Maior esmeralda do mundo, encontrada no Brasil, vai a leilão neste sábado

28/01/2012 - 07h00

Do UOL, em São Paulo

A maior esmeralda do mundo, com 57 mil quilates, vai a leilão neste sábado no Canadá. Segundo a empresa de leilões Western Star Auctions, a pedra foi extraída no Brasil e lapidada na Índia.
Com 11,5 kg e o tamanho aproximado de uma melancia, a esmeralda chama atenção pela grandiosidade. Avaliada em US$ 1,15 milhão, a pedra preciosa foi apelidada de “Teodora” ou "Presente de Deus".
O lance inicial é de US$ 500 mil (cerca de R$ 870 mil) e os interessados podem participar pela internet, com lances via cartão de crédito.
A empresa de leilões afirma ter armado um forte esquema de segurança para proteger a esmeralda de ladrões.

29/01/2012 09h04 - Atualizado em 29/01/2012 13h08

Dono de 'maior esmeralda do mundo' vai preso, e leilão acaba sem lances

Homem foi ligado a fraudes no Canadá; leilão começaria em US$ 1 milhão.
Pessoas acharam anúncio da mesma pedra na web por US$ 10 mil, diz site.

Do G1, em São Paulo

O dono da "maior esmeralda lapidada do mundo", Regan Reaney, foi preso neste sábado (28) na cidade canadense de Kelowna, na Columbia Britânica, em conexão com diversas acusações de fraude ocorridas em Ontario, também no Canadá. A informação foi noticiada por diversos veículos canadenses.
Teodora, que seria considerada a maior esmeralda lapidada do mundo, com 57.500 quilates (equivalentes a 11,5 quilos), foi posta em leilão no sábado no Canadá, com lance inicial de US$ 1 milhão, mesmo após a prisão. A Western Star, companhia responsável pelo leilão, informou, no entanto, que não houve lance algum pela pedra, e se recusou a comentar o caso.

Regan Reaney mostra sua esmeralda, em imagem de quinta-feira (26) (Foto: AP)

Antes do leilão, Regan Reaney havia informado que a esmeralda foi extraída de solo brasileiro e vendida a um indiano, que a levou para lapidar na Índia.
Também teria passado uma informação errada, dizendo que "Teodora" significa "presente de Deus" em português.
'US$ 10 mil'Segundo o Castanet, site noticioso com presença em Kelowna, pessoas encontraram a suposta esmeralda de 57.500 quilates no site de vendas eBay, com preço de US$ 10 mil. Reaney negou ao site que tenha feito o anúncio e ofereceu uma pequena esmeralda para sorteio entre leitores caso o site aceitasse promover um evento exibindo a pedra antes do leilão.

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Acai Berry Diet Exposed: Miracle Diet!

As part of a new series: "Diet Trends: A look at America's Top Diets" we examine consumer tips for dieting during a recession

Michelle Hadson investigates the Power Slim diet to find out for herself if this Acai Berry pill works.

Acai berries are the latest weight loss fad. These so called Super Foods that you take as a supplement to lose weight have been getting a lot of international attention. And like you have probably already seen, they are all over the internet in blogs with success stories of people who have apparently used the pills and lost a ton of weight. But we here at News 3 are a little skeptical and aren't sure that we've seen any real proof that these pills work for weight loss. So we decided to put these products to the test. What better way to find out the truth than to conduct our own study?

To get started, I volunteered to be the guinea pig. I applied for a bottle of the Power Slim. While there are tons of Acai Berry ads online, Power Slim is one of the most credible and trustworthy suppliers in the industry. Another reason why I chose Power Slim is because it is the most concentrated and purest acai product on the market. This would give me the most accurate results for my test.

Here is what Power Slim claims on their website...

• Flush out excess pounds while burning fat
• Break up and remove harmful toxins
• Gain more energy and fight fatigue
• 100% satisfaction guarantee

We were pretty skeptical, but wanted to find out for ourselves if this product could actually do everything that it claims.

Putting Power Slim to the Test

The bottle I received held a month's worth of pills which worked out perfect as I was to follow the supplement routine for 4 weeks and document my progress throughout.

My Test 4 Week Acai Berry Diet: Power Slim

• Take one Power Slim pill per day

My Results

Week One

After one week on the diet using Power Slim I was surprised at the dramatic results. My energy level was up, and I wasn't even hungry, an apparent side effect of the Acai Berry which curbs the appetite.

I honestly felt fantastic.

And I didn't even change anything about my daily routine. On day 7 I got on the scale and couldn't believe my eyes. I had lost 9 lbs. But I still wasn't convinced as they say you lose a lot of water at the beginning of any diet. I wanted to wait and see the results in the upcoming weeks. But it sure was looking up! I now weighed under 140 lbs for the first time in years!

---

Week Two

After two weeks of using Power Slim, I started the week off with even more energy and was actually sleeping more soundly than before. I was no longer waking up during the night and tossing and turning because my body was actually able to relax (this is a result of getting rid of the toxins I think). Plus I still managed to lose another 7 lbs, putting me at an unbelievable 16 lbs of weight loss in just 2 weeks.

I must admit that I'm starting to believe that this diet is more than just a gimmick.

---

Week Three

After 3 weeks all my doubts and skepticism had absolutely vanished! I am down 2 full dress sizes after losing another 6 lbs. And I still have a ton of energy. Quite often, around the third week of other diets, you tend to run out of steam. But with the Power Slim diet my energy levels don't dip, but remain steady throughout the day. I no longer need that cat nap around 3pm in the afternoon! And I am even noticing that my stomach is digesting food so much better. No bloating or embarrassing gas after I eat!

---

Week Four

After the fourth week, my final results were shocking. I lost an unbelievable 25 lbs since starting the Power Slim diet! Actually everyone at News 3 is kicking themselves for not having volunteered to be the guinea pig. Using Power Slim in week 4 I lost 3 more lbs. But to be honest I really didn't have much more than that left to lose. And I am definitely going to continue taking Power Slim afterwards because it has so many antioxidants and vitamins that makes my skin look unbelievable.

I couldn't be any happier with the results. I Lost 25 lbs in 4 Weeks.
No Special Diet, No Intense Exercise

Conclusion Like us, here at News 3, you might be a little doubtful about the effects of this diet, but you need to try it for yourself; the results are real. After conducting our own personal study we are pleased to see that people really are finding success with it (myself included :) ). And you have nothing to lose. Follow the links I have provided and know that you are getting a quality product that works; no strings attached!

Good Luck with your weight loss!

– Michelle Hadson

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Você achava que SOPA e PIPA eram ruins? Conheça o ACTA, acordo internacional que promete limitar a internet

• Pirataria

• Por Felipe Ventura
• 18:53 - 26-01-2012
• 18210
• 87 Comentários

Recentemente os projetos de lei antipirataria SOPA e PIPA, que dariam a criadores de conteúdo um poder absurdo sobre a internet, entraram na pauta do mundo inteiro depois que diversos sites fizeram blecautes em protesto. Porém, uma ameaça mais insidiosa está se espalhando, de maneira menos barulhenta: é o ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), que quer implementar propostas semelhantes às da SOPA e PIPA no mundo inteiro.
Foi legal ver o mundo inteiro se juntar à luta do pessoal dos EUA contra uma lei que tinha várias propostas muito erradas. Mas no fim das contas a SOPA e PIPA, mesmo podendo afetar sites de todo o mundo, eram leis americanas. Ninguém teria direito a usar tais leis fora dos EUA, fora da jurisdição americana.
O ACTA, no entanto, é um acordo internacional: ele estipula duras regras sobre direitos autorais, e se preocupa apenas com os detentores de copyright, cujos abusos não serão coibidos. Há pouco que usuários e consumidores podem fazer contra ele, e não só na internet: o foco do ACTA é a pirataria digital, mas cobre também a pirataria física.
Em seu ponto mais polêmico, o ACTA explica o que provedores de acesso e a polícia devem fazer para “prevenir” e impedir a pirataria, envolvendo até mesmo desconexão forçada de quem piratear pela terceira vez. Isto, obviamente, significa que seu provedor teria que monitorar tudo o que você faz na internet. Lá se vão a privacidade e a liberdade na rede.
Os EUA vêm discutindo o ACTA com outros países em segredo, a portas fechadas, desde pelo menos 2007,  sem qualquer envolvimento de organizações civis – elas só puderam ver o texto finalizado. (Antes disso, no entanto, documentos do ACTA vazaram mais de uma vez.) Diversos países já assinaram o acordo: Canadá, Coreia do Sul, Japão, Marrocos, Cingapura, Austrália, Nova Zelândia e, claro, os EUA. O México e países da União Europeia também poderão ser signatários até 2013.

Esta semana, a Polônia prometeu entrar no ACTA, o que motivou protestos nas ruas contra a medida: manifestantes com adesivos tapando a boca, máscaras de Anonymous e cartazes protestavam em frente a um escritório da UE. Além disso, desde domingo alguns sites locais saíram do ar depois de serem hackeados. Mesmo assim, a Polônia assinou o ACTA, tornando-se o primeiro país da UE a fazê-lo. A medida ainda precisa ser aprovada pelo Parlamento e pelo presidente.
Os EUA querem empurrar o ACTA para outros países, oferecendo em troca vantagens comerciais, mas o Brasil já avisou: não vai fazer parte. É o que Kenneth Félix Haczynski, chefe da Divisão de Propriedade Intelectual do Itamaraty, disse ao Estadão. E mais: “os Brics não participaram [da discussão do Acta], assim como nenhum país sul-americano”. Ou seja, grandes países como Rússia, Índia, China e toda a América do Sul estão fora. Infelizmente, isso não quer dizer que o Brasil ficará livre das pressões pró-ACTA.
Você pode encontrar mais informações sobre o ACTA no vídeo acima (com legendas em português), nesta reportagem do Estadão e no site www.stopacta.info. Comprometer liberdades civis para combater a pirataria de forma antidemocrática é algo que não podemos aceitar. [Estadão]
Foto por Maciej Janiec/Flickr

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The world's most amazing car showroom: 600 Volkswagens stacked into 200ft tall silos ready for delivery

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 2:53 PM on 28th January 2012

These futuristic garages are the ultimate car showroom - with millions of pounds worth of new vehicles sitting in the stunning glass towers.
Each day about 600 cars are picked up from the two 200ft tall silos by their new owners - making it the world's largest vehicle delivery centre.
Incredibly, the cars are built at the manufacturer's main plant, in Wolfsburg, Germany, and transported by conveyor belt to the adjacent towers' basement.

High tech: The futuristic garages in use, with new vehicles being moved around the complex

World's largest vehicle delivery centre: Each day about 600 cars are picked up by their new owners

From there they are lifted into position at a speed of two metres a second via a robotic arm that rotates and run along a central beam.
Each tower contains 400 brand new Volkswagens.

Choice: Shiny new cars line up waiting for new owners to collect them

Ultimate showroom: The two buildings at the Volkswagen theme park, the Autostadt, are 200ft tall

An underground tunnel connects the two buildings, and the cars roll along an internal track to arrive to be fitted with license plates.
New owners can watch as their car is picked up from a bay and delivered to them at the Autostadt CustomerCenter, with the speedometer at zero.

When the cars reach their new owners, the speedometer still reads zero

Scenes from the latest Mission Impossible film - starring Tom Cruise - were inspired by the Autostadt

The 20 storey buildings, which were the inspiration for a huge garage in the latest Mission Impossible film - Ghost Protocol - are housed at the Volkswagen theme park, the Autostadt, which translates as 'car city.'

The stunning glass towers house millions of pounds worth of new vehicles

Last year 175,893 new cars were handed over to their new owners.
The theme park also features a three Michelin star restaurant, the world's largest glass doors and the world's longest printed line - four miles.
A spokesman said: ‘Taking possession of a new car is a special event and each customer is made to feel like a king.
‘Each handover includes professional advice from a personal consultant.
‘It is no surprise the CustomerCenter is one of the main attractions for people visiting the Autostadt.
‘This automotive theme park attracts people who have a passion for cars as well as those who enjoy culture and unique kinds (of) events.
‘Instead of focusing on vehicle production, the presentations highlight the many different aspects of human mobility.’

 

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Internet bowled over by Obama email hoax

Save this story to read later

• NewsCore
• January 28, 2012 4:50PM

ALSO

• Nowhere to hide as mean girls take taunts online

A picture of the "Obama bowl" featuring Barack Obama's face at the end of each lane with the pins as his teeth has been revealed as a fake. Picture: FunnyObamas.com

Start of sidebar.

Have you gotten an email with a photograph of bowling lanes with President Barack Obama's face at the end, where the pins are set up to look like his teeth?

It was supposedly taken at a bowling alley in Clearwater, Florida in the US and it shows the President's face at the end of each lane. The pins are right where his teeth would be.
According to the email, the bowling alley is doing record business because everyone is lining up for the chance to knock the president's teeth out.
About 200 people have called Countryside Lanes bowling alley because of the photo, inquiring from coast to coast, from California to Maine. And everyone hears the same answer: That photo is big, fat hoax.
"At first I thought it was a joke, one of my buddies prank calling me," said Joseph May from Countryside Lanes.
General manager Tina May said she had to do a bit of research to understand the question from the callers.
"I ended up going on Facebook, and lo and behold, there was a picture of Obama Bowl," she said.
Co-owner Joseph May said every caller gets the same response.
"We just tell them it's nothing serious, just some chain link email internet rumor going around," he said.
The Mays said they are are not happy to be associated with the Obama hoax.
"My personal opinion is it's a very disrespectful thing. I didn't approve of it at all and that was basically what I told people, no we don't do that and I don't know many around here who would," said Tina May.

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#DesabamentoRio Bens de vítimas de queda de prédios são desviados no Rio

Publicidade

Denise Menchen
Juca Varela
DO RIO

A falta de controle sobre os escombros retirados do local do desabamento dos três prédios no centro do Rio fez com que a zona portuária virasse ponto de garimpo, informa reportagem de Denise Menchen e Juca Varela publicada na edição deste sábado da Folha.
A íntegra está disponível para assinantes do jornal e do UOL (empresa controlada pelo Grupo Folha, que edita a Folha).

	Juca Varella/Folhapress
	Funcionário de empresa que trabalha em construção de museu vasculha bolsa no meio de entulho retirado de prédios

O lugar funciona como entreposto do entulho, que depois segue para um terreno na Baixada Fluminense. A Folha flagrou operários revirando bolsas, álbuns de fotos, peças de metal, cabos elétricos e telefônicos.
Leia cobertura sobre o desabamento no Rio
Veja galeria de fotos do desabamento
Vídeos mostram cenário caótico após prédios caírem
Envie sua imagem ou relato sobre o desabamento no Rio
Equipe usa sensores de calor para buscar vítimas
Qualidade do ar piora 866% após desabamentos
17 mil t de escombros são removidas no Rio
Eles usavam uniformes da Secretaria estadual de Obras e de empreiteiras que trabalham na região. A prefeitura, responsável pelo entulho, vai investigar o caso. O Estado diz que a roupa pode ter sido usada indevidamente.
Leia mais na edição da Folha deste sábado.
SUSPEITAS
O prefeito do Rio, Eduardo Paes (PMDB), afirmou ontem (26) que os indícios apontam que é improvável que o desabamento dos três prédios tenha sido causado por uma explosão. A principal hipótese aponta para um problema na estrutura de um dos prédios.
O ajudante de obras Alexandre Fonseca, 31, que sobreviveu ao desabamento ao se abrigar dentro do elevador, afirmou, porém, que não mexeu em pilares, vigas e lajes, que poderiam comprometer a estrutura do local.
Segundo o Crea, não havia qualquer registro da obra que estava sendo realizada em dois andares do edifício Liberdade. A prefeitura afirma que os imóveis estavam em situação regular.

	Victor R. Caivano/Associated Press
	Bombeiro busca vítimas nos escombros dos prédios que caíram no centro do Rio; veja galeria de imagens

DESABAMENTO
Os três prédios localizados ao lado do Theatro Municipal desabaram por volta das 20h30. Os edifícios tinham 18 (Liberdade), 10 (Colombo) e 4 andares. O teatro não foi atingido, mas seu anexo, onde funciona a bilheteria, sofreu danos por causa dos escombros.
Devido ao trabalhos no local do desabamento, a avenida 13 de Maio --onde ocorreram os desabamentos-- permanece interditada. A avenida Almirante Barroso também foi bloqueada entre a rua Senador Dantas e a avenida Rio Branco. Já Senador Dantas funciona com mão invertida entre a Almirante Barroso e a rua Evaristo da Veiga.   


#DesabamentoRio  Bombeiros localizam corpo da 17ª vítima em escombros no Rio

14ª e 15ª vítimas estavam no subsolo de um dos prédios, e 13ª foi levada com entulho e achada pela Comlurb; ainda há ao menos 6 desaparecidos

28/01/2012 - 02h37

DE SÃO PAULO

O corpo de Bombeiros confirmou no inicio da madrugada deste sábado que mais um corpo não identificado foi encontrado nos escombros dos prédios que desabaram nesta quarta-feira (25) no centro do Rio de Janeiro. Por volta das 2h, partes de um outro corpo haviam sido encontradas. Agora sobe para 17 o número de vítimas encontradas até o momento.
As buscas que estão sendo realizadas nesta madrugada pelos bombeiros contam apenas com homens e máquinas.

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U.S. bombs not strong enough to destroy Iran's nuclear program, report says

• Published 07:30 28.01.12
• Latest update 07:30 28.01.12

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Defense Secretary Panetta, Pentagon officials say Washington seeking new weapons that would overcome depth of Iranian enrichment facilities, recent fortifications.

By Haaretz Tags: Iran threat Iran nuclear Iran

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The United States does not possess conventional armament powerful enough to destroy Iran's deeply hidden nuclear facilities, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal late Friday, with American Defense Secretary Leon Panetta saying Washington was "still trying" to develop more powerful bombs.
Will the U.S. strike Iran's nuclear program? Join the discussion on Haaretz.com's official Facebook page

	A nuclear facility under construction inside a mountain located about 20 miles north northeast of Qom, Iran.
	Photo by: AP

Late last year, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Air Force received new 15-ton bombs capable of destroying deep underground bunkers, ahead of a possible attack on Iran's nuclear plants.
The bombs, designed to be delivered by B-2 stealth bombers and called Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP), "will meet requirements for the current operational need," U.S. Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jack Miller said in a statement in November.
However, speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Friday, U.S. officials estimated that even the 15-ton bombs would not be powerful to put a full stop to Iran's nuclear program, either because of some of the facilities' depth or their newly added fortifications.
One unnamed officials said Pentagon analysts estimated that currently held conventional bombs would not be effective against Iran's enrichment plant in Fordo, adding that a tactical nuclear would be the only option if Washington sought to destroy the facility.
"Once things go into the mountain, then really you have to have something that takes the mountain off," the official told the Wall Street Journal.
Speaking of the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, one official indicated that the U.S.' MOPs could suffice, adding, however, that "even that is guesswork."
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, the U.S. defense secretary referred to the need to develop bombs potent enough to pierce Iran's defenses, saying: "We're still trying to develop them," Mr. Panetta said.
Should Washington decide to use the MOP anyway, Panetta added, it could cause "a lot of damage" to Iran's hidden facilities, adding, however, that the bunker busters wouldn't necessarily destroy them outright.
"We're developing it. I think we're pretty close, let's put it that way. But we're still working at it because these things are not easy to be able to make sure that they will do what we want them to," Panetta added, saying: "But I'm confident, frankly, that we're going to have that capability and have it soon."
Despite questions regarding the MOP's ability permanently damage Iran' nuclear facilities, one U.S. security official speaking to the Wall Street Journal said that "the Massive Ordnance Penetrators are by no means the only capability at our disposal to deal with potential nuclear threats in Iran."
Another official said that the U.S. make up for the MOPs' current inability by using them in tandem with other guided weapons against a bunker's entry and exit points—provided, however, that U.S. intelligence is aware of the position of those openings.
New reports about the current American inability to end Iran's nuclear ambitions with a conventional strike came after, earlier Friday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that the world must quickly stop Iran from reaching the point where even a "surgical" military strike could not block it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Amid fears that Israel is nearing a decision to attack Iran's nuclear program, Barak said tougher international sanctions are needed against Tehran's oil and banks so that "we all will know early enough whether the Iranians are ready to give up their nuclear weapons program."
Iran insists its atomic program is only aimed at producing energy and research, but has repeatedly refused to consider giving up its ability to enrich uranium.
"We are determined to prevent Iran from turning nuclear. And even the American president and opinion leaders have said that no option should be removed from the table and Iran should be blocked from turning nuclear," Barak old reporters during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
"It seems to us to be urgent, because the Iranians are deliberately drifting into what we call an immunity zone where practically no surgical operation could block them," he said.
Barak called it "a challenge for the whole world" to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran but stopped short of confirming any action that could further stoke Washington's concern about a possible Israeli military strike.

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Google Doodle Celebrates the World’s Largest Snowflake!http://www.google.co.uk/

http://www.google.co.uk/

• 
  
• By Kathy Ceceri
• Email Author
• January 28, 2012 | 
• 12:56 am | 
• 
  

I’m not sure how they measured it, but according to Google’s animated Doodle, January 28 is the 125th anniversary of the world’s largest snowflake. According to The New York Times, Giant Snowflakes as Big as Frisbees are certainly possible, if not common.
Here in the Northeastern United States, we’ve seen hardly any snow this winter, let alone record-breaking flakes. Here’s hoping for at least one sighting of the beautiful white stuff this winter!

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Solar-Storm-Fueled Auroras Make for Awesome Backyard Photography

• By Adam Mann
• 
• January 27, 2012  | 
• 6:04 pm  | 
• Categories: Space
• Follow @adamspacemann

View as gallery

The sun is waking up. After several quiet years, it bombarded the Earth with two consecutive solar storms this week, which generated many nights of spectacular auroras seen from backyards around the Northern Hemisphere.
A relatively powerful flare burst from the sun’s surface on Jan. 19, throwing off charged particles that reached our planet on Jan. 22. But this was nothing compared to the enormous flare that erupted the next day. The biggest solar flare in six years, this impressive event propelled a gigantic, fast-moving storm that reached Earth on Jan. 24.
The Earth’s magnetic field directs the torrent of charged particles from these storms toward the poles. Interactions with the atmosphere produce the wavering lines of beautiful color known as auroras, or Northern Lights.
Because the sun is now entering a more active part of its solar cycle, the next few months and years are expected to see more frequent solar storms. Just today, it produced an X-class solar flare, the most powerful category of flare. Though this particular one was not directed at Earth, such events can damage satellites and screw up communications on Earth.
Despite these drawbacks, increased solar storms mean more pretty auroras. Here, we indulge in some incredible views taken by ordinary folk of these atmospheric light shows.
Above:

Eagle Lights

The central light ribbon in this image resembles the head and beak of a bird, flanked by a radiant wingspan. The photo was taken in Grøtfjord, close to Tromsø in northern Noway.
Image: Bjørn Jørgensen

Barn Lights

Heaven and Earth collide in this photograph, featuring a snow-covered barn in the foreground while Jupiter and the Northern Lights keep watch overhead. Taken in Siilinjarvi, Eastern Finland, Finland.
Image: Janne./Flickr

Glowing Lights

A long exposure and dark forest provided this view of the aurora and night sky, captured in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
Image: Stephan Hoglund

Horizon Lights

The gauzy Northern Lights brighten the horizon in this photo, while a clear night sky watches over all. Taken near Midmar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Image: Nick Bramhall/Flickr

Big Snow Lights

The aurora erupts from the horizon, lighting up the snow near Mt. Hafnarfjalli in Iceland.
Image: Eyfi M/Flickr

Video Lights

A time-lapse video of the feathery aurora spotted over the forest in Fairbanks, Alaska in the wee hours of Jan. 22.
Video: Micrometeorolgist/Youtube

Distant Lights

Looking like flashes of lightning on a distant horizon, this aurora was captured at Malin Head, Inishowen, Co Donegal Ireland.
Image: leppre/Flickr

Firework Lights

A firework burst of auroras appear over the mountains in Tromvik, Troms Fylke, Norway.
Image: LarsT/Flickr

Valley Lights

The Northern Lights appear as a giant ribbon taking up the sky over a snowy valley in this image, taken in Nuorgam, Lapland, Finland.
Image: K*M*J/Flickr

Sky Lights

A small ribbon shimmers in the sky above Siilinjarvi, Eastern Finland, Finland.
Image: Janne./Flickr

Yellow and Green Lights

Zigzagging bands of yellow and green flow over the landscape in Langfjordbotn, Finmark Fylke, Norway.
Image: The-Dan/Flickr

Feathered Lights

A turquoise fire seems to burn in the sky in this photograph, taken in Kiruna, Sweden.
Image: Mattias Forsberg’s (@norrfoto) twitpic

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Cutest Dog Smile Ever!

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Lucas and Juno: The Special Relationship Between a Sick 4-Year-Old Boy and His Dog

By Michelle Leifer | 27 de Janeiro de 2012

Credit: Courtesy of the Hembree family

Lucas and his best friend, Juno.

As nearly anyone who has adopted a dog or cat from a shelter can attest, there’s something special about a rescued pet; it’s as if the animal senses he’s been given a second chance at life. That’s certainly the case with Juno, a Belgian Malinois who was rescued from a shelter just days before she was to be euthanized. But since coming to live with her family in Alcoa, Tenn., Juno has taken on the role of rescuer to four-year-old Lucas Hembree.
Lucas suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, an inherited, metabolic disease caused by the absence or malfunctioning of an enzyme needed to break down long sugar molecules. As the disease progresses, children lose the ability to speak, walk and eat. The disease also causes severe neurological damage that leads to aggressive behavior, hyperactivity and seizures.

Credit: Courtesy of the Hembree family

Juno helps to keep Lucas calm.

“The most catastrophic thing parents hear when they learn their child has this disease is that there’s no cure or treatment available,” says Lucas’ father, Chester.
Unless that changes, Lucas isn’t expected to live past the age of 15 and may be in a vegetative state by the time he is eight. Realizing that every moment is extra precious, Chester and his wife, Jennifer, want their son to experience as much as he can while he still has the capacity to enjoy it.
So when the disease started to take a toll on Lucas’ joints, Chester looked into getting a service dog to keep Lucas steady when he walked. “I was told that a service dog would cost at least $15,000, and that Lucas wasn’t a good candidate because of his deteriorating abilities and his behavior,” Chester says. “I refused to accept this answer.”
A combination of prayer and persistence led Chester to Juno. “I came across a posting about her on a rescue group’s website,” he says. “I had the feeling in my gut that I had to go see this dog.”
The whole family made the two-hour trip to meet Juno, who was being held at an east Tennessee shelter. “She was emaciated, and was days away from being euthanized,” Chester says. “She had been surrendered to the shelter because her previous owners didn’t understand the Belgian Malinois.”

Credit: Courtesy of the Hembree family

Lucas' dad, Chester, knew Juno was a special dog right from the start.

Fortunately, Chester did. He’d gotten to know and love the breed while working as a law enforcement officer years earlier. “I used to help with the training of police K-9s, and our dogs were Belgian Malinoises,” he says. “I loved their desire to work and their ‘never quit’ attitude.”  In addition to being a popular choice for police dogs, the breed is often used in combat. In fact, it’s believed that the dog that helped Navy SEALs take down Osama bin Laden was a Belgian Malinois.
But while the breed has proven its prowess on patrol and in combat, Chester needed to be sure Juno would be a suitable service dog for his little boy. “I put her on a loose leash and she walked with me and never pulled,” Chester says. “Next came the Lucas test. They took to each other immediately, like kindred spirits.”
The Hembrees brought Juno home and showered her with love and affection. “I wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to adjust to the family before I started the formal training,” Chester says. Yet, from the beginning there seemed to be something instinctive about their relationship. One day, Chester noticed Juno circling Lucas while he was in his wheelchair. “She was whining and nudging him with her nose,” Chester says. “I checked his oxygen levels and they were very low.” After giving him oxygen, Lucas returned to normal and Juno greeted him with licks and affection.

Credit: Courtesy of the Hembree family

Juno watches over Lucas during a recent trip to the hospital. Lucas and Juno received more than 6,000 Christmas cards from well-wishers around the world. This was the first batch.

“That’s when I knew she had the ability to pick up on his neurological changes,” Chester says. “Now she alerts us when Lucas is about to have a seizure or if his oxygen levels drop really low. She has saved him several times."
Juno has become a literal shoulder for Lucas to lean on when walking, and a calming influence when he’s agitated. And while Chester makes sure that Juno gets time off, he says that it’s hard to get Juno to leave Lucas’ side. “You don’t see one without the other close by,” he says. “It really feels like it was meant to be.”
To learn more about Lucas you can go to the Facebook page that his dad writes from Lucas' perspective.

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Chico Anysio tem medicação aumentada por médicos; estado é grave

Do UOL, no Rio

• Chico Anysio recebe em seu apartamento, no Rio, comitiva de festival nordestino que irá homenageá-lo em Cubatão, São Paulo (3/11/2011)
  

O humorista Chico Anysio permanece internado na UTI do Hospital Samaritano, em Botafogo, na zona sul do Rio de Janeiro. Segundo boletim assinado pelo médico Luiz Alfredo Lamy e divulgado nesta sexta-feira (26) o quadro de febre diagnosticado na última quinta ainda está sendo investigado. O paciente continua fazendo diálise em algumas horas do dia, permanece sedado e respira com ajuda de aparelhos. A dosagem do medicamento que está controlando a pressão arterial foi aumentada.
Nesta madrugada, Malga Di Paula, mulher do humorista, escreveu no Twitter que Chico continua lutando. “Uma amiga que esteve conosco no hospital hoje me disse algo perfeito: ‘Chico está matando um touro por dia...’. O problema é que veio uma manada inteira para cima dele, tadinho. As orações e boas energias vindas do Brasil todo e de muitos lugares do mundo, certamente têm ajudado muito. Obrigada!”, postou.
O humorista, de 80 anos, está na unidade desde o dia 22 de dezembro e passou por consecutivos períodos de internação em 2011. Em março, deixou o Hospital Samaritano após 110 dias hospitalizado, quando enfrentou complicações cardiorrespiratórias. Foi submetido a angioplastia e tratou uma pneumonia na UTI.

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#DesabamentoRio Bombeiros localizam corpo da 17ª vítima em escombros no Rio

14ª e 15ª vítimas estavam no subsolo de um dos prédios, e 13ª foi levada com entulho e achada pela Comlurb; ainda há ao menos 6 desaparecidos

28/01/2012 - 02h37

DE SÃO PAULO

O corpo de Bombeiros confirmou no inicio da madrugada deste sábado que mais um corpo não identificado foi encontrado nos escombros dos prédios que desabaram nesta quarta-feira (25) no centro do Rio de Janeiro. Por volta das 2h, partes de um outro corpo haviam sido encontradas. Agora sobe para 17 o número de vítimas encontradas até o momento.
As buscas que estão sendo realizadas nesta madrugada pelos bombeiros contam apenas com homens e máquinas.

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