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Friday, March 20, 2009

New Jersey is considering a state-wide ban on Brazilian waxes, the removal of hair from the bikini area.

Although genital waxing has never really been allowed in the state, the New Jersey Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling plans to propose a ban with more specific legal wording, in response to two women who reported being injured during a wax. The board will consider the proposal at their next meeting on April 14.

If the measure passes, New Jersey may become the only US state to ban the practice outright.

Although millions of Americans engage in bikini waxes, which generally cost between $50 and $60 per session, the practice comes with risks. Skin care experts say the hot wax can irritate delicate skin in the bikini area, and result in infections, ingrown hairs and rashes.

Waxing on the face, neck, abdomen, legs and arms would continue to be permitted in the state under the proposed ban. Although New Jersey statutes have always banned bikini waxing, the laws were unclear and seldom enforced.

As a result, many salons from around the state have offered bikini waxing for years. Many salon owners spoke out against the proposed ban, which they said would severely damage their business.

“I really don’t know if the state can stop it at this point,” said Valentia Chistova, owner of the Monmouth County salon Brazil. “I know a lot of women who are really hooked.”

Friday, September 29, 2006

After several laptop producers recalled a total of about 7 million products containing Sony batteries, the Sony Corporation said it will “initiate a global replacement program… in order to address concern related to recent over-heating incidents.”

Sony previously admitted the recalls announced by Apple and Dell would cost up to 30 billion yen, which is a quarter of Sony’s profits in 2005. Several news sources expect this to reflect badly on the company, as it adds to problems with the PlayStation 3 and Blu-Ray DVD. Since Dell announced recalls in August, Sony’s stock has lost almost 9% of its value.

Keeping up with competitors like Apple and Dell, Toshiba and Lenovo have started recalling laptops with the lithium ion batteries. Dell expanded its program to include about 4.2 million portables. Following Sony’s statement, Fujitsu too declared it would replace the batteries involved. A spokesperson for Toshiba added that the company doesn’t expect there to be any problems with personal computers, but it will replace their Sony batteries anyway, over customer concerns. However, the company doesn’t expect to pick up the tab for it.

A Lenovo laptop with the problem battery caught fire in Los Angeles Airport earlier this month. Consequently, Virgin Atlantic added them to a blacklist of prohibited laptops on their flights. According to Sony, microscopic metal particles are to blame for overheating and potentially catching fire “under certain rare conditions”.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advised ThinkPad users who want to continue using their portable to switch it off, remove the battery and continue with the AC adapter and power cord.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Users of Apple Computer’s MacBook computers have criticized Apple for failing to include a FireWire port in its newest release of its basic laptop. The users expressed the anger at the popular company with hundreds of messages posted on Apple’s official forum, in the minutes after the announcement to remove the FireWire port was made by Steve Jobs.

Russ Tolman was one of the first people to complain about the issue. “I work in a large school district that doesn’t like Macs. One thing that has allowed us to keep them has been the ability to image them with firewire ports,” he stated. “In my unknowledgeable opinion Apple really screwed up with no Firewire port. Schools without much money will be moving to cheap PC’s.”

Apple’s MacBook Pro computers will continue to have a FireWire port, although cost significantly more than the MacBook.

Apple responded to these criticisms in a statement by saying that “Actually, all of the new HD camcorders of the past few years use USB 2.” While camcorders are a popular FireWire peripheral, FireWire is used for a variety of other devices.

Apple’s press release did not mention the fact the FireWire was removed from the MacBook, although it did mention that the MacBook Pro has one FireWire port.

The MacBook Pro costs US$ 1,999, while the standard MacBook costs $1,299.

Thursday, August 18, 2005

“Total chaos” is how many described the melee that resulted from a sale of used Apple iBook laptop computers at the Richmond International Raceway (RIR) by the Henrico County, Virginia school system.

Officials estimated nearly 5,000 people thronged the sale for the $50, four-year-old computers. Among them were 17 injured, four requiring hospitalization – one for a leg injury, and three for heat-related illness, said Henrico County Police. Reports of trampling in the stampede were not uncommon, and one driver reportedly tried to drive through the throng of prospective buyers.

Alice Jemerson, an elderly customer said, “They bum rushed the gates and I was knocked over, fighting for my life. All these people were on top of me.”

Shortly after 7am EST officials opened the gates and many residents ran hysterically toward the building where the sale was to occur at 9am.

At a post sale press conference, Henrico County Police spokesman Lieutenant Doug Perry told reporters, “A few bad apples found their way inside. It looked worse than it was.”

Apple iBooks are the preferred computer for Henrico County schools, and Director of General Services of Henrico County Paul Proto, said changes were made to the event after tremendous interest was generated, some as far away as Europe and California. Officials closed and moved the sale from the Henrico county school warehouse to the RIR, after residents complained that their tax dollars were used to buy the computers, and they ought to have first right to repurchase them. The Henrico County Board of Supervisors voted to amend the County Code so that only residents could purchase the laptop computers.

Although officials had prohibited camping out and overnight parking, some in attendance reported that people began arriving at midnight.

Henrico Police Chief H.W. Stanley, Jr. said five patrol officers were originally planned for the event, a customary presence for an event the size authorities had estimated. But by 6 am, an enormous crowd was assembled at the front gate.

Officials present before opening told the crowd that automobiles would be allowed to enter first, which prompted many to run to their cars. But while some were running back to their cars, others rushed the gate. The resulting confusion created much anger, and guards closed the gates shortly thereafter.

Long lines encircling the sale building were commonplace, and one observer noted, “They’re going to see themselves on the news tonight, and see what fools they are.”

Some citizens, however, considered their wait worthwhile. Hairstylist and mother of two Sheress Blunt was one of the first hundred to buy one of the iBooks; she came with her mother and said they sneaked into the raceway through a side gate.

Tonya Vaughan arrived at 5:30 a.m., also bought one of the first iBooks and said three people offered to buy it from her for as much as $200. She declined however, saying, “I told them no way! I had worked too hard for it.”

Lt. Perry said many officers were complimented on the way they handled the crowd, adding that police were seen letting children who had been pushed aside, into the building.

Mr. Proto said, “There are no plans right now to have another iBook sale.”

Henrico County Battalion Police Chief Steve Wood said no arrests were made and the iBooks were sold out by 1pm EST.

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

The organs of a 12 year-old Palestinian boy killed by Israeli soldiers have been transplanted to Israeli patients, helping to save their lives.

Ahmed al-Khatib was shot during clashes in Jenin last week when soldiers mistook his toy gun for a real one. He later died in a hospital. The Israeli Defense Forces regretted the incident.

Ahmed’s kidneys, liver, lungs and heart were transplated to a total of six patients, including Israeli Arabs, Jews, and Druze. One of the recipients was 12 year-old Samah Gadban, who had been waiting for a new heart for five years. Her father thanked Ahmed’s family “from the depths of my heart” and called the donation a “gesture of love”.

Ahmed’s father, Ismail al-Khatib, said the family made the decision to donate his son’s organs “for the sake of the world’s children and the children of this country”. He added that saving lives was more important than religion and thinks that his son “has entered the heart of every Israeli”.

al-Khatib stressed he has received nothing but praise from fellow residents in Jenin.

The Speaker of the Knesset, Reuven Rivlin, praised the action saying that this “remarkable gesture […] despite the war and conflict without solution for nearly 100 years, must be noted”.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Following the first day’s events at the 2008 Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE), organisers used today as an opportunity for a number of autograph sessions, the announcement of awards and a focus on the Taipei World Trade Center‘s Hall 3 where children’s activities and seminars were being held.

The Kids’ Book Hall, which was created with cooperation from the Regional Association of Educational Materials, saw a new addition this year in the form of the “Taiwan Stationery” pavilion. The display included a variety of paper products not only for children, but for small-business and general usage.

In order to promote some conceptions on environment and recycling, Yuen Foong Yu Paper Mfg. Co. Ltd. sponsored the exhibition with recycled poster container and corrugated-fiberboard, which was used to design several nature scenes, and the material will be reusable in the future.

Participants also held several seminars at TWTC Hall 1 for reading population promotion, for example, a Taiwanese version of a famous magazine named “Kagakuru”. Aimed at science education, imported by Taiwan Mac Education, and promoted by several academic professionals in Taiwan, the magazine will be released on March 3, 2008.

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Dr. Stephen Schoenthaler, a Professor of Criminal Justice at the California State University in Stanislaus, has long argued that there is a link between a healthy diet and decreased aggressive behaviour, as well as with increased IQ and school performance.

Dr. Schoenthaler is well-known for a youth detention center study where violations of house rules fell by 37% when vending machines were removed and the cafeteria replaced canned food by fresh alternatives. He summarizes his findings by saying that “Having a bad diet right now is a better predictor of future violence than past violent behaviour.” In a very large test, Schoenthaler directed a study in meals at 803 New York City schools, in low-income neighbourhoods, finding that the number of students passing final exams increased by 16%.

Critics have questioned some of Dr. Schoenthaler findings, due to the lack of placebo control groups. However, more recent work by Dr. Bernard Gesch, a physiologist at the University of Oxford, has placed some of the work on a more scientific footing. Dr. Gesch found that nutrition supplements produced a 26% drop in violations of prison rules over a placebo, and a 37% decrease in violent offences. The Netherlands has embarked on a wider scale dietary research program in 14 prisons.

The short term behaviour consequences of ingesting sugar are well understood: an initial burst on energy, followed a sugar low in which your body produces adrenalin, which makes you irritable and explosive. However, Schoenthaler and Gesch suggest that there are long term impacts over and above the short term consequences of blood sugar variations.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

A new version of Canada’s Food Guide was announced by Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement on Feb. 5, 2007. The guide has helped Canadians with healthy eating habits since 1942 but was last updated in 1992. It is the Canadian government’s most-requested publication after income tax forms.

Changes to the Food Guide include:

• a first-time recommendation to include a small amount of unsaturated fat in regular diets;
• physical activity to complement healthy eating;
• advice for some people to take vitamin supplements;
• an advisory to limit foods with excess salt, sugar, fat and calories, which is considered an unprecedented caution regarding junk food.