture. Our future therefore is a blinkered vision.


Mark our words!! The excruciatingly painful process of rebalancing the World Economy is about to begin.

At the highest level or at the very core the World at large has but 4 options:

• Austerity, 
• Exceptional growth, 
• Default and 
• the most constructive and realistic option of Debt Monetisation. 

All 4 of these options have to be thoroughly thought out. Nobody dare conceive any other option.

For decades upon decades, our forebearers consumed profligacy and now we must pay the cost and bear the burden. The Sovereign Debt cannot lurch bay to bay seeking moorings. These are stormy seas. It is beyond question that you all failed and nailed us.

But be assured that rise we will.
In our Almighty God, destiny and smart hard work we trust.
A Better World we will build!!

SAM is eternally grateful for the great minds that helped with research and distilling of this choas into solid solutions!!!

Good night and happy dreams.

SAM Daily Times  - The Voice Of The Voiceless

Stats : HIV Every 12 Seconds

Every 12 seconds a person is being infected with HIV and more than 75% of these are young people (15-24).

Look him in the eyes

For all dog owners who have difficulty understanding their dogs should be delighted by this new research of scientists published in online journal Current Biology. Humans and dogs share some social skills, with dogs' social-cognitive functioning resembling that of a six-month to two-year-old child in many respects.And dogs are more likely to listen if owners look them in eye.

József Topál, of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences explained that  "The utilisation of ostensive cues is one of these features: dogs, as well as human infants, are sensitive to cues that signal communicative intent."

Doctor Topál's team presented dogs with video recordings of a person turning toward one of two identical plastic pots while an eye tracker captured information on the dogs' reactions. In one condition, the person first looked straight at the dog, addressing it in a high-pitched voice with "Hi dog!" In the second condition, the person gave only a low-pitched "Hi dog" while avoiding eye contact.

The researchers found that the dogs were more likely to follow along and look at the pot when the person first expressed an intention to communicate.

India Launches Ultra-Low-Cost Auto

Bajaj Auto unveiled India's latest ultra-low-cost car on Tuesday, a 200cc four-seater that looks set to compete with the Tata Nano for the title of the world's cheapest auto.

The group gave no price for the low-emission vehicle which will have a top speed of 70 kilometres an hour (43 miles an hour), but the build quality indicated it was pitched firmly at the bottom of the market.  The petrol engine will do 35 kilometres per litre (83 miles per US gallon) in normal driving conditions and emits just 60 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, the company said. It weighs just 400 kilograms (880 pounds).

"At Bajaj Auto, we believe the people of the planet deserve much better, much faster," Bajaj said of the car, which will be launched some time this year.

Dinosaur Freeway Found in Colorado

Colorado’s bustling thoroughfare 98 million years ago was the Dinosaur Freeway.
Over 350 newly discovered tracks, made by various dinosaurs, crocodiles and a few pterosaurs, were identified at the site, which is now the John Martin Reservoir in Bent County, Colorado. When added to previously found tracks there, the total number of fossilized prints is well over 1,000.

Details on Discovery News

Use Of Illicit Drugs

Roughly 200 million people worldwide use illicit drugs such as marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine and opioids each year, according to a new study. The figure represents about one in 20 people between the ages of 15 and 64.

Australian researchers estimated that as many as 203 million people use marijuana, 56 million people use amphetamines including meth, 21 million people use cocaine and 21 million people use opioids like heroin.

The use of all four drug classes was highest in developed countries.


Up to 39 million people are considered "problematic" or dependent drug users and up to 21 million people inject drugs, according to the report.
Illicit drugs can have dangerous health effects, including overdosing, accidental injury caused by intoxication, dependence and long-term organ damage. While they may not cause immediate death, they're thought to shave 13 million years of the life spans of users worldwide, according to the report.

A 2000 report by the World Health Organization attributed roughly 241,000 deaths to illicit drug use - double the number from 1990.

Should Assisted Suicide Be Allowed?

Doctors should be allowed to prescribe lethal doses of medicines for terminally ill patients to kill themselves, but only if they have less than 1-year to live, proposed the Commission on Assisted Dying. (for UK)

This step can be taken only if the patient is judged to have the mental capacity and clear desire to die. Disabled people and those suffering from dementia or depression would not qualify for help in killing themselves.

The opinion of two independent doctors' would be required before deciding that a patient should be entitled to assisted suicide. It is recommended that there should be a 'cooling off' period of up to 2-weeks before being given the drugs that the patient is supposed to take themselves.

As yet , the US government has shown no plans of approving this proposal.

Reference:Medindia

Twins born: One white, one black

A woman in the eastern German town of Leipzig has given birth to a white twin and a black twin – a phenomenon scientists say is a one-in-a-million occurrence.

According to a report in the Bild newspaper, 40-year-old dentist’s assistant Grit Funke and her Nigerian partner were completely taken by surprise at the birth.

“First came a light girl, and then out popped a dark girl!” the happy mother told the paper. “The midwife couldn’t believe it either.”

“I’m looking forward to the looks we get from people on the street when they’re older and the whole family goes for a walk,” she added. “I suppose a few people will be a bit confused.”

A NEW CALENDER

F

orget leap years, months with 28 days and your birthday falling on a different day of the week each year. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland say they have a better way to mark time: a new calendar would divvy out months and weeks so that every calendar date would always fall on the same day of the week.Christmas, for example, would forever come on a Sunday.

Their proposed calendar was largely unprecedented in the 430 years since Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar we still use today.

"The calendar I'm advocating isn't nearly as accurate" as the Gregorian calendar, said Richard Henry, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins who has been pushing for calendar reform for years. "But it's far more convenient."

Not A Typical Story : Unemployment Rate Falls To Lowest In 3 Years

U.S. : A burst of hiring in December pushed unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, giving the economy a boost at the end of 2011.

The Labor Department said Friday that employers added a net 200,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest since February 2009. The rate has dropped for four straight months.

For all of 2011, the economy added 1.6 million jobs, better than the 940,000 added in 2010. The unemployment rate averaged 8.9 percent last year, down from 9.6 percent the previous year. Economists hope that the job gains will top 2.1 million this year.

PM Gillani honours student who set World Record in O-levels

Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani presented cheque of 1 million as an appreciation to a student of Taxila who had set a world record in O-level examinations.

Zohaib Asad, student of Beaconhouse, got 28 A's in the University of Cambridge International O-level examination 2011. He overtook a record of 23 A's which was also set by a Pakistani student Ibrahim Shahid, from Islamabad.

Prime Minister invited Asad in PM house on Thursday. He said that Asad's achievement will inspire other students to excel in life through sheer hard work.

Asad is currently enrolled at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he is pursuing an undergraduate degree in economics and international development.

Speaking to the Prime Minister he said that he is determined to return Pakistan after completion of his education to serve the country that ha given so much to him.

Prime Minister appreciated his devotion to the country and said that young people like him are hope of Pakistan's brighter future.

Asad's family members were also present in the meeting.

Stronger silk to make parachutes, artificial limbs!?

Spider-Man's web-shooters can create yards and yards of spider silk, but in real life, making such a strong, stretchy rope hasn't been easy.

Now, science has come one step closer to fiction with silkworms that spin spider silk.

New genetically modified silkworms produce cocoons incorporating the stretchier, stronger fibers spiders use to spin their webs, according to a new study. 

"Our hope was that by embedding spider-silk protein [gene] sequences within silkworm silk [gene] sequences, we could get those proteins to co-assemble ... into composite fibers, and that is what happened," said study co-author Don Jarvis, a molecular biologist at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Spiders create the best silk in terms of strength and elasticity. But many species are territorial or cannibalistic, making them difficult to farm.

That's why researchers have tried to insert spider-silk protein gene sequences into other products, such as goats' milk and hamster cells.

To make sure the genetic transformation was a success, the scientists also added green fluorescent protein to the eggs, so that successfully engineered silkworms would glow under blue light.

Surprisingly, the worms' silk glands glowed even under normal light—which is "totally amazing," said Jarvis, whose study appeared this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Read More

Device that finds cancer cells before they become tumors

Early detection of melanoma, the most aggressive skin cancer, is critical because melanoma will spread rapidly throughout the body. Now, University of Missouri researchers are one step closer to melanoma cancer detection at the cellular level, long before tumors have a chance to form. Commercial production of a device that measures melanoma using photoacoustics, or laser-induced ultrasound, will soon be available to scientists and academia for cancer studies. The commercial device also will be tested in clinical trials to provide the data required to obtain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for early diagnosis of metastatic melanoma and other cancers.

Viator’s photoacoustic device emits laser light into a blood sample, and melanin within the cancer cells absorbs the light. Those cancer cells then expand as the lasers rapidly heat and then cool the cancer cells, making them prominent to researchers. The device also would capture the expanded cells, identifying the form of cancer the physicians are fighting and the best treatment method.

Can Mountain Dew Really Dissolve a Mouse Carcass?

T

his week a man claimed he found a mouse carcass in a can of Mountain Dew. The parent company of Mountain Dew - PepsiCo called in experts who explained how it couldn't be true. The Mountain Dew would have dissolved the mouse, turning it into a "jelly-like substance," had it been in the can of fluid from the time of its bottling until the day the plaintiff opened it, 15 months later, they said.

The question that arises now 


Is Mountain Dew really so corrosive that it can dissolve a mouse carcass? And if so, what does it do to your teeth and intestines?

It's believed that Citric acid in Mountain Dew would eat away a mouse's bones in a similar manner as it erodes teeth, breaking down the chemical bonds that hold the tissue together by infiltrating them with positively charged particles.

Defenders of Mountain Dew sometimes argue that orange juice contains as much or more citric acid as the neon green soda. However, juice presents a small tradeoff: It erodes teeth, but it also provides vitamin C. "Orange juice has a healthy aspect, so people should continue to drink it," Ren said. He suggested minimizing the contact between the juice and your teeth by taking large gulps rather than small, frequent sips, then washing your mouth out with water. Or, you could use a straw.

Unlike orange juice, Mountain Dew contains no vitamin C… and, if you're lucky, no rubbery ghosts of mice, either.

Smartphone Etiquette By A Recognized Etiquette Expert

By Lisa Mirza Grotts, a recognized etiquette expert, an on-air contributor, and the author of A Traveler's Passport to Etiquette.

The iPhone, BlackBerry, and all the other brands of smartphones are wonderful inventions, but this technology has put communication into uncharted territory. Now, we're not just making or receiving phone calls. A smartphone is a mobile office that does everything with a touch of the finger, from checking e-mails to texting to surfing the Web to using a GPS.

Here are some pointers for using your smartphone:
Leave your phone on vibrate as often as possible. Only doctors on call should have their phones set on a loud ring.
Never answer your phone during a meeting, a meal, a funeral, or in a public place such as a gym.
If you need to make or are expecting a call when you have guests or are with friends, tell your guests/friends ahead of time so they will be prepared, and excuse yourself from the group to make or take the call.
Avoid texting or checking e-mail or phone messages during a meal, whether the meal is for business or pleasure. The only conversation you should be having during a meal is with the person or people at your table. And, phones off the table, please. The only items placed on the table during a meal should be connected with the meal.
Avoid texting or checking e-mail or phone calls while walking down the street to keep from bumping into others.
Don't make a phone call or otherwise use your smartphone while checking out of any type of retail establishment, such as a grocery store or department store.
Never take photos without asking for permission. Just think of Michael Jackson's funeral and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Be smart: avoid phone usage while driving.
Keep your phone voice low indoors. No one wants to hear a loud voice indoors.
Adopt a subtle ringtone, not mariachi music!

Read The Original Article Here

When to make the hay!

By Sarah Mahmood



Managing one's workload is a task many (and that does not exclude me) fail to perform well. Rushing at the last moment to accomplish this, and to finish that just adds to the headache.


I know right, it's a very common lesson - our parents telling us to "make hay while the sun shines" and our teachers 'sermoning' us on the benefits of a healthy schedule and timely work.


And it helps - if you want better delivery of your work, effective results and a positive feedback that is!