Technology Slice Blog

Second-Hand Smoke in Cars Carrying Kids - Children are vulnerable enough to fine particles in second-hand smoke in vehicles that bans against smoking in a car with a child are worthwhile, a new review suggests. There's enough evidence that second-hand smoke in a car does harm children to legislate against the practice, a study in an upcoming issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal concludes. Dr. Ray Pawson of the University of Leeds school of sociology and social policy in the U.K. and his co-authors reviewed myths and facts surrounding the risks of second-hand smoke in vehicles carrying children. They measured the following: The concentration of chemicals in second-hand smoke inside vehicles and how it varied with vehicle size, speed and whether windows were open or closed. The length of exposure to second-hand smoke inside a car. The relative susceptibility of children to the effects of second-hand smoke compared to adults. Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/c

Police Raid 'Cannibis' Garage Only to Find Guinea Pigs - Six officers moved in with a battering ram after a police helicopter with thermal imaging equipment noticed high levels of heat coming from her garage. But after learning mentor Pam, 42, of Bradford, opened it for them all they found were family pets Simon and Kenny. Mum-of-one Pam said: "Everybody's asking what I'd done. It's embarrassing." West Yorkshire police have apologised. Police Raid 'Cannibis' Garage Only to Find Guinea Pigs

Eva Longoria removes 07-07-07 Tattoo - Eva Longoria and ex-husband Tony Parker divorced last year, shocking many who thought this might be one of the few Hollywood couples that make it. Now it appears Longoria is moving on, not with another man, but with a laser. In a story from Us Weekly, she was photographed leaving Jeremy Renner's 40th birthday party without the distinctive tattoo she used to bear on her right wrist. She had sported a tattoo there commemorating her anniversary date, and it appears that she underwent laser tattoo removal. Eva Longoria removes 07-07-07 Tattoo While it is possible that Longoria was simply covering up her ink, removal is certainly on the table. Using laser treatments, physicians can remove, or at least fade tattoos for many people. Some report that having a tattoo removed causes about the same amount of pain as having one put on. Luckily, physicians commonly apply a topical anesthetic cream to the area before they ever start the removal which

Vince Vaughn Daughter gives ‘Different Purpose’ - With the arrival of his first child, Vince Vaughn‘s Swingers days are firmly behind him. The new dad, whose wife Kyla Weber gave birth to daughter Locklyn Kyla on Dec. 18, says he’s fully embraced family life. “It gives you a different purpose,” he tells ET Canada of being a first-time father. “I’ll tell you … When Kyla and I had the first pediatrician appointment, we gotta get the car seat and put it in the back of the car. Kyla buckled up and I got in the car. And I was like, ‘We’re a family.’ We’re going to an appointment as a family. It’s just a great feeling.” Vince Vaughn Daughter gives ‘Different Purpose’ The Dilemma star says he loves the many good things about having a little girl, but acknowledges there are some worries that come with parenthood. “I feel so grateful. You know, my wife’s so great,” Vaughn, 40, notes. “But I gotta tell you. Just the minute they come out, so beautiful and just so sweet — I was just so

Miss England Afghanistan - A former Miss England dubbed Combat Barbie is back in the Army and heading to Afghanistan. Corporal Katrina Hodge swapped active service for the catwalk last January. But now her year of glamour is up, she is back in uniform and preparing for a tour of the war-torn country as early as next year. The 24-year-old from Brighton, who married fellow soldier Neil in Sri Lanka last June, is glad to be back at work. She said: “At the end of the day, it’s my job. “It’s definitely a change of lifestyle from having your hair and make-up done every day to combats and having your hair scraped back.” Miss England Afghanistan

Chief Shark Officer Discovery Channel - Looking for a change of pace, a new job perhaps? If you’re ready to swim with the sharks then the Discovery Channel has the perfect opening for you. “Must enjoy exotic, waterfront locations, buff bodies in bathing suits and having the bejesus scared out of you," reads an ad released by the television channel Tuesday morning. "Looking delicious in a wetsuit is a plus. Sense of humor required.” In celebration of the impending 24th annual Shark Week, The Discovery Channel is in search of its first ever Chief Shark Officer, “a fun-loving, fast-swimming personality” to head one of the channel’s trademark shows. The job's main duties involve, of course, swimming with sharks -- but also attending premier parties in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Chief Shark Officer Discovery Channel “Sharks in general are captivating critters, one of the charismatic megafauna,” shark expert George Burgess told FoxNews.com. Burgess, a director o

Illinois Likely to End Death Penalty - By a vote of 32-25, the Illinois State Senate sent a bill abolishing the death penalty to Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday. Since becoming governor in 2009, Quinn has continued the moratorium on signing death warrants observed by his two predecessors. It was put in place by former Gov. George Ryan after a series of shocking revelations that about 20 men had been sent wrongly to Illinois' death row. That scandalous record was Exhibit A in the campaign to repeal the death penalty in Illinois. During General Assembly debate, speaker after speaker cited the prosecutorial errors and misconduct that led justice astray. Illinois Likely to End Death Penalty Horror stories of a different stripe featured in the arguments delivered by supporters of the death penalty. It may have been the most nauseatingly graphic floor debate ever in the Capitol, but appropriate given the topic. They told of innocent youngsters subjected to sexual torture and mutilatio

"Milkshake Murder" Retrial - The retrial of American Nancy Kissel for the 2003 killing of her investment banker husband started on Tuesday, in an infamous case dubbed the "milkshake murder" that shone a spotlight on Hong Kong's elite. The mother-of-three pleaded not guilty to murdering Robert Kissel, a senior investment banker at Merrill Lynch, after prosecutors rejected her offer to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Kissel was convicted of drugging her husband with a sedative-laced strawberry drink before beating him to death with a lead ornament. She always maintained she acted in self defence against an abusive, drug-addicted spouse. She was handed a life sentence in 2005 but Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal overturned the conviction last February, citing legal errors at her first trial, and ordered a fresh hearing. On Tuesday, prosecutor David Perry told the nine member jury that Robert Kissel had a cocktail of drugs in his syst

Space Shuttle Discovery Feb 24, NASA Space Shuttle - NASA said Tuesday it will aim to launch the space shuttle Discovery on February 24, after engineers found a way to shore up cracks on the external fuel tank that have delayed its final liftoff. NASA engineers have been working since November to figure out why cracks were emerging on the 22-foot-long U-shaped aluminum brackets, called stringers, on the shuttle's external fuel tank. According to shuttle program manager John Shannon, the same problem may have existed on the fuel tank, ET-136, that flew in May 2010 with the shuttle Atlantis, a mission that ended without incident. "It is likely that we flew ET-136 with some of these cracks," Shannon said, adding that NASA was not entirely certain but "we might have had a crack or two in those stringers." Shannon said engineers performed exhaustive tests and found that the complex problem was not solely attributable to material quality or flaws that took roo

Jessica Simpson $300 Tip - Jessica Simpson is one generous lady! The singer/actress and reality TV star — who’s engaged to boyfriend Eric Jonhson — left a huge tip during a recent evening out at Lavo restaurant. Simpson — who was accompanied by her assistant, her mom and two other friends — ordered Macallan 18-year-old single-malt Scotch on the rocks, which she paired with fried Oreos and veal parmigiano, according to the New York Daily News newspaper. She left $300 tip on a $500 check, along with some positive reinforcement for her waitress, “you were amazing and make this world a better place Love Jess.” Jessica Simpson $300 Tip

Michelle Williams Yoga Center - Actress Michelle Williams is launching a yoga center for single mothers. The "Brokeback Mountain" star has been raising five-year-old daughter Matilda as a single mom since her ex-boyfriend, late actor Heath Ledger, died of an accidental overdose in January 2008. She credits yoga with helping her cope with the tragedy and reveals the inner peace she found through the exercise inspired her to co-found The Yoga for Single Moms Project, which is now launching a pilot program in Boston, Massachusetts. She tells Marie Claire magazine, "Yoga gave me relief like nothing else; it made be a better person and a better mother. I could come back to my daughter anew. And then I started to think about how expensive it is to get a babysitter to take a yoga class, which makes it out of reach for so many women. Michelle Williams Yoga Center

Toy Story 3 Golden Tomato Award - "Toy Story 3" has received the Golden Tomato Award for the best-reviewed film of the year. The award is presented annually by the website RottenTomatoes.com, which compiles reviews from critics to measure the percentage of favorable critiques. Editor-in-chief Matt Atchity says Pixar's animated tale about toys searching for meaning when their owner grows up and heads off to college collected positive reviews from 99 percent of critics, making it the best-reviewed film in wide release of 2010. "Toy Story 3" beat out "The Social Network," which got a positive-review score of 97 percent and took the Tomato in the drama category. Other Golden Tomato winners announced Tuesday include the rebooted Western "True Grit," the Banksy documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" and "Last Train Home," a documentary about Chinese migrant workers. Toy Story 3 Golden Tomato Award

One Great Burger Beef Recall - Hundreds of thousands of pounds of hamburger meat has been recalled from prisons in two US states over fears it was spoiled, a burger firm confirmed yesterday. The 20-pound boxes of ground beef from One Great Burger of Elizabeth, N.J., were stopped short of being fed to thousands of inmates in California and Oregon, company spokesman Frank Tobin said. The meat had earlier been flagged by US Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety inspectors, but was shipped out regardless. "The problem was discovered ... during an investigation into customer complaints of discoloration and off-odors in the products," the USDA said. "The review uncovered evidence to show that the establishment repackaged and recoded returned products and sent them out for further distribution to institutional customers." Some 226,400 pounds of meat were affected by the recall. No one has been sickened yet by the beef, the USDA said. One Great Burger Beef Re

Lawmakers to Head Off Picketing Tucson - The Arizona legislature is expected to pass legislation Tuesday targeting a Kansas church whose members have announced they plan to picket the funerals of the victims of Saturday's shootings in Tucson. The proposed legislation would make it a misdemeanor to protest within 300 feet of a funeral from one hour before until one hour after a funeral, a spokesman for the state House said. The action, according to House spokesman Daniel Scarpinato, is in direct response to the Westboro Baptist Church's announcement that it will picket the funeral of Christina Green, the 9-year-old who was among six people killed during Saturday's attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona. Lawmakers to Head Off Picketing Tucson The controversial church, based in Topeka, has made its name by staging protests at funerals of people who died of AIDS, gay people, soldiers and even Coretta Scott King. Within hours of the church&

F. Lee Bailey "The Simpson Verdict" - A lawyer for O.J. Simpson says in new document that evidence of Simpson's innocence was held back in the 1995 trial in which Simpson was acquitted in the murder of his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles. F. Lee Bailey wrote the 20,000-word document in 2007 as a proposal for a book that never materialized. He decided recently to publish it, and it first appeared Sunday on his website and that of the Portland Press Herald newspaper. In the document, Bailey tells of four people who could have bolstered Simpson's case but never testified. Simpson was found not guilty in the trial, but Bailey says it's important to prove him innocent in the court of public opinion. Bailey says the document got more than 20,000 hits the first day it was online. F. Lee Bailey "The Simpson Verdict"

Shakira Antonio De La Rua Break Up - Shakira and her Argentine boyfriend of 11 years say in a note on the Colombian pop star's website that they have split up. Shakira and Antonio de la Rua say they decided in August to "take time apart" from their romantic relationship but kept the details private until now. The note posted Monday says the two view their separation as temporary, and adds that de la Rua will continue to oversee Shakira's business and career interests. He is the son of a former president of Argentina. A person close to the couple says they are now together in Paris. The person insisted on speaking anonymously, noting the subject's sensitivity. The 33-year-old Shakira said in various interviews in 2009 that she was ready to have babies. Shakira Antonio De La Rua Break Up

Eva Longoria Sued Beso - The new year hasn't been so kind to Eva Longoria. The "Desperate Housewives" star is being sued for $4 million by a fellow investor in Beso, a Las Vegas-based restaurant and night club, reports E! Online. Mali Nachum, a partner in the venture, has alleged that the interest payments the actress has received since investing $1 million of her own money into the Todd English-run eatery are in violation of California's lending laws. Eva Longoria Sued Beso Under the current deal, Longoria agreed to put up the one million in exchange for annual interest payments of 8 percent and for a 23.33 percent stake in the company. The equity that Nachum and another investor, Jonas Lawrence, have in Beso would reflect Longoria's increased holding. But Nachum says he learned that the agreement broke the state's usury law, essentially making Longoria's deal void. He's calling for Beso LLC to bring charges against her in an effort to have

Justin Bieber Guest Editor Vanity Fair Facebook Page - Not only is Justin Bieber the subject of a coveted cover story in Vanity Fair's latest issue, the teenage pop superstar has been tapped to guest edit the magazine's Facebook page. "This week, the Vanity Fair Facebook page gets its first-ever guest editor: Justin Bieber!" the magazine announced on the website on Monday (January 10). "Check back later today for exclusive content, video, and giveaways ..." For his first post on the site (the only one the pop star had contributed as of press time), Bieber gave fans a quick synopsis of what he'll be up to this week. "Pretty cool that I get to host the Vanity Fair Facebook page this week. I'm proud of my interview and cover — it was the most intense interview I've ever done," he shared. "Gonna be a fun week — make sure you make some comments because I will send one random fan who writes in the comments section a signed copy of m

Rachel Zoe Announces the Gender of her Baby - Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe has revealed the gender of her forthcoming child -- apparently accidentally -- using the pronoun "his" to describe the baby's impending arrival in a new interview with Women's Wear Daily. Realizing her slip-up, Zoe's husband, Rodger Berman, then lets the cat fully out of the bag, kissing his wife's stomach and acknowledging, "It's a little boy." Zoe, 39, star of "The Rachel Zoe Project," is seven months along, yet still going 100 miles an hour. "I've been asked to slow down," she says. "But to be totally honest, it's kind of next to impossible when you're planning your show and launching your collection, and in the middle of award season." Good thing she's busy, though -- she doesn't have too much time to be tempted by baby clothes, which she wants to avoid anyway until the baby is here. Rachel Zoe Announces the Ge

Oscars Expand Pre-Show to 90 Minutes - Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare will executive-produce the red carpet arrivals show "Oscar's Red Carpet Live," 83rd Academy Awards(R) telecast producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer announced today. This will be the pair's first time producing the red carpet show. "Oscar's Red Carpet Live," which has been extended from 30 to 90 minutes, will air on the ABC Television Network beginning at 4:00 p.m., PT/ 7:00 p.m., ET, immediately preceding the Oscar telecast. Cohen and Mischer also serve as executive producers for "Oscar's Red Carpet Live." Oscars Expand Pre-Show to 90 Minutes Haykel and Hare, who have long-standing associations with Mischer - 14 and 18 years, respectively - are also serving as consulting producers for the 83rd Academy Awards telecast. "We're excited to be working on the pre-show, and it's great that it's been extended to 90 minutes," said Haykel and Hare.

Forbes 100 most Powerful Celebrities - Pants-less pop stars, late-night warriors and sexy vampires spiced up the fame game last year, with Lady Gaga, Conan O'Brien and Twilight superstars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson joining the Forbes Celebrity 100 list for the first time. But despite their impressive debuts (Gaga hit the list in fourth place), Oprah Winfrey is the year's big winner. After being ousted by Angelina Jolie on last year's list (Jolie dropped to No. 18 this year), the Queen of all Media takes back her crown on Forbes' annual ranking of the world's ultra-famous. Winfrey earned $315 million over the past 12 months. Number 2 is Beyonce. Number 3 is director James Cameron. Forbes 100 most Powerful Celebrities

Latisse Eyelash Drug Baldness Cure, Baldness Cure - Drugmaker Allergan is recruiting volunteers for clinical trials of a hair-growth treatment based on the active ingredient in Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution, 0.03 percent), the company’s eyelash-growth treatment. The Orange County Register reports that the recruitment phase should be completed in February. According to information posted by Allergan on the National Institutes of Health’s ClinicalTrials.gov website, the trial’s initial phase will observe a group of 28 patients, comprising men with moderate male-pattern baldness and women with moderate female-pattern hair loss. The Food and Drug Administration approved Latisse in 2008 for use in spurring eyelash growth. The Register reports that some doctors use Latisse off-label as a treatment for hair loss. Latisse Eyelash Drug Baldness Cure, Baldness Cure

Is your Biological Clock Ticking? | Biological Clock - An important part of educating yourself is figuring out how to spot misinformation. For starters, don’t believe everything you read in the tabloids. Over the course of the past five to 10 years, late-in-life miracle babies have been a major feature of popular celebrity magazines. Taken together, these stories leave women with the impression that modern science has conquered the biological clock, that all they have to do is go in for some in vitro and they can have a baby (or two!) after 40, without any problems. “I cringe every time I see those articles,” says Dr. Rebecca Sokol, professor of medicine, clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California. “People think it’s easy; they don’t understand that those are donor eggs.” That’s right, donor eggs. According to both Sokol and Birritteri, anytime you see an article about a woman over the age of 40 who’s having twins, you can pretty much assume the eggs

How to Host a Fondue Party, Fondue Party - Hosting a fondue party can be great fun for you and your friends. Unique food makes for an entertaining time. Gather your ingredients for your fondue "sauce" and fondue "dippers." Please see the above ingredients under the section "things you'll need." Cut your fondue "dippers" into small pieces so they will easily fit onto the fondue forks- be sure to NOT cut the pieces too small or too large, if you do this the dipper could actually fall off your fondue fork into the sauce. To make a basic Chocolate fondue sauce combine 12 ounces of plain chocolate (white, milk, or dark), breaking the chocolate into pieces in the fondue pot. Note: If you want to purchase chocolate chips instead of breaking the chocolate into pieces this is an option. How to Host a Fondue Party Add 10 ounces of double cream per 12 ounces of chocolate. Continually stir the fondue sauce until it is completely melted. Note

Tips Reconnect with Old Friends - Reconnecting with old friends is always a treat. They may have been from high school, or even before then. With communications so advanced these days there is no reason why you can't connect with any of your long lost friends. Facebook is a great tool for reconnection with old friends. When you sign up, you can chose to list the high school you attended. If people from your high school do the same, you can contact them. I've found pretty much every I knew from high school on Facebook. Facebook is so popular almost everyone has an account. Another way of reconnecting with old friends is high school reunions. At your reunion, you can meet all your long lost friends from high school. Word of mouth also works sometimes. Friends of friends hear from people you used to know and eventually you end up meeting them. Tips Reconnect with Old Friends

Recovering from the Holiday Binge - Holidays are usually the time we binge on food and alcohol throwing all our fitness/health goals out the window. Especially during the christmas/new year period. This is why most new years resolutions are to lose weight. Recovering from the binge isn't that difficult. Although a good detox is in order. A quick way to detox is to fast for a couple of days. Fasting not only let's you drop a few pounds, it also allows your body to rest from the strain of digestion and expel any bad elements in your body. But before you start fasting, consult your medical professional if you have any existing health issues. Rigorous exercise also will help you feel lighter and recovered after your holiday binge. Sweating it out at the gym will do you a world of good. Any kind of intense cardio such as running is ideal. Recovering from the Holiday Binge

Men and Dressing Better and Competitive Edge - Dressing for success is essential not only for women. But for men too. A man's appearance speaks volumes about them before they even speak. First off, dressing better instills confidence in you. You will feel as good as you look. The confidence will show with the people around you reacting positively to you. Secondly you will make a great impression. Whether it's in your work life or personal life, you will be looked on more favorably. Here is a great example. Two men walk in to a job interview. The first is dressed in business attire but doesn't look like he really takes pride in his appearance. He seems like he is not comfortable in his clothes. The second man is dressed very sharply and looks comfortable in the clothes he's in. Which man would you hire? Men and Dressing Better and Competitive Edge

Healthy Foods for Glowing Skin - Most people don't know the skin is an organ of the body like your heart, so keeping it healthy is important. The foods we eat can have a big effect on the health of the skin. Eating the right foods can add a glow everyone will notice. Blueberries, blackberries and strawberries are good for the skin. High antioxidants in these foods positively effect skin health. Walnuts and canola contain essential fatty acids improving skin health. Turkey, cereals and tuna contain selenium which is essential for healthy, glowing skin. The important thing to remember is your skin health is much like your general health. Healthy foods for the body will also be healthy for the skin. Healthy Foods for Glowing Skin

Britney Spears Hold it Against Me - Britney Spears' new single, "Hold It Against Me" was released a day ahead of schedule on Monday, getting extensive radio play and an early thumbs up from fans and critics. An early version of the dance club track was leaked online last week, and Spears told her fans via Twitter to wait for the final cut, which made its way onto airwaves a day ahead of its scheduled launch at midnight on Tuesday. Britney Spears' new single an early hit with fans "Hold It Against Me" is the first single from the pop princess in more than a year and the initial release from Spears' new album, due out in March. Britney Spears Hold it Against Me The release of the new song follows a drama-free year for Spears after her 2009 hit album "Circus", which marked the singer's musical comeback after a year-long personal and career meltdown. "Don't HOLDITAGAINSTME for coming out early. I couldn't wait any long

"The Bachelor" 2011 - At an ABC party last night, Bachelor Brad Womack said that the women on this season of The Bachelor were much more serious about finding their match. “This particular group of women was very serious about finding a guy,” Womack said. “I think the majority of them didn’t care about their five minutes of fame or anything like that. It was just to find a guy.” Host Chris Harrison said that Womack also came in with a different attitude for his second time around. “This guy [Womack] really does not like the limelight. He hates interviews, being here; I promise you—he just doesn’t love it. That’s why I’m like, ‘Dude, why are you coming back?’ Because he (a) wanted to redeem himself, but (b) he fully believes, this works. He thought, ‘It worked for me. I screwed it up. I was an ass and I screwed it up and I want to do it again.’ ” "The Bachelor" 2011

MTV "The Comedy Awards" - The cabler and fellow MTV networks Spike TV, TV Land, Nick at Nite and VH1 will air the inaugural Comedy Awards simultaneously April 10 from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Kudocast will be taped March 26. Comedy Central previously hosted the final year of the American Comedy Awards in 2001. Those kudos ran from 1987-2000 on ABC before shifting to cable for their last installment. New kudos event will honor the top laff talent and projects in television, film and standup and on the Web. The Academy Awards have sometimes been criticized for not giving enough recognition to comedy, and the Comedy Awards will credit those actors and films that often don't make the cut at the Oscars. "We really felt comedy needed its own night," Doug Herzog, president of the MTV Networks Entertainment Group, told Daily Variety. "Comedy couldn't be bigger at the box office, and TV comedies are very strong. Also, because of new platforms

Mike Epps Sued - The Hangover actor Mike Epps is apparently being sued for $1m (£641,700). A photographer is taking legal action against Epps for allegedly punching him in November. The man also claims that a friend of Epps fired a gun during the alleged incident, reports TMZ. Paparazzo Douglas Thornton suggests that he was working an event at the Key Club in Detroit that Epps was hosting. He says that the star grabbed his camera and beat him. The lawsuit also states that Thornton "ran for his life" when an associate of Epps fired shots at him outside the club. Mike Epps Sued

Best Beauty looks at People's Choice - The People's Choice Awards are not necessarily known for their breakout musical numbers, but Wednesday night's (January 5) show had a few musical surprises, such as Queen Latifah's opening number and Kid Rock's boot-stompin' "God Bless Saturday." However it's safe to say that the biggest musical moment of the evening occurred when teen queen Selena Gomez hit the stage with the Scene to perform her hit "A Year Without Rain." Gomez had the audience captivated — partly because the song is catchy, but mostly due to the headline-making news that the "Wizards of Waverly Place" star is Justin Bieber's new love interest, and fans were likely intrigued to see how Gomez's musical stylings compared to Bieber's. Gomez emerged onstage amidst low lights and fog, looking ethereal and slightly more grown-up. Although it wasn't a stadium-rocking performance à la Lady Gaga or Katy Perry,

2011 Earnings Season - Stocks are falling in early trading ahead of the start of the latest round of major corporate earnings reports. Alcoa Inc. will kick off the fourth quarter earnings season by releasing its results after the market closes Monday. Investors are starting the week with news of two large corporate deals. DuPont said that it is buying a Danish food maker for $5.8 billion. Separately, Duke Energy said it will buy Progress Energy in a $13 billion plus deal that will create one of the nation's largest utility companies. After the opening bell, the Dow Jones industrial average is down 61, or 0.5 percent, to 11,612. The S&P 500 is off 7, or 0.6 percent, to 1,264. The Nasdaq composite is down 16, or 0.6 percent, to 2,687. 2011 Earnings Season

Animals Killed left to rot in British Safari Park - A safari park tightened up practices after a former employee claimed animals had been dumped and left to rot. Ex-official park photographer Penny Boyd took shocking pictures of the carcasses at Knowsley Safari Park, and was so concerned about what she had seen that she told Knowsley council. Her gruesome dossier showed a dead deer, allegedly left for at least four days, another deer allegedly left in a plastic container for at least 10 days; several animal carcasses left out in the open and a bloodied baboon in a bin bag. Animals Killed left to rot in British Safari Park Yesterday, park manager David Ross said there had been a full investigation into Ms Boyd’s allegations and assured visitors “robust new procedures” were now in place concerning the storage of dead animals. The photographs – which were taken last year – have only just emerged. Mr Ross admitted there had been a period over the Easter holidays last year when

Steve Murawski Overfishing Ended - For the first time in at least a century, U.S. fishermen won't take too much of any species from the sea, one of the nation's top fishery scientists says. The projected end of overfishing comes during a turbulent fishing year that's seen New England fishermen switch to a radically new management system. But scientist Steve Murawski said that for the first time in written fishing history, which goes back to 1900, "As far as we know, we've hit the right levels, which is a milestone." "And this isn't just a decadal milestone, this is a century phenomenon," said Murawski, who retired last week as chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service. Steve Murawski Overfishing Ended Murawski said it's more than a dramatic benchmark — it also signals the coming of increasingly healthy stocks and better days for fishermen who've suffered financially. In New Eng

Carlos Castro Dead - The mother of a Portuguese model taken into custody in New York following the slaying and castration of a Portuguese celebrity journalist says her son is innocent. Odilia Pereirinha also told Portugal's TVIndependente television network her son Renato Seabra "was not Carlos Castro's lover." The 65-year-old Castro was bludgeoned and castrated on Friday in the New York City hotel room he had shared with Seabra. Seabra had not been charged as of Sunday. Friends in New York said they were a couple. Pereirinha said Sunday before heading to New York that her son "never hid his sexuality: that he is heterosexual." Portugal's Lusa news agency said Monday that Portuguese officials would meet with Seabra. Carlos Castro Dead

Chevy Volt 2011 Car of the Year - The plug-in Chevrolet Volt was named North American Car of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday. The Ford Explorer was voted Truck of the Year in the awards handed out during the media preview days at the auto show. The North American car and truck of the year awards are voted on by a jury of up to 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. While General Motors (GM) acknowledges the Volt won't add to the automakers profits for years, GM has used the car as a marketing tool. The Volt appeared in Chevrolet advertising for years before its November introduction. Many industry analysts were worried that if the Volt turned out to be a bad car -- or even a mediocre car -- GM's image would be badly tarnished. Fortunately for GM, journalists and analysts have largely given the car a favorable greeting. Chevy Volt 2011 Car of the Year

Man Traded Meth for Stolen Car - State Police say a man pulled over in a suspected stolen vehicle indicated he used methaphetamine to buy the car from a woman. State Police in South Charleston told WSAZ-TV that Jerry Wayne Means admitted swapping two grams of meth for the car. Means was pulled over on U.S. 119 on Saturday night. He was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, delivery of a controlled substance, operating a vehicle without a driver's license, petit larceny and grand larceny. Means was being held Sunday at the South Central Regional Jail. A jail officer declined to give Means' age or hometown. Jail records didn't indicate whether Means had an attorney. Man Traded Meth for Stolen Car

Winters and Band of Brothers - The passing of Maj. Richard "Dick" Winters has reduced the ranks of the legendary "band of brothers," the men of Easy Company, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. But their valor lives on in today's troops, especially the young men and women of the Army's "Screaming Eagles" 101st Airborne Division. Winters and Band of Brothers As a reporter who has regularly traveled through Afghanistan with them, let me assure you at some moment, suddenly, Easy Company is there with you in that war zone, just as earlier members of E Company were there for each other and for their country in World War II. It was a blustery, wind-blown morning in November 2008 in Afghanistan. I was on Forward Operating Base Shank with a small unit of the 101st when suddenly the ghosts of Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and Bastogne were just off in the mists. Another war, another time, another generation -- but t

Bullitt Director Dies - Peter Yates, the four-time Oscar-nominated British director of Bullitt, Breaking Away and The Dresser, has died in London after a long illness. He was 82. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art whose first film as a director was the lightweight Cliff Richard and the Shadows vehicle Summer Holiday, Yates made his name with the action-packed 1967 crime thriller Robbery, a dramatisation of the great train robbery. Hollywood beckoned, and Yates's first US effort, Bullitt, featured the first car chase in the modern style, with star Steve McQueen himself taking the wheel for a large part of a bravura extended sequence in which his Ford Mustang slaloms and chicanes through the streets of San Francisco. Bullitt Director Dies Academy recognition came later in Yates's career with the 1979 coming-of-age tale Breaking Away. The comedy about four working-class teens who take on students from the local university in a cycle race was nominated for five