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quinta-feira, 17 de março de 2011

Charlie Sheen's Tour Expands To Canada, 12 Added Cities

hollywoodreporter.

(Exclusive)


Charlie Sheen Tour Poster

The "Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not an Option" show travels from Toronto to Tampa Bay, FL.

Charlie Sheen's "Violent Torpedo" tour has added 12 additional cities, including two Canadian locations, according to a source familiar with the tour.

"Charlie Sheen's: Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not an Option" express has added major venues such as the Verizon Wireless center in Houston, Texas (April 26), all the way to Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC (May 2).

The dates will be formally announced shortly.

The one man show has sold out twice at NYC's Radio City Music Hall - the largest venue on his tour so far.
Tickets for the 6,000-seat Radio City ranged in price from $79.50 to $519. For $750, ardent fans can meet the actor, who is now suing his Two and a Half Men bosses for more than $100 million.
Sheen's first engagements in Detroit and Chicago sold out on Ticketmaster.com in a record-breaking 18 minutes.
The new Hollywood Reporter reveals that the actor will pocket about $300,000 for the first two shows.

The new cities are as follows:

April 14
Toronto, ON
Massey Hall

April 16

Atlantic City, NJ
Taj Mahal

April 19
Washington, DC
DAR Constitution Hall

April 21
Atlanta, GA
Fox Theater

April 22
Tampa Bay, FL
St. Pete Times Union

April 23
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
BankAtlantic Center

April 26
Houston, TX
Verizon Wireless

April 27
Dallas, TX
American Airlines Center

April 28
Denver, CO
Wells Fargo

April 30
San Francisco, CA
Nob Hill

May 02
Vancouver, BC
Rogers Arena

May 03
Seattle, WA
Comcast Arena







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Home > Entertainment Charlie Sheen adds 12 more dates to live tour

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Charlie Sheen's "Torpedo of Truth" live tour will explode onto 12 more stages across the United States and into Canada, as reports surfaced on Thursday of sold-out shows at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

"Fastballs keep coming. 12 more shows on sale Sat.," Sheen tweeted. The new shows for the tour, dubbed "Charlie Sheen's Violent Torpedo of Truth Defeat Is Not an Option," are also listed on sales website Ticketmaster.com.

New cities include Atlantic City, Tampa, Dallas, Houston and Denver in the United States, as well as Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, where his last show plays on May 2.


Click here to sign up for The Weekender newsletter and get the latest on events, concerts, bars and restaurants.

Already, shows are sold out in cities such as Detroit and at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, according to media reports.

Sheen, who was TV's highest paid actor for his role as a skirt-chasing, heavy-drinking bachelor on No. 1-rated comedy "Two And A Half Men," -- a role that loosely mirrored his life, -- has made headlines worldwide after having been fired from his job.

He has criticized the show's makers and insulted producer Chuck Lorre by calling him "a stupid, stupid little man," among other things.

Warner Bros. Television, which makes the show, then fired him, and last week he sued both Warner Bros. and Lorre for $100 million claiming he was wrongfully terminated.

For its part, Warner Bros. has claimed in a letter to Sheen's lawyer that the actor was engaged in "dangerously self-destructive conduct and appears to be very ill." Warner Bros. said Sheen had difficulty remembering lines, could not collaborate and had poisoned key working relationships.

Not much is known about his show beyond the description on the Ticketmaster site, which reads: "Will there be surprises? Will there be guests? Will there be mayhem? Will you laugh? Will you scream? Will you know the truth? WILL THERE BE MORE?!?! This IS where you will hear the REAL story from the Warlock. Bring it. I dare you to keep up with me."

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)





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Charlie Sheen sells out New York's Radio City Music Hall in just 30 minutes


By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:54 PM on 17th March 2011


He has yet to give his first live show.

But such is the appeal of Charlie Sheen that the actor sold out the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York in minutes today.

The troubled star sold all 6,000 tickets in just under 30 minutes, so a second date was added, which also sold out.

The cheapest seat was $79.50, going up to $519 for the live tour, My Violent Torpedo of Truth.

Charlie Sheen

Meet the man behind it all: According to reports, Charlie is hosting meet and greets during his live tour, My Violent Torpedo of Truth

The former Two And A Half Men star added five more dates to his tour after two shows in Chicago and Detroit sold out.

The 45-year-old actor will also perform in Ohio, Connecticut and Boston.

Sell out: Tickets to Sheen's show at the Radio City Music Hall sold out within 30 minutes

Sell out: Tickets to Sheen's show at the Radio City Music Hall sold out within 30 minutes

Sheen's shows in Detroit and Chicago also sold out in a record 18 minutes.

Sheen is donating $1 from every ticket to the Red Cross to help earthquake relief efforts, he says on his website (where T-shirts are now for sale).'

And for those with cash to spare Sheen is thinking about selling a special $750 ticket, which will include the chance to meet him.

Life and Style magazine say the amount covers one premium reserved ticket located within the first 10 rows of the theatre, and an exclusive meet-and-greet with Sheen.

It also includes a personal photograph with the star, an autographed 8-by-10 photo, a numbered limited-edition tour poster and an official meet-and-greet laminate.

Sheen announced the two-date tour on a Youtube video last Friday and in it he told fans: ‘If you’re winning I’ll see you there. Trolls need not apply you suffer from Sheenish envy.'

He added: 'Buy your ticket, take the ride and the ride will take you.'

The description of the shows on Ticketmaster reads: 'My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option Show is coming for you. I'm going on the road. LIVE.

'Will there be surprises? Will there be guests? Will there be mayhem? Will you ask questions? Will you laugh? Will you scream? Will you know the truth? WILL THERE BE MORE?!?!

'This IS where you will hear the REAL story from the Warlock. Bring it I dare you to keep up with me.'

Charlie Sheen Twitter

Perks: The amount covers one premium reserved ticket located within the first 10 rows of the theatre and an exclusive meet-and-greet with Sheen, pictured here with girlfriends Rachel Oberlin, left, and Natalie Kenly, right

Meanwhile Sheen's daughter's Sam, seven and six-year-old Lola were out and about with their nanny today.

The two girls were treated to frozen yoghurt at the popular Menchie's parlour in Calabasas.

Older daughter Sam celebrated her birthday last week when she turned seven.

While there was no birthday celebration reported, according to TMZ, Denise banned her ex-husband from seeing Sam on her big day.

Charlie Sheen

Tour bus? Charlie's newly acquired bus could may well be the mode of transport for the anticipated tour

Reportedly, Sheen had planned to throw his daughter a birthday party last weekend, but the plans were thwarted by Denise.

'Charlie wants to have a big party at his house this weekend, celebrating Sam's birthday, and inviting all her friends' a source told the website.

'We're told Denise is scoffing at the invitation and says Sam isn't going, nor are any of her friends.'

Charlie Sheen

Girl's day out: Charlie's daughters Sam, seven and six-year-old Lola were out and about with their nanny today

In the end, the actor was only allowed to call Sam to send his birthday wishes, and thus far has not had any physical contact with both of the girls.

As reported, Sheen missed out on his twin son's birthday party last night after being banned from the festivities.

The actor's estranged wife Brooke Mueller threw a party for the twin boys but left Sheen off the invite list.

Charlie Sheen

No invite: Charlie missed out on his twin son's birthday party organised by ex-wife Brooke Muller, pictured here in a floral maxi dress last week, after being banned from the festivities










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Charlie Sheen’s live show coming to Massey Hall

www.thestar.com


Published 1 minute ago
Charlie Sheen being interviewed in this Jan. 28, 2009 file photo.

Charlie Sheen being interviewed in this Jan. 28, 2009 file photo.

Chris Pizzello/AP
The Canadian Press

CHARLIE SHEEN IS BRINGING HIS "MY VIOLENT TORPEDO OF TRUTH/DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION SHOW" TO TORONTO.

HE'S SCHEDULED TO BE AT MASSEY HALL ON THURS, APRIL 14TH, WITH TICKET PRICES RANGING FROM $79.50 TO $109.50.

SHEEN'S UPCOMING LIVE SHOWS IN THE U.S. SOLD OUT FAST, EVEN THOUGH NO ONE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT.

SINCE BEING FIRED FROM THE HIT CBS SHOW "TWO AND A HALF MEN," SHEEN'S WILD, AND OFTEN COMIC RANTINGS, HAVE KEPT HIM IN THE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT.

CLAIMING TO HAVE KICKED THE DRUG HABIT THAT GOT HIM INTO SEVERAL SCRAPES WITH THE LAW, NOT TO MENTION THE MANDARINS AT CBS, SHEEN HAS SAID HIS LIVE SHOW "IS WHERE YOU WILL HEAR THE REAL STORY FROM THE WARLOCK."

THE ACTOR IS DONATING $1.00 FROM EACH TICKET TO THE JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND.

THE TICKETS GO ON SALE MAR. 19.



Sheen bringing live stage tour to Toronto's Massey Hall





Charlie Sheen poses with girlfriend Bree Olsen in a photo posted to his Twitter account Tuesday. Mar. 1, 2011.

Charlie Sheen is bringing his stage tour to Toronto.

Fresh off his firing from a hit sitcom, Sheen's "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option" show is being held at Massey Hall on April 14 at 8 p.m.

It's still unclear what Sheen will be doing on stage, but it will likely involve a lot of talking.

Tickets for his Toronto show range between $79.50 and $109.50 and go on sale to the general public Saturday, although an exclusive pre-sale begins Friday.

Live Nation offers this description for the 45-year-old actor's show: "This is where you will hear the real story from the Warlock. Bring it, I dare you to keep up with me."

Sheen is also taking his 20-date tour to Detroit, Chicago and New York City's Radio City Music Hall. It's believed more shows will be added.

Live Nation says he is donating $1 from every ticket sale to the Red Cross' earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan.

Sheen was fired from the CBS show "Two and a Half Men" after a series of incidents – including alleged drug binges and a custody dispute with his estranged wife Brooke Mueller – and bizarre outbursts in public and on the Internet that have boosted his popularity instead of sinking his career.

People are eating up his "winning" and "tiger blood" catchphrases or references, and he has a legion of followers on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Sheen is suing Warner Bros. and the CBS show's producer for $100 million for breach of contract.




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Jaw-dropping! Largest prehistoric Megalodon shark jaw ever assembled up for auction


By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:11 PM on 15th March 2011


  • The jaw measures 11ft across and is almost 9ft tall
  • The Megalodon shark died out 1.5million years ago and was 16metres long

It makes the Great White shark in Jaws look like a goldfish.

But this giant prehistoric shark jaw comes from the largest predator ever to have existed on Earth.

The 16-metre long Megalodon shark, which died out 1.5million years ago, was once the true king of the ocean, weighing an awesome 100 tons.

Big bite: It took famed fossil hunter Vito Bertucci almost 20 years to reconstruct this Megalodon shark's jaw, which measures 11ft across and is almost 9ft tall

Big bite: It took famed fossil hunter Vito Bertucci almost 20 years to reconstruct this Megalodon shark's jaw, which measures 11ft across and is almost 9ft tall

It took famed fossil hunter Vito 'Megalodon' Bertucci almost 20 years to reconstruct the jaw, the largest ever assembled and which measures 11ft across and is almost 9ft tall.

The late Mr Bertucci found fragments of the ferocious species in the rivers of South Carolina.

The jaw set is composed of 182 fossil teeth, some over seven inches long and is expected to sell for $700,000 (£436,000) at a sale by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, on 12 June.

Megalodon ruled the temperate and warm waters of all the oceans between 25million and 1.5million years ago.

David Herskowitz, Director of Natural History Auctions at Heritage Auctions, said: 'The Megalodon was a shark that grew to the length of two city buses and preyed on whales and other sharks.

'With jaws that size, and a hugely voracious appetite, you or I would be no more than an hors d'oeuvre for this monster.'

The jaws of a Megalodon shark
The jaws of a Megalodon shark

Mouth of a monster: The jaw set is composed of 182 fossil teeth, some over seven inches long and is expected to sell for $700,000 (£436,000) at auction in Dallas, Texas, in June

Vito Bertucci died in 2004 in Georgia while diving for prehistoric shark's teeth.

His brother Joey Bertucci, who is auctioning the jaws, said: 'This was Vito's legacy. He loved it. He dragged it around everywhere.

'This was something he just had a vision to do, and it took him a lifetime of collecting to be able to build it.'

The maximum size of the Megalodon has been of much debate - cartilage rarely fossilises and therefore no complete shark has ever been found.

However, near-complete sets of dentitions have been found, which allows for accurate reconstruction.

The Megalodon's colossal mouth would have produced a but force of 10.8 to 18.2 tons.

Megalodon ruled the temperate and warm waters of all the oceans between 25million and 1.5million years ago

Megalodon ruled the temperate and warm waters of all the oceans between 25million and 1.5million years ago








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#news Prince William brightens spirits by visiting site of Christchurch earthquake a month on from 'darkest day in New Zealand history'



By Oliver Pickup
Last updated at 7:30 PM on 17th March 2011


  • Prince laughs and jokes with earthquake workers 'boosting morale'
  • 28-year-old went on to visit site of Pike River mine disaster

It looks like Prince William has taken his job of rubbing noses with the people that little bit further.

The second in line to the throne received a Hongi - a traditional Maori greeting - from tribal elders as he arrived in Christchurch as part of his tour of Australasia.

The visit was aimed at raising the spirits of survivors of the devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake which killed more than 200 people on February 22.

Scroll down to see a video report of William's visit to New Zealand

Big hello: William receives a traditional Maori welcome - a Hong, where two people rub noses when they meet

Big hello: William receives a traditional Maori welcome - a Hongi, where two people rub noses when they meet

Maori hello: The royal receives a Hong, a Maori greeting, from a tribal leader before meeting with officials of the Pike River company in Greymouth

Maori hello: The royal receives a Hongi, a Maori greeting, from a tribal leader before meeting with officials of the Pike River company in Greymouth

New Zealand prime minister John Key said after the earthquake that 'we may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day'. The 28-year-old Prince, due to marry Kate Middleton next month, did his best to brighten spirits.

The Prince met with rescue workers and visited the badly damaged centre of Christchurch on his first stop of a tour of disaster-stricken areas in New Zealand and Australia.

Clearly shocked and taken aback by the scenes in Christchurch, the Prince still managed to boost morale with rescue workers, laughing and joking with them while thanking them for their efforts.

William, who works as a helicopter search and rescue pilot himself, told them: 'There were a lot of us who work in the military who were gnashing our teeth to come out here.'

William is travelling on behalf of the Queen on his second official trip to the country.

The Prince, who made the trip without fiancée Kate, will attend a memorial service in the city, then will travel to Australia to visit Queensland and Victoria, which were both hit by severe flooding in January.

Devastation: New Zealand's second-city was hit at the end of February and the final death toll could reach 220

Devastation: New Zealand's second-city was hit at the end of February and the final death toll could reach 220

Crumbled: Christchurch's Catholic Cathedral is shown after the earthquake which was so horrific it led to prime minister John Key calling it the 'darkest day' in the county's history

Crumbled: Christchurch's Catholic Cathedral is shown after the earthquake which was so horrific it led to prime minister John Key calling it the 'darkest day' in the county's history

The trip comes as St James's Palace announced that a charitable gift fund set up by the royal couple for well-wishers who want to send them a wedding present will include New Zealand's Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

The Prince last visited New Zealand in January 2010, on his first official overseas visit on behalf of the Queen.

The royal heard personal stories, meeting national USAR manager Steve Barclay, who had been told his house is condemned.

Looking clearly sympathetic, William said: 'I'm so sorry, that's very sad.'

He also met USAR Logistics Manager Shane O'Brien and his seven-year-old twin daughters Lilah and Verity.

Showing his usual ease with the public, including children, he asked the girls: 'Who are these lovely young girls? Are you looking after your dad?'

Royal visit: William waves to the crowd as he arrives at an art gallery in Christchurch

Royal visit: William waves to the crowd as he arrives at an art gallery in Christchurch

The Prince had a clear rapport with search and rescue teams, laughing and joking with them.

He posed for a picture with the USAR workers - when they handed him one of their caps, he joked: 'Smells a bit dodge.'

USAR Technician Martin Sparrow, 44, from Wellington, said the visit had boosted morale: 'It shows that what has happened here is in the eye of the world and people are able to take notice.

'I heard that for the upcoming wedding they have included us in their charities and that shows a side of compassion.'

William also met members of the local media, who told their own tales of the day the quake hit.

Keith Lynch, a reporter from The Press newspaper, said: 'I wanted to talk to him about The Press building and what happened there,' he said. 'One person died.

'He asked me how I got out and I said I wasn't there. I said I was around the corner.

'He asked me how the staff got out, I said they ran down the stairs. He said, "I'm very sorry for your colleagues".'

Supportive: William pats a little girl on the head and offers words of kindness following the quake

Supportive: William pats a little girl on the head and offers words of kindness following the quake

Morale booster: The Prince laughed and joked with rescuers who had starred when the 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch

Morale booster: The Prince laughed and joked with rescuers who had starred when the 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch

The Prince also met TV One cameraman James Marshall, who described how he was caught up in the quake but still had time to grab his camera and start filming.

William joked: 'Course you did, you journalists are all the same. You all film first.'

On a visit to the city fire station, William met firemen including Paul Rodwell and Terry Gyde who told the royal how they saved a Japanese student from the King's Education Language School in the city's CTV building.

Mr Gyde, 50, from Christchurch, said: 'She was trapped by her foot and it took us about an hour, hour-and-a-half to get her out.

'It got to the point where the doctor came inside with us and we were going to amputate her foot.

'We went through the process of preparing her and we gave it one last go and managed to free her.

'He was pretty awe-inspired I think, it was quite surreal to be there and for anyone listening to it it becomes a bit overwhelming at times.'

Happy picture: Prince William poses with the Portaloo Department group during a visit to the Emergency Command Centre

Happy picture: Prince William poses with the Portaloo Department group during a visit to the Emergency Command Centre

On the mend: Workers point out the extent of the damage, and show how repairs are well under way

On the mend: Workers point out the extent of the damage, and show how repairs are well under way

He added: 'We are from the Commonwealth and Commonwealth countries always stick together.

'We look up to royalty and to have the future King of England come here and recognise us for some of the things we did is quite gratifying.'

William was presented with a cap, as well as a wooden plaque which read: 'Presented by Transalpine Fire Region to HRH Prince William. March 17, 2011. New Zealand Fire Service.'

He also signed a helmet at the station, writing: 'City station, good luck, William'.

After Christchurch, William travelled to Greymouth to meet families of the 29 victims of the Pike River mine disaster.

His visit was delayed due to bad weather, but the royal met the families and Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn.

He will return to Christchurch tomorrow for a memorial service in the city.

The Prince will also meet international best-selling classical singer Hayley Westenra, who will perform Amazing Grace and the National Anthem at a memorial service on Friday.

New-Zealand native Hayley will play a free concert for the city in Christchurch and is also organising a bigger fundraising gig to be held in Auckland in August to raise money.

Warming: William, talking to men at the Emergency Command Centre, expressed shock at the devastation in earthquake-hit Christchurch after walking amid the rubble

Warming: William, talking to men at the Emergency Command Centre, expressed shock at the devastation in earthquake-hit Christchurch after walking amid the rubble






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#news We've built a flying saucer, boasts Iran (even if it does look like it belongs in a 1950s B-movie)


By Michael Theodoulou
Last updated at 1:36 AM on 18th March 2011

It's not clear how far or how high it can fly – or even how big it is and what makes it take off.

But an aircraft created by scientists in Iran is, they claim, the world’s first flying saucer.

Called the Zohal - or Saturn in English - it said the unmanned spaceship is designed for 'aerial imaging' but added it can be used for 'various missions'.

Real? The Fars News Agency illustrated their copy about Iran's Zohal with this picture

The hardline Fars news agency illustrated its story with a photo of a flying saucer, akin to one appearing in a 1950s Hollywood B-movie, hovering over an unidentified wooded landscape

Space race: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to show his country's development by putting a man in space by 2020

For president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the advances demonstrate Iran's ability to push on with its science programme despite international sanctions over its nuclear programme

The hardline Fars news agency illustrated its story with a photo of a flying saucer, akin to one appearing in a 1950s Hollywood B-movie, hovering over an unidentified wooded landscape.

The reports gave no indication of the spaceship’s size. But they indicated it was small by claiming, somewhat bizarrely, that it can also fly indoors.

'Easy transportation and launch and flying, making less noise, are some of the advantages of the device,' said ISNA, Iran’s students’ news agency.

'The device belonging to the new generation of vertical flyers is designed for aerial photography.

'It is equipped with autopilot, image stabiliser and GPS and has a separate system for aerial recording with full HD quality!'

Iran, which prides itself on its 2,500 year-old civilisation, is also keen to show that it is at the cutting edge of modern science.

Tehran’s ambitious space programme alarms the West because the same technology used to send missiles into space can be used to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Last year the country announced it had successfully fired a rocket that carried a mouse, a turtle and worms into space.

Tehran insists it will be able to send a man into space in nine years' time.

For president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the advances demonstrate the country's ability to push on with its science programme despite international sanctions over its nuclear programme.

The flying saucer was said to have been unveiled at an exhibition of 'strategic technologies' attended by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

At the same time Iran’s Space Agency launched a test spacecraft designed to sustain life in orbit.

The state IRNA news agency said the capsule was carried by a rocket called the Kavoshgar-4 (Explorer-4) 75 miles into orbit before returning to earth.

Iran’s often outlandish scientific claims usually prove difficult to confirm.

American naval forces in the Persian Gulf have yet to come across a 'super-modern' radar-evading flying boat Iran claimed to have tested four years ago.

Or maybe Iran's spaceship looks like this...?

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Cutting edge: A saucer from The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

earth v the flying saucers

Watch out, enemies of Iran! UFOs in Earth v The Flying Saucers (1956)

ufo

We come in peace: Old-school UFOs with a modern twist








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#gastronomia Nutella Mug Cake


Posted by Angie McGowan on March 15th, 2011 at 4:19 pm


mug cake Nutella Mug Cake

I have been experimenting with different mug cakes every since I heard about them about a year ago. None of them have been winners. They were either too chewy, too dry, or not sweet enough. Well, I continued experimenting, and thought why not add some decadent Nutella into the mix. I modified the classic mug cake recipe, added Nutella, and a little more milk and oil than I had been using before. The results were beyond amazing. Finally, chocolate mug cake perfection, with a hint of Nutella flavor. This mug cake maybe a little high in fat, but it is the perfect decadence to help fulfill a chocolate craving after dinner. And the best thing about this dessert is that it’s quick and easy, and you can have it ready in under 5 minutes, start to finish.

I made these quick desserts today for my father and sister-in-law. They were the perfect thing to make for unexpected company. Thanks to my sister-in-law for posing as my hand model today showing off the ooey gooey goodness of the mug cake. She has beautiful, youthful hands, and the steadiness of a surgeon so I could get the perfect shot. If only she was around all the time. Sigh.

mug cake2 Nutella Mug CakeNutella Mug Cake

Ingredients

4 tablespoons self rising flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a large coffee mug. Whisk well with a fork until smooth. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 – 3 minutes. (Time depends on microwave wattage. Mine took 1 /2 minutes.) Top with whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce if desired.

2. Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Enjoy!

Note: Depending on the wattage of your microwave, you may have to increase cooking time.

blogs.babble.com/




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#news Barack Obama pleads for calm as UN warns radiation 'plume' from Japan quake could hit U.S. today before eventually reaching Europe


By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:15 AM on 18th March 2011

  • UN predicts nuclear plume could hit U.S. by Friday
  • Experts warn that particles will drift across Atlantic for Europe
  • Obama finally falls in line with the rest of the world and starts evacuating American citizens from Japan
  • French minister: 'Let's not beat about the bush, they've essentially lost control'
  • Cooling pool for spent fuel rods has 'boiled dry at reactor number four'
  • Japanese have 48 hours to avoid 'another Chernobyl'
  • Terrified Americans panic-buy gas masks, anti-radiation pills and even pet shelters
  • Experts warn that crisis is 'approaching point of no return' as officials run out of options

Barack Obama has appealed for calm today after a UN agency predicted that a nuclear plume from Japan is set to hit the U.S. West Coast by tomorrow.

The President said no dangerous levels of radiation are expected to reach the U.S. as Japan runs out of time to prevent what officials are calling 'another Chernobyl'.

He spoke as officials in Dallas denied reports that radiation had been detected on passengers landing there from Japan, and Chicago refused to confirm claims passengers tested positive for radiation at O'Hare airport.

And last night there were also fears that particles from the cloud could cross the Atlantic and eventually reach Europe.

Scroll down for video

Do they all need to be screened? Hundreds of people queue to check-in at the international terminal at Narita Airport outside Tokyo in Japan today

Do they all need to be screened? Hundreds of people queue to check-in at the international terminal at Narita Airport outside Tokyo in Japan today

A baby and her mother are scanned for radiation before they enter an evacuation centre in Fukushima Prefecture, northern Japan, March 17, 2011
A passenger from Japan passes through a scanner to check radiation levels at Incheon international airport, west of Seoul March 17, 2011

One by one: Left, a baby and her mother are scanned for radiation before they enter an evacuation centre in Fukushima Prefecture today. Right, a passenger from Japan passes through a scanner to check radiation levels at Incheon international airport near Seoul in South Korea

Lars-Erik De Geer, research director at the Swedish Defence Research Institute, said levels were not dangerous for people but predicted particles would continue across the US then the Atlantic and would eventually also reach Europe. 'It is not something you see normally but it is not high from any danger point of view,' he said. 'It is only a question of very, very low activities so it is nothing for people to worry about.'

A Chicago Aviation Department spokesman refused to confirm that radiation has been found at the airport, saying only that Customs and Border Protection are doing additional screenings.

But a spokesman at the Dallas Fort Worth airport said no passengers had tested positive for any radiation. Customs had discovered minute levels of radiation on a flight yesterday during a routine screening - but it was related to medical equipment, not nuclear energy, the spokesman said.

With terrified passengers packing Tokyo airport after scores governments, including the U.S., advised their citizens to flee, the fear of radiation arriving on flights from Japan is set to increase.

Meanwhile in America, worried citizens are trying to protect themselves against the nuclear fallout with gas masks and anti-radiation tablets after U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin warned them to 'be prepared' for harmful radiation. Some are even buying pet shelters with gas filters.

But today Mr Obama said he does not expect any harmful levels of radiation to reach the U.S.

U.S. Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano told the AP today that no harmful levels of radiation have reached the U.S.

Air passengers arriving in Los Angeles are being screened for 'even a blip' of radiation after the reports from Chicago and Dallas sparked contamination fears there.

The news came as the State Department said the first evacuation flight of U.S. citizens has left Japan in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that sparked a crisis at a nuclear power plant.

Undersecretary of State Patrick Kennedy told a news conference today that the flight has left Tokyo for Taipei, Taiwan.

He said fewer than 100 people were onboard, mostly dependents of U.S. officials, and also some other private citizens.

Collecting water: The Self-Defense Forces's helicopter scoops seawater on Japan's northeast coast en route to the Fukushima plant

Collecting water: The Self-Defense Forces's helicopter scoops seawater on Japan's northeast coast en route to the Fukushima plant

Empty: This store in Los Angeles was out of potassium iodide following a run on the supplement at grocery stores and pharmacies

Empty: This store in Los Angeles was out of potassium iodide following a run on the anti-radiation drug at grocery stores and pharmacies

JAPAN-QUAKE/PLUME - Map of the North Pacific locating the projected path of the radioactive plume from Japan's Fukushima plant on Friday. RNGS. (SIN07)

Friday fall-out: A graphic showing the path of the nuclear plume as predicted by the UN

It also emerged today that the Environmental Protection Agency has upped its number of radiation monitors in locations on the West Coast. The UN has predicted that a nuclear plume from Japan could reach islands off the Alaskan coast today, and southern California by tomorrow. The agency has not yet responded to queries on whether it has detected any increased levels of radiation in the U.S. today.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Cherise Miles told CBS the agency is 'specifically assessing the potential for radiological contamination associated with the ongoing impact of the earthquake and tsunami to Japan's nuclear facilities.'

Last night it emerged that the United Nations has predicted that a nuclear plume from a crisis-hit reactor in Japan could drift across the Pacific and over the U.S. by Friday.

The chilling forecast came as the United States began evacuating Americans out of Japan amid escalating fears that the quake-ravaged country is facing disaster.

Japanese military helicopters today dropped sea water on the over-heating reactors in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a catastrophic meltdown. Some experts say the county has 48 hours to avoid 'another Chernoblyl'.

Radiation from the toxic plume spewing from the reactor is set to hit California and the West Coast on Friday, according to the UN's Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation. It predicts the plume will head into Southern California and further into Nevada, Utah and Arizona.

While the organisation did not give any further details on the level of radiation to hit the U.S., health officials emphasised that - as with the Chernobyl disaster 26 years ago - most radiation in the atmosphere is set to dissipate throughout its journey over the Pacific.

Damaged: This dramatic pictures shows for the first time the damage wreaked upon the Fukushima plant which was today shrouded in smoke and steam bellowing from the damaged third and fourth reactors

'Out of control': This dramatic pictures shows radioactive steam pouring from the Fukushima reactor number three after it was damaged in an explosion

A second photograph released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. shows the charred rafters of the No. 3 unit of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant which was yesterday shrouded in smoke billowing from the ruins

Disaster: A second photograph released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. shows the charred rafters of the No. 3 unit of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant which was yesterday shrouded in smoke billowing from the ruins

On Sunday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulator Commission said it expected no harmful levels of radiation would reach the U.S. from Japan given the thousands of miles between the two countries.

The UN's projection, which was calculated according to wind patterns on Tuesday, was first reported by the New York Times.

The data assumes that radiation is spewing from the crippled nuclear reactor at a continuous rate and forms a rising plume, amid heightened suspicion that the crisis at the plant – already ranked the second-worst nuclear disaster after Chernobyl – is worse than the Japanese authorities have publicly let on.

Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters began dumping seawater on the damaged reactor of Unit 3 at the Fukushima complex at 9.48am local time this morning as Defence Minister Toshifumi Kitazawa told reporters that emergency workers had no choice but to try the water dumps before it was too late.

The aircraft dumped at least four loads of at least 2,000 gallons each, on the reactor, though much of the water appeared to be dispersed in the air.

The dumping was intended both to help cool the reactor and to replenish water in a pool holding spent fuel rods. The plant's owner, Tokyo Electric Power Co., said earlier that the pool was nearly empty, which might cause the rods to overheat.

Chaos: Passengers crowd Mar Haneda International Airport outside Tokyo as foreigners scramble to flee the country amid radiation fears

Chaos: Passengers crowd Mar Haneda International Airport outside Tokyo as foreigners scramble to flee the country amid radiation fears

A child undergoes a radiation test at Prague's Kbely military airport after hundreds of people fleeing Japan arrived from Tokyo's Narita airport while right with her face covered by a mask as she awaits the next flight out of earthquake hit Japan
Leaving: A young woman sits at Narita Airport with her face covered by a mask as she awaits the next flight out of earthquake hit Japan

Leaving: A child undergoes a radiation test at Prague's Kbely military airport after hundreds of people fleeing Japan arrived from Tokyo's Narita airport while right with her face covered by a mask as she awaits the next flight out of earthquake hit Japan

Darkness: Lights are turned off to save energy before rolling blackouts in Tokyo yesterday after power generation from the Fukushima plant has been due to damage from the earthquake and tsunami

Darkness: Lights are turned off to save energy before rolling blackouts in Tokyo yesterday after power generation from the Fukushima plant has been due to damage from the earthquake and tsunami

American officials have also said that they believe the fuel holding pools at reactor three and four are empty of water after boiling dry.

That means that nuclear fuel rods at both the reactors could overheat further and release more radiation.

Even when removed from reactors, uranium rods are still extremely hot and must be cooled for months, possibly longer, to prevent them from heating up again and emitting radioactivity.

Emergency workers are struggling to keep a constant supply of water pumping into the holding pools and officials last night admitted that much of the monitoring equipment in the plant was broken and it was impossible to monitor the situation.

'We haven't been able to get any of the latest data at any spent fuel pools. We don't have latest water levels, temperatures, none of the latest information,' an official said. There are also frantic efforts to restore power to the coolant pumping system that was knocked out by the tsunami on Friday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said that along with the helicopter water drops, special police units would use water cannons - normally used to quell rioters - to spray water onto the Unit 4 storage pool. The high-pressure water cannons will allow emergency workers to stay farther away.

One French expert warned that the plant is just hours away from disaster. Thierry Charles of the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety told the Telegraph: 'The next 48 hours will be decisive. I am pessimistic because, since Sunday, I have seen that almost none of the solutions has worked.'

It followed the alarm from the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation, which does radiation projections as a matter of routine in an attempt to predict which of its stations scattered around the globe need to be activated as it monitors a global ban on nuclear arms testing.

Its 60 stations test the air for radiation, and use computer models and weather forecasts to model how that radiation could be transported by wind.

'It’s simply an indication,' Lassina Zerbo, head of the agency’s International Data Center, told the newspaper.

'We have global coverage. So when something happens, it’s important for us to know which station can pick up the event.'

Early this morning the Obama administration fell in line with the rest of the world and began evacuating citizens from Tokyo in defiance of Japanese assurances that the capital is not yet in danger.

Destroyed: Damage after the earthquake and tsunami at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, is seen in this satellite image taken 9:35 am local time (0035 GMT)

Destroyed: Damage after the earthquake and tsunami at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, is seen in this satellite image taken 9:35 am local time (0035 GMT)

A cloud of white smoke cam be seen rising from the nuclear power plant
A cloud of white smoke cam be seen rising from the nuclear power plant

Crisis: A cloud of white smoke can be seen rising from the nuclear power plant today as workers battling to control the chaos were evacuated after soaring radiation levels

Nuclear reactor: What is going on

Mr Obama had promised to support Japan in its efforts to contain the crisis. But as a desperate last-ditch attempt to prevent total nuclear meltdown began last night, the President finally made a tough decision.

Gregory Jaczko did not say how the information was obtained, but the NRC and U.S. department of energy both have experts on site at the Fukushima complex of six reactors.

'We believe that around the reactor site there are high levels of radiation,' he said. 'It would be very difficult for emergency workers to get near the reactors. The doses they could experience would potentially be lethal doses in a very short period of time.'

Frantic attempts to cool down the reactors at the Fukushima plant following Friday's earthquake and tsunami had to be suspended after high radiation levels were recorded. Technicians later returned, but it was another setback in Japanese efforts to avoid a nuclear catastrophe.


40 YEARS OF DOUBT ON DESIGN OF FUKUSHIMA POWER PLANT

The design of the reactors at the stricken Fukushima power plant has been called into question for almost 40 years.

As far back as 1972, experts said the Mark 1 should be discontinued because its containment vessel was not as robust as alternatives.

One report said such reactors had a 90 per cent probability of bursting should the fuel rods overheat and melt in an accident.

A clutch of engineers also resigned their posts rather than carry on with a project they deemed to be unsafe.
In a nuclear reactor the containment vessel is considered the last line of defence to stop a meltdown.

It is usually a steel and cement ‘tomb’ and is designed to stop the melting fuel rods sending lethal radiation into the atmosphere.

The cheaper Mark 1s, however, are less robust, smaller, and have long been thought to be more likely to fail in an emergency.

They were designed in the U.S. in the 1960s by the utility giant General Electric.Five of the six reactors at the Fukushima plant are Mark 1s.

In 1972, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission said the design should be discontinued because it was more susceptible to explosion and rupture from a build-up in hydrogen – which may have happened at Fukushima. In 1975 engineer Dale Bridenbaugh and two of his colleagues at General Electric quit work on a Mark 1 because they did not feel comfortable about safety.

The travel warning extends to U.S. citizens already in the country and urges them to consider leaving. The authorised departure offers voluntary evacuation to family members and dependents of U.S. personnel in Tokyo, Yokohama and Nagoya and affects some 600 people.

Senior State Department official Patrick Kennedy said chartered planes will be brought in to help private American citizens wishing to leave.

People face less risk in southern Japan, but changing weather and wind conditions could raise radiation levels elsewhere in the coming days, he said.

After a hastily arranged teleconference with officials from the State and Energy departments, the order was given to get Americans out.

It heightened suspicions that the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant in north-east Japan – already ranked the second-worst nuclear disaster after Chernobyl – is worse than the Japanese authorities have publicly let on. Yesterday ‘last-ditch’ efforts were continuing at Fukushima to prevent a catastrophe.

The chief of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) warned last night that all the cooling water has gone from one of the spent fuel pools.

That means there is nothing to stop the fuel rods getting hotter and ultimately melting down. The outer shell of the rods could also ignite with enough force to propel the radioactive fuel inside over a wide area.

Tokyo, which is about 170 miles from the stricken nuclear complex, has reported slightly elevated radiation levels, though Japanese officials have said the increase was too small to threaten the 39 million people in and around the capital.

Anxious to safeguard the U.S. relationship with its closest Asian ally, Mr Obama told Mr Kan about the steps the U.S. was taking, shortly before the State Department announced the first evacuations.

But the alliance looked likely to be strained, with the U.S. taking more dramatic safety precautions than Japan and issuing dire warnings that contradicted Japan's more upbeat assessments.

Earlier yesterday, the Obama administration urged the evacuation of Americans from a 50-mile radius of the stricken nuclear plant, raising questions about U.S. confidence in Tokyo's risk assessments. Japan's government was urging people within 20 miles to stay indoors if they could not evacuate.

White House spokesman Jay Carney sought to minimize any rift between the two allies, saying U.S. officials were making their recommendations based on their independent analysis of the data coming out of the region following Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami.

'I will not from here judge the Japanese evaluation of the data,' Mr Carney told reporters.

'This is what we would do if this incident were happening in the United States.'

Thousands face terrifying radiation checks
Extreme measures: There are temporary radiation cleaning shelter, set up by across the affected area including Nihonmatsu city in Fukushima

Extreme measures: There are temporary radiation cleaning shelter, set up by across the affected area including Nihonmatsu city in Fukushima

Until last night, the U.S. had advised its citizens to follow the recommendations of the Japanese government.

As late as Tuesday, Mr Carney had said those recommendations were 'the same that we would take in the situation'.

But conditions at the nuclear plant continued to deteriorate, with surging radiation forcing Japan to order workers to temporarily withdraw. Last night Japan was making a desperate last-ditch attempt to cool the reactor by using helicopters to dump sea water. One official told the Mail: 'There is no other option. This has to work.'

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. had consular personnel in the Miyagi and Ibaraki prefectures and was sending officials out to check on Americans.

'We have consular teams on the ground,' Mr Toner said.

'Where they can, they are going door to door. They are going to hospitals. They are trying everything in their power to reach out and find American citizens.'

The Pentagon said U.S. troops working on relief missions can only go within 50 miles to the plant with approval. Spokesman Col. David Lapan said the U.S. would review requests from the Japanese for assistance that would require troops to move within that radius, though no approval for such movement had been given since the stricter guidelines were enacted.

The Pentagon said troops are receiving anti-radiation pills before missions to areas where radiation exposure is likely.

With the arrival of three more ships to the massive humanitarian mission, there were 17,000 sailors and Marines afloat on 14 vessels in waters off Japan.

Several thousand Army and Air Force service members already stationed at U.S. bases in Japan have also been mobilised for the relief efforts.

Airmen have been flying search and rescue missions and operating Global Hawk drones and U-2 reconnaissance planes to help the Japanese assess damage from the disasters.

The operation is fraught with challenges - mainly, figuring out how to continue to provide help amid some low-level releases of radiation from the facility, which officials fear could be facing a meltdown.

Weather also temporarily hampered some relief plans Wednesday. Pilots couldn't fly helicopters off the deck of aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan until late afternoon because of poor visibility.

The 7th Fleet said 15 flights with relief supplies were launched from the eight-ship carrier group, about half as many as the 29 flights reported the previous day to deliver food, water, blankets and other supplies.

Several water pumps and hoses were being sent from U.S. bases around Japan to help at Fukushima, where technicians were dousing the overheating nuclear reactors with seawater in a frantic effort to cool them.

The U.S. had already sent two fire trucks to the area to be operated by Japanese firefighters, said Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Pentagon spokeswoman.









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