GreatFound

Tips To Get Your House Ready For a New Puppy

2009-08-22T06:54:00.001-07:00

Tips To Get Your House Ready For a New Puppy
by: George Crozier
It's Christmas and you have decided to give that special someone a pet puppy as gift. You have done all your homework in selecting the proper breed with the right characteristics and temperament.
You have visited numerous breeders and pet shops and have found just the right puppy. You choose an adorable playful healthy puppy that will make the perfect companion.
Well, it's not enough to just bring the new family member home.
You need to get your house ready for the new addition. Remember that pups are like babies, wanting to explore all parts of your house.
How do you know your house is safe and ready for your new pet?
Check for these:
1. Clear your house of poisonous items: Have you cleared your house of all poisonous items and taken them out of your pup's reach? If you haven't, now's the time to put away cleaners, laundry detergents, bleach, disinfectants, insecticides, cleaning fluid, fertilizers, mothballs and antifreeze in cabinets or high up on shelves. An adventurous growing pup will be sure to jump high on to your shelves to find out what's there.
2. Uproot all life-threatening plants: Do you have life-threatening plants at home? Apricot pits, spinach and tomato vines are dangerous to your pup. You can ask your vet to identify more such plants that could affect your pet's health and life. An excellent resource on the web is to visit http://vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/cover1.htm for a detailed listing of poisonous houseplants. If you suspect the pup may have been poisoned with the wrong plant, contact the Animal Poison Control Center 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435).
3. Put away dangerous objects: Are electrical cords and tools hanging and lying around? If there are such dangerous objects lying around, pick them up and put them away.
4. Supervise the puppy: Don't let your pup be unsupervised whether inside or outside the house. Also, remember to keep the pup away from balconies, upper porches and high decks or they may just slip through the openings and fall.
5. Keep our toilet covered: Puppies sometimes like to play in the toilet bowl water. This is harmful for the pup as they may swallow the toilet cleanser.
6. Get sharp objects out of the way: Put away all sharp objects such as sharp twine, sewing needles and pins far away from your puppy's reach. If they swallow these objects, they can harm their mouth and internal organs.
7. Don't tie ribbons round the pup's neck: They may chew it and this can lead to digestive problems or choke them if the ribbon gets caught in something.
8. For plant nibblers: If the pup tends to nibble on grass, don't worry, this is natural. But if they take this habit forward and nibble on certain other plants, this could affect your pet's health and life.
These simple precautions will help ensure the safety of your new puppy as you welcome your new family member into your home.
Other helpful information can be found at http://www.chowchowinfo.com

Analytic Overlay ... Missing Out On What Truly Is! by: Edward B.
The South Island is home to the Southern Alps and some great skiing and snow boarding opportunities.Christchurch is the busiest city in the South Island and also offers an international airport, with flights connecting directly to a lot of overseas destinations. The Sumner Beach, Gondola, Avon river and Cashmere hills are the main attractions in Chistchurch.

My Daughter Manteee

2009-08-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

My Daughter Manteee
by: Aron Wallad
My daughter Manteee (Samantha) has shown me a path that I like traveling. She has been and will continue to be an inspiration in my life. Her fearless nature and competitive qualities have swelled my heart. I am so lucky to have her as my daughter.
She loves playing softball with the spirit that I had when I played.
Her competitive nature shows up in many facets of the game. As a second baseman she dives for groundballs that have a chance of getting to the outfield. She races for fly balls and pop ups that she must get and usually does get. While batting she will take one for the team. She will allow a hard pitched ball to hit her so she can get on base. She will stand up to any pitcher, no matter how hard they throw, to get her swings in. On the bases is where she is fearless. Diving or sliding into a base with no apparent concern for her body has often scared me. Taking the the extra base when most girls just stand around has earned her a thumbs up from her coaches.
She has stepped in and played against players, in some tournaments, that are five to six years older than her. Some of these girls are over six feet tall. My daughter is five feet two inches if we put her on a stretching table. Her lack of height has been made up by her determination.. Starting for her high school team as a Freshman was quite an accomplishment. What was even better was that her coach favors Juniors and Seniors because they have more experience.
Baseball and softball have been a large part of my life. Writing this e-zine about my daughter has been a pleasure. She has made her dad proud.I feel like I am glowing inside when I watch her play.I feel like I am the luckiest father on earth.
My fantasy baseball story has come to reality through my daughter. I wanted one of my children to excel in baseball. She is the one that has carried the ball and bat. She may or may not want to continue her career after High School. That is up to her. But for now I am able to watch, admire and feel proud.
I have admired Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays and Derek Jeter to name a few of players that impressed me. My daughter has tied Derek Jeter as one of my all time favorites. They are both on my top ten list.
To see more inspiring and heartwarming stories Go here now.
See for yourslef. http://www.baseballsprideandjoy.com/index.php?tag=manteee

Just a short monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom, it spreads along the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon, offering spectacular views of Cinderella's Castle and the Wishes fireworks display. You'll also be treated to some of Disney's very best restaurants along with two sophisticated pools, a crescent white sand beach, a full-service health club and spa, tennis courts, and sophisticated shopping.
This condition is caused by the lens in the eye becoming less and less flexible as we age. Unfortunately, most of us will need corrective lenses and even bifocals at some point as this condition worsens.Until recently, bifocal wearers had few options when choosing corrective eyeware.

Beat the House with this Supabets Blackjack Strategy

2009-08-14T09:05:00.001-07:00

Beat the House with this Supabets Blackjack Strategy
by: Kent Clarke
In the game of blackjack, the final hand you hold can only be one of the following - a blackjack, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16 or less, or bust. If you bust, you have lost, whereas if you hold blackjack the worse case scenario is a tie with the dealer with the best case scenario being you get paid a bonus of 1.5 times your stake. You probably realize that the chances of winning if you stand on your 17 - 21 are very important, so what are they? Not as good as you might like!
Here's an example stand on 17 in a 6 deck game (the dealer must stand on 17). You are probaqly thinking that's a good hand and are happy to happy to have 17. The statistics prove though, that you will lose more often than win if the dealer shows any face card except a 6. The most money is lost in this scenario when the dealer shows a 9, the least when the dealer shows a 4 or a 5. Make a mental note - you only stand a fighting chance when the dealer has a 6 showing. Only in THIS case will you have a statistical chance of winning money in the long run. You will now be wondering how you can make money, given these facts. You can't. If you hit a hard 17 you will expreience mounting losses, so the wise course of action is simply to stand. Of course, often you can stand on 17 and still win a hand but the numbers add up inexorably - over time you will end up losing more money than you win UNLESS the dealer shows a 6. Standing on 17 is not a good idea!
Now you know that 17 is actually not a good hand, you have probably already realized you should never stand on soft 17 (instead you should either hit or double down). There is a further disadvantage too, when the dealer hits soft 17, as follows. Imagine you stand with 18. This has GOT to be better than standing on 17, right? Yes, but the improvement in your odds might surprise you. With an 18, and over the long run you are going to make money when the dealer shows a 2 to 8 face card. You will still actually LOSE money when the dealer's showing a 9, 10 or Ace. For this reason you should never stand, but should always hit a soft 18 if the dealer shows a 9, 10, or Ace.
If we run statistical 'Monte Carlo' analysis of Black Jack, we find that in the imaginary case of you ALWAYS having 18, the surprising fact is that you would LOSE an average of about 65 cents for every $100 you bet. 18 ain't such a great hand! Human psycology is what makes us think the opposite - 18 is 'nearly 19', and 19, or course, is 'nearly 20'. An 18, in the subconscious mind, is therefore 'nearly 21'!! What about 19? Can we regularly stand on 19 and win money in the long run? 19 MUST be a winning hand! The answer is... Yes, except if the dealer shows a 10 or Ace. If that is the case, your 19 will still cause you to lose money in the long run. Hard to believe, huh? When you get up to 20 you are basically in the money. This hand will make you money in the long run whatever the dealer holds, even including an Ace. As 20 is such a phenomenally strong hand, NEVER split it 10 10 (and likewise an Ace 9 should never be doubled). It's a winning hand - and if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
This brings us to the statistical realization that over 2 thirds of your blackjack winnings at will come from these 2 hands (Ace 10 and 10 10). Further down the chain, the bulk of the rest of your winnings will come from only 5 more hands - 11, 10 9, 10, Ace 9, and Ace 8. That's why you must burn in the strategies for these hands because they are the ones that will make you money. If we are talking multiple decks always double down on 11 if the dealer is showing 10 or less. The general case - always double 10 if the dealer is showing 9 or less. Always stand on hard and soft 19. Always stand on soft 18, except if the dealer is showing a 3 through 6, where you should double down. Always hit when the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or Ace but stand on 2, 7, and 8.
Now the bad news - the following hands are responsible for the vast majority (almost 85%!) of your losses. Beware of hard 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. The hard 12 through 16 hands are long term loseing hands whatever strategy you adopt. The overall message? Gear the basic playing strategy into your head so you can play it without thinking - know what to do when the winning hands appear. Use money management to supplememnt this - bet more when the deck is still heavy in tens and Aces (card counting per se is frowned on, of course, but you sould always have some grasp on what's already been played!). This is the simplest way to turn the blackjack odds in your favour, and ensure you leave the casino with more money than you went in with! Good luck!

Winter Safety in the Mountains. by: M. Elliott Snow-topped mountains look beautiful but they can be death-traps for the unprepared hiker or hill walker.
According to Cathay Hotels (Fiji) general manager Elain Barrett-Power, "Tubakula Beach Bungalows has long had a policy of minimal interference with the natural marine and coastal environment and does not offer tourist-oriented watersports in the lagoon; this means that the corals will be able to re-generate undisturbed."At the Saweni Beach Apartment Hotel, north of Nadi Airport, the 12 one-bedroom apartments have been fully renovated with new beds and modern kitchens. This quiet property will appeal to mature travelers or couples and families in search of a peaceful retreat.

Proper Diet For Your Dog

2009-08-09T18:24:00.001-07:00

Proper Diet For Your Dog
by: Jack Russell
The dietary regimen is an important aspect of survival. The objective of dietary management is to meet the basic nutritional requirements of the individual with proper proportions of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in a well-balanced diet that will promote optimal body weight.
Generally, these dietary regimens are employed to human beings. However, with the growing fondness to dogs, most dog owners and veterinarians recommend that dietary regimen should likewise be implemented on dogs.
Like humans, dogs need the right combination of the basic food groups in order to have a healthy life span. Dogs also need to be regulated on the kinds of food that they eat or else they would end up being obese as well.
Included in the dog's dietary regimen are the proper minerals and vitamins. These essential health items should be well incorporated into the dog's daily needs in order to have a healthy body.
With proper minerals and vitamins, dogs will be able to maintain shiny, healthy-looking coat.
So, for people who want to know how to prepare the right diet for their dogs, here are some tips to guide them through:
1. Meat should not be the only food incorporated in the dog's diet.
In reality, dogs are carnivorous. The dog's body is especially inclined to generate growth and energy from meat products. However, dogs need fiber too to help them digest their foods properly and carbohydrates to provide them the added energy that they need.
So, it would be better if dog owners will feed their dogs every day with the usual dog foods available in the market and give them occasionally real foods where meat, fibers, and carbohydrates are present.
2. Dogs need minerals and vitamins.
Like humans, dogs need complex combinations of minerals and vitamins. These are needed to maintain the luster and shine in their coats and to provide them with healthy gums and teeth.
Lack of minerals and vitamins supplement will result to deficiencies of certain types that could be really difficult to deal with, such as extra dry or super oily skin, tummy problems, frail bones, low-weight, and worst cases are death.
Like humans, these dietary supplements are needed to give the dogs the extra needed nutrients in order to keep them healthy.
3. Real meal treats
Contrary to most popular beliefs, dogs love the real food more than their typical dog foods. Hence, whenever their owners will give them real food, they would consider them as treats.
So, it is best for the dog owners to include their dogs in their meal planning. With real food, dogs will be able to generate the needed nutrients their bodies need.
4. Mixed foods
Most people tend to think that deciding whether to give dogs moist or dry foods is a matter of preference. In reality, it is not. This is because mixing different kinds of foods is actually the best diet owners could give to their dogs.
Giving dogs variety of foods, nutritional value, and texture are the real diet meal dogs really need.
5. Greens are needed by the dogs.
A well-balanced diet for the dogs includes green leafy vegetables too. Even if dogs are carnivorous by nature, they also need the right amount of greens to provide them with additional nutrients that are only available in green leafy foods.
No wonder why dogs sometimes chew on grass. This goes to show that dogs really need some greens to provide their body with a well balanced diet.
Indeed, there are no hard or fast rules when it comes to balanced diets for the dogs. However, it is still important to note the needed food groups that should be incorporated in the dog's diet.
Best of all, dog owners should always consult their dog's veterinarians especially on things like health and diet supplements for their dogs. The veterinarian knows what foods should be included in the dog's meal and what foods should be avoided. Dogs, like humans, should not be fed with junk foods like sugary sweet sodas. These will only make them fat without the needed nutrients.
Whenever something goes out offhand, it is always bets to consult the veterinarians. As they say, veterinarians know best when it comes to the dog's care.

The Care and Feeding of Your Clear Vinyl Boat Windows by: James "Doc" Lewis StrataglassÂ®, LexanÂ®, PlexiglassÂ®, Isenglass, Crystal Clear, Eisenglass, etc. Whatever you call it, it all comes from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which has certain definite characteristics.
The Concept of Value in Sports Betting! by: Daniel B. King In sports betting you need to make sure that your bets (and trades) are good value in order to make a profit.

My Dog is Lost! What Should I Do Now...

2009-08-07T07:56:00.001-07:00

My Dog is Lost! What Should I Do Now...
by: Moses Chia
Your dog is lost. You are worried and clueless on how to get started to bring your lost dog home. Follow these tips here and I'm sure it will increase your chances of finding your lost dog.
1. Make sure that your dog is actually lost Search your house and back yard completely first. Your dog might just be too distracted by his new found toy in the yard.
2. Search around your neighborhood. Most dogs don't usually wander off far from their house.
3. Use your voice Call out his name when finding your lost dog. It is a more useful searching tool than your eyes. Dogs can hear a lot better than we do and the distance from which dogs can hear things is four times further than man.
4. Ask around during the search Talk to people especially people walking their dog, because they are the group to be most concern and take notice with a wandering dog.
5. Alert your neighbors and people in your neighborhood that your dog is missing. You can put up poster at eye level and in areas where people frequent. You can also E-mail your friends to keep a "lookout" for your dog.
6. Put up or distribute useful information. A poster with a large "Lost Dog" and "Reward" heading might be most eyes catching. Also remember to include your dog's name, breed, color, distinct features (if any) and ways to contact you like your phone number.
7. Call local shelters and pet related places within a 100 miles radius of your house. Leave your contactable number with them so that they can reach you if your dog turns up. Visit these places if possible to pass them a poster of your lost dog so that it can reach out to more people.
8. Post lost dog ads on the internet - With the ever increase use of the net. A lot of people have found their pets through this avenue. You can start off with FidoFinder.com and TerrificPets.com. Find more lost pet ads posting site on the search engine - Key in 'find lost dog' or 'lost dog ads'.
9. Beware of money scams. There are people who are out to cheat you out of your money. Knowing that you are worried, it's easy for these people to take advantage of you in many different ways. Think logically and ask for advice if necessary before you give someone money to return your dog.
10. Don't give up easily. Dogs have been known to find their way back home after being lost for several months. Your dog might be just one of them!
Before you lost your beloved dog, it's good to take measures to ensure that YOU can be located if your lost dog is found - An ID dog tag would usually be the most efficient and important form of ID for your dog.

Regaining Manhood through Cialis by: Andrew Pertot "He to command and she to obey, he for the sword and for the needle she"Man can sustain anything except for a blot on his manliness, its one thing where he can not compromise. A question raised on manliness shatters his self esteem and leaves him in an unanswerable position.
Offering inspiration for travellers, each itinerary is a complete package. The accommodations may not have satellite TV or air-conditioning - but they offer an unforgettable experience.

Lillooet, B.C., fire evacuees return home

2009-08-07T07:04:00.001-07:00

Grateful Lillooet residents Babe Smith and her husband thought they'd lose their house to the Mount McLean wildfire. (CBC)

People began streaming back to their homes by the thousands in Lillooet, B.C., Thursday after a four-day forest fire evacuation order was lifted.

The Mount McLean wildfire still covers about 3,800 hectares, and at one point was less than one kilometre from the town but fire officials said it had stabilized thanks to the work of firefighters and some cooler weather.

Although the official evacuation order for about 2,500 people was rescinded, the residents remained under an evacuation alert.

"We just thought it was going to go," a tearful Babe Smith told CBC News as she and her husband stood in their kitchen in Lillooet once again.

"But we'd let go of things, you do, you let go," Smith said. "That's why I'm so grateful to be back."

"Well, it's better than sleeping in my truck," another man said, when asked how he liked the idea of getting home.

The local RCMP detachment said returning townspeople had reported two cases of homes being broken into during the evacuation, but police could not immediately confirm anything had been stolen.

Another 360 people have also been allowed to return home north of Kelowna, but some 2,100 remain under an evacuation order because of the danger of the Terrace Mountain fire near Fintry.

Officials estimated that fire is 40 per cent contained, but it's unclear when the remaining evacuees will be allowed to return home.

This message of appreciation to crews fighting wildfires comes from a resident near Lillooet, B.C. (CBC)

An evacuation order has also been lifted for 50 people in Brookmere, south of Merritt, although they will also remain on evacuation alert.

Another 70 residents in the area remain under an evacuation order.

The residents were ordered out on Sunday because of the Brook Creek fire, which covers 2,100 hectares. Officials estimate that blaze is 80 per cent contained.

Fires threaten phones, electricity

More than 60 homes in the Bella Coola Valley remained on evacuation order Thursday, with another 25 on evacuation alert, because of the Nuxalk fire, which is reported to be still out of control and uncontained.

Another fire in the Bella Coola Valley is threatening a communications station in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.

Officials say if the station is consumed, it could shut down all phone and cellular communication in the area, cutting off emergency personnel.

Officials say crews are ready to protect the station if the fires moves closer.

Meanwhile, a fire near Gold River on Vancouver Island has grown to 170 hectares and is threatening to cut off power to more than 8,000 people.

The Antler Lake fire вЂ" just 20 per cent contained вЂ" is 500 metres from power lines that provide electricity to people on the North Island.

BC Hydro has sprinklers set up near the power lines and says it will shut off electricity if the fire burns too close.

Officials said Wednesday there were an estimated 824 fires burning in the province.

There have been a total of 2,300 blazes in B.C. so far this year, burning an estimated 79,000 hectares of forest.

Pangnirtung prepares own pandemic plan

2009-08-07T06:04:00.001-07:00

Hamlet officials in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, say they've stopped waiting for territorial health officials to tell them how to deal with the swine flu pandemic, opting instead to develop their own plan.

Officials in Pangnirtung and other communities say they still have not received any formal communication from the Nunavut Health Department on how to deal with swine flu, even though the H1N1 virus was first confirmed in the territory in late May.

With the possibility that swine flu may hit hard this fall, the community of about 1,300 people has decided not to wait any longer.

'Get organized as best we can'

"Given that lack of direction, we're proceeding at the community level to get organized as best we can," senior administrative officer Ron Mongeau told CBC News on Thursday.

Mongeau said the hamlet has formed a pandemic response committee, which has already met twice. It will meet again Monday.

"We've assigned tasks to each of the committee members to put together basically databases that will help us delineate all the support that's available in the community," he said.

"So that could range from heavy-equipment officers, municipal service drivers, people with radio and TV expertise, [Canadian] Rangers, Junior Rangers вЂ" all of those groups in the community, we're putting together a database of everybody."

Mongeau said concerns about the H1N1 pandemic will likely be a major topic among municipal officials at the Nunavut Association of Municipalities' meeting later this month in Cambridge Bay.

Pandemic plan being updated

As of Wednesday, Nunavut has 496 lab-confirmed cases of swine flu, including one death.

The territorial government does have a pandemic plan, created in 2006. It states that senior health officials must regularly communicate with senior administrators in all of Nunavut's 25 communities when there is a flu outbreak.

The plan also says the government must ensure all communities have specific pandemic flu response plans.

After municipal officials first raised concerns last month that they haven't been informed about the territory's swine flu strategy, health officials said they were updating the pandemic plan.

Premier Eva Aariak, who's meeting with other Canadian premiers this week at the Council of the Federation meeting in Regina, maintains that Nunavut has a good handle on the H1N1 situation.

"In Nunavut, we are well into informing our communities," Aariak said. "We produced updates on the situation on a weekly basis through news releases, and so on."

Mary Simon, president of the national Inuit organization Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, joined other aboriginal leaders in calling on Canada to introduce tougher measures to manage swine flu in Inuit and First Nations communities.

Simon called for a national Inuit-specific plan to deal with swine flu outbreaks in remote Inuit communities, almost all of which are accessible only by air.

Pakistan militant leader dead: Taliban

2009-08-07T04:04:00.001-07:00

Pakistan's top Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, left with cap, talks to the media in Kotkai, a village in the Pakistani tribal area of South Waziristan in this May 2008 file photo. (Associated Press)

As Taliban officials confirmed that notorious militant leader Baitullah Mehsud has died in a U.S. air strike, Pakistani government authorities headed to the site Friday in an effort to get confirmation of the death.

Kafayat Ullah, an aide to Mehsud, told The Associated Press that Mehsud and one of his wives were killed by a U.S. attack on Wednesday but declined to provide further details.

"I confirm that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife died in the American missile attack in South Waziristan," Ullah said.

Three Pakistani intelligence officials have also said Mehsud is believed to have died in an air strike at the home of his father-in-law in Nardusai in South Maziristan. A U.S. intelligence official also said there were strong indications that Mehsud had died, including communications interceptions.

Pakistani intelligence officials reported Friday there are indications that Taliban factions may also be holding a council meeting on Friday to choose a new leader to replace Mehsud.

Need ground verification

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said although there is intelligence information indicating the death, authorities are heading into the lawless tribal region along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan where Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be hiding.

"To be 100 per cent sure we are going for ground verification," Qureshi said.

Mehsud's body is believed to be buried near the strike site but no official has yet seen the body because the area remains under Taliban control, officials said.

Several unnamed Taliban sources have said that Mehsud was wounded in the attack but did not die. Others have the leader was not in the house at the time.

Mehsud, the head of the Tehrik-e-Taliban militant group, has been blamed for staging suicide attacks in Pakistan and planning assassinations against the Pakistani government, including the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He has denied being responsible.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has confirmed that one of Mehsud's two wives died in Wednesday's attack.

Conflicting reports

"Yes, a lot of information is pouring in from that area that he's dead but I'm unable to confirm unless I have solid evidence," Malik told reporters on Friday.

A local tribesman, who also spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, said Mehsud had been at his father-in-law's house being treated for kidney pain, and had been put on a drip by a doctor, when the missile struck. The tribesman claimed he attended the Taliban chief's funeral.

If Mehsud's death is confirmed, it would be a major boost to Pakistani and U.S. efforts to eradicate the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

In March, the U.S. State Department authorized a reward of up to $5 million US for the militant chief and an increasing number of U.S. air strikes have targeted Mehsud-related sites.

The U.S. sees him as a danger to the war effort in Afghanistan, largely because of the threat he is believed to pose to nuclear-armed Pakistan.

The U.S. and Pakistan will conduct DNA testing on the body believed to be Mehsud's, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing an unnamed U.S. defence official. The tests will use DNA samples taken from Mehsud's family members, and results could take anywhere from days to weeks, the newspaper reported.

With files from The Associated Press

Dog Training With A Training Collar Or Choke Collar

2009-08-02T22:07:00.001-07:00

Dog Training With A Training Collar Or Choke Collar
by: Waylon Harvey
There are a variety of names that go under the broad heading of "training collar". Some of them are --- choke collar, choke chain, training collar, correction collar and slip collar. These are all training collars and are used by professionals and amateur trainers alike.
Training collars are effective tools if they are used properly. Here are a few thoughts to apply when using training collars:
Does it fit? A properly fitted collar makes the collar easier to use and a lot safer for the dog. Determining if the training collar is the right size is relatively easy. The ideal size training collar should fit snugly, yet comfortably over the dog's head. It is important that the training collar not fit too tightly, but it should not be too loose either. A training collar that is too tight will be too hard to put on and off. On the other hand, a training collar that is too loose can accidentally fall off of the dog's head when it lowers its head. The collar should also not be too long.
It is best to measure the dog's neck with a tape measure, then add 2 to 3 inches to that measurement. So if your dog has a neck 12" in diameter, you would want to buy a training collar that is 14" in length. Chain slip collars are generally sized in two inch increments.
* Has it been put on correctly? Put it on right and it will be more effective and less dangerous.
* Is it being used correctly? Don't use the collar as punishment. Rather, use it only as a sharp reminder to the dog about their behavior. Use short sharp jerks of the collar, not constant pressure. Using constant pressure could be dangerous to the dog.
* Is it the right weight for your dog? In addition to the weight, the size of the links should also be appropriate for your dog's size and weight.
* Is the collar placed correctly? It is important to properly place the collar on the dog. When fitting a training collar, the part of the chain which is connected to the leash should be on the top of the dog's neck. With this type of arrangement, the collar releases the instant the leash is loosened. Training collars work by making the collar tight and loose in a fast manner. Tightening the collar is the first part of the correction, and making it loose is the second part of the correction.
If the part of the training collar that is attached to the leash is not on the top of the dog's neck, the collar can still be made tight, but it will not release back to a loose state easily. This constant pressure on the dog's neck initiates a counter response on the part of the animal, and the dog will quickly learn to pull and strain against the leash.
Make sure you purchase a collar that is both well made and strong. This is a vital step to the safety of yourself and your dog.
What do you do if the collar breaks? First, don't panic! For the fist couple of minutes your dog won't even know they have an unexpected freedom. If you continue to pretend that the collar is still attached, you can usually get control of the dog back.
If your collar should break, you can usually make a quick replacement by making a "slip lead". Just take the snap of the leash and run it through the handle and then slip the loop you formed over the dog's head. Not perfect, but sure solves the immediate problem.

It is because the guitar is the handiest musical instrument that could stand on its own. A group can enjoy music with just a guitar even without the accompaniment of winds and percussions.
How to Find a Certified Dog Trainer by: Katie Brandt Are you in the market for a dog trainer? Do you want your dog to learn from a top notch certified dog trainer? You may have dreams of seeing your dog in professional dog competitions and shows. Therefore, you need to have your dog trained by a certified dog trainer to ensure the best results.

Top Twenty Weight Loss Tips, Tricks and Solutions

2009-08-01T09:19:00.001-07:00

Top Twenty Weight Loss Tips, Tricks and Solutions
by: Roy Barker
Here are some everyday, helpful hints to get you started, keep you going, and help you stick to your diet.
1. Never leave home "starving." Always have a light snack before eating dinner in a restaurant, such as a piece of fruit, a glass of juice or a carrot.
2. Don't go food shopping on an empty stomach! You'll be tempted to buy everything in sight.
3. Don't be tempted by treats. Store them out of view, off counter-tops and as out-of-reach as possible.
4. Don't eat in front of the TV. Watching the boob tube -- instead of watching your plate -- lulls you into overeating. Also avoid being tempted by food and snack commercials.
5. Make it a rule in your house to confine your meals to the dining room or kitchen table! Never eat standing up! This leads to mindless snacking.
6. Think before you drink. Alcohol adds lots of calories, but no nutrients. Also, it weakens your willpower to avoid the wrong food choices. Hangovers can cause wicked cravings for fatty or high carbohydrate foods that can sabotage any attempt at weight loss.
7. Fill up on soup first. Begin every meal with non-cream hot soup; it forces you to eat slowly and fills you up so you won't overeat.
8. Take time to taste your food. Don't gobble food down! Rushing through your meals doesn't give your brain the time that it needs to signal your body that you are full.
9. When dining out, request sauces and low-calorie dressings on the side.
10. There is no law that requires you to finish everything on your plate.
11. Prepare a shopping list (with menu ideas in mind) and stick to the list. Avoid being tempted by bargains that grocery stores place on the outer aisles and at the back and the front of the store. The healthiest foods are usually in the long narrow aisles.
12. Use non-stick pans to reduce the need for cooking with fat.
13. If you must use oil, try a flavorful one like olive or sesame oil. Now remember, a little goes a long way! Make just a spritz of oil go even further by buying a Misto. A Misto is an aerosol can that you can fill with a good fat such as olive or canola oil.
14. A pinch of grated cheese or blue cheese will provide a flavorful kick without adding a lot of calories to a salad or grain dish.
15. If you cook in large quantities for your family, store leftovers in individual serving size containers. This is a way to practice portion control for yourself so you don't eat too much at one sitting.
16. Nibbling off someone else's plate may seem harmless -- but those calories do add up!
17. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. A beverage before mealtime will also help you feel full faster and longer. Water also helps your body digest food, which is especially important now that you're eating a fiber rich diet.
18. Store really tempting treats in opaque containers or silver foil -- and stick them in the back of the refrigerator. Out of sight out of mind!
19. Are you stuffing yourself? If you have to loosen your belt a few notches after meals you're definitely eating too much!
20. Mashed bananas, prunes and apple sauce are great baking substitutes for fat, especially in bread, brownie and cake mixes.

Following Through by: Wayne and Tamara Direct Answers - Column for the week of March 24, 2003My final divorce papers sit in front of me waiting for my signature.
Carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source during activity. It fuels the brain and nervous system, preserves protein while helping to burn fat.

Quote

2009-07-30T10:21:00.001-07:00

<Theseus> get the free like 10 CDs they give you
<Theseus> then write a letter to them signed under your parents name saying you burned all those satan music CDs, and to never send mail to that address again

Is A Career a Calling or Choice?

2009-07-26T09:17:00.001-07:00

Is A Career a Calling or Choice?
by: Michelle L. Casto, M.Ed.
How much of our career path is destiny and how much is free will? In my opinion, it is 50/50. We are given a life map at the beginning of our lives, and there are things we are meant to learn, people we are meant to meet, work we are meant to perform. But many of us are not tuned into ourselves and the signs that are presented to us. We often miss important information, and miss out on those lessons, people, and jobs.
The use of free will comes about when we are presented with options. Choices are really curves in our path. We can choose to take the long route, or the quicker, easier route. No path is better, it just impacts how quickly we move along our route, but remember: when climbing the mountain of self discovery, taking the long, hard, scenic route can be a rather enjoyable, enlightening experience.
Confucius once said, "Choose a career you love and you will never work another day in your life." If you think about this, what a different experience we could have in our work lives. If we actually loved the work we were doing, it wouldn't seem so much like our traditional concept of work (drudgery/pain). Think about it! How many jobs have you had that you dreaded going to? What are some of the differences between a job, a career, and your life's work? Let's define it.
A job is something you get paid to do (money is the primary motivation). It is easy to perform because there is not much challenge, and you will eventually find other work to do.
It may or may not fully engage you. Spirit may or may not be present.
A career is something you get paid to do that is viewed as a profession (status or identity is the motivation). It may provide more challenge, but after a while, you may get burned out, and choose to stop doing it.
It may or may not fully engage you. Spirit may or may not be present.
Your life's work is something you do whether you get paid for it or not (your soul's need for expression is the motivation). There is plenty of challenge and personal meaning. You will always want to do it.
It definitely fully engages you. Spirit is present.
Remember that a job can get you started toward your life's work. In fact, jobs provide the very important element of exposure to different kinds of industries. Take for example, a woman who started out working in a department store as a clerk, who moved into a management position, and finally created her life's work as an independent contractor who trains others in customer service skills.
Get Smart!
If everyone in the world could create their life's work (and they can!)if everyone could find what they were meant to do in life, how much happier and fulfilled we all would be!

We all want to "do it right," and maximize our efforts to get the most out of whatever we do. For our diet, we're concerned about the best time to eat.
Hartman Luggage Â A Trunkmaker's Saga! by: Mike Yeager Hartman luggage has been around for a while. The advent of the steam engine in the mid 1820s heralded the first wave of mass tourism.

Television on Your Schedule with a Digital Video Recorder (DVR)

2009-07-24T19:34:00.001-07:00

Television on Your Schedule with a Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
by: Becky Jacobs
The introduction of the VCR changed so much for the television viewer. Before the introduction of the VCR, you had to watch the show when it was broadcast by the network that was your only option. If you recorded your favorite show, you were able to watch it when you wanted to and as many times as you wanted to. All you needed was a blank video tape and a VCR. That has all changed with the DVR.
A DVR, or Digital Video Recorder, is technology that takes all the great features of a VCR and places it in the digital age. Instead of multiple tapes, you have a single hard drive. Instead of degrading tape quality issues, shows are now recorded digitally that can last forever. Instead of programming a VCR through a complicated interface of tiny buttons on a remote control, you can program your DVR through a simple point and click interface, possibly even from your home computer.
In addition to the ability to watch your shows whenever you want to, there is another benefit to the DVR that most people only mention quietly the ability to quickly forward through your commercials. With everything being digital, a 30 second skip can be done with the click of a button. Imagine getting back 10 minutes of your life back for every hour of television your watch!
DVRs come in many shapes and sizes. There are set-top boxes that go right on your television set. They don't require any other products to work. Some brand names of these options include Tivo and ReplayTV. Many satellite companies (and digital cable companies) such as Dish Network and Direct TV have options as well. Microsoft Windows Media Center is an option for Windows users. There are also options for the Mac and/or Linux user.
Once you have a DVR record your shows, you can watch them whenever you want. Some systems even let you transfer the content to a DVD or your laptop.
The Digital Video Recorder (DVR) changes everything for the television viewer. I hope you can join the revolution.

This can, however, be your best time of the year if you follow this plan:1. Participate in Lots of Holiday GatheringsWho knows? You may meet Mr.
Thrush have also come to be known as song birds as they have many attractive songs.Thrushes belong to the Family Turdidae which also includes: Yemen Thrush Olive Thrush Olivaceous Thrush Comoro Thrush Kurrichane Thrush African Thrush African Bare-eyed Thrush Grey-backed Thrush Tickell's Thrush Black-breasted Thrush Japanese Thrush White-collared Blackbird Ring Ouzel Grey-winged Blackbird Island Thrush Chestnut Thrush White-backed Thrush Grey-sided Thrush Eyebrowed Thrush Pale Thrush Brown-headed Thrush Izu Thrush Dark-throated thrush Black-throated Thrush Red-throated Thrush Redwing Song Thrush Chinese Thrush Mistle Thrush Red-legged Thrush Chiguanco Thrush Sooty Robin Great Thrush Black Robin Glossy-black Thrush Andean Slaty Thrush Eastern Slaty ThrushThrush are often found in open woods and land that is mostly cultivated over all of Europe and much of Asia. Many of the northern birds migrate south during the winter.

What Do You Need To Know About Sleeping Disorders

2009-07-23T10:51:00.001-07:00

What Do You Need To Know About Sleeping Disorders
by: Mansi Gupta
Finally another strenuous day prowls to its endhefty eyes die to shut down and do not reopen till they bask in the fairytale world, for when we live the rituals of the day, why not terminate with the custom of the nighta wonderful sleep! But seldom it happens that you get absorbed in the sleep that seems as enigmatic as the hoary mummies in Egypt, for today seven out of ten people suffer from sleeping disorders consciously or unconsciously. The sleep chaos can be minor, slight objectionable like restless leg syndrome to major nagged ones such as snoring, kicking and insomnia etc.
An individual's mental as well as physical condition is accountable for the sleeping chaos. Acute stress and agitating perennial thoughts or brooding mind are primary psychotic reasons; illness, aching or wounded body produce physical disturbance in sleep. Generally, people confronting regular limb (hip, knee, toe and the like) movement problems are the ones who suffer from disorders like restless leg syndrome.
The article takes a look at some regularly visible slumber difficulties, their causes, effects and cures.
Insomnia is a paradigm sleeping disorder. It is the name given to lack of sleep at night, often followed by walking in a semi-conscious state and feeling tired. Though the insomniac feels soporific yet sleep does not blanket him.
Insomnia is related to fretfulness, depression and learning disorders as its causes. One major factor behind broken sleep is the deficiency of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep or the period of sleep when the brain is working-dream sleep. Disturbed cycles of REM signify unstable naturally working metabolism of the body, which in turn indicates a distorted sleep along with uneasiness throughout the day.
It is not the case that only the person who is suffering from a slumber upset is only troubled by it but the one sharing his bed is even bereaved of a sound sleep. Sleep Apnea is one amongst such sleeping disorders that fetches enormous problems for the patient's partner. This is because the patient starts feeling irritated and tired while sleeping, does loud snoring and ceases to breathe for quite a few seconds after which he resumes his breath. The amount of this uneasiness is quite disturbing for the one who is sleeping next to the patient.
Throat collapsing while sleeping, blocked airways and unavailability of the breathing command by the brain are some of the universally accepted causes behind sleep apnea. Besides these extra weight or obesity is an impediment in breathing, stoutness thus is another factor that contributes to the development of sleep apnea.
Another threatening disorder that is known for the person's performing activities viz. brushing his teeth, sleep paralysis, horrifying dreams and wakefulness amidst sleepiness is Narcolepsy. In case left untreated, Narcolepsy can worsen with time and lead to serious repercussions.
Slumber disorders can be treated with medicines and several other psychotic therapies. The foremost category of medicines to treat slumber disorders are dopaminergic drugs. Dopamine is a chemical made in the brain, it aids in the transfer of messages from brain cells to other brain cells and in locomotion of the body. Benzodiaepines and Opioids are subsequent types of drugs. Some of the largely prescribed medicines are Ambein, Sonata and Lunesta. Apart from the medicines a change in lifestyle is also extremely beneficial and wonderful idea. Conjoined with many other things, the change should specially include inculcating healthy eating habits and avoiding stress.

Whitetail Deer Management by: John Cook The deer management techniques that we use on our property have changed a lot over the past thirty years in relation with the changing deer herd.
Yet there are fish feeding actively below the surface. So, you put the fly (nymph) to the fish.Nymph fishing is probably the most challenging of all fly fishing techniques.

No quit in Ticats' working class heroes

2009-07-20T22:04:00.001-07:00

DeAndra' Cobb, left, was in the process of applying for a job as a prison guard when the Ticats came calling. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

A quick question for Dave Stala and DeAndra' Cobb: Don't either of you know when to quit?

Apparently not. And that's what makes two of the newest Tiger-Cats true sons of Hamilton вЂ" one literally and the other spiritually.

Together they've supplied key moments that have the Ticats sitting at 2-1 in the early going of the 2009 CFL season, and if you donвЂ™t think thatвЂ™s significant consider the last time Hamilton was better than .500 was 2004.

Both could have been forgiven for giving up the pro football dream.

Stala used to be a rising Canadian star in the CFL, but when he hauled in the clinching touchdown against Winnipeg at home last Saturday night (and promptly fell into the waiting arms of about a half-dozen delirious local folks to whom he gave the ball) it marked his first major score in over two full seasons.

The last time he'd seen the end zone was as a Montreal Alouettes slot back in Game 18 of 2006 вЂ" a year he caught 38 balls in what was itself an injury shortened ride.

A bad foot problem in early 2007 put him on the sidelines for all but two pass completions, and there were none in 2008.

But there was no quit. And when Montreal, Edmonton and Hamilton offered contracts for this year, he went for it and chose to come home to the Hammer, where heвЂ™d attended Cathedral High School.

вЂњItвЂ™s a livelihood, itвЂ™s something I do,вЂќ said Stala, 29, basking in the early afternoon sun after a practice at Ivor Wynne Stadium and trying to come up with an explanation for his still being here.

вЂњThis is the greatest job that anyone could have throughout their lifetime. I donвЂ™t think an injury is going to hold me back from coming out here.вЂќ

Galaxy regrets Beckham exchange with heckler

2009-07-20T21:04:00.001-07:00

Galaxy fans jeer superstar midfielder David Beckham, left, in Sunday's 2-2 draw with AC Milan at the Home Depot Center. (Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Galaxy general manager and coach Bruce Arena issued a statement Monday expressing regret for the verbal exchange between midfielder David Beckham and a heckler in Sunday's 2-2 draw in a friendly with AC Milan.

"We regret the incident that happened at the end of the first half of last night's friendly at the Home Depot Center," Arena said.

At intermission, Beckham strolled toward the section of fans known as the Riot Squad to speak to the heckler, who leapt from the seats onto the pitch and was arrested for trespassing.

"One of the guys was saying things that really weren't very nice and kind of stepped over the line," Beckham said. "I walked over and said, 'You need to calm down.'"

Liberia's former president denies trading arms for diamonds

2009-07-20T20:04:00.001-07:00

Former Liberian president Charles Taylor has challenged anyone to find a bank account in his name holding illicit funds or "blood diamonds" from the civil war in Sierra Leone.

In his second week of testimony at his war crimes trial, Taylor denied any role in forming the guerrilla force that invaded Sierra Leone in 1991, in helping plan the rebel incursion, in training the rebel forces or in commanding their operations.

In this Jan. 7, 2008, file photo, former Liberian president Charles Taylor is seen at the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, Netherlands. (Michael Kooren/Associated Press)

"I was never involved. It's a lie," he told the U.N-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone sitting in The Hague on Monday.

Taylor is charged with 11 counts of murder, torture and recruiting child soldiers for supporting rebels in Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war. His allegedly amputated civilians' limbs, ears and noses to intimidate the population into submission.

He is the first African head of state to be brought before an international court for war crimes.

Frequently agitated and thumping his desk, Taylor dismissed claims that he accepted diamonds in exchange for arms from Sierra Leone rebel leader Foday Sankoh.

"That never happened. It is blatantly untrue," he said.

Referring to allegations that he had stashed millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts, Taylor said: "I challenge the United Nations and any human being on this planet to bring one bank account" to the court. "Bring the millions here, please," he said.

Obama extends order to freeze Taylor's assets

On Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a one-year extension to a 2004 executive order blocking Taylor's assets in the United States and those belonging to his wives, immediate family and senior officials of his regime.

The order said Taylor's "unlawful depletion of Liberian resources" and the spiriting of funds and property out of his country "continue to undermine Liberia's transition to democracy" and its political and economic development.

Allegations that Taylor was instrumental in creating and commanding Sierra Leone's rebel force known as the Revolutionary United Front, or RUF, was a key element of the prosecution's case, presented by 91 witnesses since the trial began in January 2008.

'I challenge the United Nations and any human being on this planet to bring one bank account [to the court]. Bring the millions here, please.' вЂ"Former Liberian president Charles Taylor

"I played no part whatsoever in organizing the RUF, none whatsoever," Taylor told the judges. "I had no knowledge in March 1991, or before then, that a group calling itself RUF was either planning or organizing or training to attack Sierra Leone, not at all."

He acknowledged that he began co-operating with the RUF after meeting Sankoh for the first time five months after the incursion. Both his forces and Sankoh's were fighting a third rebel outfit known as ULIMO, which controlled a swath of territory on their common border.

He said he gave Sankoh small amounts of ammunition, a vehicle for himself and sent men to Sierra Leone to join forces with the RUF against ULIMO.

Taylor, who staged his own assault in 1989 to oust Liberian president Samuel Doe (who was killed in 1990), said that in 1991 he was still fighting remnants of Doe's forces as well as a Nigerian-led African peacekeeping force sent to put down his revolution.

"We did not send arms (to the RUF). We were still fighting and we needed everything we could get for ourselves," he said.

Taylor said he broke off all contact with Sankoh in May 1992 after Sankoh complained that Taylor's troops had murdered and raped civilians in Sierra Leone. The charge was true, he said, and the general in charge was court-martialed and executed.

But Taylor blamed Sankoh for failing to prevent fighting that erupted between their two forces, even though he had told the Sierra Leonean rebel leader that he was taking action against his guilty officers.

"I was upset. I was angry," he said, and ordered his men to withdraw back to Liberia. He said he never spoke to Sankoh again for seven years.

Taylor said the prosecution's accusations that he swapped arms for diamonds was an attempt to "demonize" him.

"They make you look like the scum of the earth so they can destroy you. I am a revolutionary and I have respect for myself," Taylor said.

Caribbean Villas Made for Two

2009-07-20T09:26:00.001-07:00

Caribbean Villas Made for Two
by: Paris Permenter & John Bigley
For some couples, the idea of real island romance is a private villa, without other guests. Just the two of you -- alone, except for the occasional visit by a cook or maid who is there to meet your special requests, to introduce you to island cuisine, and to make you feel pampered in what really is your home away from home. St. John, St. Thomas, Jamaica, and Barbados are especially popular islands for villa rentals.
Villas vary in price, services, and level of luxury. Before you make a commitment, check:
maid service. Many villas offer maid service before your arrival and after your departure; additional cleaning can be arranged for a surcharge. At other properties, you may have daily maid service. Check with your villa management company.
groceries. Can you send a deposit for groceries and have a cook stock up before your arrival? Finding a refrigerator and cabinets ready with your favorites can be a big boost after a long flight.
cook service. Many villas can arrange for cook service as you choose: three meals a day, dinner only, or just one special meal. In Jamaica, villas typically include cook service. Check your options.
air conditioning. Don't assume your villa is air conditioned; ever-present trade winds make this an optional feature. If it's more of a necessity than an option to you, inquire.
car rental. Many villas are located away from the resort areas. See if you should rent a car to avoid pricey taxi rides for long hauls.
minimum stay. Unlike hotel minimums of three nights, villas often require a minimum seven night rental.
Many resorts also offer villa rentals. These homes are located on the resort property and guests enjoy the security and services of the resort while at the same time having the space and facilities of a villa home.

A good fitness center has their members as their number one priority. They are customer service oriented.
A lack of this vitamin can cause such woes as night blindness, poor bone growth, dry skin, and weak tooth enamel.Doctors recommend 10,000 IU a day for an adult male, and 8,000 per day for adult females to maintain healthy nutrition habits.Vitamin C is another one of the most important vitamins for maintaining your health. 60 milligrams per day are recommended for adults of both sexes.

TOP TEN Best NFL Players

2009-07-16T08:58:00.001-07:00

TOP TEN Best NFL Players
by: Leigh D
Honorable Mentions: Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, and Terrell Owens- Hard to select one and not the others, all are great players, but all also have questions Owens and Moss have character issues, Moss takes plays off, Owens will drop the easy passes, and Harrison tends to find the sideline instead of taking a hit.
Jevon Kearse- If he could stay healthy it would be too hard to ignore a man that size that moves that fast.
10) Tony Gonzalez-te-KC Is starting to slow a little, but is still the standard to which all other tight ends are measured. Still top receiving TE, and is an underrated blocker, but not needed much as blocker, threat as receiver alone creates space for running game.
9) Duante Culpepper-qb-MIN Physically is easily most impressive quarterback in the league; he is huge, but remarkably quick especially for his size. Has shown great progress, and has developed over last 2 years into a top tier quarterback, not just an athlete playing qb (Once Micheal Vick learns same lesson he too will be in top half of this list)
8) Priest Holmes-rb-KC Most think that he should be even higher on this list, but part of Priest's great touchdown numbers can be attributed to the offense/system that he plays in. The offense is set up to get Priest the ball, and to get him the touchdowns. The fact that he does succeed so well, and sometimes make it look so easy is what puts him on this list.
7) Ahman Green-rb-GB Anyone who can supplant Brett Favre as mvp of the Packers has to be a special player. Green is a great back who forced the Packers to evolve from a passing team to a running team to take advantage of his talents
6) Chris McAllister-db-BAL The popular barroom debates surround the best qb's or best rb's, but the toughest call may very well be who the best corner in the league is; there are 2 on this list, and 3 or 4 more who came very close.
5) Champ Bailey-db-DEN There is a reason why Denver was willing to give up on highly touted (perhaps to highly) Clinton Portis. Bailey and McAllister both are very similar shutdown cornerbacks, and the bonus is that unlike a lot of db's in the league they should not be affected by the new rules concerning pass defending, as neither really relied on being physical to be successful.
4) Peyton Manning-qb-IND Just his leadership qualities alone give him such an advantage of many other quarterbacks, but he also is an extremely accurate passer, that has great vision and presence. He is simply the best pure quarterback in the league.
3) Jonathan Ogden-ol-BAL Jamal Lewis gets all the accolades for his record setting season in 2003, but Ogden and the rest of the line deserve a lot of credit for helping Lewis gain his 2000 yards. What was most impressive was that every defense that Baltimore faced all season all keyed on stopping the Ravens running game, but lead by Ogden the line still found ways to create holes against 8 man fronts.
2) Ladainian Tomlinson-rb-SD If the Chargers had actually managed a .500 record LT would have had a strong case for MVP last season. (led team in rushing and receiving). Of course the fact that the Chargers are so bad makes Tomlinson's accomplishments even more impressive.
1) Ray Lewis-lb-BAL His physical talents are obvious, what separates Lewis from others are the intangibles; his intensity, his intelligence, and his leadership. No matter how offenses try to account for him, or just plain avoid him, Lewis always manages to find a way to always be around the ball.

Live Longer By Exercising - Part 1 by: Tracie Johanson The goal of this article is answer the question "WHY DO WE EXERCISE?"Now, I know what you're all thinking: WE EXERCISE TO LOSE FAT SO WE CAN LOOK GOOD! To be honest, that's the reason why most of us exercise, and THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!But did you know that exercise gives us some MUCH more substantial benefits than just looking good? It's true! If you're working out at Pick Up The Pace just to look good, then consider these other benefits just a bonus!Regular exercise has been proven to:1) FIGHT OBESITY - Obesity is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes.2) IMPROVE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE - Resistance training will increase muscle size, strength and endurance.
Tips on finding the best prices on airlines tickets for cheap flights. by: Mike Yeager Finding the right priced airlines tickets for cheap flights is an important part of travel these days. There are many, many different options for you to take advantage of when trying to locate cheap airfare.

2003... Got Goals?

2009-07-14T16:33:00.001-07:00

2003... Got Goals?
by: Paul Shearstone
Inspiration without application improves nothing, benefits no one and fans the flames of mediocrity! Paul Shearstone 2002
2003.Got Goals?
By Paul Shearstone
Ask anybody on January 2nd 2003 if they have New Years Resolutions or goals and nine out of ten will say, "Yes!" ...Ask the same people about their resolutions three months later and they'll look at you like a small goat discovering a new fence for the first time.
All good intentions aside, exhaustive studies have shown only 3% of the population engage in some form of goal-setting and only 1% on average, write them down.
It should be noted that there is no small coincidence in the 1% that write goals down and the highest achieving, highest income-earning men and women around the world.
Setting goals is the genesis from which things great and not so great are accomplished. Read any book on achievement or watch the Biography Channel and see the quintessential message is clear: Goals = Success!
If it's that simple though, why is it then, are most people so unsuccessful in the fundamentals of Real goal-setting?
One legitimate answer may be our generation is busier than any generation in the past. Life today is not static and our preoccupation with just trying to 'get by' runs juxtaposed to the activities needed for maintaining concentrated goal achievement. Fair enough.
On the other hand, these same studies I mentioned are just as clear on the real reason most people - the ones who bother to set goals - will never achieve them. They don't write them down relying rather they be left to our memories to manage.
In my soon to be released Thought Book, I wrote: Your goals are future landmarks on paths created by You.
Goal experts, however, will be quick to point out, "Unwritten goals are nothing more than Wishes"... and we know the world is full of people with plenty of wishes. Go to any lottery office or anywhere they sell things like DotCom Stock. In one place they wish they'd bought more, in the other they wish they hadn't bought any at all!
Real goal-achievement has so nothing to do with merely wishing or thinking of what we'd like to accomplish and everything to do with Not Forgetting.
As the young man once said, "My memory is the thing I use to forget with". If we buy-off on the precept, we are now the busiest, most preoccupied generation, it's no stretch then to believe the experts when they say, "Goals left only to memory are destined to fade like so many wishes".
*********************************************************************************
Before we look for the remedy to the goal-achievement challenge, it's important we understand the fundamental psychology of goal setting. That is to say, how it works.
Psychological studies on the highest achieving men and women demonstrate, people with clear, specific goals, immediately and by default, become psychologically Goal Oriented individuals. [No mystery there].
Since goals take place in the future, those with goals also by default become psychologically, motivationally, Future Oriented individuals.
Finally, since we can agree we go to the trouble of having goals because we want to achieve them, another automatic psychological outcome is we immutably become psychologically, motivationally, human-behaviorally, actively, Success Oriented individuals.
[To put that into perspective, we can all think of people we know who are naturally, Failure Oriented individuals].
These hallmarks are known as the Three Unique Psychological Success Orientations - the stuff that governs everything we do in the present, the moment, the now, as we go about our lives putting people, places and things together to affect positive outcomes in the future as it relates to our goals.
That is, however, if we don't forget them!
The good news is, the simple act of reviewing our goals and activities on a daily basis, serves, in and of itself, to ensure we don't forget them - thereby keeping them fresh, clear, specific and at the front of our mind.
As mentioned and psychological studies show, unforgotten goals quite naturally engender Unique Psychological Success Orientations that by default, impact in a positive way, our thoughts and activities as we go through our lives focused undauntedly in the moment on things we wish to accomplish.
The Bottom Line:
Those without goals, more often than not, find themselves directionless relying mostly on things like luck. Goal-Setting is only the first step. Constant Goal-Review is the activity that ensures Goal-Achievement and Success!

Costs Associated With Kitesurfing by: Jakob Jelling Getting involved in the extreme sport of KiteSurfing might be more costly than you think, when in all actuality it's relatively inexpensive to get started. Depending on what type of Kite, board and lines you purchase the bottom line will always be to buy the safest products possible at the lowest price.Two popular manufacturers are Wipika and Kiteski.
It was my first visit since the tragic September 11th attack. Although I've traveled this same route--the commuter train to the Hoboken station from 1996-2000--there were now, of course, changes in the environment when I got to Hoboken.

Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential Part 2

2009-07-12T10:04:00.001-07:00

Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential Part 2
by: Paul M. Jerard Jr.
You can be the creator of your own manifest destiny. Through daily meditation practice and focus on changing your life for the better. In fact, you have the ability to redefine yourself in any direction you desire. The power that you can cultivate is limited only by your own imagination.
As I have mentioned earlier, this will change the lives of people who you come into frequent contact with. Therefore, you must always be kind, trustworthy, and considerate to others. You should make a change in that direction at this very moment.
Why the sudden need for character improvement? It goes hand-in-hand with using power and influence wisely. Remember Lord Acton's saying: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The power of your mind has the ability to alter reality. Therefore, this is a power that must be controlled.
How is this possible? Here is an example: If you had two identical twin boys, who haven't eaten for two days, and you put an apple in front of them; what would they do?
Most likely, they would fight over it, and the winner would eat, most or, all of it. You and I know they should divide it equally, but each of them has really felt starvation, and that is a reality you and I do not feel at the moment. So we are not talking about imagination, but three legitimate points of view, that each becomes our own reality.
Meditation will allow your mind to see multiple points of view, without judgment. If you can see only one point of view, you haven't meditated long enough. The best leaders, negotiators, and diplomats, know that you have to understand the opposing viewpoint, to move forward, on any issue. There is always justification, on both sides, in any conflict, but true compromise is meeting the opposition in a different reality, than you both started from.
If you had the ability to travel in the space shuttle, your view of earth, from within your space vehicle, would be much different from the person living in poverty, within a refugee camp. You could not see, or feel, that person's pain, and each of you would have a vivid picture of life on earth.
You can meditate from a mountain top, but once you have seen the full picture, you have an obligation to help mankind, with acts of kindness. Once you have discovered how easy it is to help others, you are no longer struggling with; "who is right and who is wrong."
Your new reality becomes, "how can I help?"

It's just a way to share our unease of growing older with people around us.Try as we might, time marches on and we get older just the same. I was reminded about this when I recently read that we are now seven million years old.
For instance, a child's growing body requires high levels of calcium and iron, sometimes even more than adults. Iron is crucial to a child's development since it is used in developing strong muscles and producing blood, while calcium helps bones and teeth grow strong.

Have Pet ... Can Travel

2009-07-10T11:53:00.001-07:00

Have Pet ... Can Travel
by: Gerry Neustatl
If you are reading this, I guess you have a pet, need a holiday and don't want to waste your next hard-earned break watching round-the-clock rubbish on televsion. In days gone many pet owners simply did not go on holidays! "Why", I would ask them, and the answer was always the same: "Because we own a pet."
Fortunately pet owners have more options than they used to. These days you can often take your pet with you. Otherwise you can leave it in a secure boarding kennel or cattery, or even commission a pet minding service to visit and service your pet in its familiar environment. But which option is right for you and your pet?
So now you've taken the first step and put in for some annual leave. Your vacation is coming up... but what are you going to do with the family pet?
Option One: Pet Friendly Holidaying
Taking your pet with you on holidays is an option particularly popular among dog owners whose charges travel well. Gone are the days when travelling "pet friendly" meant rotting linoleum and a leaky roof. Many holiday venue operators now recognise that most pet owners are responsible adults who will look after a nice house in order to be invited back.
When travelling don't forget to take frequent rests, pack water for the travel along with your dog's water bowl, and don't leave your dog to bake in your car! You'll generally also be required to bring your pet's bedding, food and food containers.
Your pet should also be fully vaccinated, wormed and on a current flea treatment program. A first aid kit including tweezers or tick removers as well as antiseptic makes good sense, especially if there are likely to be ticks in the area.
Other pets can make excellent travel companions - cats and horses, for example, are welcomed at many holiday venues these days.
FOLLOW THE RULES: If you will be having your pet with you on holidays there are likely to be conditions. Find out what they are and follow them or you will not be welcomed back!
AVOID THE TELEVISION. Hopefully there isn't a TV there, but if there is, don't turn it on. You can watch TV at home and there are too many exciting things to do with your pet, friends and family, like bush walking, swimming... no, don't reach for the remote control. Make the most of your holiday and enjoy the Great Outdoors!
There are times when you can't take your pet with you, such as overseas holidays, business trips and when you are holidaying in regions that don't permit pets. So what are your options?
Option Two: In Home Pet Minding Services
If your pet is unlikely to fret excessively in your absence it can make sense to leave them in their familiar territory. A Pet Minder can visit your pet in your home or garden, supplying food, entertainment, a walk and maybe even a bath in your absence.
Leaving a pet in the house can even assist with security - who's going to break in when Cujo's guarding the front door?
As an added bonus a pet minder will often undertake additional duties including collecting mail, putting out the garbage and watering the plants. They can often attend to the other members of your family including fish, mice, birds etc.
Keeping up your dog's exercise regime is important. If your chosen pet minder cannot exercise your pet then arrange for a family member or professional dog walker to look after this for you.
When interviewing for a pet minder, it is OK, and expected that you will ask for references.
Not all dogs and cats are suited to staying home while you're away, especially if you'll be gone for an extended period. If your pet is likely to fret terribly, howl through the night, disturb neighbours or go wandering, then a boarding facility might be a better option for your pet's safety and security!
Option Three: Boarding Kennels and Catteries
A boarding kennel or cattery can provide a safe environment in your absence. Your pet will be fed according to the diet that you have prearranged - many boarding services can cater for the fussiest of animals.
Most boarding kennels have excellent exercise options available as well as ready access to a vet in case of emergency.
Know what to look for! Most boarding kennels and catteries are happy to show you through their premises if you make an appointment, but I favour boarding facilities that welcome your inspection without an appointment. Who knows what might get swept under the rug!
Your holiday - Relax and enjoy yourself
Now that your pets are taken care of, go and enjoy your holiday! Hang on a moment... what about the kids?

Although I had spent previous summers camping alone while conducting fieldwork in remote areas, this was to be my first journey overseas, to a country known variously for coca growing, revolution, and the final resting place of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.La Paz is nestled in a series of steep valleys that are eroded in a jagged, blasted moonscape of sun-baked volcanic rock. One of the city parks is called "Valle de la Lunas" or Valley of the Moon.
We closed the shop dead on 6 o'clock (usually we don't leave till gone 7). We were cashed up, loaded up and off to our own secret flying site in Kent by 6.30.

Pic

2009-07-08T21:50:00.001-07:00

Quote

2009-07-07T21:07:00.001-07:00

<reflector> I'm skinny and I have a big nose, but girls still let me touch them sometimes
<Viseus> reflector: Yeah me too. In packed subway trains and stuff

Pic

2009-07-06T09:04:00.001-07:00

Quote

2009-07-05T08:36:00.001-07:00

<Mac_BETA> I will give you 4 gigs o pr0n for yer mercedes

Lumsden reinjures shoulder in Eskimos' debut

2009-07-02T21:04:00.001-07:00

Jesse Lumsden (28) leaves for the locker room on Thursday. (Jimmy Jeong/Canadian Press)

Jesse Lumsden's much-anticipated debut with the Edmonton Eskimos lasted less than one quarter.

Lumsden, the son of former Eskimos fullback Neil Lumsden, hurt his left shoulder with 33 seconds left in the first quarter of Thursday's season opener versus the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Commonwealth Stadium.

It is the same shoulder that required surgery in each of the last two winters, and limited him to 19 games over the past two seasons.

"It is his shoulder again," Eskimos rookie head coach Richie Hall told TSN at intermission. "I don't know what the final prognosis is."

Lumsden, 26, caught a pass out of the backfield and was injured on a tackle by Blue Bombers linebacker Siddeeq Shabazz, who struck him flush on the shoulder.

Television replays revealed that Lumsden lowered the shoulder to absorb the hit.

To that point, he rushed twice for five yards and caught three passes for 20 yards.

Trainers looked to be trying to pop the shoulder back into place before Lumsden headed for the locker room.

He reportedly was taken to a local hospital for X-rays.

Signed Feb. 17 with Eskimos

Lumsden, born in Edmonton but raised in Burlington, Ont., signed Feb. 17 with the Eskimos following four injury-prone seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The bruising running back has averaged an impressive 6.3 yards per carry in the CFL, compiling 1,797 yards and nine touchdowns on 285 carries, and seemed the perfect choice to shore up Edmonton's ground game вЂ" the league's worst last season.

Lumsden, the 2004 Hec Crighton Trophy winner as Canada's top collegiate player, was selected sixth overall by Hamilton in the 2005 CFL draft, but signed with the Seattle Seahawks.

After failing to make the Seahawks out of training camp, he inked a deal with the Tiger-Cats on Sept. 12, 2005.

Lumsden rushing for 370 yards and one touchdown in five starts that season before returning to the NFL.

He was released by the Washington Redskins on Aug. 29, 2006, and re-signed with the Tiger-Cats two weeks later.

With files from The Canadian Press

Senators put Heatley trade on back burner

2009-07-02T20:04:00.001-07:00

Ottawa's Dany Heatley is a two-time 50-goal sniper in the NHL. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Ottawa Senators confirmed Thursday that the Dany Heatley deal is off the table вЂ" at least for now.

Heatley, who has asked to be traded, refused to waive his no-trade clause after the Senators agreed to send him to the Edmonton Oilers in return for forwards Andrew Cogliano and Dustin Penner and defenceman Ladislav Smid.

The Senators tried to finalize the trade in time to avoid paying Heatley a $4-million US bonus due him on July 1, but the disgruntled sniper waited until the deadline had passed before nixing the proposed swap.

Asked where that leaves Heatley, Senators general manager Bryan Murray said: "Nowhere. He is an Ottawa Senator."

Oilers management reportedly went so far as to meet with Heatley at his summer home in Kelowna, B.C., hoping to sell the two-time 50-goal scorer on the move.

Now both teams find themselves back at square one.

"It is different now and I don't know if we will continue or not," the visibly miffed Murray said. "I will, I believe, during the day talk to [Oilers rookie GM] Steve Tambellini again but, very definitely, it is not the same deal as it was yesterday."

That's because the Senators were forced to pay the hefty bonus, which counts toward Heatley's salary cap hit of $7.5 million US next season.

"Not a lot of teams were interested in making an offer," Murray said. "The few that did were, in a couple of cases, not very good [and], in one case, very insulting for Dany Heatley's value.

"I took a deal that probably hockey-wise doesn't match for Dany Heatley. But I thought it was fair to allow the player to have an opportunity to move if that is what he wanted to do and we would stock our team with a couple of players that we feel we can upgrade over the course of a year here."

'We're left a little short at the moment'

Forced to commit $4 million US toward Heatley, whether he stays or not, tied Ottawa's hands somewhat as the NHL free-agent frenzy began Wednesday at noon ET.

"Money was tight and my thought going into the day was we would be getting three players for one player and I was still hoping, on top of that, to be able to get one other forward," Murray said. "So we're left a little short at the moment."

"I just hope that this doesn't stall our organization," Senators forward Jason Spezza noted. "We want to move forward.

"If he wants to come back, then we will accept him back and we will be a good team with him. But if he doesn't want to be here, he has to let us [unload him] and get some players to replace him."

Heatley, 28, has racked up 260 goals and 543 points in 507 games over seven NHL seasons since he was drafted second overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2000.

He had 39 goals and 72 points last season, but that output represented his lowest totals with Ottawa, which signed him to a six-year, $45-million US contract extension on Oct. 4, 2007.

"Certainly, I'm disappointed," Murray said. "There is no question that there was a commitment made both ways a couple of years ago that Dany would be here for a long part of his career.

"He is a good player and he is a good guy. He probably has not had the total advice that is needed to be a committed guy to Ottawa."

With files from The Canadian Press

RCMP investigate after man dies following altercation in Metro Vancouver

2009-07-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

Police in Burnaby are investigating after a man died in an incident involving a van. (CBC)

Police in Burnaby, B.C., are investigating what they are calling a man's suspicious death Thursday morning.

Police say Alberto Morgadinho, 60, died at approximately 10 a.m. PT after getting into argument with the driver of a van near Meadow Avenue and Byrne Road.

The cause of death has not been released, but police said it appears Morgadinho died as a result of injuries he sustained in the altercation.

Dave Twaites, who worked for Morgadinho at Berto Contractors for six years, described him as a father figure.

"He was a great worker, the best boss you could ever have."

Twaites said he doesn't know why someone would try to hurt Morgadinho.

Police are asking for the public's help in finding the van believed to have been involved. It is described as an older-model Econoline, painted a flat red primer colour with a temporary licence in the window.

Police are asking anyone who may have seen the van or who witnessed the incident to contact the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448.

Prioritize Your Life for Success

2009-07-01T21:34:00.001-07:00

Prioritize Your Life for Success
by: Jan Wallen
Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a website, or an offline magazine and not see someone talking up the importance of time management.
The time management gurus are going out of their way to teach us how to set priorities in our work week, how to organize those priorities, and then finally stick to our priorities to get more done. I applaud their efforts.
Yet in all of the dozens of articles that I have read that speak of the importance and power of priorities in our work day, I have yet to see one person apply this principle to our lives outside of our jobs.
Let me show you how this is important. There are in fact 168 hours in a week. Of those 168 hours, we spend about 40 of them working, and we spend about 4 hours a week in transit to and from our jobs. As a result, we are spending just over one quarter of our lives taking care of business.
We spend approximately another 56 hours each week sleeping and another 7 hours grooming ourselves each week. Add to this the 7 hours we spend eating, and we are left with 54 hours in our week that no one is talking about.
I find it truly startling that people fill volumes talking about how to manage just over 25% of our week, and completely ignore another 33% of our week that is left to our free time pursuits.
Most times when I count down these numbers for people, they are dumbfounded to realize that they have more free time available to them than they spend actually working! Work seems such a prevalent portion of our lives that we fail to realize that we have lives beyond work.
So let me ask you a question. One third of your life is devoted to non-work related activities. What priorities have you set for yourself during these 54 non-work hours available each week? Okay, now let me take that same question one step further. Are you acting on these priorities each day? If I asked your children what priorities you have set for your own life, how would THEY respond?
So many people recognize a need to set priorities on the job. Yet most of these same people fail to place priorities on their lives. Why do people recognize the need for one and not the other? Some would say that the problem is rooted in not having God in their lives. But, even that falls far short of the truth.
Even Christians fall into this same rut. That seems to cancel out the argument about a lack of God in our lives.
The only argument that bears out in fact is that we pay more attention to giving our priorities lip service, than we do to finding the strength, determination, and integrity toward defining and then honoring any real priorities in our lives.
The Christian knows to place his priorities in the order of God, spouse, family, job and then finally hobbies. Yet human nature guides him down the road that lays waste to any priority he may set for himself while in church on Sunday mornings. Most of the other religions of the world teach these same principles as well, and still people of all faiths stumble down this same road without fail.
Priorities, like God, require a commitment in our lives. We must commit ourselves to establishing our priorities and then to meeting them one at a time. God, of course, should be the number one commitment you make to yourself. As through God, you will find the strength and fortitude to establish and meet each of your other priorities in life; priorities of spouse, family, and job, each in their proper order.
Romans 12:2 NIV
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
It is not enough to sit in church on Sunday mornings and pledge to make God the priority in your life. You must go to the further extreme. You must make a commitment in your life to make God the number one priority in your life. And then you must follow through on that commitment. Then and only then, will you find the abilities within yourself to reach beyond what you ever thought you were capable of doing, to commit yourself to setting priorities in your life, even outside of the work place, and to follow the commitment to your priorities with the fulfillment of your goals.
If you do not have God in your life, I encourage you to meet Him so that you to may experience the joy and fulfillment of the renewing of your mind, as so many of us have experienced. If God is only in your life on Sunday mornings, I encourage you to reach into your heart, past the lip service that you are offering, and finally make the commitment to put God as the top priority in your life.
In conclusion, I applaud each of you who make the commitment to manage your time and priorities in the work place. It is my hope that this article has opened your eyes to the part of your life that is bigger than work, the 33% of your life that is spent doing non-work related activities. Spend them well.

10 die as train derails in Italy

2009-06-29T22:04:00.001-07:00

Rescuers work in front of a destroyed building in Viareggio, Italy, early Tuesday after a train carrying gas canisters exploded in the coastal town in northern Tuscany. (Riccardo Dalle Luche/Associated Press)

At least 10 people are dead and 50 injured after a freight train derailed and two cars filled with gas exploded Monday night just outside a station in a small Italian town, police say.

A police official says the explosion engulfed several homes in the north Tuscan town of Viareggio, collapsing one building and setting fire to a vast area.

Seven people were killed when their house collapsed. Two drivers who were on the road alongside the tracks when the train derailed were killed. The 10th victim, a young man, died in hospital.

At least 50 people were hurt вЂ" 35 of whom were admitted to hospital with severe burns вЂ" in the accident, which occurred shortly before midnight local time in the seaside resort community north of Pisa.

The 14-car train carrying the liquefied gas was travelling from the northern city of La Spezia to Pisa.

Some 300 firefighters were battling flames while digging through the rubble of collapsed or burnt homes looking for casualties, said fire Chief Antonio Gambardella. He added that there could be more victims.

Murray wins first indoor match at Wimbledon

2009-06-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

Andy Murray of Scotland, foreground, is handed a towel by a ball boy during Monday's match under the roof at Wimbledon. (Alastair Grant/Associated Press)

The first indoor match at Wimbledon proved to be one of the most thrilling.

With a new retractable roof and lights permitting them to play later than anyone in tournament history, third-seeded Andy Murray of Britain prevailed in five sets over No. 19 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at the All England Club on Monday.

The Centre Court showdown concluded at 10:39 p.m. local time, surpassing the previous mark of 9:35 p.m.

"It was pretty special," Murray said, who celebrated the victory by swatting a ball so hard it hit the translucent roof.

Murray, a 22-year-old Scotsman, is bidding to become the first Brit to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.

"I will have a pretty deep sleep after that one," he said, noting the conditions were "very, very heavy and very humid. Sweating so much, when I finished, it was like I had been in a bath."

Roger Federer of Switzerland once again defeated Robin Soderling, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5).

Federer never lost serve and hit 23 aces to improved to 11-0 against his Swedish opponent, including a win in the French Open final three weeks ago to clinch a career Grand Slam.

"Today was hard to get through a really dangerous match," Federer said. "Not many rallies, so maybe not as much fun for the people.

"But I stayed calm. Waited for my chance."

Federer, who is pursuing a sixth Wimbledon crown and a record 15th Grand Slam title, told reporters he is playing with more confidence than earlier the year.

"No signs of panics, what I maybe had, you know, six months ago when I played," he said. "I would just feel uneasy.

"I wouldn't be exactly sure what the right plays were. Now I feel perfect."

Elsewhere in the fourth round, it was:

Novak Djokovic (4), Serbia, over Dudi Sela, Israel, 6-2, 6-4, 6-1.
Ivo Karlovic (22), Croatia, over Fernando Verdasco (7), Spain, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (9).
Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spain, upsetting Gilles Simon (8), France, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2.
Andy Roddick (6), U.S., over Tomas Berdych (20), Czech Republic, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.
Lleyton Hewitt, Australia, surprising Radek Stepanek (23), Czech Republic, 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Tommy Haas (24), Germany, over Igor Andreev (29), Russia, 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-4.

Two-time defending women's champion Venus Williams of the United States reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the 10th time in her pro career, when Ana Ivanovic was forced to retire early in the second set.

Ivanovic suffered a thigh injury as she served an ace to erase a break point in the opening game of the second set.

"I didn't feel anything up until that point," Ivanovic said. "When I landed, I just felt a sharp pain on my inner thigh and I couldn't step on my leg ever since."

Ivanovic took a 10-minute break to tape her thigh and returned for two more points, but began crying and told the umpire she had to retire with Williams leading 6-1, 0-1.

"I don't even know the last time that I had these circumstances," Williams said, sympathetically. "I don't think ever in a Slam.

"I think she was in a lot of pain. You know me вЂ" I'm one of those players, I just only pay attention to what's going on my side of the net.

"But today, I felt really sad for her actually. She was really upset.

"This is Wimbledon. It's the last place you want to have an injury that you can't overcome, so I'm wishing her a lot of luck in her recovery."

Less than an hour later, Serena Williams joined her elder sibling in the quarters with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 victory over Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

Serena, known for occasional bouts of sloppiness, was clinical against Hantuchova, committed just 12 unforced errors and converted a whopping 91 per cent of points on first serve.

She is seeking her third Wimbledon title after losing to her sister in last year's final.

Also in women's play, eighth-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated 10th-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3.

No. 11 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland ended the hopes of surprising American teen Melanie Oudin with a 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Oudin had notched the biggest upset of the tournament so far, beating former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic on Saturday.

Elena Dementieva of Russia also advanced to the quarter-finals with a straight sets win.

Dementieva, seeded fourth, downed compatriot Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-3.

Dementieva reached the semifinals last year, her best Wimbledon showing.

She will next meet Francesca Schiavone of Italy, a 6-2, 7-6 (1) winner over Virginie Razzano of France.

In a battle of teens, Sabine Lisicki of Germany continued a run that has surprised even herself, beating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-4, 6-4.

Lisicki upended French Open champ Svetlana Kuznetsova in her previous match.

Toronto's Daniel Nestor and Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic are looking to defend their Wimbledon men's doubles title.

The second-seeded pair ousted Britain's Jonathan Marray and Jamie Delado 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 on Monday.

Nestor and Zimonjic take on Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Austrian Oliver Marach in the final eight.

With files from The Associated Press

Plane with 150 on board crashes in Indian Ocean: media reports

2009-06-29T20:04:00.001-07:00

A plane with 150 people on board has crashed in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros, news reports said.

The plane belonged to Yemeni state carrier Yemenia Air, media reports said.

According to Reuters, Comoros Vice-President Idi Nadhoim said, "We don't know if there are any survivors among the 150 people on the plane."

Nadhoim said the accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday, but could not provide further details.

The Airbus 310 was believed to be flying Comoros residents returning from Paris, The Associated Press said.

CNN quoted government officials from Comoros as saying it was unclear whether there were any survivors.

Comoros is located off the eastern coast of Africa between Madagascar and Mozambique.

Toronto FC too much for Red Bulls

2009-06-24T19:04:00.001-07:00

Pablo Vitti and Dwayne De Rosario scored as Toronto FC blanked the New York Bulls 2-0 in front of 20,902 raucous fans at BMO Field on Wednesday night.

It marked Toronto's second win in less than two weeks over the Red Bulls, who remain winless on the road in 21 straight matches (0-15-6) вЂ" an MLS record.

Toronto FC prevailed 2-1 over New York on June 13.

Toronto FC was fresh off their finest offensive outing in franchise history, a 6-1 romp over the Montreal Impact that clinched the Voyageurs Cup for the Reds and the right to represent Canada in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Prior to that, Toronto FC had never scored more than four goals in a match.

Vitti, a flamboyant forward from Argentina, opened the scoring 28 minutes into Wednesday's match.

Toronto FC midfielder Nana Attakora chipped the ball neatly over a startled Red Bulls defence with the outside of his right foot to Vitti, who settled it and nodded it over keeper Danny Cepero for his first goal of the season.

Vitti narrowly missed making it 2-0 as he snuck between two defenders and slipped a rebound between Cepero's legs, only to watch the ball dribble wide of the post.

Moments later, De Rosario spun in the box and unleashed a shot that was blocked at the goal-line by defender Andrew Boyens, formerly of Toronto FC.

Toronto FC appeared to strike again in the 52nd minute when forward Chad Barrett tucked De Rosario's centring pass inside the post, but the play was ruled to be offside.

Seven minutes later, De Rosario took Barrett's looping cross off his chest and lofted it over Cepero for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Amado Guevara and Adrian Serioux started for Toronto FC, despite being hobbled by tender ankles.

Serioux received a yellow card after getting into a shoving match with Red Bulls forward Dane Richards in the 78th minute.

With files from The Canadian Press

Manitoba First Nations declare swine flu state of emergency

2009-06-24T18:04:00.001-07:00

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has declared a state of emergency in Manitoba First Nations over the swine flu pandemic.

Grand Chief Ron Evans said Wednesday the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu, is spreading rapidly through native communities. With supplies taking nearly a month to be delivered, Evans said First Nations people are at too much risk вЂ" especially when just getting hand sanitizer is a political and bureaucratic nightmare.

"Enough is enough," he said at a news conference Wednesday.

When the World Health Organization declared H1N1 a pandemic on June 11, it should have triggered the release of government money to buy medicine, organize emergency services and step up the response, said Evans.

By declaring the state of emergency, First Nations ca

South Carolina governor admits affair was behind disappearance

2009-06-24T17:04:00.001-07:00

Joel Sawyer, right, grabs South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford arm as he continues to answer questions after he admitted having an affair. (Mary Ann Chastain, Associated Press)

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, whose whereabouts had raised questions earlier this week, admitted Wednesday he had flown to Argentina to meet a woman with whom he had been having a year-long affair.

"I've been unfaithful to my wife," an emotional Sanford said at a news conference Wednesday. "I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina."

Sanford, 49, said he had spent the last five days "crying in Argentina" but the affair is now over.

The governor, considered by some to be a rising star in the Republican party and a possible presidential candidate for 2012, apologized to his wife, Jenny, and his four sons.

Sanford said he revealed the affair to his wife five months ago.

He would not say whether he would resign as governor but said he will step down as head of the Republican Governors Association.

He said he had known the woman for about eight years and had been romantically involved with her for about a year, seeing her three times since the affair began.

"What I did was wrong. Period," he said

Staff gave wrong information

The governor had not been seen in public since June 18, and reporters began asking questions about his whereabouts.

His staff had said he had gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail, something Sanford acknowledged he had told his aides he might be doing. He admitted he never corrected that impression after he left for South America.

"I let them down by creating a fiction with regard to where I was going," Sanford said. "I said that was the original possibility. Again, this is my fault in ... shrouding this larger trip."

When news first broke about his mysterious disappearance, Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press she did not know where her husband had gone for the Father's Day weekend.

His family did not attend the news conference, but his wife issued a statement saying she asked the governor to leave two weeks ago and not contact the family.

The governor said he wants to reconcile with his wife, and Jenny Sanford's statement said her husband has earned a chance to resurrect their marriage.

"This trial separation was agreed to with the goal of ultimately strengthening our marriage," she said.

Sanford's announcement came a day after another prominent Republican, Senator John Ensign of Nevada, apologized to his GOP Senate colleagues after revealing last week that he had an affair with a campaign staffer and was resigning as head of the Republican Policy Committee.

With files from The Associated Press

Drogba scores for Ivory Coast in World Cup qualifier

2009-06-21T09:04:00.001-07:00

Chelsea star Didier Drogba scored a 70th-minute goal to help Ivory Coast beat Burkina Faso 3-2 in a World Cup qualifier Saturday.

Aristide Bance scored for Burkina Faso eight minutes later, but the hosts couldn't equalize to overcome Mamadou Tall's 53rd-minute own goal.

The loss cost Burkina Faso its perfect record in Group E. The Stallions fell three points behind the Elephants, who have nine points in three games.

Yaya Toure scored in the 14th for Ivory Coast before Jonathan Pitroapa tied it 13 minutes later.

Drogba was recently suspended for four club matches in Europe because of his outburst toward the referee after Chelsea was eliminated in the semifinals of the Champions League.

In other African qualifiers, Ghana beat Sudan 2-0, Tunisia and Nigeria remained unbeaten with a 0-0 tie, Morocco was held to a 0-0 draw by Togo, Algeria beat Zambia 2-0, and Cameroon's match at Gabon was postponed.

On Sunday, Mali hosts Benin and Guinea hosts Malawi.

Ghana stayed perfect at Omdurman, Sudan, with nine points from three games.

Matthew Amoah of Dutch team NAC Breda scored twice for Ghana to put the Black Stars up six points up on second-place Benin in Group D. Ghana beat the United States to advance out of the group stage in 2006 before losing 3-0 to Brazil.

The top team in each of the five groups qualifies for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

In Rades, Tunisia, both teams failed to capitalize on a number of chances, leaving Tunisia with seven points, two ahead of Nigeria at the top of Group B.

Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama saved a header by Saif Ghezal in the seventh minute, and Michael Eneramo missed a chance for the visitors following a cross from Peter Osaze Odemwingie in the 81st.

In the other Group B game, Kenya got a penalty from Parma's McDonald Mariaga in the 76th minute at Nairobi for a 2-1 win over Mozambique that gave the host its first points in qualifying.

In Rabat, Morocco, Mounir El Hamdaoui missed a penalty in the 32nd minute for the hosts, leaving them third with two points, one back of second-place Togo in Group A. El Hamdaoui led the Dutch league in scoring with 24 goals for champion AZ Alkmaar.

Togo was without suspended Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

Group leader Gabon's match with Cameroon was rescheduled for September due to the state funeral of dictator Omar Bongo. Gabon leads the group with six points, Cameroon has one.

Algeria beat host Zambia 2-0 in Chililabombwe on goals by Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra in the 20th minute and Rafik Saifi in the 65th. Algeria leads Group C.

10 killed in Saturday election protests: Iranian state media

2009-06-21T08:04:00.001-07:00

Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi set fire to a barricade as they protest in Tehran on Saturday. (Associated Press)

At least 10 people were killed Saturday in violent clashes in Tehran, while authorities arrested the daughter and four other relatives of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the most powerful men in Iran, state media reported.

State television reported Sunday that 10 "rioters" were killed in clashes with police during protests Saturday. The report brings the death toll вЂ" by the state's official count вЂ" to 19 during a week of post-election unrest.

Iran's Press TV, which is only broadcast outside the country, reported that 13 died Saturday and labelled them as "terrorists." There was no explanation for the discrepancy in the reports.

Amnesty International cautioned that it was "perilously hard" to verify the casualty tolls. Iran has imposed strict restrictions on journalists in the country, and has expelled almost all foreign reporters.

State media also reported that rioters set fire to two gas stations and a mosque, and also attacked a military post on Saturday. They quoted the deputy police chief claiming officers did not use live ammunition to dispel the crowds.

It is not clear if those clashes accounted for the reported deaths.

Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran on Saturday, despite stern orders from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for the cessation of anti-government gatherings. Khamenei on Friday ordered opposition leaders to end the protests or be held responsible for any bloodshed. He said Iranians must accept the June 12 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, shown here in August 2008, has lambasted President Ahmadinejad's handling of the economy. (Vahid Salemi/Associated Press)

Official results showing Ahmadinejad won by a two-to-one margin over former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi sparked a week of massive street protests by opposition supporters who allege the presidential vote was rigged.

Powerful former president

Press TV also reported that Rafsanjani's daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, was arrested late Saturday. She has spoken out in support of Mousavi and addressed his supporters at a rally on Tuesday. The identities of the four other Rafsanjani relatives who were detained were not immediately known, nor is it clear if those arrested have since been released.

Rafsanjani, 75, has spoken out repeatedly against Ahmadinejad, who in turn has accused Rafsanjani and his supporters of corruption. Rafsanjani, who heads two powerful councils, has worked alongside Mousavi throughout the election campaign.

Rafsanjani's leadership of the Assembly of Experts is particularly significant. The council is made up of senior clerics who can elect and dismiss the supreme leader. The second is the Expediency Council, a body that arbitrates disputes between parliament and the unelected Guardian Council, which can block legislation.

"Rafsanjani believes that Khamenei has lost his capability to run the country, and they have to replace him," Ali Reza Nourizadeh, the director of the London-based Centre for Arab-Iranian studies, told CBC News.

Rafsanjani has the support of a significant number of Iranians, said Nourizadeh.

"Yesterday [protesters] were chanting 'Death to Khamenei,' and that is the first time in 10 days," he said.

Meanwhile, former Iranian president Mohammed Khatami, who is also a Mousavi supporter, said Sunday that having the Guardian Council oversee the election dispute was not a solution, according to state media.

"Referring the dispute to a body which has not been impartial regarding the vote, is not a solution," Khatami said in a statement, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

With files from The Associated Press

Mats Sundin to skip Olympics: report

2009-06-21T07:04:00.001-07:00

A Swedish newspaper is reporting that Sweden's captain Mats Sundin will not compete for his country in the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

Veteran centre Mats Sundin will reportedly not play for defending champion Sweden in the Olympic hockey tournament next year.

'There will be no Olympics in Vancouver for me next year,' Sundin was quoted as saying Sunday on the Swedish newspaper Expressen's website. 'I will not change my mind,' Sundin told the newspaper. 'I think it's time that the next generation takes over. We have many good players.'

The 38-year-old Sundin, who played for the Vancouver Canucks last season after spending most of his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, was one of Sweden's key players in the 2006 Turin Olympics. Sweden beat Finland in the final for its second gold since 1994.

'It was the perfect ending of a long career for Sweden, to lead the Swedish team against the best in the world and win Olympic gold for the first time when all teams had their stars playing. I could not have dreamed of a better scenario.'

Sundin said he is still pondering about his future in the NHL and did not rule out playing another season with Vancouver.

'Absolutely,' he was quoted as saying when asked if he might play again with the Canucks. 'I will think about my future the next couple of weeks. I will make a decision in the summer. I can't say more right now.'

The Facts You Need To Know About Adopting A Dog

2009-06-19T08:29:00.005-07:00

The Facts You Need To Know About Adopting A Dog
by: Niall Kennedy
Mum, dad, can we get a puppy? Its a plea that may parents will know only too well. How do you go about adopting a dog to make suure that the dog is happy and there isn't too much upheaval in your home?
If you are thinking of adding a dog to your family, consider adopting your new best friend from an animal shelter or humane society. You'll not only get a good feeling from helping a homeless pet, you'll get an outstanding companion. The staff at these organizations carefully check the animals for sound health and good temperament. In addition, some shelter animals have had the benefit of training to develop good manners while they waited for a new home.
Through no fault of their own, a lot of great dogs wind up in animal shelters hoping for a second chance at happiness. People relinquish their pets to shelters when they are no longer able to care for them. Sometimes this is because the owner was unprepared for the responsibility that comes with caring for a dog. Often, however, caring owners struggling with life-changes or trying to cope with family tragedy realize their pet would be better off with someone else. They bring them to the shelter because they know the animal will be well cared for and placed in an excellent home.
You can find just about any age, size and breed of dog at an animal shelter. So, if you have your mind set on a puppy, a shelter is a good place to look. However, if you would like a more mature dog that is likely already housebroken, you'll also find these kinds of canines at the humane society or animal center.
Upon arrival, shelter staff carefully evaluate each animal for physical and behavioral soundness. They make note of quirks, and work with specialists to eliminate negative behaviors. Most shelters have adoption counselors who interview potential adopters to understand their needs and lifestyle.
This is nothing to worry about - the counselor just wants to make sure that so they can make the perfect match for dog and owner.
This is an opportunity for you to find out about the dogs at the shelter too. There are a number of questions you should ask the counselor. Why is the dog available? Does the dog have any behavior problems? How is the dog with other animals and children? Does the dog have any health problems? Is the dog spayed or neutered already?
You will find it easy to pick your new dog with this expert advice. In fact your only problem may be not taking all the dogs home with you!
Bringing your newly adopted dog home is exciting for you, but may be a little overwhelming for her. Keep her on a leash as you take her from room to room, giving her plenty of opportunity to sniff. You may want the first stop on your tour to be the backyard or wherever you want her to relieve herself. The excitement of a car ride and coming to a new place can give her the need to empty her bowels or bladder.
Dogs are creatures of habit, so the sooner you establish a firm routine, the more comfortable your new dog will become. Always feed her in the same spot and at about the same time each morning. You'll find she grows to anticipate "what comes next." For example, if you always feed her after you bring in the newspaper, you'll notice she becomes very excited when you open the door to step outside. Dogs catch on quickly.
Remember, though, the reason why many dogs are in animal shelters in the first place. If you don't have the commitment to look after the dog properly, think again.

The Dreadful Migraine

2009-06-19T08:29:00.003-07:00

The Dreadful Migraine
by: David Chandler
A migraine is a throbbing or pulsating headache that is often one sided (unilateral) and associated with nausea; vomiting; sensitivity to light, sound, smells; sleep disruption, and depression. Attacks are often recurrent and tend to become less severe as the migraine sufferer ages.
Types
Migraines are classified according to the symptoms they produce. The two most common types are migraine with aura and migraine without aura. Less common types include the following: Basilar artery migraine, Carotidynia, Headache-free migraine, Ophthalmoplegic migraine, Status migraine.
Some women experience migraine headaches just prior to or during menstruation. These headaches, which are called menstrual migraines, may be related to hormonal changes and often do not occur during pregnancy. Other women develop migraines for the first time during pregnancy or after menopause.
Incidence and Prevalence
Migraines afflict about 24 million people in the United States. They may occur at any age, but usually begin between the ages of 10 and 40 and diminish after age 50. Some people experience several migraines a month, while others have only a few migraines throughout their lifetime. Approximately 75% of migraine sufferers are women.
Causes
The cause of migraine is unknown. The condition may result from a series of reactions in the central nervous system caused by changes in the body or in the environment. There is often a family history of the disorder, suggesting that migraine sufferers may inherit sensitivity to triggers that produce inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves around the brain, causing pain.
Signs and Symptoms
Migraine pain is often described as throbbing or pulsating pain that is intensified by routine physical activity, coughing, straining, or lowering the head. The headache is often so severe that it interferes with daily activity and may awaken the person. The attack is debilitating, and migraine sufferers are often left feeling tired and weak once the headache has passed.
A migraine typically begins in a specific area on one side of the head, then spreads and builds in intensity over 1 to 2 hours and then gradually subsides. It can last up to 24 hours, and in some cases, several days.

The Witches' Market

2009-06-19T08:29:00.001-07:00

The Witches' Market
by: Thomas Carroll
"Son para dinero y trabajo," the plump little witch raises the talismans to eye level. "Con estos tu tendras buena suerte."
Magic talismans for money and jobs? Do they work? Of course not, but I need all the luck I can get, so I purchase the talismans for five Bolivianos. Darn cheap if they'll do as claimed. Depositing the new toys in my leather shoulder bag I continue down the street, with my wife teasing me to the tune of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." She says that I have the hat, jacket and bag similar to Indiana Jones', but lack the bullwhip and gun. I left those in the States. The cobbled street of Calle Linares hosts a crowded line of unusual stores collectively known as El Mercado de las Brujas, The Witches' Market, located in downtown La Paz, and it sums up Bolivia's strangeness quite well. Bolivia is where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and revolutionary Che Guevara all met their fate. This is where the British ambassador to Bolivia was strapped naked to a donkey, paraded around the capital, and forced to eat a huge quantity of chocolate after declining the local drink 'chicha.' This is where the original Garden of Eden is located (or so the locals colorfully exclaim). This is where the Salt Palace sits, a hotel made entirely of, well -- salt. And this is where a young girl in Aymara dress, sitting amidst an array of several curiosities, offers my wife and I a dried llama foetus to protect our house against evil spirits. I nod my approvement, Veronica makes a face and shakes her head.
"Por favor entren," with a slight bow the girl opens her hands to the store's entrance. "Hay muchas mas cosas adentro."
The untidy place looks like something out of a horror movie. Mounted animal heads glare at me with unseeing eyes, feathers and potions adorn the tables, herbs spill from their dirty bags onto the wooden floor as a dog sniffs the powerful smells. I examine the items in no particular order as the girl offers them. For luck with a new business enterprise I can buy a llama foetus burnt on a plate of sweets and herbs -- too big to pack. The love amulet is to get married -- don't need that one. An amulet of a naked couple embracing to improve the sex life -- hhhmmmmm. Dried frogs for more money, armadillos to prevent thieves from entering the house, love potions, magic charms, animal skins, medicines and remedies used in Aymara traditions are all for sale -- what should I choose?
I notice a large collection of different colored candles. Intent upon making several sales the girl provides me with an explanation of their powers. They are made of animal wax and when burned release their magical properties. The blue candle is for good luck with work, yellow - health, green - money, purple - happiness, black wards off evil spirits, only to be used in a cemetary covered by night, white - protection... With reverence I pull the black candle off its shelf . "Look at this Vero! This is what we need." "Hey Indiana," she looks up from the naked couple amulet. "I don't think so."
Where did I leave my bullwhip?
If the black candle is going to cause problems a few talismans will have to do. I load up ten more in my shoulder bag, making sure that I include the toad talisman for good luck with money, and the deity talisman for buena suerte with jobs.
But do they actually work? Well, you're reading this article.

SIDEBAR
Name: El Mercado de las Brujas/Mercado de Hechiceria (Witches' Market)
Street Location: Calle Linares, between Calle Sagarnaga and Santa Cruz
City: La Paz
Country: Bolivia
The Witches' Market is only a couple of blocks from Plaza San Fransisco, behind the Iglesia San Fransisco, and near the Museo de la Coca. From the centre of La Paz, Plaza Murillo, a taxi ride to the market will cost about 8 - 10 Bolivianos for one or two people, and about four more Bolivianos for each additional person. A vast array of unique and highly unusual items are for sale at the Market, many of which are used in Aymara traditions and to honor the earth goddess Patchamama. Bargain with the vendors and shop around to purchase merchandise at a lesser price.

Italy, Brazil wary of Confederations Cup upsets

2009-06-17T21:04:00.001-07:00

Italian coach Marcello Lippi talks to reporters on Wednesday. (Antonio Calanni/Associated Press)

It hardly comes as a surprise that Italy and Brazil are one win away from booking their places in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

The Italians meet Egypt in Johannesburg on Thursday (CBCSports.ca, 2 p.m. ET) while the Brazilians meet the United States in Pretoria (CBC Bold, CBCSports.ca, 9:55 a.m. ET) with a place in the final four at stake for the two perennial soccer powerhouses.

But neither Italy, the reigning World Cup holders, nor South American champions Brazil are taking victory for granted, not after they both looked far from impressive in their respective opening games of the tournament.

The Brazilians needed an injury-time penalty from Kaka to secure a 4-3 win over Egypt on Monday while Italy had to come from behind to earn a 3-1 victory over the United States, who played the majority of the game with only 10 men after midfielder Ricardo Clark earned a red card.

Italian coach Marcello Lippi, who said he plans to make several changes to his starting lineup against the Americans, heaped praise on Egypt and said he expects a tough outing against the African champions.

"It is going to be another really tough match, considering how they played against Brazil," Lippi told reporters. "I know their team well, and I really like the way their coach handles his team."

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro is expected to return in central defence after missing the opener because of a calf injury, but Lippi was tight-lipped about Giuseppe Rossi, the New Jersey-born forward who came off the bench to score a pair of second-half goals against the Americans.

"You don't think I'm aware of what they're worth?" Lippi bristled when asked whether he has the courage to start the 22-year-old Rossi.

"You don't think I know who Giuseppe Rossi is? I called him up a year ago from the under-21 team.

"He is the only player that has creativeness and fantasy in attack, and I put him on at the right time. But that doesn't mean that now he is going to play all the time."

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata said he was pleased that his team pushed Brazil to the limit and that it gives his players confidence going into the game against Italy

"We thank God for this result, but we have to be reasonable," Shehata said. "After all, we lost the match. Even so, we will gain motivation and all players believe now that there is no impossible in football."

'This match should come as a warning'

As for Brazil, they're still bemoaning the fact that they conceded a pair of goals early in the second half to let Egypt back into the game and tie the score 3-3.

"There is no doubt that this match should come as a warning," midfielder Gilberto Silva said. "I don't remember Brazil allowing two goals in one minute, and it's been a long time since we allowed three goals in a match.

"It should be a warning for all of us so it doesn't happen again."

Like Egypt, the U.S. would be eliminated from contention with a loss against Brazil, but coach Bob Bradley isn't too worried.

"We've given examples of situations where teams won the first game and maybe started thinking too far ahead and ultimately paid the price," Bradley said. "We've seen examples of teams that lost the first game and still understood there are two more games to advance.

"The way our group is looking, a point in this game may not be enough, so you take the game as it comes. But certainly, the idea is to play and find the three points."

With files from The Associated Press

McPherson, Alouettes too much for Argonauts

2009-06-17T20:04:00.001-07:00

Adrian McPherson passed for 110 yards and ran for a touchdown to lead the Montreal Alouettes past the Toronto Argonauts 37-24 in the first CFL exhibition game for both teams Wednesday night.

McPherson, getting the start with incumbent Anthony Calvillo not dressed, completed nine-of-12 passes to stake Montreal to a 21-7 lead in the first half.

The former Florida State star also ran seven times for 68 yards before giving way to Chris Leak in the second half in front of a sparse gathering of 18,241 with the roof closed on a rainy night at the Rogers Centre.

McPherson impressively moved Montreal's offence, effectively mixing the run with the pass.

McPherson's performance won't move him up the depth chart вЂ" Calvillo was the CFL's outstanding player last year вЂ" but provide the defending East Division champions with solid insurance should Calvillo be injured.

Rookie Ricky Santos cemented the win with a six-yard TD run and connected with Brandon Whittaker on the two-point convert with 3:21 remaining to play.

Lowber suffers neck injury

Play was halted for about 15 minutes late in the third quarter after Toronto rookie receiver Todd Lowber suffered a neck injury.

Lowber, who didn't play football at Ramapo, a college in New Jersey, required a neck brace and his head to be stabilized before being carted off the field.

However, he was able to move both his arms and legs.

Kerry Joseph's three-yard TD strike to Tyler Scott at 14:54 of the second cut Montreal's half-time lead to 21-17, a score that flattered Toronto considering the Alouettes blocked two punts in the first half.

Joseph finished nine-of-19 passing for 123 yards and two TD tosses while running six times for 60 yards.

19-year-old charged in La Ronge apartment fire deaths

2009-06-17T19:04:00.001-07:00

A family perished as a result of an early morning apartment fire on May 26 in La Ronge, Sask. (Tom Roberts/CBC)

A 19-year-old man is facing three charges of manslaughter and one charge of arson in relation to a devastating apartment building fire three weeks ago in the northern Saskatchewan community of La Ronge.

Blake David Norman of La Ronge is scheduled to make an appearance in provincial court on Thursday morning, RCMP said Wednesday.

He was arrested outside of La Ronge, a community of 2,725 about 380 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

The fire broke out on May 26 at a four-storey apartment complex on the 100 block of Nunn Street, killing residents Justin Charles, 20, Marsha McKenzie, 19, and their four-month-old child, Jeremy Charles. Justin and Jeremy Charles were confirmed dead at the scene; McKenzie died in hospital.

The 911 call went out at around 12:25 a.m. CT.

Shuttle carrying Canadian Payette cleared to launch

2009-06-12T12:04:00.001-07:00

The space shuttle Endeavour will launch Saturday with Canadian astronaut Julie Payette on board. Here, it is shown blasting off in November 2008. (Marta Lavandier/Associated Press)

NASA officials have given the green light for seven astronauts including Canadian Julie Payette to take off on the space shuttle Endeavour on Saturday morning.

Pierre Jean, director of the Canadian Space Station Program, said the mission to the International Space Station marks a milestone for Canada.

"It's an expansion in our growth in and exploration of space," he said.

The mission countdown started Wednesday morning and Endeavour is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:17 a.m. ET on Saturday.

NASA officials are forecasting sunny skies on Saturday morning and say the probability that bad weather will cause the launch to be delayed is low.

Payette was the first Canadian to visit the station in 1999. In the upcoming mission, she's on track to join Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who is already aboard. This would be the first time two Canadians have been in space at once.

Thirsk has completed one month of a six-month stay on the space station, marking the first time a Canadian has participated in a long duration space flight.

'Sense of pride'

Payette will play an important role in the upcoming mission. As a flight engineer, she'll be operating three robotic arms on the station вЂ" the Canadarm 1, the Canadarm 2, and the new arm that is to be installed on the Kibo laboratory.

Payette's husband, Billie Flynn, told CBC News that Payette's role in the mission is a huge honour.

"She's earned her place as a flight engineer on the mission. Unique. Perhaps less than a handful of astronauts have got that before," he said.

"And there's a sense of pride that she has earned their respect and been given that position on the mission. And you can just tell she's really, really excited."

If all goes according to plan, the shuttle will take the astronauts and a piece of the station's Japanese-designed Kibo laboratory to the space station.

During the 16-day mission, the astronauts will work with the crew of six already on the station to install a robotic arm and two platforms on the Kibo laboratory and perform five space walks.

No corners cut: NASA

One platform will remain permanently attached to the station and will function like a porch for experiments that require direct exposure to space. The other will be used for experiments that are to be performed during the upcoming mission. It's designed to return to Earth with the shuttle.

Saturday's launch is scheduled just a few weeks after the shuttle Atlantis returned from its mission to repair the Hubble telescope.

Shuttle launch director Pete Nickolenko said NASA officials had to work hard to make the deadline, but he's confident no corners were cut in the rush.

One major task that had to be completed between the two missions was inspecting the shuttle Atlantis for damage or problems. Atlantis experienced a few difficulties on its mission to repair the Hubble, including the partial failure of a device related to a power loss during launch.

Inspectors have concluded the problems are not likely to occur again during Endeavour's mission to the space station.

"We feel very confident in our orbital wiring," Nickolenko said. "Nothing's really showing up that's unusual."

At least 16 killed in Ivory Coast mudslide

2009-06-12T11:04:00.001-07:00

At least 16 people were killed in a poor neighbourhood of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Friday when a mudslide buried their rickety homes.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene has counted 16 bodies that have been removed from the rubble. Rescue teams are still searching the mud for bodies in the West African country.

Friday's mudslide followed heavy rains the night before, which caused the hillside in the neighbourhood of Atecoube, where the homes were located, to become unstable.

Located between Liberia and Ghana, Ivory Coast is home to thousands of UN and French peacekeepers sent to uphold a 2007 peace agreement between rebels and the government.

RCMP review officer's actions in Beers impaired driving case

2009-06-12T10:04:00.001-07:00

Alexander Beers leaves a Moncton court on June 2. (CBC)

New Brunswick RCMP are reviewing the actions of a police officer who is accused of intimidating a young man into taking a breathalyzer after a 14-year-old girl was killed in July 2007.

Alexander Beers, 20, was found not guilty of impaired driving causing death on Thursday after the Crown prosecutor was unable to introduce any new evidence or witnesses to support the case.

Judge George Rideout ruled in May that the breathalyzer test Beers took after the accident was not admissible. The man's lawyer argued he was bullied by an officer into taking the test.

Codiac RCMP Supt. Wayne Gallant said the entire case is being reviewed but he would not say whether the officer involved that night would face any disciplinary action.

"It's still too early to say [whether disciplinary action will be taken] вЂ¦ we'll do a complete review of the case. Our criminal operations section in Fredericton will be involved in that," Gallant said.

Crown considers appeal

Beers was charged in connection with the death of 14-year-old Satara Steeves, who was killed as she walked along the Ryan Road in July 2007.

Jeff Mocker, the Crown prosecutor in the case, said the judge's decision to toss out the breathalyzer test left him without a case.

"I'm not sure that there were any other options available," he said. "We've got 30 days to consider an appeal, and if we decide not to appeal, then I would think that's the end of the road."

Members of the Steeves family left the Moncton courtroom on Thursday angry over the decision.

Annette Steeves, Satara's mother, said the ruling means there will be no closure for the family.

"No, absolutely none, absolutely none. It's unbelievable the way we've been treated," Steeves said.

"It's crazy It's sad. It's a sad system that we have."

Cottagers call 'time out' for Sylvan Lake development

2009-06-09T09:04:00.001-07:00

In the Alberta resort town of Sylvan Lake, the debate is growing over the pace of development.

The town of Sylvan Lake has doubled in the past 10 years and now several developments are proposed for lakefront and near the lake.

The most controversial is Skyy Country Resort, an RV park with more than 400 year-round lots, plus 84 daily recreational vehicle spots. If the development passes third reading in front of Lacombe County council, work could start next summer.

Project spokesman Lance Dzaman said Alberta Environment and the counties west of Red Deer are doing a good job of monitoring the lake.

"If you look around the lake, on a huge percentage of the days, the lake is quite quiet. On those real hot odd days a year when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is busy. It's not beyond what the capacity of the lake can handle."

Time out for Sylvan Lake?

A group of cottage owners with the website savesylvanlake.ca is lobbying to stop development until there is a sustainability plan for the whole lake.

Kent Williamson, a member of the group, has been coming to Sylvan since 1961.

Sitting on his deck on a sunny June afternoon, Williamson said the lake is unique in that the water doesn't flow in and out, but stays put for 100 years.

"We need a time out for Sylvan Lake. We need time out to develop the plan and to make sure that when we do development that it will be with the best models possible."

Williamson said his group is worried too many developments could destroy the water quality leading to blue-green algae, swimmers itch or even dead fish.

The group believes some developments are being pushed through before the province's Land Use Framework comes out.

Susan Samson, the mayor of the town, said part of the problem is each of the local governments in the area вЂ" a town, two counties and five summer villages вЂ" is making its own decisions.

She worries the quality of the water will diminish as more people move in.

"We're all watching because we have so much at stake. If it goes sideways in terms of property values, in terms of loss of a major recreation area and the loss to all Albertans. So it's a balancing act at best," she said.

Growing demand for Sylvan

Terry Engen, the reeve of the County of Lacombe, said while the county isn't hurrying development, it is not put any projects on hold either.

"We deal with requests for land changes on a regular basis and this is no different than any other request," he said of the Skyy Country Resort proposal.

Annabelle Wiseman, mayor of the summer village of Jarvis Bay, said the local governments do work together.

"We have a Sylvan Lake management plan where all eight of us sit down usually every two months or so, and we've done a study on the lake, an access study and also a water quality study. So we've got some pretty good baselines as to what the lake is and it's maintaining its quality."

Jim Jardine has been a realtor in Sylvan for 31 years. He says with the central location and the quality of the lake, many people want a piece of the action.

"It's growing and it's growing quickly, but I think we're managing it well and it will be fine. People are going to want to come here and you can't take that demand away."

Mark Rererson said more people means more business at his restaurant Pizza at the Beach.

"You can't stop growth. The town's growing a little too fast, but you take the good with the bad."

Nadal hopes sore knees will heal in time for Wimbledon

2009-06-09T08:04:00.001-07:00

Rafael Nadal answers questions after his upset loss in Paris to Robin Soderling. (Berant Armangue/Associated Press)

Rafael Nadal will travel to London later this month, but if his knees aren't 100 per cent, the world's No. 1-ranked player says he won't be defending his Wimbledon title.

Nadal, who says he's been playing for months with pain in his knees, made the announcement on his website after two days of medical tests in Barcelona.

"I am going to give my 200 per cent to be ready for the most important tournament in the world, the tournament I always dream about," he said. "I will not go out and play, especially on the Wimbledon Centre Court, if I am not 100 per cent ready."

The Spaniard said the pain in his knees was limiting his movement and that he "simply can't go on like this."

"I have two difficult weeks ahead of me, especially because I won't be doing what I like doing most, which is to play tennis, but I will be working on my recovery through physiotherapy treatments as well as recovery work on the specific muscular area," Nadal said.

His doctor, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, said Nadal is suffering from tendonitis in both kneecaps.

The four-time French Open champion was expected to defend his title earlier this month on the clay courts at Roland Garros, but he was upset in the fourth round by Sweden's Robin Soderling.

Nadal withdrew from a grass-court warmup event at Queen's Club this week because of his knees.

Wimbledon begins June 22.

Man seriously hurt in Toronto shelter fire

2009-06-09T06:04:00.001-07:00

Careless smoking may have caused a fire at a rooming house in dowtown Toronto that left one man in critical condition in hospital, fire officials say.

The blaze broke out in a second-floor apartment at the Fred Victor Centre around 7 p.m. ET Monday.

Residents stood on Queen Street East near Jarvis Street, watching as smoke shot out of a window.

Nearby, medical staff worked on a man on a stretcher, before rushing him to hospital.

The man, 42, was discovered as firefighters searched the building.

A firefighter was treated for minor smoke inhalation.

The centre provides housing for nearly 200 men and women who have been homeless or living in extreme poverty. Rent is geared to their income.

Residents live in shared apartments, with four or six bedrooms.

Screen time

2009-06-05T15:04:00.001-07:00

Two young children watch television at home. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

When I first met television writer Jason Lewis six years ago, we bonded over a shared love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, while I had watched that series semi-regularly on cable, Lewis had seen every single episode on DVD.

He clearly had the edge over me. He could plow through a complete season in one week if he wanted to; he didnвЂ™t have to endure a barrage of commercials; and he often had a stronger sense of a season's story arc than IвЂ™d gleaned from my fragmented viewing.

Online television is still the next big thing, but it has been held back by a combination of factors.

Back then, I didnвЂ™t even own a DVD player and I figured LewisвЂ™s way of watching must be the wave of the future. Today, I finally have a player вЂ" just in time for the tech pundits to predict the demise of the DVD in favour of online TV. That got me wondering if my friend was once again ahead of the curve. Was he downloading shows from his computer now? Did he catch episodes of his favourite series on his laptop or iPhone?

It turns out his habits havenвЂ™t changed. вЂњSince I spend all day every day working on my laptop, I loathe watching TV and movies on it,вЂќ Lewis tells me. вЂњThe screen is small, the sound is poor вЂ" unless I use headphones вЂ" and also it makes me feel like IвЂ™m at work to watch things this way. Call me old fashioned, but I like piling onto the sofa to watch my TV.вЂќ

HeвЂ™s not alone. A survey last year by CBCвЂ™s research department discovered that Canadians still spend 97 per cent of their TV-viewing time watching the old-fashioned way. The survey, conducted among English-speaking adults across Canada, also revealed that 87 per cent of that viewing was вЂњliveвЂќ вЂ" i.e., scheduled вЂ" television programming. This, despite the fact that Canadians are world leaders when it comes to online consumption, watching more video via the internet than the French, Germans, Brits and Americans.

The CBC survey jibes with findings in the U.S., where a recent Nielsen report revealed that close to 99 per cent of television programming in the States is still viewed traditionally on a TV set.

But thatвЂ™s not to say the pundits are wrong. Online television is still the next big thing, but so far it has been held back by a combination of factors. One is availability. Canadian networks are just starting to stream popular prime-time programs like GreyвЂ™s Anatomy and House on their websites. Apple only just made a bevy of hit shows available for downloading in Canada. And the treasure trove of content on the big U.S. network website Hulu.com, a joint venture of NBC Universal and Fox, still canвЂ™t be accessed in Canada due to international rights issues.

A Japanese model displays a PlayStation Portable (PSP), which comes equipped with a digital TV tuner. (Yoshikazu Isuno/AFP/Getty Images)

Then thereвЂ™s the technology. For those like Lewis, who balk at watching on a laptop, there are various computer-TV hookup options. They include Apple TV, a box that gives you access to programs from iTunes, and gaming systems like the Xbox 360 that do double-duty as an online portal. But these methods require external gadgets вЂ"manufacturers have been slow to roll out television sets with built-in internet connections. Meanwhile, streaming long-form video on mobile devices is still unreliable.

вЂњWe are in the early stages of transition,вЂќ says Kaan Yigit, president of Solutions Research Group, which tracks consumer trends. His data shows that 41 per cent of Canadian internet users have sampled online TV. But most of that is just snacking вЂ" a two-minute taste of Tina Fey spoofing Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, or a one-minute bite of Bruno mooning Eminem at the MTV Movie Awards. However, our appetites are growing. Since 2006, the number of Canadians watching short videos online has doubled.

SRG's research also reveals that, while people are still mainly watching TV on sets, how they watch it has changed. That cozy image of Mom, Dad, Sis and Junior hunkered down in front of the box is pure nostalgia, Yigit says. вЂњSure the TV is on, but [itвЂ™s] not always dominating the viewer attention as it used to. The bar for engagement is higher.вЂќ Today, every family member is likely to have a personal viewing device, whether a laptop or a BlackBerry or a Nintendo DS. вЂњWith multiple screens going at the same time, the battle is not for eyeballs,вЂќ Yigit says, вЂњbut the attention of the person in the room.вЂќ

It sounds like just the latest chapter in the ongoing fragmentation of TV viewership. It began in the 1980s, with the cable explosion (the so-called вЂњ500-channel universeвЂќ) and the introduction of the videocassette recorder. Today, DVDs and online fare have been added to the menu, while the VCR has been replaced by the personal video recorder, which can вЂњtime-shift,вЂќ or rearrange, on-air programming to suit the viewerвЂ™s schedule.

While Americans are the bigger PVR users вЂ" according to Neilsen, 30 per cent of U.S. households have one вЂ" Canadian use is increasing. Ownership has more than doubled since 2006, to 13 per cent. The CBC survey shows that, of the various personal TV technologies вЂ" including DVD recorders and cable video-on-demand вЂ" the PVR is the firm favourite.

Two people walk past a 2007 advertisement for Apple's Apple TV. The unit enables viewers to stream digitally downloaded video from a desktop or laptop computer to a television. (Tony Avelar/AFP/Getty Images)

вЂњPVR penetration is still relatively low, but owners clearly integrate it into their daily TV viewing experience,вЂќ reports Mark Allen, CBCвЂ™s manager of industry analysis.

Yigit is predicting that PVR use will continue to increase, but only for the next few years. He says itвЂ™s already being supplanted by online streaming, especially with younger viewers. вЂњWhen you miss a show, you can go to, say, GlobalTV.com, and watch for free.вЂќ The CBC survey backs him up. It found that Generation Y вЂ" people aged 18 to 28 вЂ" is the biggest consumer of internet TV, watching it an average of 2.2 hours a week.

SRG focus groups suggest that Gen Y viewers are migrating away from the TV set and the broadcast schedule. They favour convenience over quality. Others have noticed that, too. вЂњThey donвЂ™t seem to have a problem watching low-res video on their cellphones,вЂќ says Lewis, who is in his 30s. вЂњI just canвЂ™t do it... sound and picture quality is certainly a concern for me.вЂќ

However, that may be more reflective of their transient lifestyles than a harbinger of a viewing sea change. When todayвЂ™s 20-year-olds hit their 30s, start buying homes and having babies, they could be drawn back to the big screen. Even those in the online TV biz think the death of the traditional television is a long way off.

вЂњYou donвЂ™t really see any houses being built without a living room and a spot for the TV and sofa,вЂќ jokes Trevor Doerksen, founder and CEO of Calgary-based MoboVivo. His fast-growing company not only sells downloadable television programming, such as The Tudors and CBCвЂ™s The Hour, but also provides it on all viewing platforms. вЂњWe see the technology of today as being a backdoor to the living room,вЂќ Doerksen says, as opposed to competition with the TV.

According to a Pew internet survey, downloading television content was the fastest-growing online activity for American adults in 2008. While comparable Canadian statistics arenвЂ™t available, Doerksen says his own four-year-old business has seen sales grow by more than 170 per cent in the past year.

Where does that leave LewisвЂ™s (and now my) beloved DVD technology? Yigit confirms our worst fears. вЂњDVDs as a transport vehicle will decline, as did CDs with music,вЂќ he says. While it wonвЂ™t happen overnight, he adds, there are вЂњsigns of stress on that business now.вЂќ

So we'll just have to suck it up and prepare to download. But we wonвЂ™t be getting rid of our big screens anytime soon.

Martin Morrow writes about the arts for CBCNews.ca.

Quebec hospital uses old technology to ease shortage of medical isotopes

2009-06-05T13:04:00.001-07:00

This cyclotron at Sherbrooke University Hospital produces radioactive fluorine used in bone scans. (Eric Turcotte)

A hospital in Quebec has found a way to ease the impact of the worldwide shortage of medical isotopes, by resurrecting an old test that uses an isotope that doesn't require a nuclear reactor to produce it.

The shortage of medical isotopes was caused by a shutdown last month of the nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ont., which normally produces 30 per cent of the world's stock. It's expected to be out of service for months.

Sherbrooke University Hospital produces a sodium fluoride isotope that can be used for bone scans, which make up between 20 and 40 per cent of scans done in a day, according to Dr. Eric Turcotte.

Rather than using a nuclear reactor, radioactive fluorine is produced in a cyclotron and incorporated into sodium fluoride molecules. It's much cheaper, Turcotte said: It costs about $1 billion to build a reactor, but only $1 million to build a cyclotron.

A PET-CT scanner is used to trace the radioactive sodium fluoride. (Eric Turcotte)

The radioactive sodium fluoride is "not a new tracer. It was developed 40 years ago," Turcotte said. "But its use was stopped because at that moment it was very, very expensive."

Scans performed faster

Using it for bone scans has other advantages as well, he said. The images are more precise, and the test itself takes 45 minutes instead of four hours.

"The catch is you need a special machine and permission from Health Canada to use the radioactive material," he said.

After the previous Chalk River shutdown, in 2007, the hospital applied for permission to produce its own sodium fluoride isotopes.

There are 13 machines for producing the sodium fluoride isotope in Quebec, and Sherbrooke has two, Turcotte said.

"So we are helping many hospitals, like Sainte-Justine Hospital, the CHUM [University of Montreal's hospital network] in Montreal, the hospital in Rimouski."

The hospital in Trois-RiviГЁres also started using the alternative sodium fluoride isotope last week. It has already boosted the number of tests staff are able to do, despite the worldwide isotope shortage.

Remembering the 'Farmer Johns' of the Regina Rifles Regiment

2009-06-05T12:04:00.001-07:00

This photograph from 1942-43 shows 'D' Company of the Regina Rifles before they were deployed overseas. (Photo from reginarifles.ca)They were farmers, students, northern fur trappers вЂ" ordinary young Saskatchewan men from all walks of life transformed into extraordinary warriors who helped end Nazi tyranny in Europe.

They were the men of the Regina Rifles Regiment, who were part of the invasion of Nazi-occupied France that began with the D-Day battle in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Their Saskatchewan origins meant other Canadian soldiers got their digs by dismissing them as вЂњjust a bunch of Farmer Johns.вЂќ

The men of the regiment, though, wore the nickname as a badge of pride.

One of the Farmer Johns was Dennis Chisholm, who was a young teen when he lied about his age to enlist in the Rifles in Prince Albert during the Second World War.Regina Rifles soldiers awaiting a German attack at a wrecked farm outside Norrey-en-Bessin, one of the most advanced outposts reached by Allied soldiers the day after the D-Day landing. The soldier holding binoculars is Major Gordon Brown. The seated soldier is Rifleman Roy Pretty, and the third man is unidentified. (National Archives of Canada)

Chisholm was not yet 20 by the time he arrived in France in 1944. He then fought through Europe with his Saskatchewan comrades until they ended their war on the Dutch-German border in the spring of 1945.

Like most combat troops, ChisholmвЂ™s wartime experiences were awful, but he was untroubled by them when peace came, at least at first.

вЂњWe were so busy when we got home, building families, getting jobs. But now вЂ¦ every other day is Remembrance Day now.вЂќ

Chisholm jokes today that in his mid-80s, heвЂ™s вЂњthe baby of the regiment now.вЂќ

Approximately 4,000 men went through the regiment in the Second World War. Today, probably only about 100 men survive, perhaps as few as six in the regimentвЂ™s home city of Regina.

Fifteen years ago I produced a documentary for the former CBC Radio show Sunday Morning, called The Farmer Johns. I had the honour of talking to four of DennisвЂ™s old comrades, three of whom have died since the show aired in 1994.

They told me some haunting D-Day stories:

Anti-tank gunners of the Regina Rifles Regiment knocked out a German tank at Bretteville-l'Orgeuilleuse, France, June 8, 1944. (National Archives of Canada)Peter Matwiy вЂ" вЂњWhen I woke up in the landing boat at dawn on June the 6th, I could not believe what I was seeing. It was thousands of ships! And there were all different types of them. It was just one long, big roar all morning.вЂќ

Roy Pretty вЂ" вЂњWhen my landing craft hit a mine, all of a sudden, there was the biggest crash you heard in your life. Bodies were flying 30 or 40 feet into the air. The back of the boatвЂ¦ we guys that survived scrambled up onto that. But the front of the boat was gone.вЂќ

Jerry Molson вЂ" вЂњThis sailor who was manning a gun on our boat, he got hit. This [other sailor], he just rolled him into the water, and he climbed up behind the machine gun. It didnвЂ™t seem to bother him any. He just climbed up behind that machine gun and commenced firing.вЂќ

Gordon Brown вЂ" вЂњI found Dunc Grosch, the company commander. He had been badly wounded in the leg. I helped him up the beach a bit because the tide was coming in. The water was getting too close to him вЂ¦ A little further, I helped a cousin of mine who was a soldier in 'A' Company, who was badly wounded. I was terribly sorry. The sorrow was the greatest feeling at that stage.вЂќ

Peter Matwiy, Roy Pretty and Gordon Brown are gone now. Jerry Molson lives on at his home in Regina.

Like Dennis Chisholm, the four men I interviewed admitted to me that while they were proud of their service, it wasnвЂ™t easy in old age dealing with those troubling wartime memories.

They were even more worried, though, that the heroic deeds of Farmer Johns in helping free France, Belgium and Holland from Nazi oppression would be forgotten.

Thanks to their words to me, they wonвЂ™t be.

(Sean Prpick is the CBC's network producer in Saskatchewan)

Judge imposes conditions to ensure daughter can visit ailing Peter Falk

2009-06-02T09:04:00.001-07:00

Actor Peter Falk, shown in 2007 in Los Angeles, is now suffering from dementia and cannot remember his own career. (Associated Press)

A Los Angeles judge has imposed a conservatorship on former Columbo star Peter Falk in an effort to solve a long-running family dispute involving his wife and daughter.

Falk, 81, has advanced dementia, one of his doctors told the court on Monday, and cannot remember his own acting past or recognize his daughter.

His daughter Catherine Falk, 38, says she has been prevented from visiting her father by his wife, Shera.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb ordered that she be allowed a 30-minute visit with her father every other month without Shera present.

It also said Shera, who has been married to Falk for 30 years, will retain control of his personal care and affairs.

Falk has round-the-clock care in a guesthouse in his Beverly Hills home and his wife says she cooks dinner for him every night.

But wife and daughter traded accusations during acrimonious testimony in the two-day conservatorship hearing.

Catherine Falk said Shera had cut off contact between her and her father when he became ill.

She said she used to be close to her father as a child, but that they became estranged after she sued him to pay for her tuition and expenses while attending Syracuse University.

Shera Falk claimed her husband thought his daughter troublesome and brought forward his diaries in an effort to prove they were not close.

In 2005, Falk designated his wife to be his caregiver and the keeper of his estate.

Catherine Falk had attempted in the past year to gain control of his financial affairs. However, she dropped that action and said she was now concerned just with getting visiting rights.

The judge became tired of the two sides trading accusations and ordered their attorneys to broker a compromise.

As a result, Catherine Falk will have regular visitations, to take place at the home of a friend who lives near the Falks so her stepmother cannot bar access.

Falk was already showing signs of dementia in 2005, and it worsened after he had dental operations and a hip operation in 2007 and 2008.

The actor won four Emmys for playing the seemingly bumbling detective in Columbo. He also received Academy Award nominations for movies in 1959 and 1960.

With files from The Associated Press

GM agrees to sell Hummer brand

2009-06-02T08:04:00.001-07:00

One day after filing for bankruptcy protection, General Motors Corp. said Tuesday it has found a buyer for its Hummer brand.

GM did not disclose the name of the buyer or the financial terms of the tentative deal, which still needs regulatory approvals.

The automaker said the deal is expected to preserve more than 3,000 U.S. jobs in manufacturing and engineering and at Hummer dealerships around the country. The buyer is also expected to "aggressively" fund future Hummer products.

Under the deal, a GM plant in Shreveport, La., will continue to assemble the H3 and H3T under contract through at least 2010.

"IвЂ™m confident that Hummer will thrive globally under its new ownership," said Troy Clarke, the president of GM North America.

"And for GM, this sale continues to accelerate the reinvention of GM into a leaner, more focused, and more cost-competitive automaker," he said in a release.

As part of its restructuring plan, GM is eliminating the venerable Pontiac brand, and has put its Saab and Saturn brands on the auction block. Both Saturn and Saab are in bankruptcy protection.

Possible Saturn buyers

GM said it has 16 potential buyers interested in acquiring the Saturn brand.

The information was disclosed in a slide show prepared for a conference call with reporters and analysts to be hosted by GM CEO Fritz Henderson and chief financial officer Ray Young.

In the slide show, GM said it was still looking at manufacturing agreements for the possible buyer.

The company said it will focus on four core brands in the future: GMC, Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac.

GM plans to reduce its number of assembly, power train and stamping plants from 47 in 2008 to 34 by the end of 2010 and 33 by 2012. On Monday, the company announced the permanent closure of nine plants and the idling of three others. The company is also closing three parts warehouses.

Money for Opel

Also on Tuesday, GM took another step in its restructuring as its Opel unit received the first part of a government bridge loan. The German government, together with the governments of four German states, provided the first 300 million euros ($462 million Cdn) of a total loan package of of 1.5 billion euros ($2.31 billion Cdn).

"This responsiveness of the German government ensures that (Opel's) operations maintain adequate liquidity as a more independent European Opel/Vauxhall company continues normal operations," Opel and GM Europe said.

Canadian autoparts maker Magna International, together with state-controlled Russian lender Sberbank, reached a deal on May 30 to acquired majority control of Opel. Magna will get a 20 per cent stake, while Sberbank will get 35 per cent control.

GM will keep 35 per cent of the company, while Opel employees will own 10 per cent.

"We are giving Opel a chance," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "This would not have been possible without the state's financial commitment."

With files from The Associated Press

Quebec doctors may order breast cancer retests

2009-06-02T07:04:00.001-07:00

Hundreds of Quebec women with breast cancer will likely have to be retested to see whether they're receiving the correct treatment, the province's order of physicians said.

The professional regulatory body has struck a committee to review recent breast cancer cases and prescribed treatment, said order secretary Yves Robert.

Quebec's Health Ministry asked the order to follow up on a study released last week that suggested up to 30 per cent of tests done on breast cancer patients may have produced wrong results.

The hormone receptor tests help identify the type of breast cancer, which determines what kind of treatment to prescribe.

Elise Zylinksa, a Montrealer, said she's very worried about her current treatment plan for breast cancer.

Zylinksa is taking tamoxifen after undergoing a double mastectomy last year, but wonders if she is risking her health by taking a drug she may not need.

"First of all [tamoxifen] pushes you right into menopause," she told CBC News. "The biggest complaint most women have is hot flashes. There's also a risk of having cervical cancer."

Women with breast cancer who are concerned about the validity of their test results should talk to their doctor, Robert said.

The review will take a few weeks, and women who may need a new hormone receptor test will be contacted at that point.

Red Wings' Ericsson back for Stanley Cup final opener

2009-05-29T17:00:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week, Red Wings defenceman Jonathan Ericsson, right, had surgery for acute appendicitis. (Mark Avery/Associated Press)

Injured Detroit Red Wings forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Kris Draper took the ice for Friday's workout but, unlike defenceman Jonathan Ericsson, haven't been cleared for game action.

Ericsson was absent from Friday's workout as a precaution just days following surgery for acute appendicitis, but Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said he would play Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7:30 p.m. ET).

Datsyuk, meanwhile, wasn't exactly blazing up and down the ice after missing the last three games of his team's series win over Chicago in the NHL Western Conference final with a foot injury.

"I'm always optimistic," said Datsyuk. "There's always a chance. I improved a lot and [Friday] I skated with the team."

Draper missed the last two contests versus the Blackhawks with a groin injury and, like Datsyuk, his status remains uncertain.

"Pavel's the only last-minute decision, everyone else is going to be ready," said Babcock.

Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom also skated Friday alongside defence partner Brian Rafalski and will be in the lineup for the series opener.

He is nursing an undisclosed lower body injury that kept him out of the lineup for two games, including Wednesday's series-clinching 2-1 overtime win over Chicago in Game 5.

"You can see the depth we have now," said Lidstrom. "A few guys go down and other guys step in and play real well.

"To win a series for us when your top line didn't score, but [Darren] Helm came up big for us and got the winner, shows we have a lot of depth on our team."

Lidstrom leads all NHL blue-liners in scoring in this year's playoffs with 13 points in 14 games.

With files from The Canadian Press

Both Charlottetown schools survive board vote

2009-05-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

Parkdale School

Two schools in Charlottetown threatened with closure will remain open after votes in support at a special meeting of the Eastern School District to consider closing 11 schools.

The motion to close St. Jean Elementary was defeated 7-3.

In the first vote, the motion to close Parkdale School was defeated by a vote of 10-0.

Several trustees spoke out against the closing of the school in advance of the first vote. Trustees Edna Reid and Gael MacEachern went further, saying none of the 11 schools recommended for closure in a report by the district superintendent should be closed.

"I asked myself if by closing these schools will I be doing the best for the students of the Eastern School District, and the answer is no," said Reid.

Closing the schools was recommended in a report earlier this year, and months of public consultation followed. The trustees will vote on separate motions regarding the closure of each school at Friday's meeting.

MacEachern echoed the sentiments of several trustees in saying that expecting school board staff to prepare a school organization plan in three and a half months, a request made by Education Minister Gerard Greenan, was not realistic. Public input echoed that concern, she said.

"Do it right. Do it after rezoning, after kindergarten, and after a professional transportation study."

The final decision on whether to close schools rests with the provincial cabinet. Those schools that are closed will not reopen in September following the summer holiday.

CBC.ca/pei will post the results of the votes as they occur.

Watch for results of the votes here:

	R. Clow	A. Miller	G. MacEachern	S. Clark	R. Collins	B. Dingwell	R. Lee	D. Mitchell	E. Rankin	E. Reid	H. Somers
St. Teresa's Cons.
Tracadie Cross Cons.
St. Peter's Cons.
Dundas Cons.
Georgetown Elementary
Grand Tracadie Elementary
St. Jean Elementary, Ch'town	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Parkdale Elementary, Ch'town	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Eastern Kings Cons., Souris
Rollo Bay Cons.
Fortune Cons.

Prepare for delays, congestion amid summer road construction

2009-05-29T16:15:00.001-07:00

Plan ahead to get around traffic congestion and delays from summer construction, city officials advise. (CBC)

City officials are advising drivers to plan ahead as Calgary's road construction season moves into full swing.

"We are expecting a very busy construction season, and we have major projects going on throughout the city," said Laurel Johnston, a spokeswoman for the city's roads department.

She advised motorists to "give themselves more time before they head out on the roadways."

The Langevin Bridge, used by 15,000 vehicles every day to access downtown, has already been closed until mid-June as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the East Village.

A temporary lane reversal has been set up on the Fifth Avenue flyover, or drivers can alternately use the lower deck on Centre Street.

Other projects already in effect are:

Ramp closure from westbound Glenmore Trail to southbound Deerfoot Trail until mid-July.
Only one eastbound lane of Country Hills Boulevard open between Beddington Trail and Country Hills Drive for a month.

Some drivers told CBC News they're willing to put up with the summer road delays and congestion for long-term gain.

Health officials warn of TB patient on Alberta-to-B.C. bus

2009-05-28T13:30:00.001-07:00

Alberta health officials sent out a warning Thursday to bus riders after a passenger with tuberculosis rode from Lethbridge, Alta., to Kelowna, B.C.

The ill person travelled on Greyhound bus #5164, which left Lethbridge for Calgary on May 24 at 10:30 p.m., and transferred to Greyhound bus #5155 from Calgary to Kelowna, which left at 1:30 p.m. on the same day.

Both buses picked up and dropped off passengers at various stops along the way.

The person travelled during the infectious stage of the disease.

"Public health staff are working to ensure that all Alberta contacts of the passenger in question are identified and appropriately screened. Identified contacts deemed to be at risk of infection will be tested and, if necessary, offered preventative treatment," health officials said in a statement.

"As not all bus tickets had full names or addresses, this public notification is to help ensure that those who may be at risk contact public health officials."

Anyone who was on the bus can call their local public health provider or, if they live in Alberta, can call Health Link at 1-866-408-5465.

Health officials issued a similar warning last year about a passenger who took a Greyhound bus from Merritt, B.C., to Calgary.

Family disappointed after complaint dismissed in cancer death

2009-05-28T13:15:00.001-07:00

Members of a P.E.I. family say they still need answers about what they believe was medical negligence that led to their brother's death.

Joanne Driscoll says she was not surprised by the college's report. (CBC)

Don Driscoll died in January 2008 of pancreatic cancer after an October 2007 diagnosis, and his family says the disease should have been caught earlier. He had been complaining of abdominal pains for 10 years.

The Driscoll family laid formal complaints against four doctors, but P.E.I.'s College of Physicians and Surgeons dismissed the complaints last Friday.

"I wasn't surprised, but I was very disappointed," said sister Joanne Driscoll.

That leaves the Driscolls with many questions about how the case was handled.

They told CBC News this week that Driscoll did not receive appropriate care before his death and he was misdiagnosed with depression. Complaining of abdominal pains, Driscoll saw doctors more than two dozen times and had a number of tests.

By the time he was diagnosed, the cancer had spread throughout his body. If it had been caught earlier, the Driscolls said their brother might have had some treatment options.

In its report, the college writes: "It seems that while an early diagnosis of this unfortunate disease might have produced a different outcome, it is impossible to predict when, in the course of Mr. Driscoll's abdominal pain history, the cancer occurred. It is unlikely that his pain would have been related to [the] neuro-endocrine cancer ... but this is speculation at best."

The report says one doctor now says she may have entertained the idea of giving Driscoll a CT scan in retrospect, but the college concluded "her management of Mr. Driscoll was appropriate."

The family still doesn't want to name the

Independent report flags series of flaws with Ambulance NB

2009-05-28T13:00:00.001-07:00

The New Brunswick Department of Health has released an independent report Thursday that found a series of flaws in the province's ambulance system, including no clear policy on maps, training and dispatching.

Health Minister Michael Murphy tabled the report, written by Richard Brady, a senior Ontario Health Department official, which stemmed from the case of 14-year-old Cody Jones.

Jones died on April 2 after it took 57 minutes for a second ambulance to get to his Fredericton Junction home after the original emergency vehicle went down a road closed due to flooding and got stuck on a different back road.

"My department commissioned this report to bring to light any service deficiencies and weaknesses that led to this delay so that they may be corrected," said Murphy in a statement.

"Mr. Brady has provided a thorough review of what deficiencies in the system contributed to this delay and has made recommendations for improvements that could help ensure similar incidents do not occur."

Brady report conveys drama

The Brady report is dry and technical, but still conveys some of the anxiety surrounding events on the night of Jones's death.

The 911 call came as the 14-year-old boy was having trouble breathing at his home in Fredericton Junction.

A paramedic co-ordinator, who is identified only as 4620 in the report, told the investigator that he heard the stress in the first crew's voice as they encountered two road closures on the way to the home.

The co-ordinator said the second ambulance should have been dispatched sooner.

But as the report points out, Ambulance New Brunswick had no clear policy on what to do about a delay or even how to define a delay.

Co-ordinator 4620 also said outside paramedics who have to respond to calls in the area had no way of knowing about local road closures.

Two other paramedics who are posted to the area but who weren't working that night told the investigator that they know when to avoid certain roads but Ambulance New Brunswick never asked for their input.

Several problems led to delay

The Brady report identified a series of problems that caused the delay in navigating to the Fredericton Junction house:

A shortage of maps and training.
Poor information on the status of local road closures.
Lack of dispatch and fleet policies.
Lack of paramedic-dispatch communications policy.

Murphy said the provincial government and Ambulance New Brunswick are already addressing some of the problems identified in the Brady report, including by hiring 90 new paramedics to close coverage gaps.

Other measures include altering paramedic shift changes to avoid gaps in coverage of an area and designing an ambulance deployment plan to make sure there is a better allocation of ambulances around areas such as Fredericton Junction.

A complete copy of the report is not yet available, but the Health Department said it will be posted on the government website once it is translated.

Man shot in Burnaby highrise parking lot

2009-05-27T08:00:00.001-07:00

Police are investigating a shooting in an underground parking lot in Burnaby Tuesday night. (CBC)

Police in Burnaby are investigating a shooting Tuesday night in a condominium parking lot.

One man was rushed to hospital in serious condition after someone shot at a large black SUV in the parking lot of the highrise building at 4178 Dawson St. near Gilmore Avenue

Witnesses reported hearing eight to 12 shots around 10 p.m. PT and seeing a minivan speeding away from the scene, said police. No arrests were made Tuesday night.

Cyclone Aila death toll rises to 191 in India, Bangladesh

2009-05-27T07:45:00.001-07:00

The death toll from Cyclone Aila in eastern India and Bangladesh rose to at least 191 on Wednesday, officials said, while heavy rains after the storm caused deadly mudslides and slowed rescue efforts.

The toll was expected to rise in both countries as rescue workers reached cut-off areas.

The cyclone destroyed thousands of homes and stranded tens of thousands of people in flooded villages before starting to ease Tuesday.

But mudslides in India's famed Darjeeling tea district killed at least 20 people overnight, said P. Zimba, a local government official.

The official death toll in India stood at 78 by Wednesday, said Asim Dasgupta, the finance minister of the worst-affected West Bengal state in India.

Bangladesh's Food and Disaster Management Ministry said the toll there was 113 after more bodies were found. Most victims drowned or were washed away when storm surges hit coastal areas.

Soldiers have been deployed to take food, water and medicine to tens of thousands of people stranded in flooded villages, Bangladeshi Minister Abdur Razzak told reporters Wednesday.

At least 500,000 villagers were affected or stranded, mostly by flash floods caused by tidal surges, said Ziaul Alam, the local administrator in Bangladesh's Khulna district.

Tiger reserve flooded

Ashok Mohan Chakraborty, a senior official in West Bengal state, said at least 50 people had been rescued from rooftops in the Sundarbans, a tangle of mangrove forests that is home to one of the world's largest tiger populations.

Conservationists expressed concern over the tigers' fate.

At least one tiger from the flooded reserve took refuge in a house. Forest guards tranquillized it and planned to release it once the waters subside, said Belinda Wright of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, which assisted in the operation.

It is believed about 250 tigers live on the Indian side of the Sundarbans and another 250 live on the Bangladeshi side.

Conservationists said water levels were too high for ecologists and forest officials to enter the area and assess the damage.

Soaring deficit undermines confidence in finance minister, say Liberals

2009-05-27T07:15:00.001-07:00

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has "lost credibility" after announcing Canada's deficit will soar to a record level, Liberal finance critic John McCallum said Wednesday.

Flaherty announced Tuesday the federal deficit will reach more than $50 billion this fiscal year, more than $16 billion higher in 2009-2010 than he forecast in January's budget.

McCallum, a former chief economist at Royal Bank, said he warned Flaherty early last year against spending "drunkenly" during good economic times.

"Sadly, I'm afraid this serves to further undermine confidence in our finance minister at a time when Canada desperately needs competence and strength at the helm in this area," said McCallum.

"It's incredible that the same person who told us in November that Canada would have nothing but surpluses forever now acknowledges he's the $50-billion man."

In his November 2008 fiscal update, Flaherty projected balanced budgets and small surpluses through 2012-2013, but did warn economic uncertainty made it impossible to rule out future deficits.

"If he had come clean вЂ¦ then I think people would be more sympathetic," said McCallum. "I think he has lost credibility."

Stimulus spending stalled: Liberals

Wednesday also marks 120 days since the federal budget вЂ" a key date for the government's plan to stimulate the economy, said McCallum. According to the budget, "measures to support the economy must begin within the next 120 days to be most effective."

McCallum said the flow of money for stimulus projects has stalled.

"We have a flurry of announcements and money is only trickling out to shovel-ready projects to get people working," he said.

McCallum said a Liberal proposal to establish a national standard of eligibility to qualify for employment insurance at 360 hours will help pull the country out of recession.

"It's efficient stimulus to put money in the hands of unemployed people," he said. "We think this is a major addition the government must implement."

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has said he's willing to try to bring down the minority Conservative government if it doesn't reform the EI system.

The government argues such a change would hike payroll taxes, adding the budget already provided an extra five weeks of benefits.

McCallum says the cost of creating a national eligibility standard is less than three per cent of the $50-billion deficit.

The Liberals can fall back on their record of deficit slaying, said McCallum, noting the former Liberal government eliminated a $40-billion deficit during the 1990s.

"Looks like we may have to do the same trick for a $50-billion Conservative deficit now," he said.

Restaurant in Cavendish, P.E.I., goes up in flames

2009-05-26T04:30:00.001-07:00

Only the frame appears to remain of the Friendly Fisherman Restaurant in Cavendish. (David Roberts)

Firefighters are battling a blaze at a restaurant in Cavendish, P.E.I., on Tuesday morning.

Linda Lowther, who operates an accommodations business near the 300-seat Friendly Fishermen restaurant on Route 6, said there was a large explosion just after 6 a.m.

Photographs sent from witnesses on the scene just before 8 a.m. show there is little left of the restaurant.

More to come

8 patients die in Turkish hospital fire

2009-05-26T04:15:00.001-07:00

A fire at a hospital in western Turkey has left eight patients in the intensive-care unit dead.

Gov. Sahabettin Harputlu of Bursa province said it was not clear whether the patients died of smoke inhalation or when life-support machines were left without power during the fire at the Sevket Yilmaz hospital on Tuesday.

A short-circuit in the hospital's basement is suspected to have sparked the fire, and affected the entire building when the ventilating system did not work because of the power failure, Harputlu said.

Authorities evacuated all 44 of the hospital's patients, Harputlu said. As well as the eight deaths, several other patients suffered from smoke inhalation but all were in stable condition, authorities said.

With files from the Associated Press

Pakistan lifts ban on opposition leader Sharif

2009-05-26T04:00:00.001-07:00

Pakistan's top court Tuesday lifted a ban on opposition leader Nawaz Sharif that prevented him from running in elections, clearing the way for the popular politician to run for prime minister in 2013.

A two-time former prime minister, Sharif had been blocked from public office because of a criminal conviction in 2000 widely seen as politically motivated.

Sharif's supporters broke into cheers soon after the verdict in the appeal was handed down by the Supreme Court.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled Sharif was not eligible for office, prompting him to lead nationwide protests against the shaky government of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Pakistan's Western allies are desperate to see political stability in Pakistan as it fights Islamist militants.

Sharif -- the country's most popular politician according to polls вЂ" has made no secret of his desire to become prime minister, but has said he does not want early elections.

Magic stifle Cavaliers for series lead

2009-05-24T21:15:00.001-07:00

Magic centre Dwight Howard scores two of his 24 points in Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night in Orlando. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Dwight Howard scored 24 points and Rafer Alston added 18 as the Orlando Magic downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-89 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in an Eastern Conference final that's getting nastier by the minute.

Howard led five Orlando players into double digits, including Rafer Alston (18), Mickael Pietrus (16), Rashard Lewis (15) and Hedo Turkoglu (13).

The Magic led at every interval but halftime, with the Cavaliers going up 41-40 at the break after a strong second quarter.

Cleveland superstar LeBron James scored 41 on just 11-of-26 shooting and missed five free throws in the fourth quarter. But once again, James didn't get enough help from his teammates.

Mo Williams, who needed four stitches to close two gashes around his left eye after being elbowed in the first half, Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas shot a combined 13-of-37.

All-star guard Williams finished with 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting and briefly left the game after taking an elbow from Orlando's Anthony Johnson near the eye midway through the second quarter. He required four stitches to seal cuts above and under the eye.

Johnson drove the lane and extended his elbow, knocking Williams to the floor. Williams was called for a blocking foul, and Johnson was whistled for a flagrant one foul in a game that as chippy.

Howard, Ilgauskas and Cleveland's Anderson Varejao all fouled out as the officials called 58 personals, handed out two technicals, a flagrant and spent half the night stepping between players on both sides as tempers flared inside an overheated Amway Arena.

"We just kept fighting. That's what we got to do, we fight to the end," Howard said. "We can't worry about nothing, we can't worry about the calls, can't worry about nobody else. We just got to get out there and play."

Unlike Games 1 and 2, the Magic didn't fall behind by double digits and need to rally. They got out fast, stayed close despite Howard's early foul trouble and put the Cavs away at the line.

Howard, a notoriously poor foul shooter, went 14-of-19 from the line and the Magic made 39 of 51 attempts. In the fourth quarter alone, Orlando made 19 of 23 to hold off the top-seeded Cavaliers, who began the playoffs with eight straight wins and have now dropped two of their last three.

Game 4 takes place Tuesday night in Orlando.

North Korea says it successfully conducted a nuclear test

2009-05-24T20:45:00.001-07:00

North Korea says it conducted an underground nuclear test on Monday.

"We have successfully conducted another nuclear test on May 25 as part of the republic's measures to strengthen its nuclear deterrent," the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported.

Lee Dong-kwan, a spokesman for the South Korean president, says that a nuclear test may have been carried out in the North.

President Lee Myung-bak has called an emergency cabinet meeting.

Man dies after Calgary police respond to complaint

2009-05-24T20:30:00.001-07:00

Calgary police shot and killed a man early Sunday after a two-hour standoff in the southwest community of Southwood, the third fatal shooting by city police in the last nine months.

Police responded to a complaint at about 12:50 a.m. in the 500 block of Sabrina Road S.W. that a man with a sawed-off shotgun was holding hostage his 19-year-old neighbour.

The area was cordoned off and at some point, the man in a home was shot by an officer, police said.

No officers were injured but the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was taken to hospital where he died, police said.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, the government body that investigates such incidents, has been assigned to examine the actions of the officers involved in the incident, police said.

"It's still very early in the investigation," said ASIRT's Cliff Purvis, who expects to release more information Monday.

Calgary Police Service Chief Rick Hanson said in a news conference Sunday afternoon the officer who fired the fatal shots is a member of the tactical team with about 20 years experience.

In March, Calgary police shot and killed Travis Oakes as he tried to ram his way out of a city car wash in a stolen vehicle.

Last September, police shot and killed Walid Mohamed Maragan, who had earlier stabbed his wife to death in their apartment, and refused officer commands to put down a butcher knife.

With files from The Canadian Press

Kiefer Sutherland, designer reach deal over head-butt

2009-05-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

Kiefer Sutherland, shown as he arrives at the Fox Fall Eco-Casino party in Los Angeles on Sept. 24, 2007, was charged with assault May 7. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press)

Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland and the fashion designer he's accused of head-butting at a Manhattan nightclub say they have resolved their differences, clearing the way for charges to be dropped.

Sutherland and Jack McCollough issued a brief joint statement late Friday to The Associated Press through Sutherland's lawyer.

"I am sorry about what happened that night and sincerely regret that Mr. McCollough was injured," Sutherland said in the statement.

Sutherland, the star of Fox television's 24, was charged May 7 with third-degree assault in the alleged incident two weeks ago at a nightclub at the Mercer Hotel in the trendy SoHo neighbourhood of Manhattan. The minor charge is comparable to a speeding ticket.

A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office declined to comment on whether the charges would be dismissed.

But now that Sutherland and McCollough say they have resolved their differences, a prosecutor may go before a judge and ask that the case be dropped. That could happen at Sutherland's next scheduled court appearance on June 22.

"I appreciate Mr. Sutherland's statement and wish him well," McCollough said in the statement.

McCollough, of the high-end Proenza Schouler fashion house, said Sutherland head-butted him and broke his nose after an argument.

The two were out following the gala at the Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a fancy affair studded with celebrities.

The story spurred a media frenzy as a swarm of reporters gathered outside a police station in Manhattan to watch as Sutherland arrived for questioning and was charged.

Photographers also shadowed Sutherland and McCollough while rumours swirled about the nature of their altercation and what role, if any, actress Brooke Shields might have played.

Sutherland, who has won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of dashing federal counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer on 24, pleaded no contest in October 2007 to driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 per cent.

The son of actors Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas served 30 days in jail, in addition to 18 days for violating probation in a 2004 drunk-driving arrest.

Pierse breaks Canadian record in women's 100-metre breaststroke

2009-05-22T22:00:00.001-07:00

Annamay Pierse broke her own Canadian record in the women's 100-metre breaststroke on Friday to open the Mel Zajac International swimming competition.

The Vancouver swimmer clocked a time of one minute 07.32 seconds to eclipse her previous national mark of 1:07.78 set in August 2007 at the Pan Am Games.

Ariana Kukors of the U.S. was second in 1:08.12, while Ashley Wanland, also of the U.S., finished third in 1:09.76.

An Olympic finalist last year in Beijing, Pierse was racing for the first time since breaking the world short-course record in the 200-metre breaststroke in March.

"It was pretty important for me to get the long course season off to a good start,' said the Pierse, 25. "It was a little nerve-wracking being the first race since the world record and seeing how I was going to do.

"I don't have a lot of races before the worlds, so I want to make them count."

Kawakami, Braves edge Blue Jays

2009-05-22T21:45:00.001-07:00

Atlanta Braves' Matt Diaz, left, is greeted to cheers after scoring the winning run in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday in Atlanta. (John Amis/Associated Press)

Kenshin Kawakami outlasted Roy Halladay and combined with closer Mike Gonzalez on a four-hitter to lead the Atlanta Braves past the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 on Friday night in the interleague opener for both teams.

Kawakami (3-5) lasted eight innings вЂ" his longest outing of the season вЂ" and gave up only three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Casey Kotchman drove in the only run with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly.

Halladay gave up five hits with one walk and six strikeouts in seven scoreless innings, ending his streak of wins in five straight starts.

Gonzalez escaped a jam in the ninth for his seventh save.

The Braves took advantage of Halladay's exit to score the game's only run and hand the Blue Jays their fourth straight loss.

Matt Diaz, pinch-hitting for Kawakami, led off the eighth with a double to centre off Jesse Carlson (1-3) and moved to third on Yunel Escobar's groundout to first. Diaz scored on Kotchman's fly to left field.

Aaron Hill hit a one-out double to left field off Gonzalez and advanced to third on Alex Rios's weak grounder to Gonzalez.

Vernon Wells followed with a grounder that a charging Martin Prado bobbled briefly before recovering to throw to first. The throw beat Wells by a half step.

The Blue Jays scored a total of five runs in losing three straight at Boston before continuing their nine-game road trip in Atlanta.

"We couldn't score any runs," Gaston said. "We're having trouble scoring runs right now. [Kawakami] threw the ball well. You can't take anything away from him. They both pitched a very good game."

Shut out for the first time this season, the Blue Jays remain one-half game ahead of Boston in the AL East.

Kawakami shines

Kawakami gave up only two hits through seven scoreless innings before Scott Rolen led off the eighth with a double to left.

Rolen was left standing at second as Lyle Overbay grounded out to Kawakami, Rod Barajas hit a fly to shallow right field, and pinch-hitter Joe Inglett struck out.

Kawakami, who had lost five of his last six decisions and entered the game with a 5.73 ERA, looked to be an unlikely bet to keep pace with Halladay, the 2003 Cy Young winner who was looking to win his sixth straight start.

"When you run into a guy who's pitching well, it makes it tough," Halladay said. "We ran into one who was pitching well. You have to tip your hat to him."

Kawakami, a 33-year-old rookie, didn't last more than six innings in any of his first seven starts, but he looked strong against the Blue Jays after limiting his pitch count early in the game.

Kawakami struck out the side in the sixth inning and again retired the Blue Jays in order in the seventh.

Halladay kept pace by pitching out of trouble in the first and fourth innings.

The Braves had runners on first and third in the first following singles by Kotchman and Brian McCann, but Kelly Johnson took a called third strike to end the threat.

Garret Anderson and McCann led off the fourth with singles before Johnson struck out after two failed bunt attempts. Anderson advanced to third on Martin Prado's groundout, but Jeff Francoeur's flyball to right field ended the inning.

Internet followers of eagle cam watch helplessly as eaglet dies in B.C. nest

2009-05-21T19:30:00.001-07:00

An eagle (bottom left) is seen Thursday in a nest on Hornby Island tending to its remaining eaglet. (Hancock Wildlife Foundation)

The smallest of two eaglets in a nest on Hornby Island, B.C., that wildlife enthusiasts have been observing online via a webcam has died after getting caught in its mother's feathers and falling to the ground.

The nest, located on a tree top, has a webcam installed above it. Thousands of visitors to the site that hosts the webcam watched helplessly as the event unfolded around 8 a.m. on Monday, said Karen Bills of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation. The webcam is part of the foundation's efforts to promote the conservation of wild habitats through science and education.

"Something black, we could see, got entwined around the eaglet's left wing [and] upper back," Bills told CBC News Thursday in a telephone interview.

It was a difficult thing to watch as the mother tried so hard to shake lose the 11-day-old eaglet, known as Echo, she said.

"She tried desperately to shake it loose, and the poor little thing is crying," Bills said.

"At one point, she even flew up вЂ¦ and then flew back down into the nest with the baby still attached. Meanwhile, everybody is watching and crying and all upset, and then she tried shaking it loose again. вЂ¦ Finally, she got up and flew off and that is when we saw the little body drop."

The eaglet's body was found underneath the tree where the nest is.

Eulogies pour in

The foundation's website, which has a huge discussion forum on eagle watching, has been inundated with comments about Echo.

"They made a separate thread in the forum called 'Tribute to Echo,' where people have posted pictures and written poems вЂ¦ it shows how much loved he was," Bills said.

The death of the eaglet also impacted some schoolchildren, who began their Monday morning lesson by watching the eagle webcam, she said.

The teachers took the opportunity to explain aspects of nature and life in the wild to their students, she said.

The older eaglet remains in the nest.

The foundation has set up webcams to monitor three nesting pairs of bald eagles on B.C.'s south coast.

Besides the nest on Hornby Island, there is another nest near Sidney on Vancouver Island вЂ" which can be watched live on CBC News's B.C. regional website вЂ" and one in Delta in Metro Vancouver.

Mitchell's natural hat trick buries Oceanic

2009-05-21T19:15:00.001-07:00

Windsor winger Eric Wellwood celebrates his first period-goal against the Rimouski Oceanic during Memorial Cup action Thursday night in Quebec. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

Windsor Spitfires winger Dale Mitchell made sure the hometown Rimouski Oceanic would be the first team eliminated from the Memorial Cup.

Mitchell scored a natural hat trick in the third period Thursday night, lifting the Spitfires to a 6-4 come-from-behind victory over the stunned Oceanic during the tiebreaker contest in Rimouski, Que.

Windsor will take the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the semifinal match Friday night (7 p.m. ET).

The winner of that matchup will meet the Kelowna Rockets in the Memorial Cup final Sunday afternoon (4:30 p.m. ET).

Eric Wellwood, Scott Timmins and Greg Nemisz also scored for the Spitfires, with goaltender Andrew Engelage making 17 saves.

Rimouski's SГ©bastien PichГ©, Patrice Cormier, Jordan Caron and Emmanuel Boudreau netted markers while netminder Maxim Gougeon stopped 31 shots.

Mitchell single-handedly won the game for Windsor with a natural hat trick in the first 7:44 of the final period.

Trailing 4-2, Mitchell brought Windsor within one by converting home a rebound just 4:11 into the third.

The Spitfires winger then blasted a wrist shot over Gougeon with Windsor on the power play 1:40 later.

Mitchell ended the comeback with his third goal in the final 20 minutes, sending Windsor on to the semifinal after bouncing on a rebound in front of Gougeon following another Windsor power play.

Nemisz ended the four-goal third with a final power-play goal with only one second remaining.

The teams exploded for five goals in 9:02 span during the first period.

Wellwood got Windsor on the board with his first goal of the tournament at 7:13. Wellwood took a pass from Adam Henrique and beat Gougeon with a nice deke to the glove side.

Before the Quebec crowd revel in the goal, Windsor struck back to take a 2-1 lead 28 seconds later. After a Rimouski turnover in the neutral zone, Timmins let a seemingly harmless wrist shot behind a surprised Gougeon.

The scoring barrage continued with Rimouski tying the contest 2-2 on the power play at 12:47 of the first. Taking advantage of a turnover by Nemisz, Cormier fed a cross-ice pass to Jordan Caron, who buried a shot by Engelage.

The Oceanic took the lead with 3:45 remaining in the first when Boudreau's point shot went through a maze of players before the puck found the back of the net.

The team combined for a seven-goal second period during round-robin play on Sunday, a game Rimouski won 5-4.

Another power-play advantage gave the Oceanic a 4-2 edge with only 2:35 left in the second period. Cormier took a great lead pass from PichГ© before beating Engelage with a terrific move to the forehand.

Leading by two-goal lead heading into the third, Rimouski appeared headed for a showdown with QMJHL rival Voltigeurs until Mitchell's dominating effort shocked the Oceanic.

Competency of suspended Sask. radiologist questioned 2Â½ years ago

2009-05-21T19:00:00.001-07:00

Dr. Darius Tsatsi was featured in a CBC television report in 2005 on his family's first Christmas in Canada. (CBC)

Questions of competency were raised 2ВЅ years ago about the radiologist whose work has led to an unprecedented review of 70,000 medical images, a spokesman for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan says.

On Thursday, the Yorkton-based Sunrise Health Region announced it suspended Dr. Darius Tsatsi from privileges at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre on May 14 after serious problems were found in cases Tsatsi had been involved in.

The college said after other radiologists double-checked Tsatsi's work on 103 randomly chosen cases from last year, there was a "high incidence of disagreement."

"A worrisome proportion of those disagreements involve clinical situations in which a diagnostic error could have devastating adverse consequences for patients," the college said in a background document released to the media Wednesday.

It's back to jail for former Winnipeg city bureaucrat turned robber

2009-05-20T15:00:00.001-07:00

A former City of Winnipeg bureaucrat turned bank robber is back in federal prison.

Klaus Burlakow, 54, who has legally changed his name to Timothy Collins, was convicted in 2003 of several robberies in Winnipeg and Vancouver.

His parole was revoked by Corrections Canada this month and he was sent to Stony Mountain Institution. The National Parole Board refused to say why his parole was revoked.

Burlakow had been an events planner with the City of Winnipeg and helped organize the 1999 Pan-American Games. He had already left his job with the city when the bank robberies occurred.

Burlakow was arrested in February 2003, after a high-speed police chase that began when a River Heights bank was robbed at gunpoint.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison in February 2004 after pleading guilty to robbing seven banks. Six of the crimes took place in Winnipeg, the other in Vancouver.

He stole about $33,000 using BB guns and air pistols to threaten tellers.

Led a double life in Seattle

Burlakow also led a double life in Seattle, posing as an Irish millionaire. He spent half of 2002 in the U.S. city, staying in the best hotels and renting luxury cars and a houseboat on Lake Union. His expensive dual life is likely what prompted the crime spree, police said.

Burlakow was granted full parole after serving four years of his sentence and was hired a few months later as a fundraising manager and consultant for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an organization based in Winnipeg that focuses on relief, development and peace.

"He'd done an awful lot of hard work getting Sam's Place open," said Peter Rempel, co-chair of the MCC.

"He was вЂ¦ bringing us invoices and delivering cheques. We had trusted that was working out well."

Three civil cases against Burlakow

But the cheques in Burlakow's personal life weren't working out. He was the defendant in three civil cases earlier this year in connection to nearly $10,000 in debts. He failed to show up for his court dates and was found in default of the payments owed, according to court documents.

His wages were ordered to be garnished while he was at MCC, but Burlakow was terminated from that position early last month.

Rempel said it was unfortunate that Burlakow forfeited his second chance but that he was not let go for that reason. He would not elaborate on why the job was terminated.

Wayne Allwine, voice of Mickey Mouse, dies at 62

2009-05-20T14:45:00.001-07:00

Wayne Allwine, the actor who voiced Mickey Mouse for more than 30 years, died Monday of complications from diabetes. (Walt Disney Co./Associated Press)

Wayne Allwine, the actor who voiced Mickey Mouse for more than 30 years, has died. He was 62.

The Walt Disney Co. says Allwine died Monday of complications from diabetes. Russi Taylor, his wife of 20 years and the voice of Minnie Mouse, was by his side.

"Wayne dedicated his entire professional life to Disney," chief executive Robert Iger said in a statement Wednesday. "Over the last 32 years, [he] gave so much joy, happiness and comfort to so many around the world by giving voice to our most beloved, iconic character, Mickey Mouse."

A Southern California native, Allwine joined Disney in 1966 when he took a job in the mailroom. He went on to work in the sound effects department and began voicing the company's main mouse in 1977.

His falsetto can be heard in 1983's Mickey's Christmas Carol, 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit and at Disney theme parks around the world. He won an Emmy Award in 1986 for his sound editing on the NBC series Amazing Stories.

Allwine was the third man behind Mickey's voice. The first was Disney himself, then Jimmy MacDonald, who became Allwine's mentor and passed him the reins after voicing the mouse for 30 years.

"He said, 'Just remember kid, you're only filling in for the boss,"' Allwine once recalled. "And that's the way he treated doing Mickey for years and years."

"Mickey's the real star," Allwine continued. "You know you just have to love the little guy while you have him, because he won't be yours forever."

Roy E. Disney, director emeritus for the Walt Disney Co., said Allwine did more than give Mickey a voice. He "gave him a heart and soul as well."

"He did an incredible job of bringing emotion, humour and appeal to the character and superbly carried on the tradition originated by my Uncle Walt and later by sound-effects wizard Jimmy Macdonald."

Besides Taylor, Allwine is survived by five children from a previous marriage: Erin, Alison, Peter, Christopher and Joshua.

Back to the future

2009-05-20T14:30:00.001-07:00

Christian Bale stars as John Connor in Terminator Salvation, the fourth instalment in the sci-fi film series. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

ItвЂ™s been 25 years since Arnold Schwarzenegger clomped out of the steam as a visiting cyborg from the future, a role that made the most of the вЂњactorвЂ™sвЂќ waxen face and mechanical charms. Hop-scotching through time to save the world from evil machines, the first two Terminator movies were a fist-pumpinвЂ™, big-banginвЂ™ harbinger of the internet anxiety era.

Christian Bale plays hero John Connor with such lunatic, Batman-esque gravitas, that it looks physically painful вЂ" all that clenching canвЂ™t be good for the bowels.

But like most franchises, itвЂ™s been a case of diminishing returns since T2. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was OK, and the fourth installment is a little less OK. The new film starts in 2018, which is somewhere in the middle of the whole convoluted mythos. Judgment Day has already leveled the Earth and a man vs. machine war is raging. The machines appear to be winning, siphoning off the few remaining humans to spaceship concentration camps, a little nod to the Holocaust that is as distasteful as it sounds.

The leader of the resistance is John Connor (Christian вЂњSorry About ThatвЂќ Bale), the prophet who now has to find the boy (Anton Yelchin) who, with a little time warping, would be his dad. This clueless teen, trailed by a mute sidekick kiddie (Jadagrace Berry), is a kind of decades-traveling sperm bank upon which the future of humanity rests. John gets his inside info on the cyborgs from a series of tapes his mom left behind. Tapes! Skyscrapers have crumbled and civilizations lie buried under mountains of nuclear dust, but the tape recorder still works! Funny, I recall those things as being only a little less reliable than a Victrola even when they were cutting edge.

On one tape вЂ" to bring forgetful viewers up to speed вЂ" JohnвЂ™s mom, Sarah, gives background about Skynet, the evil intelligence network that became вЂњself-awareвЂќ and nuked the planet. As she yammers on about вЂњresettingвЂќ the future and the past, she stops suddenly and exclaims: вЂњGod, a person could go crazy thinking about this!вЂќ Indeed.

Best, perhaps, not to think at all, and enjoy the supra F/X. There are explosions a-plenty, and some great visuals, including Connor throwing himself from a jet on high into the ocean that makes for a breathtaking split second. A few narrow escapes involving motorcycles are a wink to ArnieвЂ™s preferred mode of transportation back in the day.

A T-600 Terminator packs heat in a scene from Terminator Salvation. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

But these robots lack the alpha TerminatorвЂ™s verbal panache; theyвЂ™re the kind of computer-generated creatures that look like the more sophisticated siblings of stainless steel refrigerators. The problem is, with their slim hips, massive metal pecs and feet that stomp like tractors being dropped from the sky, they look too powerful. Their awesomeness is a cheat. Not to be too comic-store geek about it, but there is no way a human being could ever win against a titanium, nuclear-powered, 100th-generation robot the size of a mountain. Could a guy really kick robot ass with only a truck and a little moxie? Never has an old-fashioned human-on-human fistfight been so welcome; at least thatвЂ™s something like an even match.

The man who comes to fisticuffs is the filmвЂ™s other lead, Marcus Wright, a former death row murder who donated his body to science, and woke up 14 years later to an apocalypse. Sam Worthington is off-handedly persuasive as a confused, scuffed maybe-hero (although there is some Australian-accent leakage). Marcus proves to be the physical manifestation of the ultimate sci-fi quest: What makes us human?

Someone might ask this of Christian Bale. The guy plays hero John Connor with such lunatic, Batman-esque gravitas, that it looks physically painful вЂ" all that clenching canвЂ™t be good for the bowels. Dude, lighten up: It isnвЂ™t ACTUALLY the end of the world! ItвЂ™s only a movie, and a summer movie, too, which means silly leaps of logic and, God willing, the occasional laugh. Despite Bale, Terminator Salvation does contain a few moments of levity, requisite po-mo references to the franchise that should get audiences cheering.

But given the best line of the movie вЂ" a variation on SchwarzeneggerвЂ™s famous вЂњIвЂ™ll be backвЂќ вЂ" Bale blows it, refusing to allow even a twinkle of the eye. The actorвЂ™s most awesome superpower seems to be sucking the joy out of everything he touches these days. Dear Christian: Maybe itвЂ™s time for a Matthew McConaughey role, a little romp on the beach with Kate Hudson, just until you get your love of the game back.

Directed by McG вЂ" just typing that makes me feel like heвЂ™s mocking all of us вЂ" with a pointless shaky cam, Terminator Salvation injects every visual clichГ© found in the post-apocalyptic genre. ItвЂ™s shot in a palette of fecal matter greys and browns, and everyone wears chains and tight jeans (hot for the fallout season, no?). The film is grinding and inevitable, and occasionally very cool. But mostly, itвЂ™s lifeless, as if it, too, was made in a lab somewhere, a film designed, if not to destroy us, then to lower our expectations. Ah well, why fight it?

Terminator Salvation opens May 22.

Katrina Onstad is the film columnist for CBCNews.ca.

West Vancouver's Lighthouse Park closed after possible homicide: police

2009-05-19T10:45:00.001-07:00

Police closed Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver on Tuesday morning for an investigation. (CBC)

West Vancouver police have confirmed they are investigating the possible homicide of a woman in Lighthouse Park.

The park was closed to visitors before sunrise on Tuesday morning as forensic investigators arrived.

The woman's body was found near Juniper Point and it appeared she may have been living in the park, police confirmed. Camping is not permitted in the rugged 74-hectare park, which is located near Horseshoe Bay just off Marine Drive on the North Shore of Metro Vancouver.

The West Vancouver and Vancouver police departments were handling the investigation. The West Vancouver Police Department does not have its own homicide unit and the two forces normally work together on murder investigations in West Vancouver. Neither force is part of Metro Vancouver's regional Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

Mulroney denies calling author to keep relationship with Schreiber quiet

2009-05-19T10:30:00.001-07:00

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney, right, waits to be questioned by lead commission counsel Richard Wolson at the Oliphant Commission in Ottawa on Tuesday. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney admitted Tuesday he did not want author William Kaplan to go public with information that he had a business relationship with Karlheinz Schreiber, but denied he called him specifically to ask him to keep the information quiet.

At the Oliphant inquiry in Ottawa, lead inquiry counsel Richard Wolson spent Tuesday morning questioning Mulroney about Kaplan, his Globe and Mail articles about Mulroney and Schreiber and what Kaplan wrote in his book: A Secret Trial, Brian Mulroney, Stevie Cameron and the Public Trust.

Kaplan had interviewed Mulroney for three articles he wrote for the Globe and Mail in 2003, in which Kaplan revealed that Mulroney had received $300,000 in cash payments from Schreiber, a German-Canadian businessman. But Kaplan, writing in A Secret Trial, suggested Mulroney tried to pressure him not to include that information.

вЂњMulroneyвЂ™s unrelenting campaign to persuade me not to publish the story about the money for one reason only, to protect his reputation, was brutal, heavy-handed, and extremely wearing,вЂќ Kaplan wrote.

Mulroney told Wolson that he had tried to persuade Kaplan not to include that information in his articles because he was concerned that some in the media would use the information, in the context of the Airbus affair, вЂњto try and get back at me and me and my family again.вЂќ

вЂњDid you call him attempting to convince him not to write about the legal, commercial relationship that you had with Mr. Schreiber?вЂќ Wolson asked.

вЂњI have no recollection of calling him for that specific objective,вЂќ Mulroney said.

вЂњHe would call me from time to time. When I had a chance, I would call him. Various subjects in which he was interested would come up in various conversations about his book and the areas of interest he wanted to talk about and obviously this was one of them.вЂќ

In his book Presumed Guilty: Brian Mulroney, the Airbus Affair, and the Government of Canada, Kaplan wrote that Mulroney had unfairly been the victim of unfounded allegations that he had received kickbacks from the sale of Airbus airplanes to Air Canada. Mulroney, who sued the federal government for libel after the allegations were leaked, received a $2.1-million settlement.

But in his second book about Mulroney, Kaplan criticized the former prime minister for not being forthcoming with him about his relationship with Schreiber.

The Oliphant inquiry is looking into three cash payments Mulroney received from Schreiber at three hotels in Montreal and New York from 1993 to 1994.

Schreiber has said he paid Mulroney $300,000 to lobby domestically on behalf of the Bear Head project вЂ" a plan to establish a light armoured vehicle plant in Canada.

But Mulroney has said he was paid $225,000 in three instalments and that the money was payment for his efforts to promote the vehicles internationally on behalf of the German company Thyssen. He has denied it was for any domestic lobbying work, which would have violated domestic lobbying rules.

'Still in danger zone,' for swine flu: UN chief

2009-05-19T10:15:00.001-07:00

Drugs and vaccines against the global swine flu outbreak need to be available to poor countries, the head of the United Nations told top health officials Tuesday as they discussed delays in creating a vaccine.

"We must remain vigilant," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told a news conference at the World Health Organization's annual meeting in Geneva.

"We may be in a grace period with H1N1 but we are still in the danger zone."

Ban and the WHO director general Dr. Margaret Chan met with representatives from 30 pharmaceutical companies to discuss the creation of a vaccine for the new virus that has infected nearly 10,000 people worldwide.

Drug manufacturers have not yet been told to produce a vaccine specifically for swine flu.

If a pandemic is declared, Chan said some drug companies have pledged to either donate vaccine or reserve production for poor countries. The vaccines would also be available at lower prices for poor countries, but no agreements have been signed.

Some experts have questioned whether a vaccine is needed given the illnesses have appeared mild so far, noting mass production coul

Promoting Good Health Early in Life

2009-05-11T05:43:00.003-07:00

QUESTION: My husband and I are very concerned about the future health of our children.
Both our families have histories of both heart disease and cancer. Though our two youngsters are still under the age of 9, we would like any suggestions about things we can do now to prevent future tragedies.
What good counsel do you have for us?

ANSWER: There certainly are plenty of ways to promote good health early in life, and parents are wise to help children learn good health habits when they are young.
Medical evidence proves that the time to prevent chronic disorders is in early childhood, rather than after years of abuse. Prevention of heart attack and stroke can easily begin in young children with the proper diet.
Pay attention to including a variety of foods, with plenty of vegetables, fruits and grain products.
Choose foods that are low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
If all of this is a bit confusing, check with your doctor for a good food plan. The diet restricts fat intake to 30 percent of total calories and cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg a day.
The American Heart Association Diet is well balanced and rich in vitamins and minerals. Teenagers should be taught how to perform breast and testicular self-examinations. You can set a good example by not smoking or drinking excessively as both are very bad health habits, and children tend to mimic their parents' behavior. Teach your children at a young age that exercise is fun and should be a regular part of each day's activities.
You might try to find a type of exercise you can all participate in, like hiking or bicycle riding.
Also, find a doctor that your children like, so that when they are feeling ill they won't resist seeing the doctor promptly.
That permits an early diagnosis, which is the first step in preventing unnecessary and dangerous complications. Leading your children in these fine health habits may help you solve your own concerns, and convince you that you have provided them with the healthy head start they need and deserve.

The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.

Tricks to Staying on a Low Cholesterol Diet

2009-05-11T05:43:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: This low cholesterol diet my doctor has given me is no easy thing to follow, and I am not doing very well in getting my numbers down.
There must be some way to make it work.
What good advice can you give me to help me reach my mark?

ANSWER: It's never easy to change long ingrained eating habits, but such a change can possibly add extra healthy years of living to your life.
Eating is a behavior pattern and if you set your mind to it, it is certainly possible to change your behavior.
There are several "tricks" you can use to help yourself stay on the diet. Make rules for your eating behavior; real ones, that you can stick to, and write them down so you won't forget.
Sounds like serious business, and it is, for you're the one that will gain (excuse me, "lose") by staying with it. Always eat in the same location in the house.
Pick the dining room or the kitchen table.
Do not, however, eat standing up by the refrigerator or over the kitchen counter, and make a promise to yourself not to nibble while you are sitting in front of the T.V.
It is amazing how many calories and how much extra cholesterol you can take in while nibbling, so don't do it. Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly before swallowing and moving on to the next bite.
It takes your body 20 minutes of eating to feel full, so if you gobble your food in ten minutes, you will still be feeling hungry for another ten minutes. One of the most important ways of checking up on your eating habits is to keep a food record.
Not just the food you have consumed during meals, but everything you put in your mouth.
Keep track of where you ate and at what time.
If you ate something you hadn't planned to eat (that wasn't on your low cholesterol diet), write down what your feelings were at the time. Before you go to bed, tally how many calories you have consumed and figure out how much of this was saturated fat and cholesterol.
Save what you've written down, and once a week, look everything over.
This will help you recognize your habits, good and bad.
Make an attempt each week to eliminate one of your bad habits.
For example, if you find that you eat scraps off the plate while you are clearing the table, make it your goal to stop that.
Once you've eliminated that problem, you can tackle the next. Perhaps you nibble as you cook.
Believe it or not, you don't need to taste everything, especially if the dish is something you are familiar with cooking. When you eat out, choose a restaurant that will accommodate your diet. Call ahead, and make sure there is something you can order.
Make sure they will broil rather than fry your fish and serve you margarine rather than butter.
When shopping for food, never go when you are hungry (you'll buy all the wrong foods in the place and then eat them so as not to waste money), and learn to read labels wisely. Best of all, when you do well, reward yourself.
But don't do it with food.
Reward yourself by buying yourself some new clothing for your new slimmer figure or taking yourself out to a movie or baseball game.
And give yourself three big cheers, you deserve it!

Worry About Cluster Headaches

2009-05-11T05:40:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: I get a lot of headaches.
They happen at least several times each month.
I worry that they may be cluster headaches.
How can I know if this is the case or not?

ANSWER: Only by proper diagnosis by a physician.
A cluster headache patient usually has one or two headaches a day, at about the same time of day, for several weeks or even months.
We are not sure what causes them, but possibly something makes blood vessels in the head begin to become narrow and that may trigger the pain. Many times clusters start suddenly reaching a peak within minutes and are so severe and steady that patients pace the floor.
The pain is so severe that they can't rest or even lie down. The pain always occurs on only one side of the face around the eye, sometimes spreading to the forehead, temple and cheek and remain located on the same side during any given cluster episode. Sufferers may experience reddening and watering of the eye on the affected side of the face; the eyelid may swell and droop, the pupil of the eye may narrow; the nostril on the affected side may become stuffy and run; sweat may be profuse over the forehead.
Only rarely do sufferers become nauseous or vomit. Cluster headaches occur mostly on the right side of the face and are much more common in men (about 90 percent more) than in women. In some people (most cluster headache sufferers are between 20 to 40 years of age when they suffer their first cluster headache), clusters return "with the season," or at least during the same season or month of every year. Most often, they occur at night. After several weeks or months, the headaches cease and frequently do not return for six months to a year.
But they often are set off again by consuming any alcohol beverage or even napping in the daytime. Fortunately, your doctor can prescribe medicines that often can prevent clusters or at least make them a bit less severe.

Do New Valves That Are Placed Inside Hearts Come From Organ Donations?

2009-05-10T06:44:00.003-07:00

QUESTION: Can you please tell me where they get all the new valves that are placed inside of human hearts.
Do they come from organ donations given by people who have died? I am very curious to find out about this.
I am 12 years old and want to be a doctor someday.

ANSWER: Your curiosity will serve you well in your future profession.
Only one type of valve, of the many types that exist, comes from a human organ. There are two main types of valves used in modern valve replacement surgery. They are classified as mechanical and tissue.
The mechanical valves come in several forms, including one shaped like a cage in which a ball moves to and fro to control the flow of blood.
There are two other types, named for the way they function, a tilting disk and a type that has two leaflets that open and close a bit like a door.
There are also three tissue types, a treated heart valve made from a pig's heart, another fashioned from the lining of a cow's heart, and finally a preserved valve taken from the heart of a human cadaver (a dead body).
Though the mechanical hearts last longer, they also allow blood clots to form, and so the patient must take medicine that keeps the blood thin.
The tissue valves don't have that problem, but they tend to wear out faster.
You can see we haven't invented the perfect heart valve yet, so it is important to take care of those you were born with.

Causes of "Hypothermia" and "Frost Bite"

2009-05-10T06:44:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: I think I am confused about two terms and would like you to straighten them out for me.
I am concerned about "hypothermia" and realize it is not the same as "frost bite," but just what is it? Can you explain a bit about its causes and the correct way to treat it? As you see, we live in a part of the country where this is important information for us to have.

ANSWER: Simply stated, frost bite is a condition where certain tissues of the body freeze, while in hypothermia the whole body becomes too cold to function properly.
Hypothermia occurs when the heat loss of the body exceeds its ability to produce heat, and the core or central temperature of the body drops below 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
At this level, the chemistry of the body becomes altered, respiratory centers of the brain are effected, heart rate is affected as is the blood.
The heat of the body comes from the metabolism of food and water, and may be lost by four mechanisms; radiation, conduction, convection and evaporation.
About 50 percent of the body's total heat production can be lost by radiation through an unprotected and uncovered head.
The amount lost by convection (loss of heat through movement of the air) increases with the speed of the wind, and loss through evaporation, normally through sweat and breathing, is greatly increased when the skin becomes wet.
So the outside temperature, and wind chill factors greatly influence heat loss.
So do certain drugs; nicotine, alcohol, barbiturates, opiates, and certain antidepressants.
Senior citizens and small children are also at increased risks because of the workings of their heat regulation systems.
In the early stages of hypothermia, or when it is considered mild (core temperature between 32 and 35 degrees C.), the body may try to raise its temperature by shivering.
These rapid muscular contractions may increase heat production up to five times normal.
In this stage, moving the patient to a warm and sheltered environment, the use of heated blankets, and warm, sweet, beverages are useful and appropriate.
However, hospitalization is required for severe hypothermia (core temperature below 32 degrees C.), where more aggressive means of treatment are available.

Thyroid Medication for a Change in Mental Status

2009-05-10T06:43:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: Our neighbor, a widow for some years now, seemed to be going through a terrible change in mental status.
She became irritable and unfriendly, and even began to have changes in her face.
When her daughter came down to visit and finally got her to her doctor, she was treated, and cured of her mental illness by thyroid medication.
We have never heard of such a thing, and would like to know what happened, though we are reluctant to question her.
Can you provide us with some answers?

ANSWER: I would be happy to, as I have enough information from your letter to provide me with the answers you wish.
The woman was suffering from hypothyroidism, also known as "myxedema".
There are a number of possible underlying causes, but essentially the thyroid gland no longer functions properly and enough thyroid hormone is not produced.
Slowly, and usually very gradually, physical changes can be observed, a dull facial expression, puffiness around the eyes, and drooping eyelids.
The skin becomes coarse, dry, scaly and thick, and the scalp hair becomes sparse and dry.
The patients become forgetful, and in some, as in your neighbor, there are changes in their personality, and their intellect becomes diminished.
When the changes are severe enough they resemble a true psychosis.
Such a condition has been named "myxedema madness" by some clinicians.
The sad part is that this condition is frequently misdiagnosed, especially in older folks, but no amount of psychotherapy or tranquilizers or antidepressants can help.
And without proper treatment the condition persists, leading to complete physical and mental deterioration.
There are a number of laboratory tests that can swiftly pinpoint the problem, and a number of thyroid medications exist that can replace the amounts needed by the body.
The good news is that with these proper medications, the situation can be reversed rapidly, and these patients may make a complete recovery, enabling them to return home and live happy and productive lives.
I see no reason not to discuss this with your neighbor; I would guess she might enjoy the company, and would delight in telling you the tale of her medical experiences.

How Serious is a Clot in the Leg Vein?

2009-05-07T10:12:00.005-07:00

QUESTION: My doctor has me scared because of a clot in my leg vein.
While I don't want to neglect anything important, I don't need additional doctor's bills either.
Just how serious is this condition?

ANSWER: Any clotting of the blood (thrombosis) in any part of your body is sufficiently serious to make you disrupt your daily routine and give it your full and undivided attention. Usually blood clots in the leg are accompanied by swelling, a sensation of warmth, and tenderness to the touch.
All these symptoms can be treated pharmacologically with medications.
But if the warm feeling turns to cold, the swelling grows to massive proportions, and the pain becomes unbearable, immediate surgical intervention might be called for.
These signs herald a more serious form of thrombosis, which involves the entire venous system of your leg.
In such cases, the oxygen present in the capillary blood drops, the skin takes on a blue pallor, and the entire limb can become gangrenous. Hopefully, I've made my message clear, without sounding like an alarmist. Follow your doctor's advice, consult him regularly, and don't take any chances with thrombosis.
Proper and timely treatment can do much to prevent unwanted complications, and get you back on your feet.

Thyroid Medication "Too Complicated to Explain"?

2009-05-07T10:12:00.003-07:00

QUESTION: I have had to take some type of thyroid medication for the better part of my adult life.
I started with simple thyroid tablets years ago, but as I have had to change doctors over the years, both the type and amount of my medications have also been changed.
When I ask about it, the doctor usually just shrugs his shoulder and tells me "it's too complicated to explain".
I suppose it is too complicated for you too, but I hope you will try for my benefit and lots of your other readers.

ANSWER: It is not all that complicated, but its a bit more difficult without being able to draw a diagram or two.
However, here we go.
The thyroid gland produces two chemicals, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).
T3 is the biologically active form of thyroid hormone, and T4 acts as a reserve which can be rapidly converted into the active form when needed.
The hypothalamus, located at the base of the brain, monitors the amount of T3 and T4 circulating in the blood and releases a hormone, thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), when more thyroid hormone is needed.
TRH acts on the pituitary gland, which in turn produces thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) which "stimulates" the thyroid gland into thyroid hormone production.
To provide additional hormone to patients who do not produce enough of their own, a variety of preparations made from dried and purified extract of animal thyroids can be used.
Though every effort is made to maintain the exact dosage, the concentration of T3 and T4 in these natural preparations may vary.
However we now have a number of synthetic preparations available in which the active ingredients are well controlled.
It is probably these newer preparations which have been substituted for the extract you were taking formerly.
Since we can also determine the amount of TSH, T3 and T4 circulating in the blood, these tests are used to assure that the right dosage is being taken to restore the body metabolism to normal.
When this achieved the signs of hypothyroidism lethargy and dullness, sparse and dry hair, coarse and scaly thick skin rapidly disappear.
Now, I hope my explanation was not too complicated, but provides the information and help you requested.

Comments on a Product for Relief From Tinnitus

2009-05-07T10:12:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: Please comment on this ad that I found in my health magazine that I receive every month.
P.S.
You try it first and then tell your readers the results.

ANSWER: The ad you sent proclaims in large capitals that the product will afford relief from buzzing, ringing and pain in your ears.
Obviously you are aware that I am one of the millions who suffer from a condition known as tinnitus, that peculiar chirping sound that never takes a rest, and frequently disturbs mine.
The ad also states, quite correctly, that tinnitus (which is the perception of sound by the sufferer without there being any source for the sound) may result from a middle ear infection, wax in the ear, or due to nerve deafness.
Consider that it may be caused by many other conditions as well, including foreign bodies in the ear, infectious processes including external otitis, myringitis (infection of the ear drum), otitis media (infection of the middle ear), labyrinthitis (infection of the inner ear), petrositis (infection of the bone), syphilis and meningitis.
To those I could add eustachian tube obstruction, otosclerosis, middle ear tumors, Meniere's Disease, problems due to medications, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, anemia, low thyroid function, noise-induced hearing loss, blast injury and head trauma. Impressive list, and the pathology or the way they affect hearing is different in almost every case.
Now this product which contains all natural products including aloe will correct the problem for a mere $10.00 for 1 ounce.
And you want me to test it for you.
I am a dedicated and sometimes brave man, but there is a limit even to my devotion to my readers.
It certainly stretches my credibility that any such concoction could achieve even the most limited results.
There are too many possible causes for tinnitus, and as you know from reading my column, a good treatment must be directed to correct the specific cause.
No one product could possibly do it all.
Tell you what, you save the $10.00, I'll save what is left of my hearing, and I promise you that this column will carry the news of the real cure for tinnitus, when and if they ever find one.

Liver Test Results

2009-05-04T09:50:00.005-07:00

QUESTION: As part of a routine annual examination, my blood and urine were sent to the lab for testing.
When I returned for a consultation and the report of my results, my doctor told me that one of my liver tests was "a little off".
He questioned me further about any new symptoms or problems I might not have mentioned (there were neither) and checked me over briefly again, but then decided not to run any more tests.
Do you think we may be overlooking something that might be a legitimate cause of worry?

ANSWER: During an annual examination, it is customary to obtain a whole battery of laboratory tests that serve to screen the functioning of many systems.
When the results of a tests return with findings in an abnormal range, it's time to rethink the situation again.
Since some of these tests may have an answer that is considered a "false positive", that is an abnormal result when there is really nothing wrong, retesting may not always be considered necessary.
When the patient has no symptoms, and nothing can be detected by physical examination, and when the test result is borderline, many physicians do not feel it is imperative to repeat the examination.
In some cases additional history will uncover a medication being used that can affect the test results.
Among these medications are tetracycline and erythromycin (antibiotics), oral contraceptives, sulfonamides, and many others.
However, the purpose of an annual physical is to discover unsuspected ailments at the earliest possible opportunity, and to deal with them effectively before they advance and become dangerous.
That requires that even a small difference from the normal in lab results be viewed with just a bit of suspicion.
While I truly do not believe that you have serious cause for concern, prudence dictates that an abnormal test be repeated.
A normal result on the repeat test would certainly put your mind at ease, and if it is abnormal once again, a careful search for the reason is in order.

What is a Lung Scan?

2009-05-04T09:50:00.003-07:00

QUESTION: I need a bit more information to add to the explanation my physician gave me about a test for my lungs.
It's called a "scan," and I want to know more about it.
Is there any danger? I am more than just a bit anxious about this whole thing.
Can you please help?

ANSWER: A lung scan is a test that shows how well your lungs are functioning and can detect many types of abnormalities in the lungs.
There are two types of lung scans and they are usually performed together.
A perfusion lung scan shows the blood circulation in the lungs.
An inhalation scan shows how well air moves in the lungs. Both tests together take about a half hour and are similar.
A small amount of a mildly radioactive compound is administered and travels to the lungs, emitting signals that are detected by a scanning machine, which converts the signals into images.
For the perfusion test, you'll receive an injection of the radioactive substance.
For the inhalation test, you'll inhale an odorless gas through a mouthpiece.
You may be placed in several positions during the scan, and it is very important that you lie still and follow all instructions fully.
This will help get the best results possible and make interpreting the results a bit easier.
The danger from the radioactive compound is minimal.
You can go home directly after the test and side effects are rare, so you ought to do quite well.
I hope you are less anxious now.

Chronic Low Back Problems

2009-05-04T09:50:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: I am a long time sufferer with a condition that I have been told is considered to be a chronic low back problem.
I get into trouble about once a year, and take several weeks to recover completely.
What are the chances that I really have a disk problem, and that my only hope is surgery? I am not looking for an unnecessary operation, but I would like to be rid of this problem once and for all time.
Do you have any statistics that might be of some help?

ANSWER: Low back problems are certainly not uncommon, with an estimated 80 percent of the adult population having this distressing experience at some point in their lives.
However, most back pain is not caused by a herniated disk, and even when it is, conservative treatment can bring relief to most patients.
Making a diagnosis of a mechanical cause of low back pain, such as degenerative changes and herniated disks is not always easy, and the exact cause of the problem is not always determined.
That is why other clues are used to determine the nature and course of treatment.
The first sign that a low back pain may be caused by a disk problem is usually the presence of sciatica, where pain is felt along the course of the sciatic nerve, down the back of the leg.
Sometimes there have been several episodes of back pain preceding the development of this complaint.
Thus a complete history and careful physical examination are the first avenues for the investigation of low back problems.
Many experts believe that conservative treatment, including pain medication, rest, muscle relaxants, and appropriate exercise, should be tried first before moving on to more intense evaluation and treatment.
When conservative treatments fail and pain remains unrelieved after 4 to 6 weeks of therapy, or when there is progressive weakness and numbness in the leg, or neurological examinations discover changes in function of nerves and muscles, the status, it is time to utilize the advantages found in such testing procedures as C-T scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or myelography (x-ray techniques which reveal the status of the spinal cord).
It is only after these have been completed that surgical procedures are considered in appropriate cases.

Where do Corns and Calluses Come From?

2009-05-02T22:05:00.005-07:00

QUESTION: It may sound like a question that is too simple for you to dedicate time to, but let me assure you, a lot of your readers suffer from corns and calluses.
I am sure they would all like to know where they come from, what they are, and what to do about them? Would you please consider providing us with this important information?

ANSWER: You are right, it is an important health question that affects many people.
According to a recent survey, about 155 people out of every 1000 have some type of corn or callus, although fewer than 4 people of that number will require medical attention.
The causes of both these skin changes include friction and pressure, and the skin responds by becoming thicker and tougher as a protective mechanism.
The horny, outer layer of the skin called the "stratum corneum" becomes thicker in the area where there is an increased pressure or rubbing, from a tight shoe for example.
A corn has a hard core, a bit like an upside down pyramid, with the base at the surface of the skin, and the point pushing inward.
When this point presses against the nerve endings in the nearby tissue, a stabbing pain may the result.
Although a callus is formed from similar tissue, it has no hard central core which is how it differs from the corn.
The treatment of both begins by attacking the cause, preventing the friction and relieving the pressure on the area.
That means checking shoes, particularly athletic gear, for a correct fit.
It may require stretching the shoe a bit in areas where corns and calluses now exist.
Try using thick socks to absorb some of the pressure, or use corn and callus pads directly on the feet to reduce the pressure to the irritated areas.
Home treatment may consist of soaking the corn or callus in hot water, and then trimming back the surfaces with a sharp knife or razor, very carefully. Specially medicated plasters containing chemicals that can dissolve the tissue (keratolytics) are frequently very helpful.
When these simple home remedies fail to correct the problem, it is time to seek professional help, where more aggressive treatment techniques can be used to rid you of these annoying and painful conditions.

Serious Side Effects of Cortisone Medication Over Time

2009-05-02T22:05:00.003-07:00

QUESTION: I have been on a cortisone medication (prednisone) for quite some time, prescribed because of my medical condition (severe asthma).
Now, though I have no bad experiences yet, I am worrying about the possibility of serious side effects over time, and if I will ever be able to get off the medication.
Have you any information about this? How do you go about it? I would hate to become dependant upon this medicine for the rest of my life.

ANSWER: The use of cortisone, or the other similar medications (corticosteroids) brings relief for those who suffer many varied ailments.
Of use not only in severe asthma, these medications are very important in treating temporal arteritis, ulcerative colitis, many allergic reactions and hypersensitivities, polymyositis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
It is also used to help control organ rejection, in transplantation operations. Yet, as with so many other powerful medications, it may also create problems when used in high doses over long periods of time.
Although not all complications occur in all patients, corticosteroid therapy may cause hypertension, sodium and water retention with bloating and weight gain, stomach ulcerations, impaired wound healing, osteoporosis, glaucoma, recurrence of tuberculosis and chickenpox as well as increased susceptibility to all types of infections, bacterial, fungal and viral.
The trick is to use the lowest possible dosage that achieves the desired effect and to employ various strategies that reduce the possibility of side effects.
Using the medication in creams or lotions to reduce the amount required in tablets, or in alternate day dosage schedules, may be helpful in some cases.
However, the process of withdrawal is a long one, and must be closely managed by your physician.
Some experts advise wearing a medical identification bracelet indicating that you are steroid dependent.
Gradually the medication dosage is reduced, while the blood levels are carefully measured.
Since the body has its own rhythm of cortisone production, taking your medication in the early morning between 6 and 8 AM will help reestablish normal patterns.
The process is a complicated one, but can be accomplished by working with your doctor.

Is Cortisone for Rheumatoid Arthritis Dangerous?

2009-05-02T22:05:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: I am having terrible troubles with my rheumatoid arthritis.
We have tried all the painkillers and stuff, but now my doctor is prescribing cortisone.
My friends are all telling me not to take it, for it is too dangerous.
I need your straight thinking to help me decide.
Please?

ANSWER: Forty years ago, when cortisone was first discovered, it was considered the new wonder drug.
It was capable of allowing people incapacitated due to rheumatoid arthritis to actually get out of bed.
The media played it up, and there were photos in the press of people doing jigs who could hardly move before cortisone therapy. Now it has fallen in the eyes of the public from "miracle cure" to a "dreaded drug," to be taken now only as an alternative to death.
Well, like any powerful drug, it must be carefully administered or its side effects will far outweigh any benefits derived. Today, we use synthetic derivatives called corticosteroids, which are less prone to troublesome side effects.
But they're still there, and include the minor ones like a rounding of the face, and growth of facial hair, and a tendency to bruise easily.
The severe adverse effects are suppression of the body's immune system, retarded growth in children, ulcers, aggravation of pre-existing diabetes, and a thinning of the bones with possible vertebrae collapse.
Now these are the reasons cortisone has gained its somewhat dubious reputation as a drug to be avoided at all cost.
But we've discovered that its side effects can usually be controlled.
Rather than giving it as daily therapy, it can be administered in a low-dose, 48-hour pattern.
Cortisone can also be used briefly, until one of the slower acting arthritic drugs has had time to work.
Certainly there are patients with diabetes, ulcers, tuberculosis, who should not be considered for cortisone therapy.
But in many, many cases this powerful medication offers the promise of real relief, and an effective solution to a serious problem.
So careful dosage and scrutiny by your physician will give you all the benefits the drug is so famous for and none of its notorious side effects.

What Causes a Tan?

2009-05-01T02:47:00.003-07:00

QUESTION: While everyone now is warning against the dangers of a sun tan, I still don't understand what causes a tan? If the body produces this naturally isn't it a good thing? While you're at it, perhaps you can explain just what causes a sun burn as well? I know that isn't too good for you.

ANSWER: Obviously a sun burn with its painful consequences is something to avoid, and can rapidly change a fun weekend into something far less enjoyable. Actually there are four effects upon the skin from exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the sun rays, all of which attempt to reduce the injurious effects of the sun's rays.
They are erythema, short-term tan, common tan, and delayed thickening of the skin.
Erythema is the name given to the red flush that occurs to the skin after exposure to sun rays (as well as a variety of other causes).
A substance called prostaglandin is released by the tissues which causes the capillaries in the skin to dilate (open), fill with more blood and give the red coloring to the skin.
This is an attempt to protect the skin and reduce the damage from the sun's rays.
It comes on from 2 to 12 hours after exposure and its severity is related to the amount of exposure.
A short-term tan is caused by ultraviolet A rays, is created by the oxidation of the melanin (pigment) in the skin and fades away in a day or two.
The common tan takes several days to develop, and is caused by the production of more pigment in the skin as a response to the sun's ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, pigment that acts as a protection for the skin the next time it is exposed to the sun.
Over a period of time, perhaps several months, the upper layers (epidermis) of the skin thicken.
These thick skin layers can also absorb the UVB rays, and reduce the amount of harmful radiation that reaches the lower (basal) layer of the skin.
A word about protection.
Of the 1 million new cancers that are diagnosed each year, about 30 percent occur in the skin, and are thought to be provoked by chronic exposure to UV radiation.
A person with a history or more than six serious sunburns in a lifetime is 2.4 times more likely to develop a melanoma, a cancer that spreads rapidly through the body and which can be lethal.
If exposure to the sun can't be controlled, be sure to apply sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to cut down your exposure to these potentially harmful rays.

GreatFound

Tips To Get Your House Ready For a New Puppy

My Daughter Manteee

Beat the House with this Supabets Blackjack Strategy

Proper Diet For Your Dog

My Dog is Lost! What Should I Do Now...

Lillooet, B.C., fire evacuees return home

Fires threaten phones, electricity

Pangnirtung prepares own pandemic plan

'Get organized as best we can'

Pandemic plan being updated

Pakistan militant leader dead: Taliban

Need ground verification

Conflicting reports

Dog Training With A Training Collar Or Choke Collar

Top Twenty Weight Loss Tips, Tricks and Solutions

Quote

Is A Career a Calling or Choice?

Television on Your Schedule with a Digital Video Recorder (DVR)

What Do You Need To Know About Sleeping Disorders

No quit in Ticats' working class heroes

Galaxy regrets Beckham exchange with heckler

Liberia's former president denies trading arms for diamonds

Obama extends order to freeze Taylor's assets

Caribbean Villas Made for Two

TOP TEN Best NFL Players

2003... Got Goals?

Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential  Part 2

Have Pet ... Can Travel

Pic

Quote

Pic

Quote

Lumsden reinjures shoulder in Eskimos' debut

Signed Feb. 17 with Eskimos

Senators put Heatley trade on back burner

'We're left a little short at the moment'

RCMP investigate after man dies following altercation in Metro Vancouver

Prioritize Your Life for Success

10 die as train derails in Italy

Murray wins first indoor match at Wimbledon

Plane with 150 on board crashes in Indian Ocean: media reports

Toronto FC too much for Red Bulls

Manitoba First Nations declare swine flu state of emergency

South Carolina governor admits affair was behind disappearance

Staff gave wrong information

Drogba scores for Ivory Coast in World Cup qualifier

10 killed in Saturday election protests: Iranian state media

Powerful former president

Mats Sundin to skip Olympics: report

The Facts You Need To Know About Adopting A Dog

The Dreadful Migraine

The Witches' Market

Italy, Brazil wary of Confederations Cup upsets

'This match should come as a warning'

McPherson, Alouettes too much for Argonauts

Lowber suffers neck injury

19-year-old charged in La Ronge apartment fire deaths

Shuttle carrying Canadian Payette cleared to launch

'Sense of pride'

No corners cut: NASA

At least 16 killed in Ivory Coast mudslide

RCMP review officer's actions in Beers impaired driving case

Crown considers appeal

Cottagers call 'time out' for Sylvan Lake development

Time out for Sylvan Lake?

Growing demand for Sylvan

Nadal hopes sore knees will heal in time for Wimbledon

Man seriously hurt in Toronto shelter fire

Screen time

Online television is still the next big thing, but it has been held back by a combination of factors.

Quebec hospital uses old technology to ease shortage of medical isotopes

Scans performed faster

Remembering the 'Farmer Johns' of the Regina Rifles Regiment

Judge imposes conditions to ensure daughter can visit ailing Peter Falk

GM agrees to sell Hummer brand

Possible Saturn buyers

Money for Opel

Quebec doctors may order breast cancer retests

Red Wings' Ericsson back for Stanley Cup final opener

Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential Part 2