Bra-vo!

That's one lucky guy! Scientist tries the new bra/gas mask. Photo: Steven Senne, AP

There are plenty of things we've hidden inside our bras: The odd dollar bill when we couldn't bother with a purse, or tissues before that late growth spurt finally kicked in...
But a gas mask? Now there's a first.

A sexy pink bra that transforms into two gas masks earned its creators, Dr. Elena Bodnar, Dr. Raphael Lee and Sandra Marijan, a win in the public health category at last night's Ig Nobel awards ceremony, which recognizes scientific work that blends the unconventional with the practical, The Daily Mail reports.

According to the paper, each bra cup doubles as a gas mask, which means that you and your pal can decide whether death-by-nuclear-assault is preferable to sticking your face into someone else's used bra.

Decisions, decisions.

Dr. Bodnar -- who got her start investigating the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear tragedy -- insists that the bra can be used in a number of high-risk situations, citing the 9/11 attacks and the recent dust storm in Sydney, Australia, adds the source.

"You have to be prepared all the time, at any place, at any moment, and practically every woman wears a bra," she told the paper.

Regardless of cup size, the bra is reportedly designed to fit over a person's nose and mouth.

Hmmm... sounds like just the thing to get us through this swine flu outbreak -- or at the very least, help us survive our boyfriend's next trip to Taco Bell.

Red Durian

Monday September 28, 2009

Unique red durian making heads turn

By RUBEN SARIO

KOTA KINABALU: A durian species is turning heads among visitors to Sabah, thanks to its uniquely reddish flesh.

Known among the Kadazandusun community as sukang or tabelak, the fruit is also called “durian hutan”, as it is mainly found growing wild in the jungles of Sabah.

Thorny abundance: A sukang or ‘durian hutan’ tree heavy with fruits during its fruiting season.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjum said he did not know anyone cultivating sukang (its scientific name is Durio gravolens) as there was generally not much enthusiasm among locals for wild durian.

Its flesh is said to be thinner and drier compared with the cultivated fruit which is of thicker and creamier texture.

The taste is about similar with other durians, although some have described it as sweetish sour.

Masidi said the sukang’s main attraction is its red-coloured flesh.

Rare colour: Once opened, the red flesh of the sukang is revealed.

“That’s the main thing that makes it stand out,” he said, adding that this type of durian also fetched a lower price than the more common fruit.

The small-sized fruits, some about the size of a sepak takraw ball, are sold for as little as RM2 to RM3 when they are in season.

Masidi, who grew up in interior Ranau where sukang are plentiful, said some people who had tasted the fruit for the first time claimed that it had a more potent “kick”.

“Maybe it’s because this particular type of durian is generally more pungent,” he added. Others who have tasted sukang describe it having a carrot-like flavour.

Links: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/28/nation/4793428&sec=nation

Why every child needs a GPS cell phone

Sony Ericsson W760 (GPS Handphone)

Overprotective parents are keeping kids indoors. Now technology can set them free.
By Mike Elgan August 22, 2009 06:00 AM ET


Computerworld - The root of America's health crisis is bad habits formed in childhood. To protect children from harm, parents are keeping kids indoors, where they get sick, watch TV and form lifelong habits of screen addiction, inactivity and junk-food overeating.
It's time to tag and release the children. We have the technology.

The solution: 'Big Brother' mother
Cell phones with GPS capability designed for kids give parents the best of both worlds. Parents can let kids play outside instead of watching a screen indoors, but they can also monitor junior's every movement and protect them from harm. They let parents call to check in -- and allow the child to phone home. Some even have panic buttons, and automatic alerts when kids are in danger.

Wherify's GPS Child Locator is a rugged GPS and cell phone wrist watch that enables parents to track kids on an online map. Parents can set specific times of day when the watch sends the child's location, and send text messages that can be read by the wearer. Pressing two buttons on the watch simultaneously calls 911. The watch locks onto the wrist, so kids can't remove it. Parents, however, can remotely unlock it.

The Num8 watch from the U.K.-based Lok8u lets parents monitor their kids' locations on the Lok8u Web site. They can also check in via SMS. By texting the watch, the watch replies with location. Location service is turned on when the watch is placed on the wrist. If the watch is removed, the parent's cell phone gets an alert immediately telling where it happened.

A company called Hop-On makes a product called the ChitterChatter Phone. It provides location data, and also has a one-button preprogrammed calling feature. The ChitterChatter Phone can be lashed to the wrist as a watch, but can also be worn around the neck or placed in a backpack or pocket.

The Amber Alert GPS gives location to the parents, but it also has a kind of "panic button" that, when pressed, sends an alert to up to five parent-programmed cell phone numbers. It also enables parents to set up a zone where the child is allowed to go. If junior exits the zone, the device sends out constant alerts showing current location. It has other features too, such as the ability to send alerts when the child is in a speeding car, or is in a hot place (such as a car with windows rolled up) or a cold place (such as a walk-in freezer).

TrackMyKids.com offers a device that isn't wearable as a wristwatch, but goes in a pocket or backpack. It shows not only where your child is, but everywhere he's been. It allows alerts when kids leave parent-designated zones, and has three programmable speed-dial buttons. It even has what the company calls "Taxi mode" that requires the child to respond once per minute.
If you're a parent, having your child wear or carry a GPS cell phone device is a great idea. But what we need is a mass cultural movement to embrace them. GPS cell phones should be as common on kids as sneakers and backpacks. Safety is multiplied when your kids -- and your kids' friends -- all have them. Children gravitate toward each other and play in groups. If any child has an accident, or gets lost or abducted, all the other kids can immediately alert parents and police, complete with exact location data.

Cell phones with GPS designed for kids help overprotective parents protect their offspring not only from strangers, accidents and getting lost, but also the disastrous health affects they are sure to suffer if kept indoors.

Mike Elgan writes about technology and global tech culture. Contact Mike at mike.elgan@elgan.com,follow him on Twitter or his blog, The Raw Feed.

Siakap or Barramundi

Origin of name
Barramundi is a loanword from a Queenslander Australian language of the Rockhampton area[1] meaning "large-scaled river fish".[2] Originally, the name barramundi referred to saratoga and Gulf saratoga.[3] However, the name was appropriated for marketing reasons during the 1980s, a decision which has aided in raising the profile of this fish significantly.[3] L. calcarifer is also known as the giant perch, giant seaperch, Asian seabass, Australian seabass, white seabass, and by a variety of names in other local languages, such as Siakap in Malay. It is nicknamed the silver jack.

Description
Barramundi are a salt and freshwater sportfish, targeted by many. They have large silver scales, which may become darker or lighter, depending on their environment. Their bodies can reach up to 1.8 meters long, though evidence of them being caught at this size is scarce.
Barramundi are mainly a summertime fish, but can be caught all year round, and may be found frolicking in mud. They are usually targeted using both hard and soft bodied lures.

Please click this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barramundi

RON 95 pumps up popularity among motorists

KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists are taking to the newly- introduced RON 95 petrol.
Petronas Dagangan Berhad senior general manager (retail business division) Mohd Fadzlan Abdul Samad said early sales at Petronas stations in Putrajaya showed that many people were buying the Primax 95 petrol.
Mohd Fadzlan said 65% of users at the two Petronas stations at Putrajaya offering the petrol have switched to using the product since it was launched in May.
“We predict that by the time it’s available nationwide on Sept 1, more people will switch to RON 95,” he said when launching the sale of Primax 95 at the Petronas station at the Middle Ring Road 2 in Kepong here on Tuesday.
Petronas is the only company offering RON 95 for now. The new petrol grade is priced at RM1.75 per litre.
The station in Kepong was also the first Petronas station in Kuala Lumpur and the third in Malaysia to provide RON 95.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/2/nation/4230855&sec=nation

DEATH OF A TRUE POP LEGEND (1958 - 2009)

REMEMBERING MICHAEL JACKSON

Pop icon Michael Jackson dead: official

Michael Jackson died after suffering a cardiac arrest, officials confirmed, sending shockwaves around the entertainment world as stunned stars and fans mourned the loss of the tortured music icon known as the "King of Pop."
Los Angeles County Coroner's office spokesman Lieutenant Fred Corral told CNN that Jackson, 50, was pronounced dead at 2:26 pm (2126 GMT) local time, roughly two hours after paramedics were first called to the star's home.
"I can tell you at this time that we were notified by West Los Angeles Police Department detectives that Mr Jackson was transported... to the hospital, and upon admitting, he was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at approximately 2:26 this afternoon," Corral told CNN.
Corral said an autopsy would "most likely" be carried out on Friday but would not speculate on the exact cause of death.
"Everything is still ongoing. We will be responding to the hospital to move Mr Jackson to our facility where he will be examined to determine the cause of death," Corral said.
"As far as I'm aware, we were notified by LAPD detectives that Mr Jackson was brought in by paramedics to the hospital in full cardiac arrest and then he was later pronounced dead.
National and local television networks showed hundreds of media and onlookers gathered at UCLA Medical Center, while CNN showed police motorcycle riders surrounding Jackson's rented mansion as crowds of tourists and fans gathered, snapping photographs of the property's wrought iron gates.
Lana Brown, a 49-year-old tourist from Dallas, broke down in tears as she digested the news.
"Right today I can't believe we might have lost the best entertainer this world has ever seen," she told AFP.
CNN reported that several of Jackson's siblings had gathered at the hospital.
Jackson's death came as the singer prepared to make a keenly anticipated concert comeback in London, his first series of shows in more than a decade and the first since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges.
However those concerts -- billed as the "final curtain" -- were thrown into doubt after Jackson pushed back the opening dates last month.
Organizers of the concerts at the time stressed the delay was not linked to Jackson's health. When asked about Jackson's physical condition, Randy Phillips of concert backers AEG Live said: "I would trade my body for his tomorrow. He's in fantastic shape."
While Jackson reigned as the "King of Pop" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his colorful public behavior, his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.
Jackson lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges including child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.
Despite his acquittal, the trial was a body blow from which the pop music superstar struggled to recover.
Four years later, Jackson was still worshipped by fans for revolutionizing music, dance and music videos at the peak of his success.
The attention however paid to him in recent years was less flattering, focusing on apparent cosmetic surgery -- which he denies -- his baby dangling antics and a decade of swirling child abuse allegations.
Born on August 29, 1958, Jackson made his show business debut with four of his older brothers in the Jackson Five pop group, and went on to lead the stage clan with a piping soprano and dazzling dance moves.
By 1969, the group had signed a contract with Motown Records, becoming one of the last great acts to emerge from the legendary label.
The Jacksons produced seven platinum singles for Motown, selling over a million, and three multi-platinum albums, selling more than two million. They moved to CBS's Epic Records in 1976.
Despite the early success, Jackson was to recall those years as unhappy and lonely ones. Eventually the family act broke up, as Jackson went solo.
In 1979, Quincy Jones produced Jackson's first solo album for Epic, "Off the Wall," a huge disco-oriented success that sold 10 million copies.
They teamed up again in 1982 for what would be Jackson's breakthrough album as a composer and co-producer, "Thriller," which became the top-selling album of all time, with sales exceeding 41 million.
Jones reacted with shock after being informed of Jackson's death Thursday.
"I'm absolutely devastated at this news," he said. "I just don't have the words. Divinity brought our souls together and allowed us to do what we could do through the '80s," Jones said.
"To this day that music is played in every corner of the world, and the reason is because he had it all -- talent, grace, and professionalism. I've lost my little brother today and part of my soul has gone with him."