The Fortingall Yew, Europe's oldest tree, has been everything from an ancient clan gathering place to a matchmaker.
? A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
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Close to the geographical heart of the country, and occupying an important place in local Christian history, is Scotland?s ancient Fortingall Yew, believed to be Europe?s oldest tree ? between 2,000 and 5,000 years old.
The tree is said to have been a sacred place long before the advent of Christianity. According to some accounts, it was used as a clan gathering place.
Lately, archaeologists have been excavating what is believed to be an ancient Pictish-era monastery nearby. Beginning about the 7th century, it was at sites such as these that the pagan Picts, the native inhabitants of east and north Scotland, were converted to Christianity.
These days, the yew helps to play matchmaker, as the owners of a neighboring hotel promote the legend of the long-lasting tree as a draw to marrying couples.
A Second Take on Meeting the Press: From an up-close look at Rachel Maddow's sneakers to an in-depth look at Jon Krakauer's latest book ? it's all fair game in our "Meet the Press: Take Two" web extra. Log on Sundays to see David Gregory's post-show conversations with leading newsmakers, authors and roundtable guests. Videos are available on-demand by 12 p.m. ET on Sundays.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.?? About 2,000 paroled California sex offenders have no permanent home partly because of a state law that bans them from living near schools or parks. This Halloween, however, many will spend the night together under supervision from authorities who want to make sure they have no contact with children out trick-or-treating.
It's the first time the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is targeting offenders who live on the streets, under bridges or in nomadic campsites, though it has enforced a curfew on offenders who have permanent addresses for nearly 20 years under what it calls "Operation Boo." The new emphasis comes in response to the growing number of transient offenders, said department spokesman Luis Patino.
Their ranks have spiked in the five years since 70 percent of voters approved Jessica's Law.
The law bans offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park. As one result, the number of homeless paroled sex offenders grew from 88 in August 2007, before the department began enforcing the law, to about 2,000 now that it has been fully implemented.
Three of the state's four parole regions are setting up the "transient sex-offender roundup centers," mostly at parole offices or community centers. They include the regions that cover Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and all of California's coastal counties.
Offenders have been ordered to report to parole centers from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, where they will be supervised to make sure they have no contact with children out trick-or-treating. The law also required the state to use electronic monitors to track all paroled sex offenders, so parole officers will know if offenders aren't in the curfew centers on Halloween.
California already orders sex offender parolees who have homes to stay inside and turn off their lights, and parolees are barred from putting up Halloween decorations or offering candy.
Patino said corrections officials need to take extra precautions on Halloween to make sure predators don't entice children into their homes. However, he said there has been no spike in child sexual abuse on Halloween since Operation Boo began nearly two decades ago, in part because molesters tend to shy away from the increased scrutiny.
State Sen. Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, who co-authored Jessica's Law, praised corrections officials for taking the extra steps to monitor offenders without permanent homes.
'Scary things'
Many other states have programs enforcing bans on sex offenders participating in Halloween activities. A southeast Alabama county is taking the extra step of rounding up its convicted sex offenders on Halloween night. The Russell County Sheriff's Department is requiring about 35 sex offenders who are on probation or parole to come to the county courthouse. It is asking the county's 115 other registered sex offenders to show up voluntarily to get an update on the latest registration requirements.
Missouri sex offenders face up to a year in jail if they violate a 2008 law barring them from going outside, turning on lights or offering candy Oct. 31.
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In California, some counties are going further than the state regulations require.
Riverside County this month approved an ordinance barring all registered sex offenders from decorating their homes, leaving on the lights, answering their doors or passing out candy on Halloween. Violations can bring a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. Tulare County passed a similar ordinance last year. The ordinances go beyond the parole requirements by applying to all sex offenders, even if they are no longer on parole.
California officials said they are unaware of efforts to pass such a law statewide.
In many urban areas, there are few places that offenders can live and still comply with California's 5-year-old residency restriction law. Parolees who can't find legal housing can register as transient, meaning they must live day-to-day in cheap hotels, homeless shelters or on the street. They still are bound by the 2,000-foot rule, so they cannot legally stay under a bridge near where children gather, for instance.
However, the state Corrections Department is responsible for only about 11,000 of the more than 75,000 registered sex offenders who live in California communities. The rest are off parole and so aren't subject to the department's rules.
The region that covers the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada, including Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto and Redding, is not requiring offenders to come to parole centers because it covers such a sprawling, rural area. The region spans 33 of the state's 58 counties, from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. Parole agents will fan out Halloween night to locations where homeless sex offenders congregate to make sure they are having no contact with children.
The department's website, www.cdcr.ca.gov, is also offering a parents' guide and an oversize coloring book-style "Operation Boo Parent Patrol" badge. Parents can wear the badge "to send a message to predators that they're being watched," according to the department.
"Halloween gives us an opportunity to make people aware, because people are already discussing scary things," said Patino. "The point is it's not just on Halloween but all the time."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Auto insurance quotes are extremely difficult to comprehend and understand the what?s and why?s behind the price.? This is why it is absolutely vital that you look more into what goes into the price that they quote you so you know if you are getting a fair rate or not.? This way you can compare and contrast your choices and get the best rate possible in the state of Illinois.
In the great state of Illinois most people will pay somewhere near $1,000 for car insurance each year.? This is just under what most Americans pay throughout all 50 states today.? Now, this average price is actually lower than it was just a few years ago, and this is great news for people trying to save money on new auto insurance premiums.
Of course those numbers are only averages and will vary greatly depending on what you need on your own insurance plans.? There are also many ways to save money and find the best auto insurance quotes in Illinois.? Here are a few tips to make sure that you don?t overspend on car insurance.
Always, always, always compare rates and get quotes for the same types of coverage?s from as many insurance companies you can.? These comparisons will surely help you make a more informed decision on which insurance company to go with as your primary car insurance provider.? A brief word of advice though; don?t only base your decision on price alone.
Keep in mind that there is a lot that goes into these insurance quotes and the price you pay will also depend on how much you want your deductible to be.? Generally speaking, the higher the amount of said deductable, the lower your monthly insurance rate will be.? So when comparing auto insurance rates through the various companies, be sure to base those prices using the same amount of deductable.
It will help you to choose the right insurance company in Illinois if you write down all of the information for each company so that you can better contrast and compare each company.? Write down the price of rates and anything else that you deem important in regards to each company.
Look to get auto insurance quotes with great ease by using the internet.? This way you will get faster quotes and you will find many more insurance companies all at the convenience of a push of a few buttons.
Matt Mitrione is an insanely talented athlete. He played in the NFL, and then made a seamless transition into MMA. Going into his bout this weekend with Cheick Kongo, he is undefeated, and every one of his bouts have been in the UFC. But is he athletic enough to beat a bantamweight in a foot race?
When trying to figure out what position in sports is the most athletic, Mitrione tweeted that he would challenge every UFC belt holder to a forty-yard dash, with nothing but pride on the line. Urijah Faber, the one-time UFC featherweight champ, jumped in and challenged every UFC heavyweight to a timed mile. Mitrione said he would take the challenge.
Oh, please can this happen? Between the trash talk and the idea of Mitrione and Faber competing in anything, this is about as fun as it gets. Is there anyone who wouldn't want to see a heavyweight and a bantamweight in a foot race? If you raised your hand, you clearly don't like fun.
ISLAM NAGAR, Pakistan (AP) ? The deal saw one of Pakistan's most feared militants walk from jail apparently in exchange for his commitment to nonviolence, help in reining in other fighters and possibly delivering the votes of his followers.
Supporters showered Malik Ishaq with rose petals when he left the prison in the eastern city of Lahore in July. Days later, he was preaching murderous hatred toward minority Shiites to crowds of cheering Sunnis, energizing a network whose members have joined al-Qaida for terror strikes. That was too much for Pakistani authorities, who arrested him again last month.
Pakistan has a well-documented history of trying to coopt or strike deals with militants of various causes, and a close examination of the Ishaq case shows how that can play out.
It's a cautionary tale, perhaps, for U.S. officials who are urging Pakistan to bring to the negotiating table Afghan militants who enjoy safe havens in the country's lawless border regions.
Fifteen years ago, Ishaq founded Laskhar-e-Jangvi, or LeJ, which allies itself with al-Qaida and the Taliban. The LeJ is blamed for scores of attacks on Shiites, regarded as infidels, and on Pakistani and U.S. interests.
Ishaq was arrested in 1997 and accused in more than 200 criminal cases including the killings of 70 Shiites.
But the state could never make the charges stick ? in large part because witnesses, judges and prosecutors were too scared to convict.
Frightened judges treated him honorably in court and gave him tea and cookies, according to Anis Haider Naqvi, a prosecution witness in two cases against Ishaq. One judge attempted to hide his face with his hands, but Ishaq made clear he knew his identity in a chilling way: He read out the names of his children, and the judge abandoned the trial, he said.
Despite the lack of convictions, Ishaq remained in prison for 14 years as prosecutors slowly moved from one case to the next.
Ishaq proved his usefulness to the army in 2009, when he was flown from jail to negotiate with militants who had stormed part of the military headquarters in Rawalpindi and were holding hostages there, said Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, who used to advise the Punjab provincial government on religious matters.
A behind-the-scenes effort by the government to co-opt the leaders of militant outfits and bring them into mainstream political life, or at least draw them away from attacking the state, helped Ishaq secure his July 15 release, according to Ashrafi.
"I met Ishaq several times in prison," Ashrafi said, emphasizing that Ishaq assured him that he wanted to contribute to peace. "If someone wants to get back to normal life, yes, why not, we do help him," said Ashrafi. "These are our own men." He said he was disappointed to see him back in jail.
Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan denied there was any deal behind Ishaq's release, but said extremist leaders were free to join politics if they eschewed violence. "We are in touch with those who have become, or want to become, useful citizens," he said.
The Punjab is the key battleground between the ruling party of President Asif Ali Zardari and the party of opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, currently in power in that province.
Maulana Ahmad Ludhianvi, the head of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, or SSP, LeJ's parent sectarian group, told a rally last year that Nawaz's brother, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, had promised that Ishaq's release "would be settled in meetings" with him.
"After that meeting, the time is not far when the prison door would break open and Malik Ishaq would be released," he said.
LeJ and other militant groups can muster significant support in Punjab and parts of Sindh province through their schools and mosques, making them an important political force. Mainstream politicians have shown no hesitation in courting them despite their links to violence.
Local SSP leader Mohammad Tayyab said a recent SSP-backed candidate for a regional assembly seat in southern Punjab got 17,000 votes.
"That is what Zardari's party and Sharif's know very well," he said.
Khaled Ahmad, an expert on Pakistani militant groups in Punjab, said there is "no doubt" that the SSP and Sharif's party would cut deals as they have done in the past. "It is dangerous now because the group and its offshoots are in alliance with al-Qaida."
Government intelligence reports obtained by The Associated Press show Ishaq made threats in his public appearances after his release from prison.
He urged his supporters not to be afraid of Pakistani laws or prisons, and told them to "get on the streets and crush publicly the Shiites who abuse the Prophet Muhammad's companions."
"We know how to kill and how to die," he told a gathering near Rahim Yar Khan on Sept. 4, according to one report.
Ishaq's aides denied he made such remarks.
The government suspected Ishaq of coordinating meetings in recent months of 50 or so alleged terrorists, said Khan, the law minister. Some of the men Ishaq visited directly after his release had allegedly been involved in terrorism and were being watched by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, said the government reports.
LeJ's stronghold is south and central Punjab, a neglected, blisteringly hot part of the country that has long been the recruiting ground for state-sanctioned jihadi groups. Wealthy families, disproportionately Shiite, own large swaths of land where tenant farmers grow cotton, sugarcane and wheat and work at mango orchids.
Visitors to Ishaq's house in Islam Nagar in the southern Punjabi city of Rahim Yar Khan are greeted by an SSP member with an automatic rifle, against a backdrop of flags and banners glorifying the group.
"My father's mission is a true one," said his son, Malik Usman. "We will seek our reward from Allah."
___
Associated Press Writers Aqeel Ahmad in Mansehra, Pakistan, Khalid Tanveer in Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan and Abdul Sattar in Quetta, Pakistan contributed to this report.
LONDON (Reuters) ? Europe's banks were told to cut dividends and bonuses to help them find 106 billion euros ($146 billion) to shore up their capital, and agreed to halve the value of their Greek government debt, sending their shares sharply higher.
After tense talks that ran to the early hours of Thursday, the agreement by private sector investors to take a 103-billion euro hit on their Greek bonds marked a breakthrough for EU leaders trying to halt a eurozone debt crisis from spreading.
"It's short on detail but it's progress," said Simon Maughan, head of trading for Europe at MF Global.
"There's a fairly defined timeline to deal with this. The banks have to raise all of the money by the end of June, so they've got to get on with it," he added.
Bank shares jumped on relief that the deadlock had been broken. By 0720 GMT the STOXX European bank index was up 4.4 percent.
"Agreement has emerged which should give markets reassurance that politicians are finally mindful of the urgency of putting sufficient measures together to prevent further contagion of the credit crisis into core European," said Vivek Raja, analyst at Oriel Securities.
Banks in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Greece and elsewhere were told they needed to recapitalize to be able to better withstand eurozone sovereign bond losses and an economic downturn.
The amount needed was in line with expectations, though Spanish banks need more than many analysts' forecast, at 26 billion euros.
Seventy banks were tested, but the European Banking Authority (EBA) did not break down how much each lender needs, although some announced details.
Spain's BBVA (BBVA.MC) said it needs 7.1 billion euros. Santander (SAN.MC) declined to say how much it needs, but it could be a similar amount to BBVA, analysts said.
France's BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) requires 2.1 billion euros, Societe Generale needs 3.3 billion and BPCE, the mutual that owns Natixis (CNAT.PA), is in need of 3.4 billion.
Other major banks expected to need to bolster capital include Italy's UniCredit (CRDI.MI) and Germany's Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), although the latter has said it will be able to meet its shortfall without any state help.
Shares in BNP Paribas, SocGen and Deutsche Bank rallied over 7 percent due to their modest capital needs, while Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA) jumped 10 percent as it did not need funds.
Capital raising by the banks is expected to be limited. Of the sum needed, 30 billion euros is already being provided to Greek banks under an aid plan.
Portugal's banks need 7.8 billion euros, and that country is also already receiving aid to help its banks. Belgium's Dexia If banks at risk of a capital shortfall cut dividends this year and next it could save about 32 billion euros, analysts at Credit Suisse estimated earlier this week.
Asset sales and debt liability management plans will provide further cash. Some deleveraging -- as long as it is not what the European Banking Authority deemed "excessive" -- will lift capital ratios further.
That could see banks needing to raise less than 30 billion euros from investors. With European bank shares trading at an average 0.6 times book value, any capital raising would be painfully dilutive for investors.
($1 = 0.724 Euros)
(Reporting by Steve Slater; Editing by David Hulmes and David Cowell)
The Droid RAZR?? an Android device which Motorola Mobility president Sanjay Jha declared?to be the world's thinnest smartphone?? will become available for pre-order on Thursday.
The Droid RAZR will be available through Verizon Wireless and comes with a $300 price tag (assuming you're willing to sign a two-year service agreement). You can pre-order the device online, in stores, or by calling?1-800-2-JOIN-IN starting at 8 a.m. ET on Thursday.
According to Verizon, pre-ordered Droid RAZR devices will ship no later than November 10.
In case you want to read more about this gadget before snatching one up, check out our coverage of its announcement. (And if you want to consider other options, take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Nexus?as well.)?
Related stories:
Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+.
Never too old to donate a kidney? Public release date: 28-Oct-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shari Leventhal sleventhal@asn-online.org 202-640-1394 American Society of Nephrology
Individuals over 70 years old can safely donate without risking their lives
Washington, DC -- People over age 70 years of age can safely donate a kidney, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results provide good news for patients who need a kidney but have limited options for donors; however, kidneys from these elderly donors do not last as long as those from younger living donors.
Because of a profound shortage in organs for transplantation, patients in need of a kidney face long waiting times and increased risks of dying. In response, patients are turning to older living donors. This brings up an important question: should there be an upper age limit for donation for the sake of both recipients' and donors' health?
To investigate, Jonathan Berger, MD, Dorry Segev, MD, PhD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), and their colleagues studied 219 healthy adults over the age of 70 years who donated kidneys and compared them with healthy elderly individuals who were not organ donors. The researchers looked to see if these older donors put themselves at extra risk of death by donating and having one kidney versus having two. The team also wanted to know if a kidney from a living donor over 70 years of age was as good as other donor organs. To do so, they compared the kidney health of recipients of older donor kidneys to that of recipients of kidneys from younger donors and deceased donors.
Healthy individuals over 70 years old were no more likely to die within one, five, or 10 years after donating than healthy elderly individuals who were not organ donors; in fact, their death rates were lower. The organs from elderly donors did not last as long as those from younger living donors, but they lasted just as long as organs from younger deceased donors.
"It is important for individuals over 70 who want to donate a kidney to be aware that many have done so safely. Many older adults -- and even many physicians -- are not even aware that this occurs," said Dr. Segev. "But it is important for transplant centers to continue to scrutinize all donor candidates, particularly older ones," he added.
###
Study co-authors include Abimereki Muzaale, MD, Nathan James, Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, MD, Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, Allan Massie, and Erin Hall, MD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine); and Mohammed Hoque (Stony Brook State University of New York).
Disclosures: The authors reported no financial disclosures.
The article, entitled "Living Kidney Donors Ages 70 and Older: Recipient and Donor Outcomes," will appear online at http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/ on October 28, 2011, doi:10.2215/CJN.04160511.
The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.
Founded in 1966, and with more than 12,000 members, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) leads the fight against kidney disease by educating health professionals, sharing new knowledge, advancing research, and advocating the highest quality care for patients.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Never too old to donate a kidney? Public release date: 28-Oct-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shari Leventhal sleventhal@asn-online.org 202-640-1394 American Society of Nephrology
Individuals over 70 years old can safely donate without risking their lives
Washington, DC -- People over age 70 years of age can safely donate a kidney, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results provide good news for patients who need a kidney but have limited options for donors; however, kidneys from these elderly donors do not last as long as those from younger living donors.
Because of a profound shortage in organs for transplantation, patients in need of a kidney face long waiting times and increased risks of dying. In response, patients are turning to older living donors. This brings up an important question: should there be an upper age limit for donation for the sake of both recipients' and donors' health?
To investigate, Jonathan Berger, MD, Dorry Segev, MD, PhD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), and their colleagues studied 219 healthy adults over the age of 70 years who donated kidneys and compared them with healthy elderly individuals who were not organ donors. The researchers looked to see if these older donors put themselves at extra risk of death by donating and having one kidney versus having two. The team also wanted to know if a kidney from a living donor over 70 years of age was as good as other donor organs. To do so, they compared the kidney health of recipients of older donor kidneys to that of recipients of kidneys from younger donors and deceased donors.
Healthy individuals over 70 years old were no more likely to die within one, five, or 10 years after donating than healthy elderly individuals who were not organ donors; in fact, their death rates were lower. The organs from elderly donors did not last as long as those from younger living donors, but they lasted just as long as organs from younger deceased donors.
"It is important for individuals over 70 who want to donate a kidney to be aware that many have done so safely. Many older adults -- and even many physicians -- are not even aware that this occurs," said Dr. Segev. "But it is important for transplant centers to continue to scrutinize all donor candidates, particularly older ones," he added.
###
Study co-authors include Abimereki Muzaale, MD, Nathan James, Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, MD, Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, Allan Massie, and Erin Hall, MD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine); and Mohammed Hoque (Stony Brook State University of New York).
Disclosures: The authors reported no financial disclosures.
The article, entitled "Living Kidney Donors Ages 70 and Older: Recipient and Donor Outcomes," will appear online at http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/ on October 28, 2011, doi:10.2215/CJN.04160511.
The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.
Founded in 1966, and with more than 12,000 members, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) leads the fight against kidney disease by educating health professionals, sharing new knowledge, advancing research, and advocating the highest quality care for patients.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
In a little over a month, Antarctic killer whales trek from their chilly residence to the warm waters off the coast of South America and back, researchers have found. The whales spend their "tropical vacation" letting their skin slough off, replacing the old with new.
"It was a surprise to us that they undertook this rapid migration to the warm tropical waters," study researcher John Durban, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told LiveScience. "It's like swimming from New York to London and back in a month."
This fast-paced migration seems to be an adaptation to the cold waters of the Antarctic, which have ample food for the whales but can quickly strip the heat from their skin and stop the whales from regenerating and shedding their outer layers. This is the first migration of killer whales that researchers have observed.
"The Antarctic area is a challenging place to live, and they have to move out of the Antarctic to regenerate skin," Durban said. "We suspect it's something that they all have to do. They may even have to do it once a year." [Image Gallery: Life at the South Pole]
Tropical vacation
The killer whales in the South Pole's icy waters are called "type B" and have gray coloration in addition to black-and-white splotches on their skin. Their white areas are often stained yellow from an algal species that grows on their skin in the Antarctic's frigid waters.
The researchers initially tagged 12 Antarctic killer whales with GPS devices. About half lost their tags in the first three weeks, but the remainder traveled north to the Atlantic Ocean off South America. They moved from waters averaging about minus 28.6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 1.9 degrees Celsius) to those of about 75.6 degrees F (24.2 degrees C).
Due to the cold conditions of Antarctica, the researchers had a limited field season in which they can tag the whales. The tags were able to follow the whales from Feb. 4 to April 20 before they stopped working. During that period, several groups of whales left for their warm-water destination at different times. Duran said that the whales probably just do this trip when needed, rather than at a distinct time of year.
Each of the tagged whales, if given enough tracking time, eventually made their way north into the Atlantic Ocean. They traveled just far enough to reach the tropical waters off South America, where they slowed their pace slightly, still heading north. Eventually they turned back toward the South Pole. Round trip their vacation covered more than 5,000 ocean-faring miles (9,000 kilometers) in about 40 days.
Shedding skins
Researchers had noticed that the killer whales' yellow tint seemed to come and go, often whole family groups of whales would be perfectly white, but others would be stained yellow like a cigarette smoker's teeth. Durban suggests that these whales may travel north to warmer waters in groups to slough off their yellow skins without freezing, returning to the Antarctic waters a pristine white, only to pick up more algae and turn yellow again.
Other marine Antarctic animals are either large enough to keep warm in the frigid Antarctic waters (like blue whales) or can move into warmer waters (like beluga whales, which swim into estuaries to shed their skins). Other animals, like seals, can haul themselves out of the water to shed their skins.
Lots of other marine Antarctic animals make a tropical trek, but their main intentions seem to be either feeding or giving birth to their young. Perhaps these other marine animals use this time to shed their skin, so they don't make a separate trip, Durban said.
The study was published today (Oct. 25) in the journal Biology Letters.
You can follow LiveScience staff writer Jennifer Welsh on Twitter @microbelover. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus reacts after defeating Australia's Samantha Stosur at the WTA championship finals in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus reacts after defeating Australia's Samantha Stosur at the WTA championship finals in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, streches to reach a ball from Australia's Samantha Stosur, during the WTA championship finals in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, returns to Australia's Samantha Stosur, during the WTA championship finals in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Australia's Samantha Stosur returns to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during the WTA championship finals in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Australia's Samantha Stosur returns to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during the WTA championship finals in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
ISTANBUL (AP) ? Victoria Azarenka maintained her perfect record against Sam Stosur with a 6-2, 6-2 win at the WTA Championships on Wednesday.
Stosur, the U.S. Open champion, was coming off her first win over Maria Sharapova late Tuesday but appeared flat as she came out for Wednesday's opening match at the season-ending event among the top eight players.
In her first match in the White Group, the fourth-seeded Azarenka broke four times to improve her record against Stosur to 5-0.
Later, Sharapova will face French Open champion Li Na, while top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki will play Vera Zvonareva of Russia.
ARLINGTON, Texas ? Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals followed up their greatest World Series performance with one of their meekest.
Pujols went hitless in four at-bats a day after hitting three home runs and the Cardinals mustered only a pair of hits on their way to a 4-0 loss to the Texas Rangers that evened the series at 2 games each.
The dropoff was stunning. After scoring a franchise Series-best 16 runs in Game 3, they didn't even get anyone past second base in Game 4.
"They worked us over," manager Tony La Russa said.
The only time they've done worse in 17 previous trips to the World Series was in Game 2 in 1967, when they got a single hit off Boston's Jim Lonborg.
St. Louis went three-up, three-down in five of eight innings against Texas starter Derek Holland, a 25-year-old left-hander who'd struggled to get through the middle innings this postseason.
Holland walked Rafael Furcal with one out in the ninth, then closer Neftali Feliz walked Allen Craig. That brought up Pujols with a chance to shake things up. Instead, he hit a line drive to center field that wasn't deep enough to advance the runners. Matt Holliday struck out swinging to end it.
Lance Berkman had both of the Cardinals' hits. The only other baserunner off Holland was Nick Punto, who walked.
As for Pujols, he followed his three-homer, six-RBI effort by failing to get the ball out of the infield his first three at-bats. In batting practice, he fell wildly taking a cut on a pitch and laughed it off, but the way things played out, it was as if his mojo was gone. For one night, at least.
Now the Cardinals are guaranteed of taking the World Series back to St. Louis. They'll have ace Chris Carpenter on the mound for Game 5 on Monday night in Texas, but the bats will have to come alive at least a little if they are to regain control of this series.
Starter Edwin Jackson kept the Cardinals in the game, allowing only a run in the first inning before getting into trouble in the sixth. He put two on, then Mike Napoli met reliever Mitchell Boggs' first pitch by crushing it for a three-run homer.
Yet St. Louis had its chances.
Down only 1-0 through sixth innings, every batter represented at least the tying run.
Berkman got into scoring position with a one-out double in the second inning, but was stranded when David Freese struck out and Yadier Molina grounded out.
Berkman led off the fifth with a single, only to get wiped out right away when Freese grounded into a double play.
Punto's walk came with one out in the sixth. Furcal fouled out and Craig, who came through in clutch situations as a pinch-hitter in Games 1 and 2, struck out.
Perhaps the most aggravating inning for La Russa and Cardinals fans was the seventh.
Napoli's homer had just broken things open, but St. Louis had a great chance to tighten things up with its 3-4-5 hitters due up.
Instead, Pujols and Holliday hit grounders back to Holland, then Berkman struck out looking.
St. Louis led the National League with 4.7 runs per game and a .273 average. The Cardinals were shut out eight times in the regular season. This was its second one-run game this series and third of the postseason, although that includes a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia in the decisive fifth game of the AL division series.
St. Louis was last shut out in the World Series in Game 4 in 2004. The Cardinals got just four hits that night as the Boston Red Sox closed out a sweep.
BUCHAREST, Romania ? Liviu Ciulei, a Romanian film and theater director whose career spanned 50 years and included a top award at the Cannes Film Festival, has died. He was 88.
Ciulei ? who also served as the artistic director of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and taught at universities in New York ? died on Monday night at a hospital in Munich, the German city where he lived, said Romanian actor Ion Caramitru.
"An era has died! A genius had died!" said Caramitru, who heads Romania's UNITER theater union. "Without Liviu Ciulei, there would be no Romanian theater."
No cause of death was given.
As an actor, director and set designer, Ciulei was the most influential figure of Romanian theater and film in a generation. He won the Palme d'Or award at Cannes in 1965 for the film "The Forest of the Hanged," and he made more than 20 movies, both as an actor and a director.
Romanian President Traian Basescu paid homage to Ciulei on Tuesday, saying he belonged to an "elite generation" that created a "valuable and original" drama school, both in Romania and abroad. He called Ciulei's artistic vision "classic and modern, extremely clear and contemporary."
Ciulei studied theater and architecture in Bucharest and began his acting career in 1946 as the character Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He began to direct in 1957.
For 10 years he was artistic director at Bucharest's prestigious Bulandra Theater.
From 1980 to 1985, he held the same position at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. In 1982, the theater received a Tony Award for its outstanding contribution to the American Theater. Ciulei drew national and international attention to the theater and its productions, the organization says on its website.
After that, Ciulei taught at Columbia University and New York University.
He is survived by his son, Thomas Ciulei, and wife, Helga Reiter-Ciulei.
A wildlife rescue group captures a red-tailed hawk in a San Francisco park that appears to have been shot in the head with a nail gun. Rebecca Dmytryk, executive director of the Monterey-based group WildRescue, says the juvenile bird was trapped Saturday Oct. 22, 2011 shortly before sunset at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. The bird was immediately transported to Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in San Jose. (AP Photo/Katerine Ulrich - WildRescue)
A wildlife rescue group captures a red-tailed hawk in a San Francisco park that appears to have been shot in the head with a nail gun. Rebecca Dmytryk, executive director of the Monterey-based group WildRescue, says the juvenile bird was trapped Saturday Oct. 22, 2011 shortly before sunset at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. The bird was immediately transported to Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in San Jose. (AP Photo/Katerine Ulrich - WildRescue)
In this photo provided by WildRescue, a red-tailed hawk is seen with a nail in its head at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Animal rescuers are set to return to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on Wednesday to try to capture the red-tailed hawk. Crews spent much of Tuesday chasing the bird, which may have been shot with a nail gun. Rebecca Dmytryk, director of the group, WildRescue, says rescuers set two traps but were unable to lure the animal. (AP Photo/WildRescue, Rebecca Dmytryk)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? A wildlife rescue group says it has captured a red-tailed hawk in a San Francisco park that appears to have been shot in the head with a nail gun.
Rebecca Dmytryk, executive director of the Monterey-based group WildRescue, says the juvenile bird was trapped Saturday shortly before sunset at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens.
There was no word on the bird's condition. A photo of the capture shows the bird being held by a rescuer. Dmytryk says it was immediately transported to Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in San Jose.
WildRescue had been notified of the injured bird nearly a week ago and had tried to trap it several times last week without success.
Rescuers believe someone intentionally hurt the hawk earlier this month. A reward of $10,000 has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever harmed the bird.
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All those runners who seemed to be ignored while passing numbers flew off the charts earlier this season are resurfacing ? in a big way. Joining the always reliable Adrian Peterson and the resurgent Arian Foster this weekend were the likes of DeMarco Murray, Matt Forte, and Shonn Greene. With injuries hitting a bunch of starters, some new names could join them as the ground game has even more impact in the NFL.
The emergence of Murray was the most notable and spectacular development. His first touch was for a 91-yard touchdown, and he built on it through the Cowboys' rout of the Rams, finishing with a team record 253 yards rushing. Yes, Murray outdid even the best production for one game by Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.
"I never thought in a million years that I'd ever have a day like this," Murray said. "This is what I've been working hard for since my Pop Warner days."
Pop Warner-style offenses, where teams run, run and then run some more, never will resurface in the NFL. Pro football is a passing game, and the record-setting stats early in the 2011 schedule prove that.
But running backs are undergoing a revival and Sunday underscored it.
We've come to expect big showings from Peterson, who despite playing behind a rookie quarterback making his first start, Christian Ponder, and facing the defending Super Bowl champs, had 175 yards and a touchdown in a 33-27 loss to Green Bay. Foster led the league in rushing in his breakout 2010 season and, after battling injuries this year had a huge game in a 41-7 romp past Houston: 115 yards rushing and two scores, 119 receiving and another TD.
Supporting Foster was Ben Tate with 104 yards on the ground. Like Foster the previous year, Tate is making up for a lost season. A second-round draft pick in 2010, he broke his right ankle in the preseason and didn't play again. Foster wasn't used much in his rookie season of 2009, appearing in only six games and gaining 257 yards rushing.
With the re-emphasis on running, three players who surpassed 100 yards on the ground Sunday will take on added importance for their teams: Atlanta's Michael Turner, Chicago's Forte and the Jets' Greene.
Turner has rushed down this road before and is an established star. Forte, in a bitter contract impasse with the Bears, needs to be special because the quarterbacking and receiving are unpredictable. And, of course, they play in Chicago, where Soldier Field is anything but a passer's paradise late in the season.
Greene, who went for 112 yards in New York's 27-21 win over San Diego and was particularly effective in the second half when the Jets rallied, is a key to the team's "ground and pound" philosophy. If the offensive line gets its act together, it is one of the more formidable blocking units around. Greene needs to capitalize on their work.
"Now this, it came together for the most part," Jets guard Brandon Moore said of the running game. "We're just kind of streaming along, staying with that physical attack and style on offense, getting downhill runs . and moving people off the ball."
Some of the guys who will be toting the ball came into the season as backups or backups to the backups. Tim Hightower's left knee buckled in Washington's loss to Carolina and rookie Roy Helu takes over with Hightower gone for the season. Darren McFadden, the league's leading rusher, went down against Kansas City and his sub in Oakland, Michael Bush, isn't an every-down back, meaning speedy rookie Taiwan Jones could see some time.
Seattle's Marshawn Lynch is having back issues and Justin Forsett is one of his replacements. Tampa Bay's Earnest Graham, a solid and versatile back who was filling in for LeGarrette Blount (left knee) left the loss to Chicago in London with a right ankle problem. Next up for Tampa: Kregg Lumpkin.
At least Denver has a former starter to take over for Willis McGahee if his broken right hand sidelines him. Then again, Knowshon Moreno has been a disappointment, which could lead to Lance Ball getting the ball.
Regardless, considering the weather hasn't even gotten bad anywhere in the NFL, running backs will be prominent the rest of the way, especially when the elements become a factor.
SUNDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Gaining a significant amount of weight after menopause may be associated with an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer, a new study suggests.
"Fat tissue is the major source of circulating estrogen in postmenopausal women, and estrogen promotes the development of endometrial cancer," Victoria L. Stevens, strategic director of laboratory services at the National Home Office of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, said in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research.
In conducting the study, the researchers analyzed the weight history of more than 38,000 postmenopausal women who completed a survey in 1992. By 2007, 560 of the women had been diagnosed with endometrial cancer. This is a cancer of the uterus, affecting the uterine lining.
After adjusting for body mass index (a measurement that takes into account height and weight), the study revealed the women who gained 61 pounds or more were two times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than women with stable weight.
While the study found an association between weight gain after menopause and endometrial cancer risk, it did not prove a cause-and-effect.
However, Stevens concluded in the news release, "Weight gain during adulthood should be avoided to minimize risk for endometrial cancer. Women who have gained weight and are overweight or obese should continue to attempt to lose weight even though most weight loss will not be maintained."
The study authors noted that more research is needed to determine if the timing of weight gain and "yo-yo" dieting (losing and regaining weight multiple times) during adulthood play a role in women's risk for endometrial cancer and whether or not weight loss reduces this risk.
The study's findings were slated for presentation Sunday at the AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research in Boston. Research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about endometrial cancer.
NEW YORK ? It's known for shaking up celebrities at its comedy roasts. But the Friars Club says it's not laughing about plans to blast dynamite under its 102-year-old clubhouse in midtown Manhattan.
Club officials are worried about plans by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to build a ventilation shaft under the building, the club's lawyer, Sid Davidoff, said Monday. They fear the blasts may hurt the building, and that construction on the street and sidewalk will discourage customers from coming to the club's restaurant.
Club officials are hiring an engineering firm to go over the transportation authority's plans and are hoping they can persuade the agency to choose a different street, Davidoff said.
"You're going to be talking about blasting, noise, dust, traffic," Davidoff said. "We're really worried about the club."
The building on 55th Street hosts about 175 events a year, including stand-up comedy shows, concerts, a film festival and the club's famous roasts, in which comedians pepper a celebrity with good-natured insults. Its restaurant is open six days a week.
Transit officials say the clubhouse is in no danger.
"We do not anticipate any impact of construction on the building," said Kevin Ortiz, a spokesman for the agency.
The ventilation shaft is part of the East Side Access project, a system of tunnels that will allow the Long Island Rail Road to run trains to Grand Central Terminal. The transit agency plans to install grates for the shaft in the sidewalk near the clubhouse.
The agency says it will close parts of some streets during the construction but is taking pains to protect buildings. To minimize the area needed for construction crews, workers will take dirt and muck through a tunnel to Queens instead of lifting it out in Manhattan.
The transit agency plans to hire a contractor for the ventilation shaft before the end of the year. Construction will take about two years.
The club's concerns were first reported Monday by the New York Post.
The Friars Club was founded in 1904 by a group of public relations agents who worked on Broadway. The group grew to include actors, comedians and other show-business workers. The club members called themselves "friars" after the Latin word for brother, "frater."
In 1957, the group moved into its current clubhouse on 55th Street between Madison and Park avenues.
The five-story English Renaissance house was built in 1909 as a home for investment banker Martin Erdmann.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
It's known for shaking up celebrities at its comedy roasts. But the Friars Club says it's not laughing about plans to blast dynamite under its 102-year-old clubhouse in midtown Manhattan.
The club says it's worried about plans by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to build a ventilation shaft under the building.
The MTA says the group has nothing to fear.
But Friars Club lawyer Sid Davidoff says members are hiring engineers to determine if the building is at risk. The club also wants to know if the work will disrupt business at its restaurant.
The ventilation system is part of a new tunnel that will allow the Long Island Rail Road to run trains to Grand Central Terminal.
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Public release date: 28-Oct-2011
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