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Located in north central Spain, Rioja is the most famous of Spain's wine-producing region. The relatively long growing season here enables the fruit to ripen thoroughly without undue loss of acidity, permitting intensely flavored, complex Rioja wines with medium weight, moderate alcohol, and plenty of structure for aging. The finest Rioja wine-blends based on Tempranillo, with some jammy Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano, have always been easier on the head and stomach than most of the world's other serious reds, with more flavor and complexity than would seem possible from wines carrying a relatively low 12% to 13% alcohol. But the movement for Rioja wines today is toward riper, bigger, and darker wines.
Rioja is divided into three zones. Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, which comprise the western half of the greater Rioja area, are relatively cool, although protected from the coldest Atlantic winds by the Sierra de Cantabria mountain range- Tempranillo country par excellence. Farther to the east and south is the warmer, drier Rioja Baja, a distinctly Mediterranean climate conducive to the softer, lower-acid, higher-alcohol Garnacha (Grenache), which complements the Tempranillo. Most Riojas are blends from vineyards within one of these regions, if not from more than one region, but the trend in recent years has been toward wines from more closely defined areas, if not from single sites.
Rioja wine has traditionally been released only when deemed ready to drink by its maker. But an increasing number of producers are making Rioja wine from mostly or all Tempranillo grown in favored sites, aging them for a shorter period in smaller, newer barrels (often of French rather than American oak), and releasing them earlier. These new wines are darker, more robust and more tannic than traditionally styled wines from the region, and often possess more primary fruit flavors.
Spain has more acres under vine than any other country and ranks third in production behind Italy and France. Much of this output continues to be hot-country jug wine made to satisfy the everyday thirsts of the domestic and greater European markets. But many inexpensive Spanish wines that once were rustic, tired, or dried out have been replaced by bottlings that are lush, round, ripe, and cleanly made. Regions that previously made blended Spanish wines that were virtually too strong to be bottled on their own, such as Tarragona, Valencia, Yecla, Jumilla, and Toro are now firmly in the table wine business, even if these wines of Spain can be alarmingly high in alcohol.
At the high end are exciting new bottlings from the historically important Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions in north-central Spain and from the wild, hilly Priorat in Cataluña, in the northeast corner of the country. A new generation of Spanish wine makers has begun crafting wines in a distinctly modern international style: deeply colored, very ripe, and high in alcohol, generally aged in a high percentage of new French oak, and often quite pricey. The majority of these wines are based on Tempranillo, Spain's most distinguished red variety. While the ultimate quality and longevity of these Spanish wines are yet to be proven, these new bottlings have unquestionably captured the attention of wine drinkers both inside and outside Spain.
Although much of Spain bakes in the sun for at least half the year, the country actually covers a vast range of climates-from the cooler and much wetter Atlantic-influenced northwest, to the arid, blazing Mediterranean south and southeast-so vintage generalizations are tricky with Spanish wines. Moreover, the majority of Spain's better vineyards lie at relatively high altitude, where summer nights are cool even when afternoons are stifling. " e wines and is perfect with any chocolate dessert.
Tempranillo, arguably the most famous of Spain's native grapes, is a vibrant, aromatic varietal that offers spicy, red fruit aromas and flavors. The grape's name translates to "little early one," a moniker that references fruit's early ripening tendency-- Tempranillo thrives even with a short growing season.
The varietal is at its best in top Riojas, where oak aging is employed to generate increased complexity and harmony. From the best sites, these wines can be remarkably concentrated with great aging potential. New wines from this region are darker, and more robust, with more dynamic primary fruit flavors than traditionally styled examples. These wines seem to reflect the influence of Spain's other key region for Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero. Regardless of style, Riojas tend to be medium bodied wines, with more acid than tannins. These wines generally feature Tempranillo blended with Garancha, Mazuelo, and Graciano. For these wines, there are three quality levels, which will appear on the label. Everyday drinking wines fall under the category of "Crianza", "Reserva" denotes more complex and concentrated wines, and "Gran Reserva" refers to the most intense wines, made only in the best years.
The same labeling scheme applies to wines from Ribera del Duero, which, like Rioja, is dominated by Tempranillo and shares similar blending grapes. Again, Ribera del Duero wines are generally darker and more powerful than the most traditional Riojas. These wines also generally see less oak treatment than Riojas. From Rioja, we like wines from Marques de Caceres, Montecillo, and Cune. In Ribera del Duero, consider Dominio de Pingus, Convento San Francisco, and Pesquera.
In Portugal, Tempranillo is called Tinta Roriz, where it is used to produce wines that are fragrant and complex, with good color, body, backbone, and resistance to oxidation despite possessing only moderate acidity. The second most widely planted variety in the Douro region of Portugal, it is increasingly popular as a stand-alone variety for dry red wines. (Tinta Roriz is called Aragonez in Alentejo, where it is softer and more liqueur-like.)
Pair older-style Rioja with simple meats like chicken, leg of lamb, and pork loin. However, the newer style of Rioja and Ribera del Duero works especially well with bolder meat dishes or an aged Spanish cheese like Manchego or Idiazabal.
2006 had 12 regions scored 95 or above. Germany got the highest score, with a 98.
Other regions that scored 95 points or higher were Barolo (Piedmont), Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany), Tuscany, Bolgheri (Tuscany), Chianti Classico (Tuscany), Barbaresco (Piedmont), Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (Germany), Napa, Piedmont (Italy), Ribera del Duero (Rioja), and Sonoma.
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Friday October 31, 2008 9:07 pm
Our Xbox Avatar wishes you Happy Halloween
Posted by Andru Edwards - Categories: Announcements, Video Games
It's Halloween, and we just know that some of you are gonna be going crazy tonight, and that you could care less about any warnings. Nevertheless, we want to wish everyone a safe Halloween, don't drown while bobbing for apples (do people still do that?) and don't overdose on candy. Leave that to us. As an aside, what you see to the right is my Xbox Avatar, all dressed up for Halloween. What's the costume? Beats me, but its still cool. In case you haven't seen it, go ahead and check out our New Xbox Experience video tour for a look at all the avatar love, coming November 19th.
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Category: cool name art
Nameberry Style columnist Elisabeth Wilborn, doyenne of The Itsy Factor and You Can't Call It It, has a wonderful treat for all our Facebook friends and their friends this week: a chance to win a beautiful, personalized art print by Sarah & Abraham. Here's her scoop.
Here at Nameberry, we're big devotees of the unusual name. We're thrilled to hear of a new little Eloise or Aloysius. But we don't take much time to consider the fact that our beloved, uncommon monikers are never to be found on a personalized placemat.
Until now.
Meet Sarah + Abraham, a company that specializes in monogrammed wares for children. They don't just stop at the name either. You can order customized placemats, plates, bowls, water bottles, announcements, invitations, wall art and more — that's a whole selection of their wares pictured above — to match the spitting image of your child! How fun is that?
As much as I try to emphasize sharing, my own daughters are already very much in tune with what is "their own." What better way to celebrate individuality than a gift made especially for your favorite person in the world? Young Thisbe will certainly appreciate it.
Today we have a special giveaway from Sarah + Abraham! One lucky winner will receive a personalized wall art print of their choice, either 8" x 10" or 11" x 14" in any of the styles pictured below.


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January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December - Next Year (2018)
Ludlow Events Organisers! Add your event to The Ludlow Website, it's FREE & easy. - Click here for details
Start Date:
Sunday, 05 February 2017
End Date:
Sunday, 05 February 2017
Time: 9am to 4pm
Type of Event: Antiques
Venue: Ludlow Market
Castle Square
SY8 1AS www.ludlow.org.uk/ludlowmarket.html
An Antique and Collectors Fair held at Ludlow Market in Castle SquareA wide range of antiques and collectibles from over 30 different stall holders.Usually held forntightly on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month.Ludlow has held street markets since the 12th century. Nowadays, a traditional open-air market, managed by Ludlow Town Council, takes place in the town square (Castle Square) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday throughout the year. In addition to the regular market, most Sundays see the market stalls being used either as a Antiques & Collectors Market or
Location Map of Ludlow Market
Ludlow Events Organisers! Add your event to The Ludlow Website, it's FREE & easy. - Click here for details


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Thursday, May 31, 2007
There's a great book waiting to be written about how to handle working in a setting where 'leapfrog' is rewarded, when you're the one being leaped.
Organizationally, leapfrog is when someone goes over her supervisor's head to get what he wants. When the organization makes a practice – even if only sporadically – of rewarding leapfrog, it will instantly turn too much of its energy inward on political maneuvering, and lose focus on dealing with the outside world.
(Before the inevitable flaming, I'll draw a distinction between leapfrogging and appealing. Appealing is open; the person whose decision is being appealed gets a turn to speak; the person making the appeal carries the burden of proof; the decision is based on the merits of the case. Leapfrogging is secretive, the person being leaped often doesn't know it happened until after the fact, the burden of proof is random or nonexistent, and the decision is based on heaven knows what. I have no problem with an appeal process, properly understood, but a huge problem with leapfrogging.)
Although there can be a short-term temptation to reward the occasional leapfrog, the long-term damage is terrible.
The temptation comes from a few factors. First, and most obviously, it makes an obviously-angry person go away for a little while. This shouldn't matter, but sometimes it does. Of course, it creates another angry person very quickly, and a whole extra bunch of angry people over time as folks discover that anger gets rewarded.
Second, sometimes the leaper makes a compelling (immediate) case. This is especially true when the person in the middle has some known shortcomings or blind spots that seem to be relevant in a given instance. Everybody is wrong sometimes, regardless of level. Heaven knows I've made a few decisions that, looking back, make me wince. It happens. A higher-up who isn't taking the long view, who is focusing only on what's right in front of him, will be tempted to 'fix' the immediate problem.
Big mistake.
Finally, some people live in terror of the dreaded "he knew about it and didn't do anything!" By doing something, even if it's ill-advised and destructive, you can look decisive. George W. Bush is a terrible decider, but he's decisive. Gotta give him that. In the immortal line from Animal House, "There's a time for thinking and a time for acting. And this is no time for thinking!"
But if the leaper gets rewarded, the leaped (lept?) is immediately rendered irrelevant. And the irony is that what might, at first, look like a blow for the little guy – I beat my boss! -- actually works to concentrate power more centrally, in the office of an even bigger boss. Because a boss who makes decisions on a whim can change them on a whim. Replacing a process model – as slow and frustrating as it is – with a patron/client model only empowers the boss.
All of that said, it's still hard to know how to function as the leaped/lept. You can try to out-leap the leapers, but that diverts energy from what needs to be done and implicitly endorses what they're doing. You can try to ignore it, but when the higher-ups change the play, they change the play. You can try to talk the higher-ups out of it, but in my experience, self-awareness is a rare thing; very few people are capable of moving from abstract recognition to actual behavior change. Or you can try to pretend that whatever the final result was was what you intended all along, but that comes at the cost of both credibility and self-respect.
Is there an elegant strategy I'm missing? Other than the Hobson's choice of either rolling over or quitting, is there a better way to manage a situation in which leapfrogging is rewarded?
Why do people leapfrog? Is it merely because it's a way to get what they want? I'd say no. I think people leapfrog because they don't trust the person who would be the immediate go-to person to listen to them and to act on their behalf. This is not to say that the person would not listen to them or act on their behalf, but there is a perception that they wouldn't. To me, that is the problem that the leaped person has to address - the perception that they will not listen to others, that they will not act on behalf of others whose claims have merit.
Now, in my experience, this perception does not only result from one kind of leadership style. The person who seems indecisive and like he wants to make everybody happy all of the time can be leaped because he's seen as ineffective and the person who seems like she is a blowhard who only cares about her own perspective can be leaped because she doesn't care about any ideas but her own.
So how does one resolve this? Well, I'd say what I'd do (though again, i'm no expert) is that I would court the usual suspects who leapfrog. Invite them for meetings about things that are pretty minor, take their opinions into account, and make decisions that they will see came out of their input. EARN THEIR TRUST. Then, when it comes to the big-deal things that normally they'd go over your head about, they'll me more likely to think that you might be the better go-to person. Will this work? Who knows. But it's the way I'd go.
I'd have to agree with Anonymous that your (my) immediate boss has to have a firm strategy of bouncing all such items back to the appropriate level, unless of course they are complaints about *you* and then, they should be duty bound to investigate all sides before taking any action.
They escalate because the person above isn't as familiar with the situation, so they have a chance to decide which facts to reveal, so they can selectively omit/lie as they choose without getting caught. As well, the boss's boss has less time to deal with the issue (more responsibilities) and is thus more likely to make a decision just to get rid of them.
After that, I agree that the problem is at the boss's level, and a chat with him or her is apropos, as in any work concern.
And another staff officer jumped right over that other staff officer's back,
A third staff officer jumped right over two other staff officers' backs,
And a fourth staff officer jumped right over all the other staff officers' backs.
They were only playing leapfrog,
They were only playing leapfrog,
They were only playing leapfrog,
When one staff officer jumped right over another staff officer's back.
-- Oh What A Lovely War
Seriously, I think there's a difference between the one-off or occasional leaper (getting a particular hobby horse along) and leaping which is about a stronger connection between the leaper and the one leapt to. It's like the difference between drunk conference sex and an affair. I think the leaped-over has to take a gut-check on it. If it's a one-off you can give a "I really don't agree with this but I'll go along if you both think it's a great idea, but I'm unhappy about the way this has come about and I hope it won't happen again". If the leap is more like an organizational affair, where say both leaper and leapt-to share a personality-based organizational style that seems impeded by your process orientation, things get much more difficult.
I agree with dr crazy that you just need to make an effort to stay close to people who leapfrog, so you get more information about where and when the leaps are coming. Easier said than done, especially when some kind of personal antipathy (or disconnect)between leaper and leaped is usually a factor in the leap.
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Here is a good one. A Spin-Champ, rod and reel combo, manufactured by Life-Time MFG. Co., Chicago, Illinois, in the 1940s. The reel seems to work as it should. There may not be an anti-reverse built into this reel. If there is it could be hung-up, missing or broken as one isn't working. The rod is a two piece about 82" in total length, and is of solid fiberglass. All eyes and wrapping are very good. If you look at the fourth photo, to the left of the cork handle, you can see where the line comes through and then to the first eye on the rod. This combo was patent pending. From what I understand this was never given a patent number. This was a competitor to the Whirl-away and may have lost the patent fight. And that could be a reason why these are hard to find. When using, the reel is under the rod. To cast, the handle crank is turned backwards. If anyone has more information on this rod and reel, I'd be happy to hear it, there is not much at all on the internet.


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College district would become second in state to add protections
DAVID TAFFET | Staff Writer
On Tuesday, Oct. 4, Dallas County Community College District board of trustees was briefed in closed-door session about adding gender identity and expression to its nondiscrimination policy.
The district already has protection based on sexual orientation.
If the board votes to approve the change, DCCCD would become only the second community college in Texas to add gender identity and expression to its nondiscrimination policies. San Jacinto College, with three campuses based in Pasadena, east of Houston, is currently the only two-year college in the state to offer those protections.
Resource Center Dallas Communications and Advocacy Manager Rafael McDonnell said he has been talking to DCCCD Trustee Diana Flores since spring about adding transgender protections, and had hope the changes would be in place for the fall semester.
But the issue was not added to the agenda at the September meeting as hoped. Staff told McDonnell they expected it to be on the consent agenda at the October meeting. Instead the board received a briefing.
McDonnell said he didn't think the policy would have a problem passing, and that the briefing was about how to implement the change.
He said he hopes the policy would come up at next month's meeting and be in place by the start of the spring semester.
DCCCD is the largest school in Texas, with 72,000 students in seven colleges on 13 campuses. The school employs 7,200 full- and part-time faculty, staff and administrators.
The district is governed by a board of trustees who are elected for six-year terms and serve without compensation.
McDonnell said Flores, one of the seven elected trustees, has been the champion of adding transgender protections.
The University of Texas at Austin website lists 55 community colleges or community college districts in Texas. Just six of those districts have nondiscrimination policies that specifically include sexual orientation.
In addition to DCCCD and San Jacinto College, Tarrant County College, Austin Community College, Houston Community College and Lone Star College System in North Harris and Montgomery Counties north of Houston offer protection based on sexual orientation.
Collin County Gay and Lesbian Alliance has approached Collin County Community College in the past about adding LGBT protections to its nondiscrimination policy, but the school has not done so.
With the growing LGBT population in the suburbs north of Dallas, McDonnell thought that school would be one of the next to add protections.
Other two-year schools in the area include Corsicana-based Navarro College with campuses in Waxahachie and Midlothian and Gainesville-based North Central Texas College with campuses in Flower Mound and Corinth. Neither has policies specifically protecting LGBT students, faculty and staff.
Among its student activities, Navarro College lists P.R.I.S.M. (GSA). That gay-straight alliance group formed last year. The listing links to no additional web page. With its active LGBT student group, McDonnell thought Navarro College might be among the next schools approached to add protections.
Out at Collin is an LGBT group at CCCC and under that organization's membership requirements, a nondiscrimination policy includes sexual orientation and gender identity.
That is the only student group that does include such a policy, however.
Although the CCCC listing links to a page, the words gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender are not found on there. Only goals of the group, such as "Empower the misunderstood and give a voice to the under-represented" and "Bring awareness and dispel stereotypes to the larger community" are listed.
NCTC has fewer student activities than the other area colleges and lists no organized LGBT group. But most of the 13 "Official Student Organizations" listed on the Corinth and
Flower Mound campuses are curriculum-related. The only social groups are Christians In Action and Latino Leadership Council.
Although a written nondiscrimination policy doesn't insure equal treatment, it does give an employee or student some recourse.
Protections in the Tarrant County College policies were added after instructor Jackie Gill was fired because of her perceived sexual orientation. She filed a lawsuit against the school on Sept. 7. Lambda Legal is representing her in the case.
Lambda Legal staff attorney Ken Upton said that the school has retained an attorney and has another month to answer the charges. He said that they will have 90 days to six months to do discovery.
"Then I suspect they'll order alternative dispute resolution," he said, meaning mediation or arbitration.
Upton said Gill's case is interesting because she was fired before TCC had sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy.
He said the school would have to show that they have a legitimate reason to dismiss faculty based on their sexual orientation. But if they did have a legitimate reason, why would they have added the category to their nondiscrimination policy?
"Private companies have great policies that are not enforceable in court," Upton said. But a government agency that has a nondiscrimination policy covering sexual orientation would have to show a compelling interest to fire gays and lesbians.
Despite her treatment by one faculty member, Gill "wants to teach and she loves the school," Upton said. "They have five campuses and they have a demand. They're looking for instructors."
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 7, 2011.


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Add a few drops of red food coloring to three or four spoonfuls of fruit spread and stir well. The coloring helps make the spread a bright, Valentine red. The amount of spread doesn't have to be exact; just make as much as you think you'll use and add coloring to your liking.
Spoon small amounts of the spread onto the tops of the vanilla wafers. Shape the spread into hearts or circles. Add coconut flakes or nuts on top of the spread to decorate. You can also add chocolate or carob chips or Valentine candy by putting a small amount of spread on the bottom of each piece and sticking the pieces onto the wafers.


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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- There may be large energy takeovers and a continuation of telecom, retail and health-care mergers and acquisitions this year, according to research firm Morningstar. Morningstar, known for its mutual fund ratings, published on Tuesday a list of its top takeover targets for 2013, highlighting energy sector companies BG Group ( BRGYY) and Chesapeake Energy ( CHK), in addition to retail giant Kohl's ( KSS), medical-products manufacturer Abiomed ( ABMD) and Los Angeles-based lender City National ( CYN). Morningstar analysts R.J. Hottovy and Bridget Freas said telecom company Leap Wireless ( LEAP), agricultural giant Mosiac ( MOS), gas driller Sandridge Energy ( SD), clothing retailer Guess ( GES), wireless provider NII Holdings ( NIHD) and medical-contract research specialist Icon Plc ( ICLR) could be taken out in 2013. The analysts notably dropped rig contractor Transocean ( RIG) and Nasdaq ( NDAQ) from their list after the companies made their 2012 roster of takeover picks. Heath-care provider Amerigroup ( AGP), which was taken over by WellPoint ( WLP) in July 2012 for $4.9 billion, was Morningstar's top 2012 M&A prediction, in which it correctly forecast a consolidation of the managed-care industry in the wake of President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in June. Other spot-on M&A picks include IBM's ( IBM) acquisition of software-as-a-service specialist Kenexa and the planned 2012 takeovers of Clearwire ( CLWR) and Warnaco ( WRC). What is most notable about Morningstar's 2013 takeover picks is the forecast of mega energy deals amid struggles by some firms to manage cash flows as they drill for onshore and offshore oil and gas. A prospective takeover of British oil and gas exploration and production giant BG Group would likely be the biggest post-crisis deal, and among the biggest ever in the energy industry. Currently, BG Group, which trades in London and on Pink Sheets in the U.S., has a market value of over $60 billion. Takeovers of Chesapeake Energy and Sandridge, currently valued at $12.6 billion and $3.4 billion, respectively, would also be important deals that might hinge on the efforts of activist investors such as Carl Icahn. BG Group and Chesapeake Energy "hold multiyear, concentrated inventory positions in key unconventional plays, are reasonably sized for an acquirer, and both have expert knowledge of how to successfully exploit North American tight oil and gas that could be valuable for a national oil company or a major seeking to develop similar plays overseas," Morningstar wrote. "Additionally, given that two activist investors now hold 20% of the common stock and a newly installed board no longer answers to embattled CEO Aubrey McClendon, Chesapeake makes our short list of potential takeout targets," the analysts said.
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Frequently, we set goals to lose weight, eat healthy, be kinder to our neighbors, exercise more, make more time for our family, learn a new skill, read more books- you get the picture. We set unrealistic goals that are abandoned before you can say "February."
New Year's resolutions do not have to be unattainable, they do not have to make you a new person, they can simply be a recommitment to what matters most to you. Here are some ways to turn your lofty goal into something attainable:
Instead of generally committing to "Eat Healthy" why not commit to substituting whole grain quinoa, or brown rice for white rice in your favorite dishes. It's easy, it's just one change! Swap whole wheat bread for white bread, or eat whole grain hot cereal once a week instead of cold cereal. How about eating vegetarian for one day a week? One day is easier than you think. Small steps towards a better, healthier you!
Instead of committing to "Exercise Every Day," how about committing to take the stairs whenever you can? We certainly don't mean that you should avoid working out altogether. On the off days, why not climb those two flights of stairs to your office, or in the parking garage? It is recommended by theAmerican Heart Association that we get 30 minutes of activity every day. Did you realize that you can get those 30 minutes at any time and not, necessarily, all at once? Three bursts of 10 minute stair climbing or walking still counts towards a healthier you!
Success rates with New Year's resolutions have been significantly linked to small, obtainable goals. Those who take a lofty goal and break it down into small, achievable goals have a much better chance of reaching the ultimate goal. Set those goals and make small steps to achieve them!
Wishing you health and wellness in the year to come,


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Willingham day to day with bruised left wrist
CLEVELAND -- Twins left fielder Josh Willingham left Sunday's game in the bottom of the second inning after being hit by a pitch on his left wrist in the first inning. He was taken for X-rays, which came back negative, and he's day to day with a bruised left wrist.
"He's sore but it's not broke," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said after the Twins beat the Indians, 10-7. "We'll figure it out tomorrow."
Willingham was plunked by Indians right-hander Justin Masterson on a 90-mph fastball with one out in the first, but remained in the game for the rest of the inning and was in left field for the bottom half of the frame.
But when the Twins took the field in the second inning, Jason Bartlett replaced Willingham in left field.
It marked Bartlett's second career appearance in left, as he also played one inning there against the White Sox on Thursday.
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Bollinger Beat, and follow him on Twitter @RhettBollinger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Apple and other multinationals that keep money overseas are not doing anything wrong on taxes, opposing political pundits agreed on CNBC. But they clashed on reforms to discourage that practice.
Anders Borg, the Swedish finance minister, tells CNBC what progress has been made so far on a European banking union.
Donal O'Mahony, global strategist at Davy, tells CNBC that when the dust settles on Cyprus investors will be left thinking about what Europe didn't do.
Lars Seier Christensen, co-founder and CEO of Saxo bank, tells CNBC that one has to assume the EU may use a depositor tax again in future crises.
Lothar Mentel, CIO of Tatton Investment Management, tells CNBC that the Cyprus situation was known for a while and that the Europeans played brinkmanship in the way they handled it.
CNBC's Steve Sedgwick grilled the president of the EU commission, José Manuel Barroso and the Russian prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, on the relationship between Europe and Russia at a press conference in Moscow.
Ruth Lea, economic advisor at Arbuthnot Banking Group says fiscal stimulus proposed in the U.K. budget is too small.
Ivan Tchakarov, chief economist at Renaissance Capital, tells CNBC that the Cyprus crisis presents an opportunity for Vladimir Putin to take the moral high ground and become the 'savior of Europe'.
Nicholas Spiro, managing director at Spiro Sovereign Strategy, tells CNBC that to take the risk on Cyprus for a puny 5.8 billion euros 'beggars belief'.
Anthony Scaramucci, managing partner at Skybridge Capital, tells CNBC that like when Lehman Brothers was allowed to fail, allowing Cyprus to fail will have unintended consequences.
Efi Xzanthou, a member of Cyprus's Green Party and Parliamentary Finance Committee, tells CNBC that as soon as they open there will be a run on the banks as no depositor will feel safe.
Stephane Deo, global head of asset allocation at UBS, tells CNBC that taxing small savers in Cyprus is the wrong thing to do, and taxing big depositors is a better solution.
The Cypriot parliament will today vote on the highly controversial levy on bank deposits, CNBC has been speaking to a number of market experts who all warn that the tax sets a dangerous precedent.
Steve Keen, professor of economics at the University of Western Sydney, argues that if you destroy the trust depositors have in their bank accounts then you destroy the oil of capitalism.
Ashraf Laidi, chief global strategist at City Index, tells CNBC that investors, who want to play the Euro without the periphery, should play the Swiss Franc.
A filing error has resulted in the delay of up to 600,000 tax refunds — among them students who need the money to pay for books and the tax receipt to apply for financial aid, the IRS said Tuesday.
An attempt by the IRS to get new regulations to stop fraud among tax preparers has hit a roadblock. The issue raises the age-old question of credibility for those who prepare our taxes.
Make sure you claim all of the tax breaks you deserve, from other taxes you have paid to expenses for job hunting, and even good deeds so small you hardly remember them.
CNBC's Eamon Javers reports the IRS is watching extra generous "charitable donations."
Jed Kolko, Trulia chief economist, explains what will happen to the housing market if mortgage interest deductions are taken away.


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We as a family love Dudley Zoo as it's local to us well two bus journey's away. It is also reasonable price admission where if it is just me partner and youngest son we pay £12 as youngest son goes free and partner goes free as my carer.
Although the hills are a it of a pain with a pushchair or if you have a wheelchair they do offer a little land train service that goes around the park to get you up the hill the downside is you do not get to see the animals at your own pace. However, the children do like the train so chances are if you are going with children you will need to go on the land train. Also if you do not mind the hills and the walking then Dudley Zoo is great for exercising so make sure you have your pedometer or fit bit on you as it will add up.
I also find staff very helpful as on one occasion when it was just me my partner and my two boys they helped me with my older lad who is being assessed for autism at the moment they helped chase my son who ran out the park and calm him down with me and my partner while other staff members looked after my little boy i was so greatful of there help even though i was a bit embarrased due to onlookers staring.
I find the animals are always well looked after and look healthy. With the enclosers looking clean and not smelling to much then you would normally expect.
There is peacocks that roam freely which is lovely to see. A castle where they have bats and you can also climb the stairs to the top and look out for miles which does look lovely just stairs are quite steep but narrow and there is no handrail. At the castle they also do ghost haunt nights although i have not been on one i have been told they are great.
As well as a farm where animals roam free and little play areas along the way there is also a little fair, places to eat amazing gift shops and shows put on throught out the day.
You can adopt animals, be a zoo keeper for the day (yes they even allow children to do this) and donate to the zoo.
They have one of the best santa grotto's around where the santa looks real the grotto looks magical and they even have reindeers on the grounds all year round.
Check website for other events that they do throught the year including a onesie day.
They do have certain days where you get return tickets (usually when it's bad weather when you go so two days for price of one).
I've stayed away from Dudley Zoo in the past because it's got a bad reputation and I had heard a lot of rumours about the animals being in small, cramped enclosures and generally being unkept. After one of my friends came back saying that she had been and really enjoyed it, I decided to give it a go, mainly because it was cheap. I along with my boyfriend and a friend visited recently and it cost us in total £34.50, that's 2 tickets at the student price of £11 and one adult at the price of £13.50. I thought that this was really good value and is a lot cheaper than other zoos I have visited.
The entrance to the Zoo is through the shop, even though they have big gates with turnstiles but these are not in use and perhaps are under improvement. The entrance gets very cramped but the staff are very quick and helpful so you aren't waiting for long. First impressions of the Zoo was that it did look a bit dated, there's peeling paint everywhere and the paths could do with revamping but once we started seeing the animals we forgot all of that and started having a really enjoyable day.
Dudley Zoo is on a hill and you have the option of either using the chairlift (which again looks quite dated) to reach the top or you can walk round seeing the animals on the way. This Zoo is definitely not wheelchair or pushchair friendly as we had to walk up quite a lot of steep hill and climb a fair few steps to reach the top.
The Zoo has a wide variety of animals and the enclosures are built in a way which allows guests to get up close to the animals, the animals all look happy and have spacious and attractive looking enclosures. One enclosure I really enjoyed was the penguins which are built with a bridge above so you can look directly down at the penguins playing in the water and sunbathing. Other animals which I particularly enjoyed seeing were the tigers and the giraffes.
There are various talks and feeding sessions available to go to so you can learn more about the animals as well as a birds of prey display held in the castle grounds. They fly around about 4 different birds of prey including a kestrel, buzzard and an owl and teach you about the birds and falconry. The staff that do this are really informative and cheerful.
As well as the basic animal enclosures there are several walkthrough exhibits, these are the Wallaby Walkthrough, Monkey Tails and Lemur Woods. There's also a Farmyard for younger guests to get up close to various farm animals.
There are a couple of reasonably priced restaurants or you can get a pass out to your car if you've packed a picnic and don't want to lug it round the zoo.
If you're not a big walker or you have small children with you there is a train which takes you to different points throughout the Zoo and leaves from the entrance.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this Zoo; the price was very reasonable for what you get out of it and is a lot cheaper than other Zoos. It is a bit dated and could do with a revamp but the animals are healthy and happy which at the end of the day is the most important thing.
* Prices - :Adult (inc £1.25 donation) £13.50*
Adult (without £1.25 donation) £12.25*
Children (3-15 yrs) £9.50
Concessions £11.00
Child with Disability £7.00
One Free Admission for Carer with Disabled Visitor
Under 3s FREE
Car Parking (all day - Pay & Display, exact change required) £3.50
* Open 10am-4pm
Dudley zoo has a reputation among locals of being a little rubbish. Apparently twenty/thirty years ago the zoo was home to many large animals including elephants and a killer whale etc. None of these animals were housed in suitable shelters and the zoo was generally considered quite a cruel and miserable place. When animal welfare laws became a little stricter the zoo were forced to part with many of these animals which now leaves most people's opinion of the place being something along the lines of 'there is nothing there.' I've very rarely heard a good word being said about the zoo.
This is probably the reason it has taken me so long to visit Dudley zoo. About eight years ago my family moved just outside of Dudley and the house we currently live in is so close to the zoo on a clear day you can see the back of it from my bedroom window. There have also been a few occasions where I've been able to hear the Lions roar from my home. Given I am a animal lover and have always enjoyed day trips to safari parks and zoos it does seem a little strange that it has taken me a whole eight years to actually go there.
But I did recently decide to give the place a try. Partly because I was annoyed at my little Sister spending the entire duration of the summer holidays sat on the internet or PS3, partly because I had a voucher which enabled one free child admission with a full paying adult, mostly because I was just curious.
So a few days ago me and my Sister woke up earlier than usual and embarked on the ten minute bus journey to the zoo. I have to say we had a thoroughly nice day out!
Dudley zoo is located within walking distance of Dudley town centre in the Black Country, West Midlands. It is about eleven miles west of Birmingham and easily accessible via car and just about all forms of public transport.
The zoo is open every day except Christmas day from 10am. In the winter months last admission is 3pm and 4pm in the Summer. The zoo closes an hour after these last admission times.
Admission prices are as follows:
Adult including £1.20 donation - £12.50
Adult not including £1.20 donation - £11.30
Children (3-15 years) - £8.90
Child with disability - £6
Concessions (adult with disability/senior citizen/student) - £9.90
Under 3's - free
One free admission for carer with a disabled visitor.
These prices are a little cheaper than other zoo's I have visited throughout the UK but then other zoos I have visited have had a lot more to offer then Dudley zoo. Within say this I still feel the admission fee is good value for money and I certainly cannot complain paying just £12.50 for myself and my little Sister using my voucher!
If you do live local to the zoo and plan to visit regularly then you can purchase a membership for just £18 which gives you unlimited access to the zoo for a whole year. This would pay for itself pretty quickly!
In terms of animals, well no, it's not the best zoo I have ever been to. But it's no where near as bad as I had heard it to be! There are definitely more smaller animals than anything else but these can be just as interesting and fun to look at and the zoo does still offer larger animals as well.
I wouldn't like to say how many animals there are but according to the zoo's wikipedia page (so don't take this as gospel) in 2006 the zoo had 940 animals and 163 different species of animal. This information doesn't sound too far fetched to me personally.
As I have mentioned, I have heard the Lions roar from my house before so I knew that the zoo had them. Upon visiting I found the zoo actually have three lions, two female and one male all of whom were beautiful! The Lions are Asiatic Lions which are apparently one of the rarest animals with only 500 left, 300 of which are in zoos and wildlife parks.
The zoo has a whole collection of different primates. From Lemurs and Spider Monkeys to Chimps and Orang Utans. There are two primate related attractions. Lemur Walk allows you to freely walk through what felt like a bit of rainforest to me (probably due to the fact it was raining but still very humid at the time) getting up close and personal with over 30 lemurs. You're not allowed to touch them but you very easily could if you were allowed.
Then there is Monkey Tails which is like a giant greenhouse. It's pretty similar to Lemur Walk in that many smaller monkeys will roam around close to you but you're not allowed to touch them. There are also a few lizards to look at in Monkey Tails.
The zoo also has one of the largest colonies of Humboldt Penguins. Sixty in fact. These were a particular highlight of my visit, very entertaining to watch!
African Hunting Dogs, Black Bears, Kangaroos, Otters, Sea Lions, Giraffes, Tigers, Reindeer, Snow Leopards and Lynxs are all found in Dudley zoo along with many more.
The good news is, the animal's now seem to be housed in good accommodation which is suited to their needs. The only problems I saw were the Giraffe enclosure which still looked a little small for all all three of them in my opinion and the fact there was only one Tiger. Given Tigers are not solitary animals I thought this was a little cruel. Other than that, everything was perfectly fine by me!
One thing I did like was the farmyard. More commonly seen animals such as rabbits, goats, chickens and pigs freely roamed around whilst members of the public were allowed to touch them and even stop to have a picture taken with them! All under the supervision of a few zoo keepers of course. I must admit I did like sitting down stroking a couple of goats, it's not every day you get to do that!
Another thing I most liked about the zoo was the fact tarantulas were not housed in the reptile house as they usually are. I'm afraid I suffer with arachnophobia rather badly and normally refuse to go into reptile houses due to my constant awareness that there are a couple of huge hairy spiders near me. I love snakes though (we used to have one when I was a small child so snakes always trigger happy childhood memories for me) and so not being able to go into reptile houses is often a huge disappointment for me.
I was, however, free to roam the reptile house at Dudley zoo with ease and peace of mind looking at least ten different species of snake along the way!
Navigating your way around the zoo is fairly easy as well. You're given a map on entrance which makes things a lot easier but everything is clearly signposted as well. If this still isn't good enough for you there is nearly always a zoo keeper near by to help you if you've lost your way.
There are a lot of steps and steep hills though. Disabled access isn't exactly wonderful. I lost count the amount of parents I saw really struggling with pushchairs. In fact, I saw a few give up trying entirely. Typical of the British weather, when I went it started to rain. The steps and slopes became rather slippy and were really quite dangerous! Me and my Sister both slipped a good number of times as well as many other visitors. Walking around was really quite scary!
I did notice a few restaurants and kiosks selling food and drink. I had packed myself and my Sister a picnic lunch so in terms of quality and cost of food and drink I cannot comment. Past experience would lead me to believe it was overpriced, these places usually are. Toilets were easy to find and appeared regularly during our walk around the zoo. These seemed to be in a tidy condition and I have no complaints there.
Once you've seen all the zoo has to offer in terms of animals then Dudley Castle is definitely worth a look at. The castle is located in the grounds of the zoo, in fact the zoo is pretty much built around it, and entrance is included with the zoo admission price.
If you're fit enough and brave enough to walk up and then back down quite a high, spiral, steep stair case then you can stand at the top of the tower and look down on the rest of the zoo whilst looking out on pretty much the whole of the Black Country!
The castle was built in the 11th century and is now a listed building. There are a number of buildings around the site of Dudley zoo which are all very old and listed. Once you get to the site of the castle the zoo turns into a bit of a local history museum! It's very informative and information is presented in a way which is understandable for both children and adults.
There is an awful lot of history to learnt at Dudley zoo as well as animals to be looked at!
So, Dudley zoo is a zoo and local history site. But there is more! It's also a mini children's fairground! There's a children's roller coaster, inflatable slides, dodgems and a few other rides aimed at the young. My sister felt she was 'too old' for these rides (she's 10) and I certainly was so we didn't spend too much time at this part of the park although there were plenty of little ones having a run around, giggling whilst their parents finally got to sit down.
The rides operate on a token basis. You purchase tokens from a kiosk. Most rides are one or two tokens per person. I remember the tokens were £1 each but you could also buy in 'bulk' at a cheaper rate although I really do not remember the prices or number of tokens available I'm afraid!
All in all, it's a fairly decent zoo. My Sister and I had a nice day (even with the rain) and would happily return again. I once heard an older women describe the zoo from her childhood memories as a 'concrete prison for animals'. I am pleased to say the zoo is no longer like this, thoroughly a much more happier and enjoyable place to be!
I would be a little disappointed if I had travelled far to visit the zoo but if you live locally or ever find yourself in the area I would recommend you take a look!
*A brief history*
I know that review writing is all about personal opinion, and there will be plenty of that to follow, but I couldn't properly review Dudley Zoo without first explaining some of the history of the site.
There has been a castle on "Castle Hill" since 1070, although some sources suggest that a wooden fort had stood on the site as far back as the 8th century. In the second half of the 13th century, work started to build a stone castle on the site, and this castle has it's own long and detailed history, too much to go into here! After the castle was ruined in a fire in 1750, it became a "romantic ruin" and was still popular as a site for fetes and festivals. In 1937, however, Dudley Zoo was built on the surrounding land, and cleverly incorporated the castle ruins as part of the attraction. Thus, visitors actually get two attractions for the price of one, when they visit, as the castle is also free to look around, once you have been admitted to the zoo.
An interesting feature of Dudley Zoo, are the old art deco style buildings dotted around the zoo. These are actually listed buildings. They were created in 1937, by Berthold Lubetkin's Tecton Group. The group had previously designed buildings at London Zoo, which led to this commission. The buildings explored the use of concrete, which at the time, was probably thought to be a good idea, but time has not been very kind to these structures. Unsuitable as animal enclosures, many have fallen into disrepair, whilst others have been incorporated into newer enclosures, or hidden behind bamboo panels! Most people consider the buildings ugly, although they do have fans too, but they have to stay, as the law regards them as historically valuable, just like the castle.
Dudley zoo is a place that I always visited with my family as a child, as it is only about 20 minutes away from where I live in Walsall. Back then, in the 1980's, I remember that they had lots of big animals, such as elephants and polar bears. They all looked very sad, pacing up and down in their concrete enclosures, but I suppose that back then, there was not as much concern for animal welfare as there is today. Likewise, some of the great apes were housed in very small, unsuitable enclosures, and looked thoroughly miserable.
*Happily, things have changed!*
In 2011, Dudley zoo is a very different place from the concrete jungle that I remember as a child. Over time, the zoo has phased out the larger animals (I was surprised to read that they even had a killer whale here in the 1960's!), in favour of smaller animals. The animal enclosures are lovely and big, with lots of sensory stimulation for the animals that live at the zoo, which all look very happy and healthy. Of the big animals that remain, there are some Tigers, Lions, Chimps, Orang Utans and Giraffes. The only enclosures that I don't really like are the Orang Utan enclosure, which is one of the old concrete buildings, and the giraffe enclosure, which for me, looks very small for these magnificent animals, especially when I am used to seeing them ambling around the Safari Park! In general though, the quality of the zoo is very high, and the enclosures have been designed in such a way that the visitors get a really good view of the animals. In fact, in some enclosures, there are tunnels that you can walk through which bring you to a glass dome right in the centre of the enclosure, for some great views.
*So when is it open and how much does it cost?*
Dudley Zoo pride themselves on being open every day of the year, except for Christmas day. The zoo opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. The prices are as follows:
Adult (inc £1.20 donation) £12.50*
Adult (without £1.20 donation) £11.30*
Children (3-15 yrs) £8.90
Adult with disability/Senior Citizen/Student or Young Person (16-18 yrs) £9.90
Child with Disability £6.00
One Free Admission for Carer with Disabled Visitor
Under 3s FREE
Car Parking (all day) £3.00
You can also opt to gift aid your donation so that the zoo can claim back some money from the tax man. I was surprised that the zoo charge for parking, especially as the car park is not great, but it may be because Dudley is very accessible by bus and other forms of transport.
*Our Visit*
Dudley Zoo tends to be a place that we visit at least once a year, as it is in a convenient location and is cheaper to visit that the big theme parks. We went as a family, and because my little boy is special needs, he got in at a reduced rate, and I got in free as his carer. Thje staff were really nice about this, as I had brought proof of his entitlement with me, but the staff said it was OK, and they didn't need to see it, very different from the jobsworths you get at other places! In fact, I must say that the staff at the zoo were absolutely fantastic, really friendly and went the extra mile for us on our visit.
A good example of this is when we were visiting the farm area and there were some 3 day old chicks in the barn. My son asked a member of staff if he could hold one, and immediately the man stopped what he was doing and got a chick out for him to hold, which i thought was really kind. It was the same in the discovery centre, where we attended a "creature feature" where staff members bring out various animals for you to touch and stroke. After the session, the lady was very kind, answering the kids questions and letting them play with the rats, who loved the attention!
Because the zoo is set on Castle Hill, some of the paths around the zoo can be very steep and hard to walk up. They have tried to make everything as acessible as possible, but some of the steep steps would be impossible for wheelchairs to access, and are pretty tricky for pushchairs too, as I know from previous experience. However, because everything loops round and back on itself, it is possible to see everything, and not have to miss out through lack of access, it just might mean taking a more indirect route round. Thankfully, when you go into the zoo, you are given a map, which means you can work out your route, and how to make sure you don't miss anything, because it is not a simple circuit, it is basically, a big hill, with some stunning views to reward you when you finally get to the top. In times gone past, there used to be a chairlift which took you straight up the hill, sadly, this has been closed for the last 15 years, and the old workings look really rusty. There had been talk about restoring it at some point, but it would take a lot of work. It is a bit of an eyesore as it is now. The other way of getting up the hill is by using the land train, which goes up and down the hill every 10-15 minutes. There is pleanty of room on the landtrain for pushchairs, and is ideal for parents and kids with tired legs!
*The animals*
As I have said, the zoo houses mainly smaller animals, but they are still really interesting to watch, especially the lovable meerkats, and some of the wild cats. A lot of the zoo is interactive, and gets you really close to the animals, interacting with them rather than being a passive spectator. A good example of this is the Lemur forest, where you can walk through a "jungle" through trees and over bridges, where lemurs are running loose and swinging through the branches. It did make me think of "I like to move it move it" in the movie Madagascar though! There is also a smaller wallaby walkthrough and a monkey house, which is like a big greenhouse that you walk though with cheeky squirrel monkeys scuttling by. My kids loved the farm, which has a large yard, which you can walk around, stroking the rabbits, goats and sheep that live there. Everything is very hands on, but there are plenty of handwashing stations with ample supplies of handrub to use after your animal encounters. My kids also loved a Raven in one of the aviaries, who kept passing a twig out of the bars to them. Every time they put the twig back though the bars, she would fetch it like a dog and bring it back to them. It was utterly fascinating to watch!
People and groups can adopt the animals. At my son's school, the class have adopted a giraffe and a meerkat, and they go and visit them. You can also pay to be a keeper for a day if you are over 14, and the zoo does various other special experience days too.
*The Castle*
Your reward for getting to the top of the big hill is the lovely castle, with its great views. Although the castle is a ruin, it is still in good enough "shape" to walk around and you can distinguish which rooms were used for which purpose. The kids loved climbing the tower, but the spiral staircase is very steep and you need to be pretty fit to get up there. In the past, part of the the castle area was an aquarium, but now it is an interactive history exhibition, with lots of information about the history of the castle and the people that visited it, such as Elizabeth 1 herself! The zoo hosts a "horrible history" show in the castle in the afternoons, as well as falconry displays in the large grassed area in the castle grounds. You could easily spend over an hour or just in the castle area, as there is lots to explore and learn. It is also the perfect place to have a picnic. My kids enjoyed rolling down the grassy hill, whilst we had a well deserved break on a bench after all of our walking!
If taking a picnic isn't your thing, there are a few places to eat in the zoo grounds. The main one is a large cafe called the Queen Mary Suite. There are lots of chairs and tables in here, and an adult meal costs about £5, a kids box meal about £4. They have some very tempting puds for about £2 each, as well as icecreams for sale. I found the drinks a bit pricey though, at £1.10 for a small 200ml carton of juice. Ouch! There is also a takeaway cafe by the entrance, which serves drinks, hotdogs and chips. By the castle there is a pub called the Grey Lady Tavern, which serves ale and snacks. There are a few ice cream kiosks dotted in strategic places too, like at the top of a long flight of stone steps! There are adequate loos dotted around the zoo at convenient intervals, which is great when you have kids.
*Other attractions*
Next to the entrance there is a kiddie fair, with about 12 rides, but the rides are not included in your admission fee. You can buy ride tokens for £1 each, or 15 for £10 or 25 for £15. As I have three kids, the third option is always best for me. Most of the rides are for very young kids, ideally between 3 and 6, but my older two, who are 10 and 8, enjoyed the inflatable slide and caterpillar roller coaster. There are not really any rides for older kids other than the bumping cars, but nobody was on them, as there was an age restriction of 12 to drive unaccompanied, and most of the kids in the fair were only tots. The fair is usually quiert compared with the rest of the zoo, and nobody really starts using it until after 12:00, although it is open earlier. Usually there is one operator to 2 or 3 rides, so you have to wait for them to close one before you can ride on the one you want.
There is also a small adventure playground. It was a lot bigger before, but they have halved it to make room for a camel enclosure! The ground in this area is very sandy, and it is that dirty kind of sand that makes your hands filthy. There are some tyre swings here, a large slide, and some little cars to climb on. there is also a small play area in the farm and by the Lemur forest and some rocking animals on the hill. There is also a small playground by the big cafe and some monkey bars by the monkey enclosure, but these play areas are very small. There is also a weird indoor sandpit in one of the old conctrete buildings, but nobody ever seems to go in there!
There is a lovely sensory garden, which is a real haven of delight, and there are some aviaries in there with small birds.
Dudley Zoo is a reasonably priced attraction, which provides lots to keep you interested and involved from opening time right until the zoo closes at 5:00. The staff are great and very friendly, and the animals all look happy and well looked after. This is a perfect place to take young kids, and has a nice relaxed family atmosphere. It is also very peaceful and tranquil, not hectic like most family attractions. I will continue to visit from year to year, as this place gets better every time I visit.
Also posted on Ciao.


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The market has been like a roller coaster of late, and several readers have inquired about what the action might mean. Well, these sorts of moves tend to indicate indecision, which means the market tends to be at or near an inflection point. Heck, in this market that probably just means it'll proceed sideways!
If you did want to assign a name to the pattern that we've seen, the best I can come up with is on a 30-minute chart of the S&P 500 -- which looks like a broadening top. This is a pattern that features a series of three higher highs and two lower lows, which together form a megaphone formation. (Please keep in mind, of course, that the 30-minute chart is far different from a daily.)
The broadening-top pattern is not complete until the price breaks the lower line. So, before you decide that this is the end of the world, understand that the S&P 500 would have to fall nearly 20 points before the lower line of the megaphone is broken.
For me, the most interesting aspect of the recent action is that we're seeing a giant, outsized move at the open each day, and then the indices just churn throughout the entire session. We saw this Friday on the upside, and then Monday on the downside -- and again Tuesday on the upside. It's as if the market only wants to move while European markets are open, and then decides to just sit there.
As for the internal statistics of the market's rally, in the same way we were able to look at some short-term positives from Monday's decline, we can cite some negatives from Tuesday's rally.
The number of stocks making new highs, 250, fell far short of Friday's 419. Breadth was lower, as well, which means the McClellan Summation Index failed to turn around and rise. I didn't see anyone complaining about the Russell 2000, but this index didn't manage to eke out a higher high, either.
There was one big positive, though: volume on the Nasdaq. The figure, at 2.1 billion shares, came in above what we saw on the first trading day of the year. The only other day when it volume higher was last Thursday, when the market was flat on the day.
Not only was total volume up, but net volume (up volume minus down volume) had its best reading since Jan. 2, as well. It hasn't quite turned the Nasdaq McClellan Summation Index back up, but one more positive volume day would get it back on track.
Maybe it's because Apple (AAPL) -- which has not gotten an invite to the rally party this year -- seems to have made a W-shaped bottom of some kind. Wouldn't it be something if Apple rallied and the rest of the market went down?
In Top Stocks, Helene puts her 20+ years of experience in technical analysis to work for you. Take advantage of Helene's time-proven approach and her action-oriented analysis of technical indicators. Try it now. Get a 14-Day Free Trial.


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A WOMAN has been sexually assaulted in Melbourne's inner suburbs, police say.
The 24-year-old woman was walking along Grandview Grove in Prahran about 5.50pm (AEDT) on Thursday when a man grabbed her from behind and sexually assaulted her, police said.
The woman managed to break free before the man ran off.
He is described as being of Southern European appearance, between 40 and 45 years of age, of medium build and with straight, collar-length hair.
At the time of the attack, he was wearing green trousers and a dark long sleeve top.
Police are urging any witnesses to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Originally published as Woman assaulted in Melbourne's inner east


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Hi all
This video was just uploaded of the progress of the build of the new straw-bale meditation hall at one of the centre's I;ve been associated with in Australia.
This is Vipassana Meditation Centre (VMC) Dhamma Aloka.
Some of the people in the video I know, all are volunteers.
For me, personally, its humbling to see dana taking form and manifesting in new facilities.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video.
kind regards


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SAN JOSE — Police have arrested a man accused of savagely beating a woman while trying to steal her purse and then attacking another woman who came to her aid last week in downtown San Jose.
Edward Leo Brown Jr., 54, of San Jose, has been booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and felony battery. Brown, who is being held without bail, has a lengthy criminal past of more than 30 cases and if convicted could be subject to a lifetime prison sentence per the state's Three Strikes Law.
Investigators connected Brown with the attack reported about 10 p.m. the night of Feb. 11 near North Ninth and East Santa Clara streets, where a woman walking home was approached from behind and hit in the back of the head. She fell to the ground, but the attacker did not stop: He repeatedly punched her in the face and at one point, police say, he "grabbed the victim's head and bashed it into the concrete sidewalk and pulled the victim's purse away from her."
"This was a completely unprovoked attack," police said in a statement.
A woman in the vicinity heard the victim's screams for help and tried to pull the man away, prompting him to turn his attention and punch her in the face several times. Another bystander ran over and took the victim's purse away from the attacker, who then ran away.
Both the original victim and the good Samaritan who was attacked were treated by paramedics at the scene.
An ensuing investigation led detectives to suspect Brown, who was arrested two days later at his home on George Street.
According to Santa Clara County court records, Brown has served four prison terms over the past 30 years and has been a chronic violator of his probation and parole. Past felony convictions cover offenses including battery, assault with a deadly weapon and DUI. He has at least 26 misdemeanor convictions including assaulting a police officer, drug offenses, theft and spousal abuse.
Brown's first two "strikes" stem from a 1990 case where he was fired as a drywall installer and punched his employer, breaking the victim's nose and eye socket, and a 1988 case where he drove into a group of people, hitting someone, then brandishing a gun at them.
Besides that, Brown was convicted of assaulting his teenage daughter, and his most recent conviction occurred in 2007 after he assumed the identity of his deceased father to continue receiving insurance for his car. Brown's driving privileges had been revoked at the time.
Anyone with information about the attack can contact Detective Todd Jennings in the San Jose Police Department robbery unit at 408-277-4166. Anonymous tips can be left with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867) or tipsubmit.com.
Contact Robert Salonga at 408-920-5002. Follow him at Twitter.com/robertsalonga.


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9 Foods to Beat the Bloat, Plus 9 Foods to Avoid
Do you head to the kitchen when you're tired, stressed, sad, or just plain bored? (We know we do.) You may think that's a bad habit, but it turns out that it's a smart plan — if you pick the right foods. "What you eat can affect your mood and how well your brain works," says Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., a former Massachusetts Institute of Technology research scientist and coauthor of The Serotonin Power Diet. And as long as you're not bingeing or mindlessly munching to soothe yourself, feeding your mood can be healthy and effective. Here, your guide to creating your own personal feel-good menu.
In just 20 minutes (the time it takes to digest), you can be grinning like you've popped a Valium. "When you eat a carbohydrate, your body sends an amino acid called tryptophan into the brain to trigger the manufacture of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel tranquil and better able to cope," says Wurtman. Without carbs, your brain actually can't produce serotonin, which may make you angry, tense, and depressed.
But that's no license to OD on glazed doughnuts. You want carbs that are rich in fiber—like whole-wheat pasta—so that your body will absorb them slowly, keeping serotonin flowing steadily; otherwise, you'll digest them in a jiffy, causing a quick mood boost followed by another emotional low.
10 Healthy Foods Under $1


text: I've noticed that when people post their bespoken work here, the more striking the silhouette, the more props they get. Of course, the level of dissent moves up a bit with the drama of the suit's cut, but I sense that there are more complaints about a suit's cut being boring, uninteresting, or uninspired than there are complaints about a suit's silhouette being too dramatic. I certainly understand why the dramatic look gets the love. If you're going to spend $4k+ on a suit, you don't want it to simply be a well-fitting version of the Brooks Brothers model currently hanging in your closet that cost all of $599 on sale. You want your new threads to be a show-stopper. You want to look great in that bespoken suit. And if your physique is of a certain kind, who wouldn't look great in some swanky Tom Ford suit or, for that matter, a buff-looking upper-body courtesy of some of the drape suits I've seen here provided by Rubinacci or Steed or, while I'm at it, some of the more dramatic suits I've seen posted here from W.W. Chan. Now, before I go on, I will acknowledge what probably ought to be understood without being spelled out – you can buy what you want; if you like it, go for it; taste is subjective, blah blah blah. Yes, of course. But if that kind of sartorial relativism were to animate all our discussions here, there would be very little to talk about, would there? So, with the above in mind … allow me to make the case against the dramatic silhouette, whether we're talking about Tom Ford swank or the extreme drape or strong shoulders with a big dose of waist suppression. Most of us here would agree that you don't want any one thing that you're wearing to stand out much more than anything else you're wearing. The reasons, of course, are many and varied. You don't want your clothes to get more attention than the guy wearing them. You don't want to look like your major style accomplishment in life was doing something to earn the $200 necessary to buy the tie that "pops" …. something that anybody with a modest amount of money can do. You know that the sum total of a look is more important than a piece-by-piece aggregation of its component parts and that a striking x paired with a neutral a, b, and c to show it off doth not a good total look make. You know that clothes delivering a lot of shape are vaguely feminine. And you know that, for various cultural reasons, understatement is associated with class and good taste and "look at me!" clothes are associated with the parvenu and vulgarian. Hence, it seems to me that a striking suit that threatens to turn the head is akin to a striking tie that threatens the same. It may be beautiful, it may be physically flattering, and it may make you look like a million bucks, but it violates tenants for tasteful dress that we would never countenance were we to consider buying a really beautiful, colorful, and eye-popping (say, Robert Talbott) tie. The trick – it seems to me – is to acquire a suit that accentuates your physical positives and disguises to some extent your physical negatives while simultaneously appearing both natural and understated. If the suit is imposing a shape on you that appears to be at odds with your natural shape then you've overstepped the bounds of good taste. The classic British silhouette would seem to fit the bill. But notice that posts proudly displaying photos of Henry Poole (ish) suits are few and far between here. Can Continental silhouettes likewise foot the bill? For some – the thin and strong-shouldered that is – maybe. Can Modified American silhouettes? Almost certainly. Too little silhouette and you've got a sack suit that does nothing for most people. Too much and you're a cartoon or a fellow wearing a costume. The line between what is understated and what is not is clearly a fuzzy one, but like pornography, I suspect that we know it when we see it. So I say "Three Cheers for Poole!" Do you?


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Three people have been sickened with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 in Wisconsin, and officials suspect that raw milk may be to blame.
According to Food Safety News, a three-year-old is among the sick.
Officials are investigating the illnesses and testing raw milk samples from a suspected dairy.
"Raw milk was the most likely commonality we've been able to identify," Wisconsin Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Raechelle Cline told Food Safety News.
Raw milk has been linked to several disease outbreaks across the country. This week, raw milk cheese was responsible for sickening 13 people in Minnesota. In March, 24 people in Alaska fell ill in a campylobacter outbreak linked to raw milk. Washington officials urged consumers in February to stop drinking raw milk after tests confirmed E. coli in raw milk from a local dairy.


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Q: In view of Highway 9 between Felton and Paradise Park being very narrow and twisty, so many cars from San Lorenzo Valley already use Graham Hill Road, and a safe bike lane is needed up lower San Lorenzo Valley, has there been any consideration of making Highway 9 between Felton and Paradise Park a one-way road and officially moving vehicle traffic on Highway 9 for this area onto Graham Hill or to Mount Hermon roads?
Then the bike path could be on one half of what is now Highway 9 between Felton and Paradise Park. At age 77, I'm not a bicyclist, but biking is great exercise and good for the environment.
Thank you for your great column,
Charles Murray via email
A"In order to transfer/relinquish a section of Highway 9, that request would need to come from the county of Santa Cruz and currently there is no such proposal that we are aware of," said Colin Jones, public affairs manager for Caltrans District 5, which serves the Central Coast. "It's pretty rare that state highways are one-way and usually occur only where there is a 'couplet', a pair of one-way streets that carry traffic through a downtown, urban grid area like Highway 129 in Watsonville."
While the adjacent Glen Arbor and Graham Hill Roads serve as alternate routes around sections of the highway, there is no alternate route along the entire Highway 9 corridor, "which would make such a one-way reconfiguration challenging," Jones added.
Tips from the DMV
Below are a couple things you probably didn't know, provided by the DMV's transportation column, called Ask the DMV:
1. If a relative has a vehicle and asks you to sell it for them, that is illegal. Instead, help find a buyer. The transaction must occur between the vehicle's registered owner and the prospective buyer. Learn more at www.DMV.ca.gov/vr/topbuysell.htm.
2. If you experience a temporary health condition that does or does not impact your ability to drive safely, you do not need to notify the DMV. Pregnancy or broken bones are examples of temporary conditions. However, if you break your right leg, while you do not have to tell the DMV, you should not drive until it is safe to do so.
Street Smarts appears Mondays and Thursdays. New topics are posted weekdays on the blog, at www.santacruzlive.com/blogs/streetsmarts. Follow it also on Twitter and Facebook. Submit questions to those aforementioned social media sites or to firstname.lastname@example.com. Make sure to include your name, city of residence and a phone number where you can be reached.


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Minutes - Summary of Jan. 31 Meeting
Call to Order
Chairmen Hanley and Mendelsohn called the fourth meeting of the Bipartisan Election Process Improvement Commission ("Commission") to order in Room 232 of the County Government Center at 7:15 p.m. Members in attendance included: Bob Brostrom, Chuck Caputo, Cesar del Aguila, Bettie Baca, Alex Blakemore, Keith Damon, Jeremy Epstein, Olga Hernandez, Tania Hossain-Almaraz, William Kreykenbohm, Michael Kwon, Jay McConville, Jay Myerson, James T. Parmelee, Lee Ann Pender, Ginny Peters, Susan Platt, Brian Schoeneman, Owen Shortt, Marcus Simon, Marion Stillson, and Jeffrey Wisoff. Members of the public were in attendance, as was County staff.
Summary of Jan. 24, 2013, Meeting
The summary minutes of the Jan. 24, 2013, had been provided to the members in advance of the meeting for their review. No changes were requested.
Reports from Members on Findings About Precinct Problems
Mr. del Aguila is working on obtaining information from the Virginia Democratic Party. Chairman Hanley urged members to collect information about problems in precincts and send it to Mr. Long for the Commission's consideration. She also urged members appointed as representatives to Supervisor districts to contact their Supervisors to obtain whatever complaints and other information they may have. Mr. Kreykenbohm has already obtained the emails sent to Supervisor Gross.
Information Requested at the Last Meeting/Completion of Workplan Item I.D
The Commission then reviewed several of the handouts that provided information that members had requested at the last meeting.
Chairman Hanley observed that the chart entitled "Election Statistics 1992-2012" shows that more people voted absentee in 2008 than in 2012.
The Commission again discussed the documents previously distributed that show the allocations of various resources for the 2008 and 2012 November General Elections ("Equipment and Election Officer Projections" for the 2008 Presidential election; "Criteria for Allocation of 2012 Election Resources"; "Allocation of 2008 Elections Resources Compared to 2012.")
The Commission had several additional questions about these documents:
- Why was the resource allocation in 2012 based on 75% voter turnout instead of 100% like in 2008?
- Given that the documents are labeled "projections," the Commission would like clarification whether they were in fact projections or whether these documents show how the resources were actually allocated.
- Almost all precincts had fewer Election Officers in 2012 than they had in 2008, except in Sully District, where precincts typically had more Election Officers. Why?
Regarding the document labeled "Number of Provisional Ballots Submitted by Precinct," the members noted that the number of provisional ballots voted in precincts varied greatly and there is no apparent correlation between high numbers of provisional ballots and other factors such as demographics, numbers of curbside voters, or precinct size. The Commission asked staff for the following information about provisional ballots:
- How many provisional ballots were counted and how many rejected?
- How many provisional ballots were rejected due to voter ID problems?
The members reviewed the chart labeled "Approximate Poll Closing Times by Precinct." The members acknowledged that the data is only a rough proxy for when the last vote was cast in a precinct, but the data show that no voter voted any later than the times shown.
The Commission discussed the best way for it to review and evaluate the Chief's Notes, which are voluminous. Two options proposed were to ask if the Office of Elections could summarize them or to have the Commission prepare summaries.
The members reviewed the document labeled "Precinct Data from November 6, 2012 Election" and posed the following questions to staff:
- What is the relationship between the number of voters and the number of machines?
- What factors other than number of voters were used to allocate machines to precincts?
- Why were there fewer Election Officers in 2012 than in 2008? Was this driven by a reduced budget?
Finally, the members reviewed the document labeled "Fairfax County Election Officer Information." The members particularly noted the high number of cancellations on Election Day and the day before. The following questions were raised for staff about the information in this handout:
- Is there a pool of Election Officers standing by to cover for no-show Election Officers?
- The document says that 731 Election Officers were in the database but unavailable before assignments were made. What does "unavailable" mean?
- What is the optimum number of Election Officers? How many Election Officers did the Office of Elections think they needed for the 2012 General Election? How did it arrive at that number?
- How many Election Officers do you need for DREs and how many for OS voting machines?
- Can staff add a column to the "Precinct Data from November 6, 2012 Election" document that to show the number of Election Officers in each precinct?
- What was the budget for Election Officers for 2008 and 2012?
Mr. Epstein stated that the Commission was "getting into the tall weeds" and asked the purpose of the detailed inquiries.
There was a discussion of the role of the political parties in recruiting, vetting, and nominating Election Officers. Mr. McConville said that FCRC rejected a handful of volunteers who had offered to serve as R representatives. Mr. del Aguila said that FCDC rejected 50 volunteers out of 2,200 who had offered to serve as D representatives.
The Commission discussed the ADA requirements of voting machines. Ms. Stillson recommended that the County should use the expertise of the disabled when evaluating new voting machines. Organizations that serve the deaf and blind can provide valuable information about the needs of their population. Mr. Blakemore said that ballot marking devices are the only ADA-compliant voting machines that are now approved in Virginia.
The Commission generally agreed that the Board of Supervisors should be "ahead of the curve" in replacing the existing voting machines and that it should get Optical Scan voting machines. The DREs should continue to be used for disabled voters, but when the Board replaces the voting equipment they should standardize while they modernize and get one integrated voting system. There was disagreement about whether the County will need fewer Election Officers when the County operates on only one kind of voting system.
Work Plan Item II.C: Election officials/pollworkers
A. Positions and duties of workers. The members discussed recruitment and the fact that Election Officers work very long days. The "fatigue factor" was discussed as possibly contributing to problems at the polls, given the 15-16 hour day, especially considering the number of 80+-year old Chiefs. A question was raised about allowing more Election Officers to split shifts, but Mr. Schoeneman pointed out that Virginia state law requires the Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs to be present the full day. Ms. Hernandez related a successful recruiting effort that persuaded private companies to pay their employees so that they didn't have to use leave.
Questions were raised about looking to other Virginia localities or other states to learn better practices and processes. Ms. Hernandez agreed to obtain "best practices" information from national organizations; one such organization was identified as the National Association of State Election Directors. 4
The members discussed whether pay is a factor in recruiting, whether Election Officers should be paid for the training they attend, and whether most of them are motivated to serve by a sense of civic duty or for the compensation.
The Commission asked staff to provide the following information:
- How does the County recruit Election Officers? Do most of them come through the political parties?
- Is there an effort to reach out to younger people to serve as Election Officers? If yes, how?
- What is the timeline for recruitment?
- How many first-time Election Officers served in 2012?
- Has the Office of Elections done any surveys of Election Officers to get feedback after elections? If not, can it do so?
- Can the County do a survey of the persons who signed up to be Election Officers and then didn't serve, to find out why they didn't serve?
- How does the Office of Elections plan and allocate resources for the various kinds of election years (for example, years when the ballot is long due to local elections but turnout is low; years when the ballot is short but turnout is relatively high; presidential years).
- For the meeting when the Commission discusses budget issues, can staff provide budget information for election day expenses for 2007-2012 to capture the full variety of elections.
B. Training. The members discussed recruitment and the fact that Election Officers work very long days.
Chairman Hanley called the members' attention to the Chief's Notebook. She urged the members to watch the training videos for Election Officers that are linked on the Commission's webpage. Discussion ensued about the possibility of testing Chiefs to ensure they learned the great volume of complicated information needed to run the polls. The members also discussed the feasibility of more hands-on training and the ability for groups to get together to coordinate before Election Day. Ms. Stillson stated that she devised her own hands-on training after she signed up to serve as an Election Officer by working at a primary.
Mr. Schoeneman stated that the training provided to Election Officers on the vast majority of issues is fine and the Commission should not look to reinvent the wheel.
Chairman Hanley framed one issue as: Is there a correlation between new Chiefs and long lines in the polling place or other problems?
It was suggested that Election Officers be given networking opportunities – such as a listserv – to feed them information throughout the year about changes in laws as well as personal information they may want to share?
The members also discussed different ways of training other than in large training sessions. It was suggested that Chiefs be trained to be trainers so they could train small groups.
Mr. Schoeneman and Mr. McConville stated that the Commission needs to focus on the problems and whether inadequate training contributed to them rather than delve deeply into every detail. Chairman Mendelsohn asked whether the Electoral Board has opinions about whether there is a correlation between the training the Election Officers got and the problems that occurred in the November 2012 General Election.
The Commission discussed the need to have the political parties provide feedback to the Electoral Board.
Chairman Mendelsohn encouraged the members of the Commission to go through the Chief's Notebook in preparation for the next meeting.
The members discussed whether the Chief's Notebook could be provided to the Chiefs in electronic form so they could search it more easily on the job. It was suggested that having electronic devices might help the Election Officers with the completion of the SORs, which were uniformly acknowledged as being extremely complicated.
Mr. Schoeneman identified himself as a capitalist [included in the minutes upon request] and asked that the Commission return to the discussion of Election Officer stipends at a future meeting; the stipends do not even equate to minimum wage. Mr. Parmalee responded that the Election Officers should be surveyed first because it's not clear that paying more would increase participation.
Regarding training, the Commission asked staff to provide the following information:
- What precincts had new Chiefs in 2012? This would allow the Commission to look for a correlation between new Chiefs and problems in the polling place.
- Is there an organized method of evaluating the performance of Election Officers?
- Is there an effort to match experienced Chiefs with new Election Officers?
- A timeline for training and assignments.
- Can Election Officers bring their own electronic devices, such as iPads or laptops, into the polling place with them?
- What is the pay for jury duty?
- How many Election Officers refused compensation?
Chairman Hanley summarized the discussion of this portion of the agenda as follows:
- The Commission asked staff for a great deal of information that will allow the Commission to build a precinct profile so it can look for correlations with problems.
- The Commission discussed the voting machines in the same way – whether there was any correlation between voting machines and problems.
- Likewise, the Commission is looking at Election Officer issues so that it can evaluate whether there is a correlation between the people who work there and problems in precincts.
- The Commission talked about using disabled voters and advocacy organizations to evaluate voting machines.
- The Committee members agree that the County should move to one type of voting system, but that it needs to be ADA compliant.
- The Commission has asked: If the County had an unlimited budget, how many Election Officers would the County need for elections?
- The Commission discussed how much of the success of an election depends upon the Chiefs and Assistant Chief.
- The Commission has asked: Could the County use technology to make things work better.
She stated that the Commission would revisit a number of these issues when they have received the data and information from staff.
Items from Commission Members
Thereafter, the meeting adjourned.


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Wonder Women!
Join us for a viewing of the film, "Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines." From the comic book superheroine to the blockbusters of today, this film offers a fun and witty look at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society's anxieties about women's liberation. Discussion after the film will be facilitated by Alison Gates, Associate Professor and Women & Gender Studies Art Program Chairperson, with the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
This program is provided in partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Public Television, Wisconsin Humanities Council, University of Wisconsin Women's Studies Consortium, and the Friends of the Kimberly-Little Chute Public Library.
Here's a taste:


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7 Side Effects of Drinking Diet Soda
Why you need a diet drink detox—stat!
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Copyright © 2017 Rodale Inc.
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Deceivingly "Diet"
Pop quiz! What's the single biggest source of calories for Americans? White bread? Big Macs? Actually, try soda. The average American drinks about two cans of the stuff every day. "But I drink diet soda," you say. "With no calories or sugar, it's the perfect alternative for weight watchers...right?"
Not so fast. Before you pop the top off the caramel-colored bubbly, know this: guzzling diet soda comes with its own set of side effects that may harm your health—from kickstarting kidney problems to adding inches to your waistline. (Get your sugar cravings under control and lose weight while still enjoying the sweets you love with Sugar Smart Express.)
Unfortunately, diet soda is more in vogue than ever. Kids consume the stuff at more than double the rate of last decade, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Among adults, consumption has grown almost 25%.
But knowing these 7 side effects of drinking diet soda may help you kick the can for good.
More from Prevention: 11 Health Food ImpostorsKidney Problems
Here's something you didn't know about your diet soda: It might be bad for your kidneys. In an 11-year-long Harvard Medical School study of more than 3,000 women, researchers found that diet cola is associated with a two-fold increased risk for kidney decline. Kidney function started declining when women drank more than two sodas a day. Even more interesting: Since kidney decline was not associated with sugar-sweetened sodas, researchers suspect that the diet sweeteners are responsible.Messed-Up Metabolism
According to a 2008 University of Minnesota study of almost 10,000 adults, even just one diet soda a day is linked to a 34% higher risk of metabolic syndrome, the group of symptoms including belly fat and high cholesterol that puts you at risk for heart disease. Whether that link is attributed to an ingredient in diet soda or the drinkers' eating habits is unclear. But is that one can really worth it?Obesity
You read that right: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight after all. A University of Texas Health Science Center study found that the more diet sodas a person drank, the greater their risk of becoming overweight. Downing just two or more cans a day increased waistlines by 500%. Why? Artificial sweeteners can disrupt the body's natural ability to regulate calorie intake based on the sweetness of foods, suggested an animal study from Purdue University. That means people who consume diet foods might be more likely to overeat, because your body is being tricked into thinking it's eating sugar, and you crave more.A Terrible Hangover
Your first bad decision was ordering that Vodka Diet—and you may make the next one sooner than you thought. Cocktails made with diet soda get you drunker, faster, according to a study out of the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia. That's because sugar-free mixers allow liquor to enter your bloodstream much quicker than those with sugar, leaving you with a bigger buzz.Cell Damage
Diet sodas contain something many regular sodas don't: mold inhibitors. They go by the names sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate, and they're in nearly all diet sodas. But many regular sodas, such as Coke and Pepsi, don't contain this preservative.
That's bad news for diet drinkers. "These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it - they knock it out altogether," Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at the University of Sheffield in the U.K., told a British newspaper in 1999. The preservative has also been linked to hives, asthma, and other allergic conditions, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Since then, some companies have phased out sodium benzoate. Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi have replaced it with another preservative, potassium benzoate. Both sodium and potassium benzoate were classified by the Food Commission in the UK as mild irritants to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.Rotting Teeth
With a pH of 3.2, diet soda is very acidic. (As a point of reference, the pH of battery acid is 1. Water is 7.) The acid is what readily dissolves enamel, and just because a soda is diet doesn't make it acid-light. Adults who drink three or more sodas a day have worse dental health, says a University of Michigan analysis of dental checkup data. Soda drinkers had far greater decay, more missing teeth, and more fillings.Reproductive Issues
Sometimes, the vessel for your beverage is just as harmful. Diet or not, soft drink cans are coated with the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to everything from heart disease to obesity to reproductive problems. That's a lot of risktaking for one can of pop.AdvertisementAdvertisementLet's Stay In Touch
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