Alternative Therapies for Depression

People give many reasons for turning to alternative therapies for depression, but their usage is commonplace. A 2001 survey in the American Journal of Psychiatry estimated that more than one-third of Americans use complementary and alternative medicinal treatments each year. Complementary and alternative medicines for depression and anxiety include: relaxation techniques, self-help groups, hypnosis, massage, exercise, and yoga in addition to dietary modifications, aromatherapy, folk remedies, spiritual healing, laughter, and oral medications. Some are more invasive and riskier than others: The herbal remedy St. John’s wort, for example, has been shown to be effective in the treatment of mild to moderate depression, but it can have adverse interactions with other medications.

The American Journal of Psychiatry surveyed 2,055 adults with severe depression and found that 53.6% used alternative therapies for treatment. More than 60% of patients with severe depression seen by a psychiatrist also incorporated some form of these therapies into their treatment. The research is limited, but more people surveyed turned to alternative and complementary therapies than to conventional treatments. They also found alternative therapies to be of comparable effectiveness to traditional therapies.

Why are alternative therapies so popular?
Traditional therapy and medication can be expensive, and not everyone has insurance coverage. Plus, many of the prescribed medications can have adverse side effects such as weight gain and sexual dysfunction. Many patients seek a more natural way of coping with depression. Pregnant and nursing women in particular have to be concerned about how medications could affect breast-feeding.

An integrated approach
Alternative therapies, whether alone or in addition to conventional treatments, are helping people cope with depression, but they often have side effects and sometimes take a while to work. “There’s no magic bullet for depression,” says James S. Gordon, MD, founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and author of Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression. "It’s not just about a single supplement or single intervention, otherwise, it’s the same mentality as the drug mentality. Depression is a wake-up call, a sign that your life is out of balance." Alternative therapies combined with professional treatment can help restore balance to your life.

The 10 movies you shouldn't watch online

Movies are increasingly creeping online, as video sites like YouTube and Hulu are adding feature films to their extensive libraries.

At the Google-owned YouTube, there is the YouTube Screening Room, which every two weeks, adds four new films — mostly independent works — to the site. Hulu, the joint creation of NBC Universal and News Corp., has hundreds of films available for stream, from "Basic Instinct" to "Wuthering Heights."

Of course, many people download films illegally on BitTorrent sites, but movies are nevertheless becoming more populated — legally — online.

Hulu recently added 1962's "Lawrence of Arabia," which begs the question: Should anyone watch a nearly four-hour-long epic of sweeping grandeur on their laptop? Or, heaven forbid, their cell phone?

Here are the top ten films that should never be brought down to size:

1. "Lawrence of Arabia": David Lean's film, which won seven Oscars including best picture, was made for the big screen — particularly as projected in all of its 70 millimeter glory. Though Hulu (like YouTube) streams films in high quality, the enormity of the Arabian desert loses something when dwarfed to a 4-inch by 6-inch screen.

2. "Last of the Mohicans": Michael Mann's 1992 adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's novel pulses with the raw nature of early America so much that film critic David Thomson has written that he expects William Wordsworth to pop up at any moment. You won't get that rugged feeling on a computer.

3. "Jaws": Really, how scary can that shark be if he's two inches tall?

4. "North By Northwest": Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 classic is just too big for your computer. It's almost too big for a movie screen. The film, after all, includes a chase seen with an airplane, Bernard Herrmann's robust score, Mount Rushmore and, well, Cary Grant in sunglasses.

5. "Star Wars": It's true, a hologram of Princess Leia on your computer is just about as fitting as one of Will.i.am on CNN. But do you really want to see (spoiler alert!) the Death Star explode next to your e-mail?

6. "WarGames": There isn't anything so cinematic about this 1983 thriller starring Matthew Broderick. But watching a movie about Cold War-era paranoia in which a computer threatens to bomb the world might cause you to panic out of distrust for all things computerized and throw your laptop out the window.

7. "Barry Lyndon": The same computer rebellion of "WarGames" might also apply to Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," but the Kubrick film that deserves the absolute best presentation is his 1975 period piece. The cinematography by John Alcott — including a candlelit scene shot with NASA-developed camera lenses — is best seen projected in the dark.

8. "Raiders of the Lost Ark": You have to worry that a story about an adverture-seeking archaeologist with a whip fetish who gets chased by boulders might seem a tad unrealistic when shrunk down from the big screen. (But feel free to be disappointed by the latest "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" on whatever platform you like.)

9. "The Third Man": Carol Reed's 1949 film is one of the most exquisitely shot films ever and meant for the movie theater. Also, a Web junky might take the wrong lesson from "The Third Man." The Internet has a way of depersonalizing people, much in the way Orson Welles famously looks down at far below humans from atop a Ferris wheel in "The Third Man," caring nothing if the "little dots" stopped moving.

10. "You've Got Mail": It's just a little too cutesy to watch this romantic comedy on your computer, don't you think?

Ambien Sleep Walking Turned Me Into a Midnight Binge Eater

Of all the strange nocturnal behaviors that have been reported with the use of Ambien and other prescription sleep drugs—acting out, sleep walking and talking, and even driving while asleep—the most prevalent by far is sleep eating. Though the side effect is rare overall, most sleep doctors have heard a few stories of refrigerators being raided, ovens left on through the night, or strange food appearing in the bedroom.

Many of these sleep-eating patients take Ambien, although it's not clear whether this particular drug really is more likely to cause sleep eating, or if it's just that more cases are reported because so many more people take Ambien than any other sleep medications.

For some, the strange side effect is unacceptable: They may gain a significant amount of weight, or worry about operating kitchen appliances while sleeping. For others, like Rebecca Wiseman, 26, of Sumter, S.C., sleep eating happens only occasionally—and it's a small price to pay for the relief that medication can bring.

Relief from hospital-induced insomnia
Wiseman starting taking Ambien while she was in the hospital on bed rest during her second pregnancy. She was grateful for the full eight hours of sleep it got her, and took a pill just about every night for six weeks.

Asking Your iPhone: Am I Drunk Yet?

Drunk calculator applications already exist for the iPhone, but this one is more in depth. And freer. Because it's free. You can choose exactly what you've had to drink, and based on your weight, it determines how sloshed you are. Like right now it's telling me I shouldn't even be blogging. Fuck it though. Seriously, it doesn't know shit. Bartender, another. If you do get too drunk, the application will even call you a cab or tell you to make out with the dude next to you who looks feminine enough to warrant a kiss. Then, puke on yourself, lose your shoes, and pass out in a ditch and get frostbite. I mean, it's the American way. Back me up Superficial Writer. Haha, yeah, I just told them about your weekend. So, did you get dude's number?

Last Call iPhone App Wants You To Get Drunk Responsibly [gizmodo]

Thanks to Josh, who drank 40 beers for breakfast and still had bourbon with lunch.

Shanghai World Financial Centre

The tallest tower in China, 492m was opened to the public today; its panoramic observation post, the highest in the world at 474m, gives an unobstructed view of the city.

From now on the tower casts a shadow over the former tallest tower in Shanghai, the Jin Mao, 420m.

The 6 tallest towers in the world today :

1. The Burj, Dubai (~800m)
2. The Shanghai World Financial Center (492m)
3. The International Commerce Centre of Hong-Kong (484m)
4. The Dubai Tower, Doha (445m)
5. The Trump International Hotel, Chicago (415m)
6. The Princess Tower, Dubai (400m)

The Shanghai World Financial Center by night :

An intrepid worker :



The highest observatory post in the world, on three levels :

Informations

• Shanghai World Financial Center (french: Centre Mondial des Finances de Shanghai , chinese).
  
• 492,3 meters (second tallest tower in the world)
• 101 floors
• 31 lifts
• Cost: 8,17 billion yuans (800 million euros)
• Architecture firm: Kohn Pedersen Fox (New York)

What's really in your fast food?

A new report reveals how your favorite hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and fries go from farm to table

You may want to reconsider getting that double cheeseburger with fries.

A study released in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences contains controversial claims about menu items served at McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King.

Using a technique that identifies carbon and nitrogen isotopes in meat, co-authors A. Hope Jahren and Rebecca Kraft tried to determine the animals' diets and in what conditions they were raised. Based on the high levels of carbon and nitrogen isotopes found in the meat products, the authors claim that the cattle and poultry were predominantly fed corn, which makes them as fat as possible in as short a time as possible, and were raised in extreme confinement.

China largest baby delivered, 6.5 kilo

Woman from Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province has given birth to a 6.5-kilogram (14-pound) baby yesterday, the size of a six-month-old.

The baby is completely healthy but stunned the medical staff as they didn’t even have a birth scale to weight him.

Shuttle Endeavour's mission STS-126: The ISS renovation project

When NASA planned the November 2008 mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, it must have been thinking big. And it was probably thinking that the International Space Station, about to mark its 10th anniversary, needed a major overhaul.

"Extreme home improvements" is the focus of the mission that is scheduled to lift off at 7:55 p.m. ET on Nov. 14, 2008, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson said days before liftoff that the space station is getting a makeover.

"This mission is all about home improvement; home improvement both inside and outside," he said.

The seven astronauts who make up the crew of the Endeavour for mission STS-126 will expand the living quarters to enable the facility to house six astronauts, double its current crew, by next June. Once the work of the 15-day mission is complete, the space station will have been transformed from a "starter-home" with three bedrooms, one bathroom and a kitchenette to a "house" with five bedrooms, two bathrooms and two kitchenettes.

Crew

The all-American crew of the Endeavour is made up of five men and two women: Ferguson, 47; air force Col. Eric Boe, 44, who will serve as a shuttle pilot; navy Capt. Steve Bowen, 44; army Lt.-Col. Shane Kimbrough, 41; navy Capt. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, 45; astronaut Sandra Magnus, 44; and astronaut Donald Pettit, 53.

One member of the Endeavour crew will replace one of the three current residents of the space station. Magnus, a flight engineer, is to replace current space station resident Greg Chamitoff, also a flight engineer and an astronaut. Chamitoff, an American who was born in Montreal, has been at the space station since the end of May.

Cargo

The astronauts are delivering 14,515 kilograms (32,000 pounds) of supplies, including a second toilet, a kitchenette, two sleep stations, an exercise machine and a water recycling system. The exercise machine will allow the crew to perform such exercises as bench presses, dead lifts, sit-ups and squats.

The other supplies going up on the shuttle range from two new food warmers, a refrigerator, an experiment freezer and a water dispenser, to a combustion rack for scientific experiments.

The home improvement supplies have been put in racks the size of refrigerators, NASA spokespeople said. In space, one astronaut can move a rack with little problem.

The supplies are to be delivered with an Italian logistics module named Leonardo that will act as a kind of moving van. Leonardo, when it returns to Earth, will carry equipment and scientific samples from station research.

Of all the home improvements, the water recycling system is being viewed as particularly innovative. It is designed to turn urine into drinking water at the orbiting outpost.

But the renovation project is not the only task for the Endeavour crew. The astronauts are to conduct four spacewalks, each expected to last about six and a half hours.

Three crew members will take turns taking walks to clean and lubricate two parts of the space station, known as the solar alpha rotary joints, that are clogged with metal shavings and preventing a set of solar wings from turning automatically toward the sun.

The spacewalkers will also install a new nitrogen tank, a global positioning system, antennae and a camera on the outside of the station.

The Endeavour is the 27th flight to the station and the fourth shuttle flight this year. The shuttle will be docked when the space station celebrates its 10th anniversary on Nov. 20. The first station module was launched into space and construction began in 1998.

How to Navigate the Market Aisles the Smart and Healthy Way

Watch your step
Parking lots can be dangerous places, so park close to the store in a well-lit spot with an unobstructed view. Hide valuables or take them with you. Beware of careless drivers, too: Almost 15 percent of accidents involving pedestrians happen in parking lots.

Beat the crowds
Shoppers jam the place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and on weekend afternoons—unless you live near lots of retirees, who’ll stroll the place at noon. The least crowded time to shop: Monday through Wednesday—or at 2 a.m.

Pick packaged first
Load up with paper items and nonperishable food, including beverages. Your food won’t spoil while you shop, and you won’t be sticking that 12-pack of bottled water on top of your grapes at the end of your shopping circuit.

Head to the back
Stick to the store perimeter to find the fresh stuff. You’ll also skirt those tempting cookie and potato chip aisles.

Celebrate diversity
The ethnic section will have rice, pastas, spices, and sauces for half the price of similar items in other spots: You’re paying for food, not marketing.

Ditch the displays
That space at the end of each aisle insinuates a sale, but that’s true only 40 percent of the time. If a sign doesn’t shout markdown, you’re not saving.

Bypass the bakery
You already know what a doughnut tastes like. So, ask the bakery manager when he puts out free samples and avoid shopping at those tempting times.

Finish with frozen
Unless you favor mushy peas and soupy sorbet, pick up frozen foods last. That will also cut the risk of partially thawed food and uninvited bacteria at the dinner table.

Check yourself out
The regular checkout lanes stick you beside the treats your kids—and your inner kid—want to grab. Save cash (you) and crying (the kids) by avoiding all that.

Wildfire rips through celebrity enclave in California

A wildfire in Santa Barbara County, Calif., has destroyed about 70 multimillion-dollar homes and ripped over about 320 hectares of land.

The fire was moving toward the city of Santa Barbara on Friday morning after tearing through the upscale coastal community of Montecito the night before, destroying about 70 mansions, officials said.

The brush fire started at about 6 p.m. on Thursday, said Terri Nisich, spokeswoman for the San Barbara County executive office.

The fire has since been fanned by 110 km/h winds, which were continuing on Friday morning, making it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze, Nisich said.

The flames were within 10 kilometres of Santa Barbara by Friday morning and about 20 homes within Santa Barbara city limits have already been destroyed, according to officials.

Southern California is experiencing unseasonably hot weather, drought conditions and forecasts of strong Santa Ana winds blowing in from the desert over the weekend, putting the region on high forest fire alert.

About 70 houses were destroyed overnight in Montecito, a popular area for celebrities to keep property about 150 kilometres northwest of Los Angeles.

Officials said that the flames ripped through entire blocks of mansions in the community of 10,000 that has been dubbed "America's Riviera."

"It looked like lava coming down a volcano," said area resident Leslie Hollis, who was preparing to leave her home on Thursday night.

College residence destroyed

Homeowners in the area include actors John Cleese, Christopher Lloyd and Rob Lowe as well as talk-show host Oprah Winfrey and Google Inc. chief executive Eric Schmidt. Officials are not releasing the names of owners of the destroyed properties.

A residence building and several classrooms at the private Westmont College were also destroyed by the fire.

Montecito last suffered a major fire in 1977, when more than 200 homes burned.

Thick plumes of smoke were in the sky in the area on Friday morning.

About 2,500 residents were forced to leave the area because of the flames and officials were reporting on Friday that about 20,000 people had lost power because of the fire.

Minor injuries, including smoke inhalation and burns, were being reported.

Fire crews, including 125 engines, from neighbouring counties are coming to the area to help battle the fire, Nisich said.

Three water-dropping helicopters were being dispatched to the area on Thursday night.

Just funny

Plane Stupid

Tangled Glider

Catch and Release

Home Alone

Do I Have a Drinking Problem? 4 Key Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Have I ever felt I should cut down on my drinking?

2. Have people annoyed me by criticizing my drinking?

3. Have I ever felt bad or guilty about my drinking?

4. Have I ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady my nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

If you answer “yes” to two or more questions, you should get help. Talk to your doctor, and check out groups like Moderation Management, a recovery program and national support network for people who have decided to reduce their drinking.

Obama victory sparks celebration, praise around globe

Students hold placards to celebrate the victory of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama in Multan, Pakistan, on Wednesday. Obama's victory fostered hopes in Pakistan that the United States would become less overbearing, and nurture the country's recent return to civilian-led democracy.

World leaders offered praise and citizens celebrated around the globe over the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president.

From politicians to casual observers, many noted the historical significance of the American electorate voting Tuesday for the first black president.

"Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place," South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela, said in a letter of congratulations to Obama.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai praised voters for their "great decision" and hoped that the "lack of interest in race and colour while electing the president will go a long way in bringing the same values to the rest of world sooner or later."

Obama's victory "marks a new chapter in the remarkable history of the United States," said Pakistani Prime Minister Raza Gilani.

Pracha Kanjananont, a 29-year-old Thai sitting at a Starbucks in Bangkok, said Obama was the first "truly global U.S. president the world has ever had."

"He had an Asian childhood, African parentage and has a Middle Eastern name. He is a truly global president."

Eager anticipation of Obama administration

Some observers believe the election of the 47-year-old Illinois senator will usher in a new era of improved relations with the U.S. and restore the country's reputation that many say has been damaged during the administration of President George W. Bush.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he hoped the incoming administration will take steps to improve badly damaged U.S. ties with Russia. Tensions have been driven to a post-Cold War high by Moscow's war with U.S. ally Georgia.

"I stress that we have no problem with the American people, no inborn anti-Americanism. And we hope that our partners, the U.S. administration, will make a choice in favour of full-fledged relations with Russia," Medvedev said.

An aide to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran, said there is now "capacity for the improvement of ties between America and Iran if Obama pursues his campaign promises, including not confronting other countries as Bush did in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Many in Europe, where Obama is overwhelmingly popular, had looked eagerly to an Obama administration.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Obama's win a "historic victory" and said that both Europe and the U.S. will work together to confront new dangers and risks, as well as make use of opportunities in the world.

The results show Americans "have expressed with force their faith in progress and the future," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, adding that Obama's victory "has raised enormous hope in France, in Europe and beyond."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised Obama's "inspirational campaign" that energized politics, adding that he and Obama share many values.

In Kenya, the birthplace of Obama's late father, and where Obama's picture adorns billboards and minibuses, many celebrated his victory.

Public holiday in Kenya

His Kenyan relatives in the western village of Kolego, where Obama's father was born, erupted in cheers Wednesday, singing: "We are going to the White House!"

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki declared a public holiday on Thursday in honour of Obama.

"We the Kenyan people are immensely proud of your Kenyan roots," Kibaki said. "Your victory is not only an inspiration to millions of people all over the world, but it has special resonance with us here in Kenya."

But not all offered praise.

Ali Al-Sadig, a spokesman for the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, said they didn't expect any change.

"When it comes to foreign policy, there is no difference between the Republicans and the Democrats."

Some Iraqis said they would believe positive change when they saw it.

"Obama's victory will do nothing for the Iraqi issue nor for the Palestinian issue," said Muneer Jamal, a Baghdad resident. "I think all the promises Obama made during the campaign will remain mere promises."

Halloween Costumes You Should Seriously Retire

Halloween is normally a girl’s holiday - you know what they say - during Halloween women are allowed to dress like sluts or as sexily as they can and get away with it. Men on the other hand go along with it (coz it’s fun, and heck who wouldn’t want to go to a Halloween party with a gazillion girls wearing bunny costumes?). Seriously though, there are just a few Halloween costumes I’m sure everyone’s tired of seeing. If you’re thinking of getting any on the list, you might want to consider retiring it.

The Witch
Ninjas/Pirates

It’s not cute anymore. Cut it out.

Lame Ghoul Costume

It’s just your plain white blanket & you cut out 2 holes for your eyes. You’re probably gonna get a lot of candy corn or sun maid raising with your lack of imagination.

Last but not the least, the Obama Mask. If you don’t want to be called as a terrorist or arab, then you might want to steer clear of the Obama Mask - that is, if you’re going anywhere near an Amazon Halloween party.

Anything Slutty/Sexy School Girlish/French maidish

Yes yes I contradict myself, but after seeing Lindsay Lohan dress up like a slut last Halloween, it got kinda of boring. After all, it doesn’t leave as much to the imagination. Check out the photo to see what I mean: See? Did you feel anything but blegh?

Fairy Costume

Ladies this would look good on you, but gentlemen, please. Last Halloween we saw a guy who got busted on facebook by his boss for calling in sick only to discover he was at a party wearing that tinkerbell looking frock. If this were a sign, I’d say there was a curse involved with men wearing fairy costumes.

Less Sleep in Older Adults Linked to Heart Attack, Stroke Risk

MONDAY, Nov. 10, 2008 (Health.com) — People in their 60s and 70s who have high blood pressure may want to make sure they get enough sleep. A new study suggests that if they log fewer than 7.5 hours under the covers every night, they’re at greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death than their peers who get more shut-eye.

The risk is even higher if they skimp on sleep and tend to have a hike in blood pressure at night, a problem known as the riser pattern. Most healthy people have a drop in blood pressure at bedtime.

Those who got limited sleep and also had the riser pattern were more than four times as likely to have heart attacks and strokes as those without the combination, according to the study published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

It’s not clear if the shorter sleep times were due to insomnia, sleep apnea, or other problems, or exactly how much time the study subjects actually spent snoozing. (Or if they were taking any medication for sleep issues, for that matter.)

The research team, led by Kazuo Eguchi, MD, PhD, of Jichi Medical University in Japan, asked 1,255 men and women with hypertension how much time they spent in bed (not how much they actually slept), and then monitored their blood pressure for a 24-hour period.

Those who spent fewer than 7.5 hours between the sheets were 1.7 times more likely to have some type of cardiovascular event in the next couple of years, while those who slept little and had a riser blood-pressure pattern were at 4.43 times greater risk.

This type of study can’t determine if simply telling people to spend more time in bed would lead to better sleep or a lower risk of any of these problems. But researchers do know that a lack of sleep can throw off the circadian rhythms of several body processes.

Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado about building a new civil service corps. Among other things, he called for expanding the nation's foreign service and doubling the size of the Peace Corps "to renew our diplomacy."

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force.

Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.

"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."

Obama's transition office did not respond immediately to Broun's remarks.

A golden Xylophone

The instrument was made to celebrate the take off of the space shuttle Shenzhou 7. Made of nine solid gold bars mounted on a rose wood dragon, the xylophone symbolises the success of the Chinese spatial adventure.

Apparently, in China silence is not golden...

Old enough to drink

The appropriate state-sanctioned age for the legal consumption of alcohol continues to be debated in many countries around the world.

Canada’s drinking age varies by province. In most parts of the country, it is 19, but in Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba, legal drinking begins at 18.

The United States has one of the highest drinking ages in the world, 21, although some states in India set a minimum of 25, and other countries, such as Kyrgyzstan and Cambodia, don’t specify any legal minimum.

Some countries differentiate between consuming alcohol and purchasing alcohol as well as among types of alcohol when setting their minimum age.

Several European countries, including France, Germany and Switzerland, have a minimum age of 16 for beer and wine and 18 for spirits. In Italy, it’s 16 for all three types of alcohol.

Click here for a list of drinking age minimums around the world.

Some studies have found that a higher minimum legal drinking age prevents alcohol-related deaths and injuries among youth. A literature review of studies on the effect of increasing or decreasing the minimum age by the American Medical Association found that in the U.S., when the minimum age was lowered below 21, motor vehicle crashes and deaths among youth increased. When it was raised to 21, those younger than the minimum age still consumed alcohol but drank less and experienced fewer alcohol-related injuries and deaths.

Your View: Is there an optimum minimum age for legal drinking?Should the drinking age in Canada be lowered? Raised? Do you have experience with other countries/cultures that have different restrictions from Canada's?

Phoenix mission to Mars over: NASA

The Phoenix Mars lander is out of power and unlikely to send another signal, NASA said Monday.

The lander operated for five months, two more than expected, but last signaled on Nov. 2. As expected, the seasonal decline in sunshine at the landing site is not providing enough light to generate the solar power that operates the robot's instruments, NASA said in a news release.

Illustration of the Phoenix lander

The project team "will be listening carefully during the next few weeks to hear if Phoenix revives and phones home," but that's not likely, because the Martian weather is getting worse, NASA said.

Phoenix was launched Aug. 4, 2007, and started studying the Mars environment after landing on May 25 this year.

It verified the presence of water in the Martian subsurface, needed to determine if the planet's arctic environment had ever been able to support life. It also found small concentrations of salts that could be nutrients for life, and calcium carbonate, which often indicates the presence of liquid water.

"Phoenix provided an important step to spur the hope that we can show Mars was once habitable and possibly supported life," said Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA.

The lander's cameras took more than 25,000 pictures, from vistas to near the atomic level, NASA said.

Scientists are just beginning to analyze the information Phoenix sent back to Earth.

"Phoenix has given us some surprises, and I'm confident we will be pulling more gems from this trove of data for years to come," said Phoenix principal investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona.

Chinese real estate, head in the stars

To confront the crisis, some agents have increased their imagination. The employees from a real estate agency in Wuhan are thereby disguised in taikonaute costumes...

Are these agents ready to promise the moon ?

Red, red wine: Health pros and cons

A woman tastes one of southern Italy's full-bodied red wines, near Guagnano, in Puglia, the heel of boot-shaped Italy. Red wine has been touted as beneficial to cardiovascular health, but new research suggests that drinking more than a certain amount of that favourite Merlot or Shiraz may actually be harmful over time. (Pier Paolo Cito/Associated Press)

It's been quite a decade for wine sales in Canada. In 2007, Canadians spent $5 billion on wine — an increase of 9.5 per cent from the year before, according to figures from Statistics Canada.

Canada's love affair with fermented grape juice really began taking off in the late 1990s, when wine accounted for 21 per cent of sales of all alcoholic beverages across the country. Since then, market share for beer and spirits has been declining while wine's popularity has been increasing. It now accounts for 28 per cent of the alcoholic beverage market.

Most of that growth has been due to a surge in red wine sales. Since 2000, sales of red wine are up by 130 per cent compared to a 33 per cent increase for white wine. Sales of red outpace sales of white in every province except New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

The wine tide appears to have turned in the late 1990s when research about red wine's potential health benefits began to surface.

The benefits of red wine appear to be linked to the presence of resveratrol, melatonin and flavonoids.

Flavonoids are thought to help protect the body from cancer because of their antioxidant properties. They help the body neutralize certain free radicals that can trigger the cellular activity that may lead to cancer.

Melatonin — a substance present in red wine and some foods and that humans naturally produce in small amounts — is thought to delay the oxidative damage and inflammatory processes typical of old age.

Resveratrol is produced naturally by grape skins during red wine's fermentation process. Several studies have suggested that resveratrol may explain the "French paradox" — why the French appear to be able to consume a diet higher in fat than the norm while enjoying a comparatively lower incidence of heart disease.

High doses of the chemical appear to mimic the effects that a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in calories in the typical diet would have. Researchers say such a diet is effective at prolonging life in many species.

A study released in June 2008 found that not only is resveratrol effective at protecting the heart at high doses, but it can also be effective at low doses beginning in middle age, leading to a healthier heart and better quality of life in old age.

Red wine has been credited with more than keeping your heart healthy and delaying the aging process. It has also shown promising results in preventing prostate cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, leukemia and some common food-borne illnesses.

Not all effects are positive

But the long list of potential health benefits does not necessarily mean red wine should be a staple in every household.

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, and pregnant women — or women contemplating having a baby — should avoid alcohol. It can be dangerous to the fetus.

Alcohol can also increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. Two drinks a day can increase a healthy woman's risk by 10 per cent — or more if there is a family history of the disease.

Red wine can also trigger migraines in people who are susceptible to them, probably because of the accumulation of histamines and tannins from prolonged contact with the skin of the grape during the fermentation process.

Wine can also elevate your triglyceride levels. High triglyceride levels are associated with health problems such as diabetes.

Drinking wine — or any other alcoholic beverage — can also lead to weight gain. A glass of wine contains about 120 calories and no nutrients — that is, empty calories. Get together with friends, have a few glasses of wine along with a small plate of hors d'oeuvres, and you're approaching your total recommended caloric intake for the entire day. If you're not active, before long, your waistline will be in expansion mode.

Worldwide, drinking causes almost as much harm as smoking, according to the World Health Organization. The agency estimates that alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths around the world every year; about a third of those deaths are accidents that could have been avoided.

The WHO also estimates that worldwide, alcohol causes or plays a role in 20 per cent to 30 per cent of all cases of esophageal cancer, liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, homicide, epileptic seizures and traffic accidents.

Even in France, attempts have been made to make the country more aware of the potential pitfalls of alcohol. A 2005 report urged the French government to snap out of its state of national denial and take urgent steps to address the problems of alcohol abuse. The report found that alcohol was directly responsible for 23,000 deaths a year in France and indirectly responsible for 22,000 more.

The report's author, Hervé Chabalier, said one person in 10 in the country is ill because of the effects of alcohol.

A glimpse at America's social priorities

They are an imperfect measure and are almost always overshadowed by the horse-race selections of presidents, governors and members of Congress.

But every U.S. election brings with it a welter of state or voter initiatives, which are basically statewide mini-referendums on some of the big social and political issues of the day.

The cost and difficulty of getting the proposals on the ballot in the first place are themselves a barometer of the importance placed on these concerns and how they rank as ongoing thorns in the U.S. body politic.

And this year was no exception, as even the prospect of electing the first black president in U.S. history could not detract from 153 ballot questions, 59 of them initiated by citizen petitions, on such topics as marijuana, abortion, same-sex marriage, stem cell research, renewable energy and affirmative action, in 36 states. Here is how the main ones fared:

Gay marriage

Same-sex marriage was on the ballot directly in three states and indirectly in two others. If you are a supporter, Tuesday was not a good day.

At the same time, you could take comfort in the fact that perhaps some of the antipathy toward the idea has dropped off: there were eight voter initiatives on gay marriage in 2006 and 11 in 2004, according to the New York Times. Also, at least two of the three U.S. states where the practice is legal, Connecticut and Massachusetts, are unaffected by Tuesday's vote.

Connecticut voters turned down a proposal to hold a special constitutional convention, which opponents of same-sex marriage had hoped would lead to a ban, overturning a recent state supreme court decision affirming gay marriage.

Meanwhile, three states — Florida, Arizona and California — formally voted to ban the practice while, in what was seen as a related measure, Arkansas voted 57 per cent to 43 per cent to ban unmarried couples from being adoptive or foster parents.

Of these states, liberal California was the most watched. Opponents and proponents of the measure spent a record, for a social measure, $73 million on their campaigns, bombarding voters with TV and radio ads. The final result, 52 per cent to 48 per cent to effect a ban, was the closest of the state results and is expected to overturn the law making same-sex marriage legal in California.

Marijuana

Two big victories for the marijuana lobby. Massachusetts voters elected to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of pot, those caught with an ounce (28 grams) or less. Instead, offenders will have to forfeit their holdings and pay a fine.

Michigan joined 12 other states in allowing severely ill patients access to pot for medical purposes, to relieve pain and nausea. Those who register with the state will be able to grow their own.

Right to die

Washington became the second state, after neighbouring Oregon 10 years earlier, to allow terminally ill patients to seek a physician-assisted suicide. The proposed Washington law is patterned directly on Oregon's and passed with almost 59 per cent support.

In a different vote on medical choice, Michigan voters opted (62.6 per cent) to allow stem cell research, a practice that has been banned by the federal government because it often uses stem cells from aborted fetuses.

Minorities

In what may not be truly reflective of the American mood at the moment, Nebraska voters chose to ban all affirmative action programs in the state by a vote of 57.6 per cent to 42 per cent. The measure would ban all government and institutional contracts and scholarships based on race and gender but its legal underpinning is uncertain and it is expected to end up before the Nebraska supreme court.

In Florida, voters failed to respond in enough strength (there needed to be 60 per cent in favour) to repeal an old law that sought to ban Asians from owning land in the state. The law is still technically on the books but has never been enforced and is unlikely to pass constitutional muster, legal scholars have said.

Renewable energy

In two diametrically opposed results, Missouri voters opted (66 per cent to 34 per cent) to increase the proportion of renewable energy in their state grid. Californians voted in almost equal measure (65 to 35 per cent) not to do the same.

The California proposal would have been the most aggressive clean-energy plan in the nation, requiring state utilities to generate half their electricity from windmills, solar farms and the like by 2025. It was opposed by some top environmentalists, who argued it was too ambitious, would drive up rates too quickly and seemed designed to benefit Texas entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens, whose wind-farm company is trying to become the Microsoft of the green revolution.

Abortion

Only two U.S. states this time tried to impose sweeping bans on abortion — Colorado and South Dakota. Both were defeated, South Dakota's by virtually the same proportion by which an even tougher measure was turned aside two years ago.

Colorado's so-called personhood amendment would have defined a fertilized egg as a person. The South Dakota measure would ban all abortions except for those involving rape, incest or a narrowly defined exception for protecting the life and health of the mother, and was seen as a direct challenge to the underpinnings of the famous U.S. Supreme Court abortion decision Roe versus Wade.

The 6th Chinese National Peasants' Games

The city of Quanzhou in the Fujian province welcomes the competition this year. The « Peasants' Games » have taken place every 4 years since 1988. More than 6,000 peasant athletes contest in more than 200 events.

Besides traditional athletic events, basketball, ping-pong, imagine a series of traditional peasants sports such as a dragon boat regatta or a line fishing competition, kite flying, lion dancing or aerobic chanting.

The opening ceremony

The delegation parade

Alcohol: by the numbers

Canadians spend $18 billion a year on beer and liquor, consuming about six times more beer than wine. A sampling of statistics on Canadians' drinking habits.

$18 billion

Total sales at beer and liquor stores in Canada in the fiscal year ending March 2007, a five per cent increase from the previous year.

47

Beer sales comprised 47 per cent of total alcohol sales in 2007. That's down from 52 per cent in 1997.

2.3 billion

Number of litres of beer Canadians purchased in 2007.

28

Wine accounted for 28 per cent of the alcohol market in 2007, up from 21 per cent in 1997.

71

71 per cent of spirits sold in Canada in 2007 were Canadian spirits, with whisky, scotch and bourbon being the most popular choices.

$667

The amount, on average, each Canadian spent on alcohol in 2007.

$463

The amount that alcohol abuse costs every Canadian a year, in lost productivity, heath-care costs and crime-related costs, according to a 2008 study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

5

Alcohol's ranking on a list of harmful substances, behind heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and street methadone. Cannabis was 11th on the list, compiled by researchers at Bristol University in the U.K.

1,280-1,500

Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates that there are between 1,280 and 1,500 deaths as a result of impaired driving in Canada every year, or about four every day.