TRK's page of random cross posts - itt: stolen content  

ROBINS KITCHEN UNDER ADMINISTRATION: : MEDIA STATEMENT

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Please click here for a full media statement put together by the appointed administrators FTI consulting following the announcement that Robins Kitchen has gone into voluntary administration, effective immediately.

Regards,

The Robins Kitchen Team

nice kick in the guts for staff and suppliers, also where do people stand with laybuys if that still exists

GUWEI'IYYA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - The legs are long, the eyes are big, the bodies curvaceous.

Contestants in this Saudi-style beauty pageant have all the features you might expect anywhere else in the world, but with one crucial difference -- the competitors are camels.

This week, the Qahtani tribe of western Saudi Arabia has been welcoming entrants to its Mazayen al-Ibl competition, a parade of the "most beautiful camels" in the desolate desert region of Guwei'iyya, 120 km (75 miles) west of Riyadh.

"In Lebanon they have Miss Lebanon," jokes Walid, moderator of the competition's Web site. "Here we have Miss Camel."

While tremendous oil wealth has brought rapid modernization to the desert state of Saudi Arabia, the camel remains celebrated as a symbol of the traditional nomadic lifestyle of Bedouin Arabs.

Throughout history camels have served multiple purposes as food, friend, transport and war machine. They were key to the Arab conquests of the Middle East and North Africa nearly 1,400 years ago that brought Islam to the world.

Camels are also big business in a country where strict Islamic laws and tribal customs would make it impossible for women to take part in their own beauty contest.

Delicate females or strapping males who attract the right attention during this week's show could sell for a million or more riyals. Sponsors have provided 10 million riyals ($2.7 million) for the contest, cash that also covers the 72 sports utility vehicles to be will be awarded as prizes.

"Bedouin Arabs are intimately connected to camels and they want to preserve this heritage. The importance of this competition is that it helps preserve the pure-breds," said Sheikh Omair, one of the tribe's leaders,

"We have more than 250 owners taking part and more than 1,500 camels," he said inside a huge tent where the final awards ceremony takes place.

RESTLESS BEAUTY QUEENS

Over at the camel pen, the contestants are getting restless as the desert wind howls and whips up swirls of sand in the hot afternoon sun.

Amid a large crowd of Bedouin who have gathered to watch, the head of the judging committee emerges to venture into an enclosure with some two dozen angry braying camels.

Camel-drivers sing songs of praise to their prized possessions as they try to calm the animals down.

"Beautiful, beautiful!" the judge mutters quietly to himself, inspecting the group. Finalists have been decorated with silver bands and body covers.

"The nose should be long and droop down, that's more beautiful," explains Sultan al-Qahtani, one of the organizers. "The ears should stand back, and the neck should be long. The hump should be high, but slightly to the back."

The camels are divided into four categories according to breed -- the black majaheem, white maghateer, dark brown shi'l and the sufur, which are beige with black shoulders. Arabic famously has over 40 terms for different types of camel.

Some females have harnesses strapped around their genitalia to thwart any efforts by the males to mount them. One repeat offender called Marjaa has been moved away.

"This one would fetch a million!" says Hamad al-Sudani, a camel-driver, admiring the heavy stud, or fahl.

Summernats to hit full throttle in Asia


Buckle up world - Summernats is going international.

The once-infamous street machine festival will make the trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for four days from August 29 this year.

Speaking at the second day of Summernats 27 in Canberra on Friday, festival co-owner Andy Lopez said the Malaysian version would be built upon similar principles of the Australian festival, which has received a family-friendly makeover in recent years.

Mr Lopez said Malaysia had a strong base of motoring enthusiasts, as could be seen in its support for the races it hosts in the Formula One and Moto GP.

"One of the most attractive things about Kuala Lumpur is that it's a regional centre, it draws on Thailand, Singapore and even Indonesia," he said.

"There's great car scenes in all of those countries, and it sits right there in the centre."

Chin Jit Pyng, founder of JPM Motorsports, who is running the festival in conjunction with Summernats, said they'd decided to go for a full-throttle, four-day Summernats festival in KL after a small trial last year.

Ten winners from Summernats in Canberra this week will get a free trip to the Malaysian festival with their cars to show Asia the best Australia has to offer.

Summernats 26 Burnout Champion Mark Schwirse, who will compete in the Burnout Masters this year, said he'd love the chance to show Asia what he's got.

"I reckon we'd be able to show anybody in the world how to do a burnout," he said.

And with Summernats the king of the tyre-shredding burnout, and Malaysia the sultan of rubber tree plantations - it might just prove to be a match made in heaven.

Australians who register for the Malaysian festival on the Summernats website will receive free entry.

Summernats 27 will run in Canberra until Sunday afternoon.

Today at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Sony announced Playstation Now, the long-awaited and long-rumored service Sony has been building ever since they acquired Gaikai back in the summer of 2012.

The service will allow you to stream original Playstation, Playstation 2, and Playstation 3 to select TV's, Tablets, the Playstation 4, and the Vita. The service will be launched this summer with a beta occurring at the end of January. Certain Playstation 3 games have already been announced to be part of the service, more specifically, The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls. Although the demo being shown at CES also has God of War: Ascension. The new service will also bring trophies to titles for the original Playstation and Playstation 2.

This is a potential game changer in the world of video games. There are certain pitfalls though, such as connectivity issues, and graphical resolution may be weaker, but I believe the pros outweigh the cons here. Sony also mentioned that the service will warn you if your connection may effect your gameplay. Playstation Now can be obtained by renting titles individually or through a subscription fee separate from Playstation Plus. Exact pricing and what exactly "rental" means remains unknown.

Cloud based gaming is here, and I, for one, am incredibly excited.

Star Trek: Renegades, An Interview with Captain Lexxa Singh (Adrienne Wilkinson of Xena: Warrior Princess)

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Anna DeLaFuente


Greetings, Nerdy Minds! Remember awhile back when we talked about the upcoming Star Trek: Renegades project? Well, filming wrapped up back in October, and the first teaser trailer was released in November! It gave us a wonderful glimpse of the new feel that Renegades is going to give the franchise. The trailer released at the end of December was a brilliant look at Capatain Lexxa Singh, along with some new faces and a few old ones. All that is left is to cross our fingers and wait anxiously for CBS to make the smart decision and bring this show to life, preferably in the form of a new television series, but I would definitely tune in for a web series. I know all my fellow Trekkies (or Trekkers, we are all family, guys) would agree.

I am more excited for this series now than I was before. The trailer looks excellent, and this new side to the federation has me grinning from ear to ear. There is so much to look forward to! With that in mind, let’s discuss the captain.

I imagine it is tough being the new captain in the Star Trek universe. So many fans out there have their favorite (*cough* Picard *cough*). In my opinion, each brought something new and unique to the show, and no two captains are exactly alike. Star Trek: Renegades introduces us to Captain Lexxa Singh, and I have a feeling she is going to easily leave her mark in the hearts of the fans. Her brilliant storyline and her kickass personality tell me that Star Trek will definitely benefit from having this strong female character sitting in the captain’s chair.

I have been a fan of Adrienne Wilkinson since I first saw her on Xena: Warrior Princess, so when given the chance to discuss the upcoming Renegades project with her I geeked out in a truly embarrassing fashion (my husband had to witness it). Thankfully we corresponded through messages because she probably would have a been a little frightened if she had been able to see or hear me. Anyway, I know you guys will be as excited to see her in the show as I am! Check out their Facebook page and web site for more info!

Our interview below:

First off I loved the trailer! I am so excited to have a new female captain who also kicks total ass! Now that you have gotten to know her better, what can you tell us about Captain Lexxa Singh? Her personality and how she takes to her role as Captain?

So glad you enjoyed the trailer. We are all very proud of what we’ve created. Yes, Lexxa does kick ass…both literally and figuratively. Lexxa is multi-layered. She has a complicated background…and like most of her crew, she enters the story in a messy way and being pulled in more than one direction. She is smart, calculating, sexy, strong and doesn’t suffer fools. I picture Lexxa like a cat with a mouse – enjoying the chase but entirely confident that she is in control and always has the upper hand despite the chaos around her.

Renegades is in no way your typical Star Trek! However, did you look to any previous captains when preparing for your role?

I intentionally did not. Lexxa is a captain unlike any other…so I did not want to draw from any previous captains (despite how fantastic they were). And yes, Renegades is not your typical Star Trek. It is darker, and the lines are more blurred. We are basically a black ops team doing the missions that have to be done but unacknowledged by and often unsupported by Star Fleet. While staying true to everything that came before, our entire ‘baseline’ and point of view is different than what you have seen onscreen previously.

Lexxa is a descendant of the infamous Khan Noonien Singh. Can you tell us anything about how she feels about her heritage?

I can tell you very little about this plot point, aside from the fact that it does give Lexxa a bit of a genetic advantage. She is fierce and fearless, and that comes across in her fighting style, her bravado, her decision making and probably in her ego. But her history is also a sore point for her – and effects everything, and not always in a positive way.

You have a history of strong female characters (Eve from Xena: Warrior Princess and Maris Brood from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed come to mind!). Did you channel anyone in particular for your role? Especially for the amazing fight scenes?

Thank you….I am lucky, having had the chance to play such cool characters. I cannot say I channeled anyone in particular though I am inspired by many things. I just wanted Lexxa to be feminine but tough as nails. I wanted her crew to never doubt they were in capable hands. The fight scenes were choreographed on the fly and hence, we went with my strengths. I grew up as a dancer, and that lends itself to certain traits – flexibility for example. We just went with what felt strong and like it fit the character. She is no nonsense and has a bit of a rough and tumble street fighting style more than a fancy martial arts background.

I saw an amazing picture where it looks as though you were flying through the air getting ready to punch someone into the ground! You said no wires, and you were channeling your inner badass! Did you perform all your own stunts in this production?

I do love that photo – I’m so glad the photographer (Don Malpass) was able to capture that moment. It is one of those moves where you even surprise yourself. But yes…channeling the inner badass and also inner dancer trying to get as much lift as possible. Yes, I did all of my own stunts…but we were also blessed to have Tarah Paige as part of the cast…and she is a world-class gymnast and also happens to be my size. So one day we did have her put on my wardrobe and do some fancy moves in the hopes that we may add them to the fight scenes. I have no idea if those will be used or not. But if the final film has me flipping through the air, we will have Tarah to thank for that.

I know you have said you are new to the Star Trek universe, but now that you have been properly introduced, how do you feel about Star Trek?

Everything about my Star Trek experience has been lovely. The fans are incredible and so enthusiastic. The work has been a dream, and I hope we have much more ahead of us.

We are so excited to have Tim Russ directing this, and I feel he will really bring an amazing series to the fans. What was it like working with him as both director and fellow actor since he is reprising his role as Tuvok?

Tim and I immediately clicked. We saw Lexxa the exact same way and had the same goals for the material. I am so grateful he is directing. He knows exactly what works and how to make it ‘real’. He also loves a good laugh – which is delightful, as shooting can be so stressful for everyone. Tim shoots very fast, he is very specific about what he needs from you and he is open to collaborating….you can’t ask for more than that. I loved the experience. We only had 1 scene together, but it was a doozy. If not my favorite scene, it is close. It showed a completely different side of Lexxa and reveals much about her personality.


Is there anything you would like the fans to know about you?


Hmmm. I am lucky to have several fun projects happening at the moment, so I think I would just ask everyone to check out my website and other online resources. Lots of fun stuff to come!
http://www.AdrienneWilkinson.com
http://www.imdb.me/adriennewilkinson
http://www.facebook.com/adrienne.wilkinson
http://www.franklymydearstarlet.com
http://www.twitter.com/Yo_AdrienneW
http://www.fromthemouthsofbabes.net
http://www.facebook.com/AdrienneWilkinsonOfficial

Holden free to cherry pick in the future

Holden will be free to cherry-pick from General Motors global automotive portfolio after the closure of its Australian manufacturing operations in 2017.

According to Richard Ferlazzo, head of Holden design, the one arm of the local creative process that continues after 2017, Holden will be free to take the most appropriate models for Australia, whether they come from Germany, America, Korea or, even China. All to be badged as Holdens.

In the past, with local manufacture of the Cruze, Holden was prevented from importing models like the Opel Astra. “We’re been restrained by the need to maintain Cruze assembly volumes,” says Ferlazzo. “And that sometimes hurt.”

The Cruze hatchback, designed by Holden, and sold in Europe as the Chevrolet Cruze, was deliberated styled to look and feel cheaper than the Astra, that’s built on the same Delta architecture.

“We wanted to do more (with the design), but had to leave things out and reduce costs and that didn’t help,” says to Ferlazzo.

An emotional Ferlazzo, deeply saddened by the loss of local designed Holdens, says the studios are currently very busy designing cars for a variety of GM’s global operations. “Ed Welburn sees real value in Holden’s studios and Mary Barra – GM’s new CEO – said it was his decision,” according to Ferlazzo. “There will be pressures, of course, but remember, Holden is one of only two places in the GM world capable of building concept cars. We’re doing some now.”

“Our studios are 50-years old in a few months, and I’d like to find new premises,” he adds. Obviously the loss of around 500 engineers from Holden’s R&D building will make it too big for future operations so the search has begun for new studios, now that Holden is set to become just a sales organisation.

She won't be single for long! Sophie Monk decides 'it's time' to join dating app Tinder


Watch out world… Sophie Monk has joined dating app Tinder! Looks like we've got some stiff competition ladies.

The 2Day FM breakfast host decided that after a short-lived single run, she's ready to find the one… could he be a Tinderfella?

Speaking about the popular dating app this morning, Sophie said: "I never commit to anything… it's time!" We're thinking the producer's who created her profile were thinking the same.

A source from 2Day FM has confirmed that over 100 guys have 'swiped right' for the blonde beauty, which means they would like to get to know her.

Will this quest to find love online squash Sophie's recent Buddy Franklin romance rumours?

Yesterday, the 34-year-old was forced to defend herself on-air after being snapped with the AFL star… while girlfriend Jesinta Campbell strutted around Bondi in knee-high boots.

Don't worry Jesinta… she'll be snapped up in no time!

well what do you know, here I thought that tinder was just a scam.



http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/Blog.asp...owcomments=true

Santa detained by immigration officials



Santa has been detained by immigration officials after his sled was found approaching Australian airspace 250km west of New Caledonia.

A representative from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said that an unidentified aircraft was nearing Australian airspace, two fighter jets were sent to guide the aircraft to Brandon airport where it’s occupants would be arrested.

A person was found in the sled and was promptly arrested. Twelve reindeer and multiple bags of goods were also seized.

Local pilot Ben Jason, who witnessed the arrest, said “we decide who comes into this country and the circumstances in which they come. Australians are fed up with people trying to jump the queue. Why is there even a queue? We’re Australia, not a fast food joint.�

Santa has been charged with smuggling of an endangered species, smuggling of undeclared goods and attempting to enter the Commonwealth without documentation.

The goods were destroyed and the reindeer were put down. Santa will be flown to Manus Island for processing.

New bra aims to help find true love


January 27, 2014: A Japanese made bra called the 'True Love Tester' is designed to measure the wearer's heartbeat and only unhook when they are feeling excited.

All the single ladies take note: the modern-day chastity belt has finally arrived in the form of a bra.

That's right. Japanese scientists with a lot of time on their hands have created a bra that only unhooks when your heart rate reaches a certain level.

The 'True Love Tester' will measure a woman's heart rate to determine if she is sexually interested in her partner and it's only when the woman hits the 'Heart Rate of Love' that the bra can be unhooked.

In a sexually explicit ad for the bizarre product, a 'human sexuality expert' explains that "when women fall in love they experience an instant boost in excitement. That feeling is unlike another other excitement we encounter in life."

Today Tonight axed on east coast for one-hour news show


Long-time current affairs show Today Tonight has been dumped by the Seven Network in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Instead, the network will run one-hour news bulletins in those locations, starting from tonight. Today Tonight will continue to run local versions in Adelaide and Perth.

The change-up comes just a week after Today Tonight host Helen Kapalos resigned as presenter in Sydney and Melbourne.

"We see this as an exciting opportunity to serve our news audience in a better way," Seven CEO Tim Worner said in a letter to staff. "In Adelaide and Perth, we will continue with Today Tonight where the programs serve as really important local windows.

"All staff previously working on the East Coast editions of Today Tonight will continue in their roles and will contribute to news investigations and features as well as TT in Adelaide and Perth under executive producer Max Euchtritz."

"This move is about building and investing in Seven's leading news coverage. In recent times we have increased our level of news across the day with great success. We plan to do even more in the future."

Seven appear to be following the lead of the Nine Network, who experienced a bump in their ratings after extending news programs to a one-hour format three weeks ago.

COPD is a general term that can be used to describe several lung diseases, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and non-reversible asthma, according to the COPD Foundation.

Leonard Nimoy, 82, Says Lung Disease COPD To Blame for Frailty

Thursday, 06 Feb 2014 11:52 AM

By Michael Mullins


Leonard Nimoy, who made famous the iconic "Star Trek" character Mr. Spock, is suffering from a potentially fatal lung disease known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD.

Having quit smoking more than 30 years ago, the now 82-year-old Nimoy made the revelation in a Twitter post last week after photos surfaced of him earlier in January being pushed through New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport in a wheelchair appearing frail.


"I quit smoking 30 years ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP," Nimoy posted on Twitter. The "LLAP" stands for "live long and prosper," the catchphrase Nimoy's character Mr. Spock would frequently say on the "Star Trek" TV series that aired from September 1966 to June 1969.

Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll

COPD is a disease that worsens with time and can make it difficult for a person to breathe. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH).

The majority of people with COPD are either smokers or former smokers, or have had long-term exposure to other lung irritants, such as air pollution and chemical fumes, NIH added.

Despite the COPD, Nimoy continues to remain active, being a committed supporter of the Star Trek franchise through making appearances around the country, and having even made a cameo appearance in last year's Star Trek film "Into Darkness," where he revisited his iconic Vulcan character Mr. Spock.

Additionally, Nimoy recently completed a three-year stint on the now canceled Fox show "Fringe" in 2012, where he played the character Dr. William Bell, the Daily Mail noted.

Nimoy has more than 800,000 followers on Twitter.

Wow just when you think it cant possibly get any worse it does.

Any other videos of that 4wd one, shit got serious quick.

Facebook To Buy Oculus VR, Maker Of The Rift Headset, For Around $2B In Cash And Stock


Facebook has announced plans to purchase Oculus VR, the company behind the Rift headset, for around $2 billion in cash and stock. This includes $400 million, and 23.1 million Facebook shares. An additional $300 million earnout will be paid in cash and stock if Oculus hits certain unspecified milestones.

“I’m excited to announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Oculus VR, the leader in virtual reality technology,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement today.


Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. For the past few years, this has mostly meant building mobile apps that help you share with the people you care about. We have a lot more to do on mobile, but at this point we feel we’re in a position where we can start focusing on what platforms will come next to enable even more useful, entertaining and personal experiences.

This is where Oculus comes in. They build virtual reality technology, like the Oculus Rift headset. When you put it on, you enter a completely immersive computer-generated environment, like a game or a movie scene or a place far away. The incredible thing about the technology is that you feel like you’re actually present in another place with other people. People who try it say it’s different from anything they’ve ever experienced in their lives.

Zuckerberg says that their efforts with Oculus will continue to focus on gaming initially, and that the company will continue to operate independently of Facebook. But after gaming, Zuckerberg says, they’re going to expand into a variety of other arenas.

“After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home,” he says. “This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”

In a post on its blog, Oculus says that the benefits of the partnership might not be immediately visible.


At first glance, it might not seem obvious why Oculus is partnering with Facebook, a company focused on connecting people, investing in internet access for the world and pushing an open computing platform. But when you consider it more carefully, we’re culturally aligned with a focus on innovating and hiring the best and brightest; we believe communication drives new platforms; we want to contribute to a more open, connected world; and we both see virtual reality as the next step.

Most important, Facebook understands the potential for VR. Mark and his team share our vision for virtual reality’s potential to transform the way we learn, share, play, and communicate. Facebook is a company that believes that anything is possible with the right group of people, and we couldn’t agree more.

Facebook, of course, found early success with games. Social gaming is responsible for a lot of the growth and spread of Facebook as a platform, rather than just a social service. Acquiring Oculus could signal a variety of things, but being able to tap into what is potentially the next big gaming trend is likely one of them. In addition, Facebook has been aggressive about understanding and supporting mobile use cases — but only after an initial period of foot-dragging and desktop focus. If VR is “what’s next” then Facebook will want to tap the market early to avoid any transitional gaffes this time around.

The purchase is expected to close in Q2 of 2014. Oculus has taken over 75K orders for its virtual reality headset so far. Those headsets have been developer editions designed to get developers interested in playing around with VR technology. The most recent “Crystal Cove” prototype features a full 1080p display and more sensors to detect and position users in virtual environments.

Of course, if you pull the thread of virtual reality out really really far, you could see a future where we’re not talking about the percentage of time people spend on mobile vs. desktop. Instead, we’re talking about the amount of time that people spend in virtual reality versus actual reality. In that kind of landscape, Facebook starting in on VR early makes painfully obvious sense.

The company has received a total of $93.4 million in funding so far from Spark, Matrix, Founders Fund, Formation 8, BIG Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Oculus got a big boost in legitimacy recently when one of the founding fathers of 3D gaming, John Carmack, left id Software to become its CTO.

“Over the next 10 years, virtual reality will become ubiquitous, affordable, and transformative,” concludes the Oculus post, “and it begins with a truly next-generation gaming experience. This partnership ensures that the Oculus platform is coming, and that it’s going to change gaming forever.”

Top UN court orders Japan to end Antarctic whale hunt

March 31, 2014, 8:27 pm

The Hague (AFP) - The United Nations' top court on Monday ordered Japan to end its annual Antarctic whale hunt, saying in a landmark ruling that the programme was a commercial activity disguised as science.

"Japan shall revoke any existent authorisation, permit or licence granted in relation to JARPA II (research programme) and refrain from granting any further permits," said the International Court of Justice's Judge Peter Tomka.

Agreeing with Australia, which in 2010 hauled Japan before the Hague-based ICJ in a bid to end whale hunting in the Southern Ocean, Tomka said that "special permissions granted by Japan are not for purposes of scientific research."

"The evidence does not establish that the programme's design and implementation are reasonable in relation to its stated (scientific) objectives," Tomka said.

While Norway and Iceland have commercial whaling programmes in spite of a 1986 International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium, Japan insisted its programme was scientific, while admitting that the resulting meat ended up on plates back home.

Tokyo was accused of exploiting a legal loophole in the 1986 ban on commercial whaling that allowed the practice to collect scientific data.

Conservation groups hailed the ruling, which Japan said it would respect despite "deep disappointment".

"As a state that respects the rule of law? and as a responsible member of the global community, Japan will abide by the decision of the court," chief negotiator Koji Tsuruoka told reporters outside the ICJ.

Geert Vons, director of the Sea Shepherd conservation group in The Netherlands, told AFP that while the ruling applied to Japan's JARPA II programme, a scientific programme with a more solid base could see a return to whaling in the Antarctic.

"If Japan or another country comes up with another programme for scientific research that is built a lot better, whaling could resume," Vons said.

Japanese government spokesman Noriyuki Shikata did not exclude seeking a resumption of Antarctic whaling.

- 'All eyes on Japan' -

"In terms of a future course of action, we have to carefully examine the content of the judgement," Shikata told AFP.

Australia said that since 1988 Japan has slaughtered more than 10,000 whales under the programme, putting the Asian nation in breach of international conventions and its obligation to preserve marine mammals and their environment.

"This decision sends a clear message to governments around the world that the exploitation of animals will no longer be tolerated and animals must be protected at the highest level," said Claire Bass, head of wildlife campaigns at the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

"All eyes are now on Japan to respect this decision," she said.

The court ruled overwhelmingly in favour of Australia in the case, which the country launched in 2010.

Clare Perry of the Environmental Investigation Agency said the ruling "lays to rest, once and for all, the grim travesty of Japan's so-called 'scientific' whaling."

"Next, the world needs to focus its attention on Japan's whaling in the North Pacific, where it continues to issue permits to kill up to 500 whales annually in hunts using the same 'scientific' clause that has now been condemned beyond dispute by the international court."

While Japan said its research programme was aimed at studying the viability of whale hunting, the ICJ found that it had failed to examine ways of doing such research without killing whales, or at least while killing fewer whales.

Japan has consistently defended the practice of eating whale meat as a culinary tradition and vowed it would "never stop whaling".

In April last year Tokyo announced its whaling haul from the Southern Ocean was at a record low because of "unforgivable sabotage" by Sea Shepherd activists.

Sea Shepherd had called the ICJ case make-or-break for whales in the Southern Ocean.

Established in 1945 to rule in disputes between countries, the ICJ is the United Nations' highest judicial body and the only one of five principal UN bodies not located in New York.

Blue Alien in ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Explained – What Does It Mean For Coulson?

Published 3 days ago by Rob Keyes , Updated March 28th, 2014 at 2:14 pm,


Agents of SHIELD Blue Alien TAHITI Blue Alien in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Explained What Does It Mean For Coulson?

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently on break (again) before returning next week on April 1st to complete its final non-stop run until its season finale on May 13th, and more than ever the wait has been unbearable for fans following along. The latest few sporadic episodes were host to several major revelations along with more unanswered questions, as information about Agent Coulson’s miraculous recovery and Skye’s mysterious origins begins to surface.

While we don’t exactly know why just yet, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) is special (read our theories here). He’s not a normal agent and because of that, he was forced to endure an “inhuman” series of operations to bring him back to life. He should have been dead but S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury “moved heaven and earth” to ensure that he lived, providing Coulson with special treatment that no ordinary S.H.I.E.L.D. agent or officer would ever receive. But thanks to the operations that had him begging to die, Coulson is back… but he’s different.

Coulson now leads a special ops team that’s growing increasingly suspicious with the organization they work for, and with the help of Agent John Garrett (Bill Paxton), they managed to locate a secret bunker run by an unknown group housing the mysterious cure that saved Coulson in the first place. This “cure” is simply known as GH-325, but as we now know, it’s not of human origins.

The blue serum we saw injected into Coulson during his operation is the same blue juice we saw siphoned off the the remains of a blue being. It wasn’t human and the revelation shocked Coulson, who’s dealt with otherworldly beings before, to the point of being speechless. The GH-325 worked on him and it worked on Skye, saving her life as well. It worked on her because she, similar to what we believe about Coulson, isn’t quite normal either. We learned in episode 12 (“Seeds”) a bit of her backstory where agents died protecting her as a child and that she’s a 084, a code S.H.I.E.L.D. uses to label an “object of unknown origin.” More on that later.

Agents of SHIELD Blue Alien Face Closeup 1024x576 Blue Alien in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Explained What Does It Mean For Coulson?

The immediate mystery, now that Skye is safe and sound, seemingly healthy with normal DNA, is about the alien. The following week in episode 15 (“Yes Men”) – and still the most recent episode – a pair of Asgardians come to Earth, including of course the fan-fave warrior, Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) from Thor and Thor: The Dark World. Coulson rightfully took the opportunity to ask Sif about blue aliens and in a showcase of the Marvel Comics knowledge the writers of the series have, they listed off some of the possibilities, narrowing down the possibilities of what the blue being really is. Here are six Marvel alien species the blue man could originate from (with some Wikipedia text for details).
•Interdites – A humanoid race with blue skin, they have developed precognition as well as other psionic powers. They come from the planet Interdis, seventh from the sun in the Tartaru star system in the Milky Way galaxy. Their civilization was demolished by the Badoon, and surviving Interdites have turned to mysticism and live like hermits scattered across the galaxy. First seen in Warlock #15 (November 1974).
•Levians – A humanoid race with blue skin that otherwise looks very similar to Earth humans. Surviving Levians live aboard the “world-ship” Levianon. Their homeworld Levia was destroyed as they depleted the planet of magma and resources. First seen in Thor #256 (February 1977).
•Pheragots – A semi-humanoid race with light blue skin that averages 10′ in height. They come from the planet Arago-7 in the Arago star system in the Andromeda galaxy. They have extraordinary superhuman strength due in part to their dense molecular structure. First seen in Hercules #1 (September 1982).
•Kree - Also known as the Ruul, they are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Their first on-panel appearance was in Fantastic Four #65 (August 1967), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
•Sarks – A humanoid race with light blue skin, standing 6’1″ on average. They come from the planet Sarka, third from the sun in the Tilnast star system in the Milky Way galaxy. Sarks were among the highest officials in the Universal Church of Truth. Captain Autolycus is a Sark. First seen in Strange Tales #179 (April 1975).
•Centaurians – First appeared in The Marvel Super Heroes. A humanoid race with blue skin and a sizeable red dorsal fin along the back and atop their head that gives them an average height of 7 feet (2.1 m). Some demonstrate “psionic” abilities. They are a primitive tribal race, using bows and arrows in hunting. Centaurians are native to Centauri IV, Yondu of the Guardians of the Galaxy is a Centaurian.

We won’t even bother mentioning the Frost Giants because it’s not a possibility. The Kree and Centaurians stand out the most since both are featured in Guardians of the Galaxy, hitting theaters in August. The Kree is the race of Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), the primary antagonist of Guardians and Yondu (Michael Rooker) – another new character in the film – is a Centaurian.

If we look closely at the scarring and details on the remains of Mr. Blue Man, we can see white markings seemingly etched or tattooed on his left pectoral muscle. Here’s a closer look:

Agents of SHIELD Blue Alien Kree Tattoo Blue Alien in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Explained What Does It Mean For Coulson?

Look familiar? Check out this photo we snapped at Toy Fair of Ronan the Accuser and look closely as this chest armor:

Blue Alien in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Explained What Does It Mean For Coulson?
Ronan the Accuser Toy

Interesting match, right? Similar cross-line markings appear on the Ronan LEGO and Minimates toy figures. We were saving this discussion for another article – which we still may augment and post – about what we know the Kree body, Skye, Coulson and other interesting Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. connections and mysteries but Chloe Bennet had to go spoil it for us at Payleyfest 2014 (skip to 1:30 mark):




So, it’s no longer a question or mystery. The blue alien is a Kree. Agent Coulson and Agent Skye have Kree blood inside of them and somehow, S.H.I.E.L.D. or another shady organization knows about the species and has housed this body for sometime. Where did it come from? Is Coulson Kree as well? Remember, in the comics there are the blue Kree we see above and the pink Kree which are much more human in appearance.

Could this plot point lead to those old rumors about Agent Coulson becoming or actually already being some version of Captain Mar-Vell from the comics? The horrifying operations that saved Coulson’s life and messed with his memories – could they have involved the transfer of memories from the alien into him?

We won’t get too deep into comics lore (in this post, anyway) but in the Ultimate Marvel universe, from which much of the cinematic universe draws inspiration from, Captain Marvel (Mahr Vehl) looks human (can disguise himself) and is named Geheneris HalaSon. He’s a Kree spy sent to Earth who switches sides, crosses paths with Nick Fury and Thanos. Could that name be what the “GH” in the show actually means instead of “Guest House” as Fitz and Simmons surmised in episode 14 when they located the bunker housing the alien? Adding to this theory, the Ultimate version of Captain Marvel takes on the human alias “Philip Lawson” and that’s not too far off from “Phil Coulson” even if it is a stretch.

Ultimate Captain Marvel Mahr Vehl 570x320 Blue Alien in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Explained What Does It Mean For Coulson?
Mahr Vehl

We hope this is some fun food for thought to hold you over until next week’s return of the series where more information will slowly unravel. Needless to say, the cast and crew keep hyping up the tagline “everything is connected” and with rumors that Ms. Marvel may still appear in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and a lot more aliens coming our way later this year in Guardians of the Galaxy, perhaps Coulson and Skye have a much larger role to play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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More: What’s Special About Agent Coulson?

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns on Tuesday, April 1st @ 8pm on ABC. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - which connects to the series – hits theaters April 4, 2014.

Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_keyes for your Marvel movie and TV news!

Sources: ABC, Marvel

David Letterman saying good night to 'Late Night'

9:25am April 4, 2014

David Letterman, a pillar of American late-night TV talk shows, announced Thursday that he'll be stepping down as host of "Late Night" on CBS next year after a 22-year run.


"We don't have the timetable for this precisely down," said Letterman, 66, during a live taping of his highly-rated show at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.

"I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future -- 2015 for the love of God, in fact -- Paul and I will be wrapping things up," he said, referring to the show's musical director Paul Shaffer.

His plan to call it a day at "Late Night" comes on the heels of longtime rival Jay Leno's departure from NBC's "Tonight Show" on February 6.

Famous for his wry Midwestern humor, Letterman premiered "Late Night" on NBC in 1982, but took the show to CBS in 1993 after NBC picked Leno over him to succeed the legendary Johnny Carson as host of "The Tonight Show."

During his long career, Letterman logged more than 6,000 episodes, the show business trade journal Variety reported.

"Late Night" was famous for Letterman's witty repartee with A-list celebrity guests, his satirical top-10 lists and a raft of regular features including a segment dedicated to clever animals called Stupid Pet Tricks.

Legendary actor Mickey Rooney has died at the age of 93, TMZ reports.

Rooney, who starred in over 20 films as character Andy Hardy, had been battling a long illness and is believed to have died of natural causes.

In 1940 he became the first teenage Oscar nominee for his role in the film Strike Up the Band.

His career spanned over seven decades and he most recently appeared in the 2011 film The Muppets alongside Amy Adams.

The actor who was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1920 married eight times.

He is survived by his eighth wife Jan and nine children

The US Navy has unveiled a futuristic electromagnetic rail gun it claims can kill at "seven times the speed of sound".

The rail gun – which operates purely on electricity – is designed to take out incoming missiles and aircraft.

It utilises an electromagnetic pulse to propel a projectile down the barrel, creating a fireball of molten steel which explodes on impact.

"An electromagnetic rail gun is a gun that uses just electricity — no gun powder — and can shoot a projectile like this, well over 160km at Mach 7 – seven times the speed of sound," Chief of Naval Research, Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder, told CBS News.

"There's not a thing in the sky that's going to survive against that."

Tests have already shown the hyper velocity projectile slice through three, thick concrete walls like butter.

Currently, the US Navy has missiles that perform the same feats, but at the cost of millions of dollars each, whereas the electromagnetic rail gun comes in at a far more cost effective $25,000.

The rail gun is also safer for sailors as it contains no explosives. It is due to go on board a navy vessel for testing in 2016.

Source: CBS News

Little Chloe taken over dad’s drug debt


FIRST ON 7: Detectives in Childers are still hunting for Chloe Campbell’s kidnapper as she recovers from the traumatic ordeal.

7News can reveal the three-year-old girl was abducted and held hostage over her father's drug debt.

She's the picture of innocence, a beautiful child, who became a bargaining chip for a drug dealer.

Chloe was a pawn in a blackmail bid to force her father to settle a drug deb involving thousands of dollars worth of speed.

Garth Campbell was inconsolable after his daughter was snatched from their home early Thursday morning.

From the beginning, he was certain the youngster had been abducted, and the kidnapper knew his family but he stopped short of revealing more.

Family friends have told 7News Chloe's father was threatened nine weeks ago. He told his brother he was in serious trouble but didn't go to the police.

"They've done this to scare Garth ... (he) has been very scared, and this is why he's been a mess," family friend Melissa Small said.

Just hours before Mr Campbell received the good news, and ran to be by his daughter's side, he was assaulted in the main street of Childers.

Melissa Small said those responsible for Chloe’s disappearance were "just messed up people" but just where Chloe was taken, and who she was with is still a mystery.