Hole lotta fun as Japanese dig for Golden Shovel (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Over a thousand people gathered on the outskirts of Tokyo, shovels and ladders in hand. Their goal: to dig their way to victory in the Japan All-National Hole Digging Competition, and claim the coveted Golden Shovel.

The annual contest, now in its 12th year, drew 259 teams from around the country at the weekend to test their hole-digging prowess and claim awards for the deepest hole, the most creative hole and the most original costume worn during the digging.

At the shriek of a whistle, contestants -- some dressed as skeletons or wearing Arabian-style headgear -- began digging frantically, tossing earth behind them as their shovels bit into the soil.

Some went for creativity, carving a heart out of the ground. Others aimed at depth, using buckets to haul up the earth.

When the contest ended, 30 minutes later, the winning team had dug 3.39 meters deep, winning the Golden Shovel and 100,000 yen ($1,300).

Even those who didn't win said the contest was worth it.

"The whole team did their best and I really feel that we became closer as a result of this," said Tomoyuki Tsumita, a construction worker.

The event, held at a campground, began as a way of attracting visitors during the off-season. Once the contest is over, staff refill the holes to turn it back into a campground and level the site for next year's contest.

($1 = 76.5850 Japanese yen)

(Reporting by Chris Meyers at Reuters TV; editing by Elaine Lies and Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120206/lf_nm_life/us_japan_hole_contest

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Russian Scientists Poised to be First to Reach Ice-Buried Antarctic Lake

News | More Science

If they don't reach the lake before they are forced to leave for the winter, the Russian team will be forced to wait two more years to sample water from the lake, and discover what may be living in it

By Andrea Mustain and OurAmazingPlanet ?| February 4, 2012?|

Russia's Vostok Station, in a photograph taken during the 2000 to 2001 field season. Image: Josh Landis, National Science Foundation

At a tiny outpost in the middle of Antarctica, Russian scientists are poised to become the first humans to reach a massive liquid lake that has been cut off from the sunlit world for millennia, and may house uniquely adapted life forms that are new to science. ? ?

Researchers are racing against the fast-approaching bitter cold and total darkness of Antarctic winter to complete a drill hole to Lake Vostok, one of the largest lakes on Earth, and the largest of the nearly 400 ice-buried lakes discovered on the frigid continent so far.

It's an effort that began more than 10 years ago, and one that has been plagued by difficulties ? and this season, the stakes are higher than ever. If they don't reach the lake before they are forced to leave for the winter, the Russian team will be forced to wait two more years to sample water from the lake, and discover what may be living in it.

The project is a product of serendipity. The colossal lake was discovered beneath a pre-existing drill project, and, although the Russians were the first to begin drilling to a hidden Antarctic lake, they may not be the first to sample one. Teams from the United States and the United Kingdom are nipping at their heels, poised to begin drilling with specially designed equipment as early as fall 2012. However, scientists from U.S. and British projects say it is not a race, and there is enormous scientific value in all three projects. [Race to the South Pole in Images]

Lake Vostok, roughly the size of Lake Ontario, lies in the middle of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and is buried beneath 2 miles (3.7 kilometers) of ice. The lake itself is likely almost as old as the ice sheet that covers it ? around 14 million years old ? and the water within could be 1 million years old, according to rough estimates.

Scientists suspect that Vostok and other Antarctic lakes, long secreted beneath the ice, are home to cold-loving organismsthat have been left to their own evolutionary devices for hundreds of thousands of years.

New life

"I think we'll find unique organisms," said John Priscu, a microbiologist at the University of Montana, and a veteran Antarctic researcher.

Priscu has studied the microbial life inside Antarctica's ice?for decades, and has been corresponding with the Russian team at Vostok through headquarters in St. Petersburg.

The work had been progressing well, Priscu said. The latest press release from Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, issued Jan. 13, said that drilling began this season on Jan. 2, progressed by 5.7 feet (1.75 meters) a day, and was halted on Jan. 12.

Priscu said the team stopped to take measurements and to switch drills from a large ice-coring drill to a smaller thermal drill designed to melt through the final 16 to 32 feet (5 to 10 meters) of ice that remain. [Stunning Photos of Antarctic Ice]

"This was the plan, but when you're in the field, things can change," Priscu said. He last corresponded with the team on the ice two or three weeks ago.?

"This has never been done before," Priscu told OurAmazingPlanet. "It's a one-of-a-kind drill, a one-of-a-kind borehole, and a one-of-a-kind lake, so I'm sure they're making decisions on the fly all the time."

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=44b824535a935719d683d6a3296b2420

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Receive a Better Health and fitness By making use of Vitamins ...

Vitamin dietary supplement or supplements are seriously substantial for us simply because if we will not consumption a good deal vitamins required for our bodies, the vitamin dietary supplement will substitute for that scarcity with the amount of vitamins in our technique.

Diet regime dietary supplements, or dietary supplements, are formulated to supply vitamins and minerals these as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids to folks that are not consuming the adequate every day requirements that constitute a well-balanced food plan. Technically, dietary supplements also incorporate organic supplements, which claim to help in the prevention or therapy of specified problems and disorders.

Even so, a effective food plan supported on foods with substantial focus of vitamins is often a far more a good idea remedy than supplements. But every time a food plan isn?t a good deal, propane fire pits can be the answer.

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There are numerous best vitamin d supplement that may interfere with other people whenever your overall body absorbs them, therefore you should really always be certain whatever you are taking is appropriate to acquire with other forms of vitamin supplements. Under, is often a record with the most typical vitamins and just how you ought to go about taking them

Every time that you are specified that you are not obtaining sufficient vitamins to supply what the body demands, then you should really acquire a vitamin dietary supplement.Coming up which has a vitamin dietary supplement that will allow you to achieve most effective well being could be more smoother than you consider. There are numerous vitamin supplements from which to select. So that you can arrive up together with the correct vitamin solution, you would like to read through labels and compare products.

Always bear in mind which the 205/55 16 Administration Board doesn?t regulate the produce and sale of vitamin and dietary supplements. Thus, it truly is essential to look for a dietary dietary supplement maker that strictly complies with GMP standards. GMP-compliance assures you that a product is tested for cleanliness and is no cost of contaminants and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, it assures you that a product incorporates the proper amount of ingredients and dosage, dependant on the Suggested Dietary Allowances and as indicated in the label.

Vitamin supplements can be found inside of a quantity of various forms, which include capsules, tabs, liquids, as well as chewable tabs. Also, there?s a wonderful wide range in the brand names as well as accurate subject material with the vitamin supplements.Do some homework and come across out what these vitamin supplements incorporate. Pay out interest to doses, ingredients, protection safeguards, and also other essential data.Acquire the right dietary supplement in your case, and when doubtful, refer a doctor or your well being professional in advance of obtaining any vitamin supplements.

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Source: http://laurapetrilla.com/receive-a-better-health-and-fitness-by-making-use-of-vitamins-nutritional-supplements/600/

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How you can Remove Skin Warts | New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

Many individuals have warts on their skin. Skin warts are in fact caused by a virus and there are a variety of ways to get a virus which will result in genital warts to appear for the skin. There are various types of warts that may show up on your skin. Here are a few different fundamental forms of warts that will be visible on the skin, for example typical warts which are usually for the hands, flat warts, and plantar warts. Many times people who have these warts on themselves desire to find techniques to remove them as quickly as possible. Although most hpv warts are usually benign they may be unishgtly and bothersome to own to deal with.

There are some simple strategies that are used to remove warts. Often times the warts will get frozen away or burned off with a medical doctor or even a dermatologist. Although this procedure is normally efficient, the procedure can be both very expensive and very uncomfortable. An increasingly cost effective and comfortable procedure that works to get rid of warts is definitely an non-prescription wart removal therapy. With topical oils wart removal treatments you don?t have to deal with the pain or high costs of going to a health care provider for your wart removal.

When anyone is seeking to obtain their warts eliminated, you will need to look for a therapy that may work and that it is each comfy and affordable. Most house fluid wart removers are made to deal with equally common and plantar warts. Just Before making use of almost any house wart therapy it is important to make sure that this treatment is totally Approved by the fda. In Addition, a wart removal therapy should not come with any hazardous side effects. Treatment Options with these qualifications will in reality perform for many individuals who would like to quickly remove their warts with out visiting the doctor to do so.

Lots of people choosea topical at home wart therapy for their warts because these are confirmed approach to getting rid of warts. Although there has been many wart therapy programs which have come about before, many are actually defeated in eliminating warts in the skin. Nevertheless, due to the new heightened liquid wart removing advancements, there?s a confirmed and successful way of getting warts removed in exclusive without needing to concern yourself with unpleasant negative effects and high prices.

There are numerous people who have warts they want treated. Typically these genital warts are very benign but they can be each bothersome and annoying, which explains why many people prefer to keep these things taken out. Nobody must need to go through soreness and pay big money to possess a safe wart taken out when there are other options. Through the use of safe and effective home liquid wart removal products, like Wartrol it can be feasible for one to safely and swiftly have their wart eliminated. Hpv Warts can be uncomfortable and effect on your own self-confidence nevertheless they don?t have to if you possess the proper treatment at home to take care of your warts.

Do you currently have warts? Are you serious about ridding yourself of them? If so, wartrol may be the best product for you. For wartrol reviews, see our website.

Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/03/how-you-can-remove-skin-warts/

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Xbox 360 best selling game console worldwide in 2011 | msoftnews

Microsoft?s Xbox 360 console is now officially the best selling game console worldwide in 2011, selling a total of 14.9 million units last year compared to PS3?s 14.1 million and Wii?s 10.33 million. Read more?

Neowin.net

This entry was posted in Internet Explorer and tagged 2011, Best, console, Game, Selling, Worldwide, Xbox. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://msoftnews.com/internet-explorer/xbox-360-best-selling-game-console-worldwide-in-2011/

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Small Business Accounting Made Easier Via Software

For any business of any size, accounting is critical to know where assets are, how money is being spent, and to be able to explain the business? activity for tax reporting and planning. Even a small business needs to have a good accounting process in place for many of the same reasons.

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Small business accounting is unique in the fact that the owner or partner of a business is typically involved at a personal level in managing the details.

Many small and micro businesses don?t have the luxury to employ a dedicated accountant or bookkeeper to manage the dollar numbers. Further, many small businesses don?t trust outsiders to manage their numbers either. With too many stories of part-time employees embezzling cash due to the immense power of having a business checkbook, small business owners are rightfully paranoid.

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Given the number of aspects a small business accounting task involves, one would think the process is extremely hard and accounting degree is necessary.

Fortunately, with today?s off-the-shelf software packages, small business accounting is actually as easy as managing a personal checkbook. Today?s package offerings such as Intuit?s Quickbooks, for example, make the process simple from the beginning. All the user needs to know is four things:

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1. Enter every transaction daily or as close to daily as possible since this cuts down the work and keeps the information current.

2. Make sure to code each transaction with the appropriate cost or income category.

3. Reconcile the various accounts with the real accounts they represent as often as possible.

4. Don?t fudge the numbers entered.

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Following these basic rules, the information that can be generated from such software programs is immensely powerful as it is simple to use.

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For taxes the software can generate tax reports that track every revenue, expense, and potentially deductible charge that occurs in a given tax year. The program simple takes all the income or cost categories and places the data in the report accordingly. It also crunches the math as well for the totals which then transfer to tax forms. The only way the information is incorrect is if the user entered the data incorrectly in the first place.

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For business management, software packages use the same processes for taxes to generate additional reports small business accounting cash flow, income and expense statements, and dissection reports on which vendors or cost drivers pull the most money. Depending what particular information is desired, there?s probably a report that can be generated at a basic level to data mine the entered cost figures. Such reports give a small business immediate status checks on what?s going on with the operation. However, the information is only as good as the data entered, which is why it?s so important to keep the data fresh and up-to-date.

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Business owners need to keep in mind using software to track small business accounting makes such systems official records of the business. As such, they have to be preserved in case the business is reviewed, for example in a tax audit. Additionally, the data in the software needs to match the figures in actual receipts, checks, statements, and balances. If the data is different, then the software tool become useless and it can create problems later on if questions arise. Reconciliation is critical for small business accounting to be useful and correct.

Source: http://business.ezinemark.com/small-business-accounting-made-easier-via-software-7d3388f2754f.html

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About 100 feared trapped in sunken PNG ferry (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? About 100 people are feared trapped inside a ferry that sank in rough weather off Papua New Guinea, a rescue official said Friday, a day after the crowded boat went down with about 350 people on board.

Battling strong winds and high seas, merchant ships backed by Australian rescue aircraft returned Friday to search for survivors where the MV Rabaul Queen sank off the South Pacific's nation's northeast coast.

Rescuers plucked scores of people from the sea Thursday after the ferry was hit by three large waves and quickly sank, Rony Naigu, a rescue official from Papua New Guinea's maritime safety authority, said.

While a definitive passenger list was not available, rescuers believed 352 people were on board the ferry when it sank and about 100 people were thought to have been trapped inside, Naigu told Reuters by telephone.

"We think about 100 didn't get out in time....Those are the numbers we are working to now," he said.

Naigu, who spent Thursday at the scene, said survivors told how the ferry rolled and sank in deep water after it was hit by the waves in stormy conditions.

Scores of passengers survived in liferafts and by clinging to debris before being picked up by at least six merchant vessels that diverted to the scene by Australian maritime safety authorities.

"We found a number of (opened liferaft) capsules with no people in them," Naigu said.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said on Friday that nearly 250 people had been rescued and transferred to Lae, the provincial capital and the ferry's original destination.

Weather conditions had improved slightly from Thursday, but winds of 30 knots (55 kmh) were still hampering rescue efforts, a spokeswoman said.

Survivors were generally in good condition, said Nurur Rahman, the acting chief of Papua New Guinea's maritime authority.

"As you would expect, people who have been in the water for such a long time have a bit of dehydration, and they are very tired," Rahman told Reuters by telephone.

No bodies had been recovered Thursday before nightfall halted the search and rescuers remained hopeful of finding more survivors Friday, he added.

Sea temperatures between 24-26 degrees Celsius meant people could survive for two days or more, he said.

With communications in the South Pacific nation difficult and little news from the ship's owners and operators, frustrations were rising.

Police in West New Britain, a province of Papua New Guinea, said relatives angry at the lack of information about their family members threw stones at the offices of the ferry operators, Rabaul Shipping, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio reported.

"There were a lot of people crying and then they wanted to know the fate of their loved ones, the people actually who were on board the Rabaul ship," Inspector Samson Siguyaru said.

The managing director of the ship's owner, Rabaul Shipping, said they still had no information about what caused the 47m (155 ft) ferry to go down.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has promised a full investigation into the tragedy.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said three merchant ships and four rescue aircraft were taking part in the search, near where the 47 meter (155 ft) ship sank about 9 nautical miles off Papua New Guinea's northeast coast.

PNG, Australia's nearest neighbor, is largely undeveloped, with poor infrastructure and limited facilities despite enormous resources wealth.

The majority of its six million people live subsistence lives in villages clinging to jungle-clad mountains or scattered around its many islands. The island nation relies heavily on sea transport.

(Reporting by Lincoln Feast in SYDNEY; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120203/wl_nm/us_png_boat

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Sharp to cut LCD production in Osaka plant by half

Remember that brand-spanking new production facility in Sakai City, Osaka that Sharp just christened a few years back? Japan's Nikkei business daily reports that Sharp will be cutting output at that factory by a whopping half for a month or maybe longer -- its second major reduction in a year. The Sakai factory typically makes 1.3 million 40-inch panels per month but was running at 80-90 percent capacity after being idled in April. Sharp continues to be impacted by the same cutthroat competition in the LCD market that has affected Japanese rivals like Hitachi and Sony as the high yen continues to push up pricing for domestically produced goods while dragging down overseas revenues. Sharp, which recently announced its 2012 lineup, is now thinking about reconfiguring the plant to make panels with higher resolutions and other features during the slowdown.

Sharp to cut LCD production in Osaka plant by half originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Summary Box: Portugal raises $2B in new debt (AP)

DEBT AUCTION: Portugal comfortably raised euro1.5 billion ($1.97 billion) in a short-term debt auction Wednesday. Borrowing costs were lower than they have been recently, and demand strong, the government debt agency said.

CONTEXT: Portugal has one of the 17-nation eurozone's feeblest economies and needed a euro78 billion ($102.5 billion) bailout last year to prevent it from going bankrupt.

PAIN: In return for the bailout funds, Portugal is cutting spending and raising taxes. That's hurt the Portuguese economy. The Bank of Portugal expects the economy to shrink by 3.1 percent this year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120201/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_portugal_financial_crisis_summary_box

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Homeland Security Theater: 8 Measures That Feel Good But Don't Make You Safer

WASHINGTON -- The good news first. Government homeland security agencies are moving toward a more rational, risk-based system of protection.

Now the bad news. Even if you eventually get to keep your shoes on at the airport, many other annoying, expensive and, terrorism experts say, unnecessary measures introduced since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks will remain as part of our "security theater."

"Security theater refers to security measures that make people feel more secure without doing anything to actually improve their security," explained terrorism analyst Bruce Schneier on his blog.

He continued, "Security is both a feeling and a reality. The propensity for security theater comes from the interplay between the public and its leaders. When people are scared, they need something done that will make them feel safe, even if it doesn't truly make them safer. Politicians naturally want to do something in response to crisis, even if that something doesn't make any sense."

"Unfortunately for politicians," Schneier wrote, "the security measures that work (such as better intelligence gathering) are largely invisible."

In the meantime, though, the show must go on:

+ Add a slide

Have you been an unwitting actor in "security theater"? Tell us about it.

Find a picture, click the participate button, add a title and upload your picture

Air marshals fly incognito to "detect, deter, and defeat hostile acts targeting U.S. air carriers, airports, passengers, and crew." But David Schanzer, co-director of Duke University's Institute for Homeland Security Solutions, knows of no studies that show they actually thwart attacks on planes. "Is there any proof that the marshals would do a better job stopping an attack than the concerted and spontaneous efforts of the crew and passengers?" he asks.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/homeland-security-theater_n_1246931.html

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