Thursday, April 12, 2012

Scarlett Johansson a super hero in the kitchen


Scarlett Johansson's superhero character in "The Avengers" may be an expert martial artist and weapons specialist whose body defies disease and aging, but it's nothing compared to Johansson's real-life super power.
"Muffin baking," said Johansson, when E! News asked about her personal super power at 'The Avengers" premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles last night. "I can make blueberry, banana chocolate chip…it's like a superpower, just more fattening, I guess."
But Johansson doesn't appear to have been eating very many muffins lately. The star stunned on the red carpet last night in a fitted, black Versace dress with a peplum detail. She paired the look with black heels, simple jewelry and an updo. 
Johansson's wardrobe choice could be a nod to her character Black Widow in the highly anticipated superhero film.

George Zimmerman makes brief court appearance

Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who is facing second-degree murder charges in the death of an unarmed black teen, appeared Thursday in front of a Florida judge where he was told that his formal arraignment will take place on May 29. Zimmerman, wearing a dark grey sweatshirt, was at the brief procedural appearance with his attorney Mark O'Mara and said "Yes, sir" when asked by the judge if O'Mara is his lawyer. Florida special prosecutor announced Wednesday that she concluded that claims of self defense were not supported in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Special prosecutor Angela Corey's announcement marked a turning point in the high-profile case, as weeks of outrage and speculation about Zimmerman's motives culminated in his arrest -- something that Martin's family and their supporters have argued for since the Feb. 26 shooting in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. O'Mara said he is "hoping that the community will calm down" after the intense scrutiny of the case in the community and the media drove Zimmerman into hiding. Zimmerman, 28, was booked Wednesday evening into the Seminole County Jail, and he could face a minimum of 25 years in prison or a maximum of life if convicted. In announcing the arrest, Corey would not discuss how she reconciled the conflicting accounts of what happened or explain how she arrived at the charges, saying too much information had been made public already. But she made it clear she was not influenced by the uproar over the past six weeks. "We do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition. We prosecute based on the facts on any given case as well as the laws of the state of Florida," Corey said. A second-degree murder charge in Florida is typically charged when there is a fight or other confrontation that results in death and where there is no premeditated plan to kill someone. Meanwhile, Martin's parents said charges against Zimmerman in the killing of their son would start the healing process, but they won't stop fighting until the shooter is convicted. "We just wanted an arrest and we got it," Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said. "The question I would really like to ask him is, if he could look into Trayvon's eyes and see how innocent he was, would he have then pulled the trigger? Or would he have just let him go on home?" father, Tracy Martin, said. The shooting brought outspoken demands from black leaders for Zimmerman arrest and set off a furious nationwide debate over race and self-defense that reached all the way to the White House. Martin was black. Zimmerman's father is white and his mother is Hispanic. One of the biggest hurdles to Zimmerman's arrest over the past month was Florida's "stand your ground" law, which gives people wide leeway to use deadly force without having to retreat in the face of danger. The lack of an arrest had sparked outrage and rallies for justice in the Orlando suburb and across the country. Many legal experts had expected the prosecutor to opt for the lesser charge of manslaughter, which usually carries 15 years behind bars and covers reckless or negligent killings, rather than second-degree murder, which involves a killing that results from a "depraved" disregard for human life. The most severe homicide charge, first-degree murder, is subject to the death penalty in Florida and requires premeditation -- something that all sides agreed was not present in this case. The confrontation took place in a gated community where Martin was staying with his father and his father's fiancee. In phone calls, Zimmerman told an emergency dispatcher that Martin looked suspicious, and he followed the teen despite the dispatcher's advice. Zimmerman's father said that Martin threatened to kill his son and that Zimmerman suffered a broken nose. A video taken about 40 minutes after the shooting as Zimmerman arrived at the Sanford police station showed him walking unassisted without difficulty. There were no plainly visible bandages or blood on his clothing, but Zimmerman may have had a small wound on the back of his head. On Tuesday, Zimmerman's lawyers announced they were withdrawing from the case because they hadn't heard from him since Sunday and didn't know where he was. They portrayed his mental state as fragile. Zimmerman had been in hiding for weeks, his former lawyers, Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig, said. "He is largely alone. You might even say he is emotionally crippled by virtue of the pressure of this case," Uhrig said. The U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division is conducting its own investigation. But federal authorities typically wait until a state prosecution is complete before deciding how to proceed. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/11/zimmerman-to-be-charged-by-florida-special-prosecutor-report-says/#ixzz1rqosoBXv

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Google begins testing ‘Terminator’-style smartphone glasses


Google on Wednesday unveiled Project Glass, a secret program designed to bring augmented-reality to the masses.
The team leading the initiative, including Babak Parviz, Steve Lee and Sebastian Thrun, are part of Google’s clandestine Google X labs, a branch of the company that focuses on futuristic tech and big picture concepts, such as space elevators, robots and driverless cars.
Now with the project ready for public testing, the team has begun releasing fresh information, including a new video, on their Google + page with requests for feedback.
“We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input,” the team wrote in a post. “Please follow along as we share some of our ideas and stories. We’d love to hear yours, too. What would you like to see from Project Glass?”
According to a February report from the NYTimes, Google’s new Android-powered glasses will allow you to check your email, update your Facebook, or even check-in to your favorite restaurant. The device creates a direct link to your smartphone, providing real-time information in a heads-up display (HUD).
It is the company’s first official venture into wearable computing.
With its 3G or 4G data connection, GPS, and numerous environmental sensors, the glasses could be a boon for augmented reality and wearable technology. Integration with Google services and your smartphone means walking to work may never be more productive.
One new feature is an integrated navigation system, as described by 9 to 5 Google blogger, Seth Weinthrub, who first discovered the project in December.
“The navigation system currently used is a head tilting to scroll and click,” Mr. Weintraub wrote on his blog. “We are told it is very quick to learn and once the user is adept at navigation, it becomes second nature and almost indistinguishable to outside users.”
Reports suggest the new smart goggles will feature a built-in camera, cost in the region of $250 to $600.
The new product looks to be part of a long term strategy to expand the Android platform to as many devices possible. Last year the company announced Android@Home, a push to connect "every appliance in your home."
“As an open platform,” said Google director of product management Hugo Barra, “Android was always meant to go well beyond the mobile phone.”


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/04/google-begins-testing-terminator-style-smartphone-glasses/?intcmp=features#ixzz1rACJj0bZ

Ashton Kutcher's appearance at ACMs angers Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, other country stars


Ashton Kutcher did a good job at the ACM country music awards on Sunday night, if by doing a good job, one means making enemies of the people who invited him onto the show.
Let us explain.
Kutcher, 34, presented the female vocalist of the year award dressed to the nines in classic country attire (big hat, big boots, etc.) and even sang a bit of George Strait's hit "I Cross My Heart" after doing some fake tuning up with his similarly attired, onstage buddies, one of whom was swigging a big mug of beer.
While that all may sound well and good, to some of the biggest stars at the event, it looked as if Kutcher was making fun of, not honoring, country music with his antics.
"Was Ashton Kutcher making fun of country or is it just me?” tweeted Miranda Lambert, to whom Kutcher presented the female vocalist of the year award.
Lambert's husband Blake Shelton, who stars on NBC's "The Voice," told Access Hollywood that he was "too busy to give a crap what Ashton Kutcher does."
Justin Moore went so far as to call the "Two and a Half Men" star "a douche." 
"I don't care for people making a mockery of the way country artists' dress," he added.
Ouch.
Kutcher was quick to respond on his favorite social network, tweeting "I Am One Of The biggest country Music fans you’ve ever met. Wasn’t making fun at all.”
What do you think: Was it an homage, or mockery?


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/04/04/ashton-kutcher-appearance-at-acms-angers-adam-miranda-lambert-other-country/?intcmp=features#ixzz1rACA6qM0

Does Edie Falco Steal From Work?

Some of us steal pens and paper from the office, but do you ever wonder what celebrities steal from their jobs? We asked the cast of "Nurse Jackie" to tell us what they've lifted from work. Check out this video to find out which cast members are clean, and which one have sticky fingers.

Q: Have you ever stolen anything from your place of employment?
Bobby Cannavale: Until recently ... I would like have to take SOMETHING from work.
Edie Falco: You mean without anyone knowing?
Merritt Wever: Oh lord, I know I wanted to take the space heater this year.
Linda Wallem: Excluding Showtime, maybe. All right, maybe I took some pencils.
Bobby Cannavale: I'm not the only actor who does this by the way...
Linda Wallem: I think everybody does. You can't help but ... okay yes, a lot!
Edie Falco: See if I said yes then they would know, so I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place, if you know what I mean.
Anna Deavere Smith: Me? No, I'm too much of a goody-goody, and a scaredy cat.
Bobby Canavale: I was like the last one done for the night, so there wasn't a lot of people around. I took a case of water and I bring it out and a teamster goes to me, 'What are you doing with that water?' And I'm like, 'I'm taking it bro, don't say nothing.' He goes, 'Nobody cares if you take a case of water, you could just ask for a case of water!' I was like, 'Yeah but there's something better about taking it that I really like!' I did the whole looking around [looks around] to see if I would get caught, I don't know what that is but yeah sure.
Want to see some other celebrities we've caught in the act? Check out what the cast of "Smash" sings in the shower:  Special thanks to the 92nd Street Y - be sure to check out their other celebrity events.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/imag/Wellness/Does+Edie+Falco+Steal+From+Work%3F#ixzz1rABvI7yX

Snake on a plane forces Aussie pilot to make emergency landing


If only Samuel L. Jackson had been on board.
An Australian pilot was forced to deal with his own "Snakes on a Plane" drama after one of the slithering reptiles crawled out of the cockpit dashboard in mid-flight.
Air Frontier pilot Braden Blennerhassett was 20 minutes into a flight from Darwin to the remote community of Peppimenarti in far northern Australia on Tuesday to drop off cargo when the snake suddenly appeared.
If that was not enough, the reptile was chasing a tree frog that had also stowed away underneath the front passenger seat of the small plane, the Northern Territory News reported.
Blennerhassett made a mayday call and returned safely to Darwin.
"I have heard of crocodiles being loose in planes but not snakes," Air Frontier director Geoffrey Hunt told Australia's national broadcaster, the ABC.
Snake catchers were called in but the reptile has not been found. Hunt said the aircraft remains grounded and he hopes the plane will not have to be pulled apart to find it.
"Until we find the snake, it's not good for business," he said.
Hollywood star Jackson starred in the cult 2006 action thriller "Snakes on a Plane," where he played an FBI agent forced to take on a plane full of poisonous snakes.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/04/snake-on-plane-forces-aussie-pilot-to-make-emergency-landing/#ixzz1rABlZAl7

2013 SRT Viper steals New York Auto Show


Show stolen.
The much-anticipated 2013 Viper from Chrysler’s newly formed SRT high-performance division made its debut at the New York Auto Show today and lived up to months of hype surrounding the car since it was announced last year.
The made-in-Detroit supercar takes the classic looks of the two generations of Dodge Vipers it succeeds and pushes them to new levels of sexy enhanced by an injection of modern technology.
The long hood, short deck, double-bubble roof remains along with a massive hood scoop, twin air extractors, fender vents and side exhausts servicing the big V10 engine underneath the deeply drawn curves of the lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum body.
The massive  8.4-liter motor sends a 640 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. An automatic is not available.
Unlike previous Vipers, this time around the power is tempered by traction and stability control, with a steering wheel-mounted launch control feature, but it can all be defeated for drivers looking for the ultimate thrills.
Inside, it gets a cabin treatment worthy of its place at the top of Chrysler's food chain, with improved materials, an LCD performance monitor, infotainment system and a grab handle for frightened passengers.
And just because you needed proof of the car’s mettle, SRT also announced that it will be campaigning the new Viper in the American Le Mans Series against the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911 and its corporate cousin Ferrari 458 Italia starting this year.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/04/04/2013-srt-viper-steals-new-york-auto-show/#ixzz1rABasOlh

Baseball's greats from seasons past




Federal agency accused of spending $820G on Vegas bash also spent $250G on incentive program


The obscure federal agency that has come under intense scrutiny after a report it spent $820,000 of taxpayer funds on a lavish Las Vegas bash spent another $250,000 on an employee's incentive program.
Fox News has learned a House Transportation subcommittee investigating a Las Vegas junket by the General Services Administration (GSA) will expand its probe into an employee-rewards program known as “Hats Off.”
The GSA spent $250,000 on “Hats Off,” a workplace incentive initiative where administration employees could garner “points” for good work around the office.
Much like patrons of Dave and Buster’s, GSA employees could rack up points based on a scoring system. If they accumulated a certain level of points an employee could qualify for a gift card, an iPod or other electronics.
The GSA’s Inspector General (IG) ordered a cessation to the "Hats Off" program around the same time it initiated its investigation of the Las Vegas trip in 2010.
However, Fox has learned that the GSA’s Public Building Services Commissioner Bob Peck reportedly allocated additional funds for the program after its ordered cessation.
Peck was fired by former GSA Administator Martha Johnson before she resigned amid the scandal.
The House panel will hear from Johnson and others at a hearing on April 19.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/05/federal-agency-accused-spending-820g-on-vegas-bash-also-spent-250g-on-incentive/#ixzz1rAAw84PS

Jen Aniston into 'laser porn,' obsessed with staying young


Last month it was revealed Jennifer Aniston, recently voted the Hottest Woman Of All Time by Men's Health magazine, spends a staggering $400 a day on beauty treatments.
And the ex-"Friends" star admits she has an obsession with keeping the years at bay, The Sun reports.
“I’d love to be a dermatologist. I’d be so obsessive about it," she said. "I’m fascinated by skin, products and lasers. I go on the internet and read all about it. I call it ‘laser porn’.”
Despite her keen interest, Aniston admits she wasn’t looking her best when Men’s Health made the announcement.
“You should have seen me when I heard that news,” she said. "My hair was greasy, I’d just had a facial and my skin was gross.”
However Jen, who is in a relationship with actor Justin Theroux, admits she still doesn’t feel her 43-years.
“I don’t feel my age. I feel young every day," she said. “I feel sexy wearing jeans and my boyfriend’s T-shirt.”


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/04/04/jen-aniston-into-laser-porn-obsessed-with-staying-young/#ixzz1rAAi8QYu

Good news, bad news on first anniversary of Obama's reelection announcement


On the first anniversary of President Obama’s announcement of his reelection, he has every reason to be confident.
The RealClearPolitics daily poll average shows the president with a four-point (48%-44%) lead over Republican frontrunner, Mitt Romney.
And with his job approval rating now at 48% in the RCP average, it appears that the president is nearing the crucial 50% mark that gives incumbents a reason to feel comfortable. George W. Bush after all had a job approval rating of 51% on Election Day 2004 when he won a narrow victory over John Kerry.
More to the point, the USA Today/Gallup poll released on Monday showed the president holding an even larger, nine point lead in key swing states – with the president garnering 51 percent support, compared to 42 percent for Romney.

These results are buttressed by specific swing state polls that Scott Rasmussen and others have done in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia – which show President Obama leading Mitt Romney in these key swing states.
And while it appears that Mitt Romney is all but the official nominee for the Republican Party, he still must fight on for at least another month against Rick Santorum and a weakened Newt Gingrich.
While it is likely that he will wrap things up in three weeks with a victory in Pennsylvania, he will still have lost the month of April by being at least partially distracted.
Moreover, Romney’s negative rating of 50% in the most recent ABC News/Washington Post survey exceeds his positive rating (34%) by 16 points – suggesting that the former Massachusetts governor also has to recast his image and offer voters a reason to vote for him so that his campaign is not purely negative.
Why then is the Obama campaign not yet ready to pop the corks on the champagne bottles?
Simply because the economic recovery is anemic, growth is 2.5% or less, unemployment remains unacceptably high at 8.3% and while the president rails against Republican social Darwinism – particularly the Ryan budget plan – it is clear that he is not offering any answers of his own.
As I discuss in my newly released book, "Hopelessly Divided: The New Crisis in American Politics and What It Means for 2012 and Beyond" (Rowman and Littlefield) that is what Democrats typically do when they fail to offer policy prescriptions is to turn to populism.
And by attacking the wealthy and the powerful -- the oil companies, the Supreme Court, the banks and the so-called "one percent" – President Obama has made it clear that 2012 is going to be a divisive election campaign rather than one where he tries to offer more inclusive solutions to the nation’s problems.
Indeed, this campaign will probably look very much like the 2004 campaign when George W. Bush and his allies made a much greater effort to demonize John Kerry than to outline a bold vision for a second term—a second term that proved to be, at least on domestic policy, a failure.
Another reason why the Obama campaign is not yet ready to start celebrating is that they understand that, notwithstanding its obvious political vulnerabilities, the Romney campaign and its allies on the right have extraordinary resources – both directly and indirectly through so-called "Super PACs."
And finally, more than three years into his presidency, it is clear that the "hope and change" Obama promised during the 2008 election has not been realized. 
In fact, things have gotten worse.
As more and more time passes since his historic election, voters increasingly blame President Obama rather than George W. Bush for the economic problems we are facing -- which is why this election is likely to devolve into one of the ugliest in recent American history.
The Obama campaign has, to be sure, an extraordinary infrastructure across the swing states. They will have close to a billion dollars to spend and control of the bully pulpit in the White House.
What remains unclear is whether the president has a message that will give him 50% +1 from an increasingly angry and restive electorate.

How to Hit a Nude Beach


When I first begin researching the question of how to hit a nude beach, one of the first answers came from the general manager of a hotel in New Hampshire, Jerry Jacobson, who responded “very carefully.”
My immediate reaction was that I usually don’t need any help in the weak joke department, as regular readers of this column will verify. But as I gathered more sources I realized that Jerry’s right. Most of us can’t wake up one morning and decide that taking off our clothes is just another day at the beach.
Or can we?
According to the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) [site NSFW] “most first-timers adjust to social nudity in a matter of minutes and discover it’s not nearly as big a deal as they thought it would be.”
Case in point is a source who said I could identify her by her “fake nude beach name of Krystal,” who wanted to experience a nude beach for the first time and went with a friend to Sandy Hook, NJ. “We chose not to go nude and wore our bikinis instead,” Krystal recalls. “Everybody else at the beach was nude though.” At first the pair kept to themselves, rejecting “invitations from nude beach goers to play games with them. Finally we opened up and played Frisbee with a bunch of nude guys,” Krystal says. “It was lot more fun than we thought it would be. We were very shocked at how friendly nude beach goers are. However, we were still distracted by their packages.”
While still a bit apprehensive – hence telling her Frisbee pals her name was Krystal -- she offers that “the key to feeling comfortable at a nude beach is to just let loose, be yourself, and don't focus so much on the nudity. Because we had so much fun we made plans to go again this year and go topless.”
What else can you expect when you hit a nude beach -- or, to use the term trademarked by the AANR --when you take a “nakation”? Read on.
Nude beaches are not about sex…usually.
Relationship coach John Wilder went to a nude beach in Germany a couple times while he was a serviceman, noting that “that after five minutes on the beach, I was struck with how normal and unaffected everyone was, adding that the nude beach was “kind of the opposite of sex. I saw beautiful young women on the beach and even spent the day with a beautiful girl on a blanket and there was no hanky panky. Finally I was so bored that I had to go back to the family beach and see a girl in a bikini to get interested again.”
Concurs Improper Bostonian magazine columnist Jonathan Soroff, who has been to nude beaches in Brazil, Portugal , Martha's Vineyard, and Sandy Hook, “in order for everyone to feel comfortable on a nude beach, you have to take sex out of the equation, and therefore hitting on someone is a big no-no. In fact, the biggest.” Adds a source from Boston who I’ll call “Norm,” who has hit nude beaches in Florida, Hawaii, and Holland, some nude beaches are akin to neighborhood bars. “There are all sorts of people there, from 20-somethings to 70-somethings. Some beaches even have or encourage whole families, and this may take some getting used to for a neophyte.”
There are exceptions, however. Some nude beaches, says Norm, are more like singles bars. “Singles nude beaches are generally about hooking up. Ibiza in Spain is infamous for people in a hurry, going off into the dunes rather than getting a hotel room. These beaches are populated by the crowd you'd expect in a singles bar: 18-30, (probably) single, very interested in their own appearance... and yours. If you're the least bit awkward or unsure of your body, going to such a beach will make you more so. Generally, anything goes on these beaches, but explicit sex acts may run afoul of local lewdness ordinances.”

Nudists are not all nubile.
Just as not all nude beaches are Hedonistic, not all nude beach goers are nubile. “Americans have this idea that a European topless beach is populated entirely by nubile 16-year-old C-cups,” Norm says. “If you go to one, however, you find those 16-year-olds... and their mothers... and sometimes their grandmothers, all topless. On a nude beach, you realize quickly, or should, that people come in all shapes and sizes, and so does their equipment.” Adds Soroff, “like anything that sounds provocative, the nudity on beaches turns out to be quite mundane. You're just as likely to see an octogenarian or someone approaching the morbidly obese as you are an Adonis or supermodel.”
 Know when to cover up.
 While enjoying a nude beach experience means lowering your inhibitions, there are times when you’re expected to raise your towel. (See what I mean by weak jokes, Jerry?) Among its rules of etiquette for nude beaches, the AANR says ”for those visiting the nude section of a local beach, dress before leaving designated clothing-optional use areas” so that you don’t upset vacationers in areas where clothing is required. Along those lines, says the association, “always carry a towel with you when you leave your spot on the beach, whether to sit on or wrap around yourself when you walk to public areas such as picnic benches, food stands, [or restrooms], you will be more comfortable, as will those around you.”
Apply sunscreen…carefully.
In her primer on how to visit a nude beach in Greece, About.com guide deTraci Regula says that it’s probably a good idea to “test sunscreen on sensitive soon-to-be-nude areas which may not normally be exposed to sunscreen or sunshine. Areas that readily sweat are most likely to react to ingredients in sunscreen. Soroff puts a finer point on it, noting that you might want to avoid rubbing alcohol-laden sunscreen on your nether regions. Norm goes so far as to suggest that if you're a newbie, “consider applying sunscreen to those parts ahead of time, in private, so that you don't rush due to excitement or embarrassment when you are on the beach.”
No snapping or leering, please.
“Leave your camera in your hotel room,” Regula suggests, “or point it only at yourself or non-human scenery. Intrusive photography on a nude beach is so uncool.” Howcast’s video tutorial on nude beach etiquette [NSFW] makes the salient point that you shouldn’t “stare at people’s private parts,” adding that “if it would be unseemly to gape at that body part when it’s fully clothed, it’s downright rude to gawk at it undressed.” Since you went through the effort of hitting a nude beach, Norm adds that you might want to “go have a conversation instead of staring. It may be the first time in a long time you've had an honest conversation.”


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2010/07/19/hit-nude-beach/#ixzz1rAAFOtSB

Well-preserved strawberry-blond mammoth discovered in Siberia


A juvenile mammoth, nicknamed "Yuka," was found entombed in Siberian ice near the shores of the Arctic Ocean and shows signs of being cut open by ancient people.
The remarkably well preserved frozen carcass was discovered in Siberia as part of a BBC/Discovery Channel-funded expedition and is believed to be at least 10,000 years old, if not older. If further study confirms the preliminary findings, it would be the first mammoth carcass revealing signs of human interaction in the region.
The carcass is in such good shape that much of its flesh is still intact, retaining its pink color. The blonde-red hue of Yuka's woolly coat also remains.
"This is the first relatively complete mammoth carcass -- that is, a body with soft tissues preserved -- to show evidence of human association," Daniel Fisher, curator and director of the University of Michigan's Museum of Paleontology, told Discovery News.

Fisher, who is also a professor, worked with an international team of experts to analyze Yuka. French mammoth hunter Bernard Buigues of the scientific organization "Mammuthus" saved the specimen from falling into the hands of private collectors.
Although carbon dating is still in the works, the researchers believe Yuka died at least 10,000 years ago, but may be much older. The animal was about 2 ½ years old when it died.
Fisher described what likely happened on that fateful day:
"It appears that Yuka was pursued by one or more lions or another large field, judging from deep, unhealed scratches in the hide and bite marks on the tail," Fisher said. "Yuka then apparently fell, breaking one of the lower hind legs. At this point, humans may have moved in to control the carcass, butchering much of the animal and removing parts that they would use immediately.
"They may, in fact, have reburied the rest of the carcass to keep it in reserve for possible later use. What remains now would then be 'leftovers' that were never retrieved."
He explained that the removed parts include most of the main core mass of Yuka's body, including organs, vertebrae, ribs, associated musculature, and some of the meat from upper parts of the legs. The lower parts of each leg and the trunk remain intact.
Buigues added that it appears the humans were particularly interested in the animal's fat and its large bones, which they kept close to the body of the carcass. He believes it is possible that a ritual may have taken place involving the bones.

Kevin Campbell of the University of Manitoba also studied Yuka. Campbell famously published the genetic code of mammoth hemoglobin a few years ago.
"Most permafrost-preserved mammoth specimens consist solely of bones or bone fragments that currently provide little new insight into the species' biology in life, even if DNA can be extracted and sequenced from these samples," Campbell said. "This extremely rare finding of a near complete specimen, like the discovery of the baby mammoth Lyuba in 2007, will be a boon to researchers as it will help them link observed phenotypes (morphological features that we can see) with genotype (DNA sequences)."
Such information could help reveal whether or not mammoths had all of the same hair colors that humans do. An intriguing and controversial application would be to bring a mammoth back to life via cloning.
Campbell supports pursuit of that goal, saying it "may well lead to important new discoveries in bioengineering." Buigues is also in favor and said, "I'm not against having a mammoth in my garden in future."
Tim Walker, producer and director of a forthcoming BBC/Discovery Channel show called "Woolly Mammoth"that will feature Yuka, told Discovery News that cloning a mammoth could take years or even decades.
"Then, if it did happen, wouldn't a single mammoth be lonely and sad?" he asked. "They were, after all, communal animals."




TaxMasters Hit With $195M Judgement


TaxMasters Inc., a Texas-based tax advisory firm perhaps best known for its ubiquitous advertisements on cable television, has been ordered to pay more than $195 million in penalties for defrauding its clients.
Patrick Cox, the firm’s heavyset, bearded founder and chief executive officer, has to pay $46 million of the judgment handed down last week by a Texas jury. Cox appeared in many of TaxMasters’ commercials.
TaxMasters was found to have committed more than 110,000 violations of Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act, according to a statement released by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.
The verdict “marks a significant victory for the Texans and TaxMasters customers nationwide who sought help from TaxMasters with their income tax debts and were taken advantage of in the midst of a national economic downturn,” Abbott said in the statement.
In its television ads, Cox claimed TaxMasters could help tax payers who have found themselves in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service. The ads were staples on cable networks including the FOX Business Network.
Abbott said the claims were in fact “hollow promises” and that the evidence offered by prosecutors during an eight-day trial showed that TaxMasters “didn’t even bother to show up when it came time to fulfill those promises, but instead misled and defrauded their customers.”
More than $113 million of the total restitution ordered is earmarked to repay defrauded consumers.
One day before the trial began in Travis County, Texas, last month, TaxMasters filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and Cox sought to have the trial delayed. Prosecutors said the bankruptcy filing was an apparent effort to avoid paying penalties.
The case was first filed against TaxMasters nearly two years ago. Prosecutors alleged that the “so-called ‘tax resolution’ firm” misled their clients by “aggressively advertising” its services to tax payers who have been audited by the IRS or were facing liens, garnishments or were simply behind in their taxes.
Among other illegal acts, TaxMasters was accused of lying to customers by telling them a TaxMaster representative would start work on their case immediately. Instead, TaxMasters employees only started work when a client had paid in-full. That often meant clients missed important deadlines set by the IRS.
In addition, TaxMasters often failed to contact the IRS on behalf of its clients and failed to show up for IRS hearings, according to prosecutors.
John Wauson, an attorney who represented TaxMasters, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.