RBS boss Stephen Hester to waive '1.6m bonus'

Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester will not take his bonus this year the has learned. He was reportedly to get shares worth 1.6m though the RBS board was not making a final decision until its results were announced later this week. The news came after Business Secretary Lord Mandelson told the that Mr Hester should forgo the payment this year until he had proved his worth. RBS is 84% taxpayer owned and is set to post losses of about £5bn for 2009. This would be down from losses of £24bn for 2008. business editor Robert Peston said it would have been controversial if Mr Hester had taken any bonus.According to a banking source Hester believes that public hostility to the bank would increase if he were to take a bonus and would be counter productive to his goal of steering Royal Bank away from politics our editor said. He believes that RBS must stop being a political football if it is to recover sufficiently to allow it to be privatised at a profit for taxpayers.
Not tested'
Mr Hester was brought in to run the bank after its government bailout.
Lord Mandelson said he was a rather strong and rather able man but whose performance and delivery has not yet been tested. If further down the line in years to come he has done well and he has turned round RBS he deserves something back for it and I would be the first to say so but not now Mr Mandelson said. He added:What we have said to them is that their priority is repairing their balance sheets and getting their capital back in place and lending again fully. The bank is set to announce it will pay a bonus pool of about £1.3bn to its investment bankers a figure which it is negotiating with UK Financial Investors the government body which overseas the taxpayers controlling stake in the bank This was very much at the lower end of the banks Mr Mandelson said.
PressureLast week Barclays which did not take any direct state help during the financial crisis said its total bonus payouts for staff had been reined in to £2.7bn. However it had reported an £11.6bn profit - and chief executive John Varley and president Bob Diamond turned down bonuses for the second consecutive year given intense public interest and concern about bankers pay. Earlier this year Mr Hester told MPs that he would not pay his bankers a penny more in bonuses han we need to.
He also defended his bank's policy on bonuses saying that he earned the going rate for his job, but added that even his parents thought he earned too much. The singer and activist Billy Bragg has threatened not to pay his taxes in protest against the bonuses being paid out by Royal Bank of Scotland RBS. Lloyds Banking Group also part-owned by taxpayers is also set to release its results this week. Our business editor said that Mr Hester's decision would put pressure on Eric Daniels the chief executive of Lloyds to turn down whatever bonus he may be offered.

Australia threat over Japan whale hunting 'unfortunate'

Australia's threat to take Japan to the International Court of Justice if it does not stop whale hunting is unfortunate FM Katsuya Okada says. Mr Okada said Japan would defend its legal activities but his Australian counterpart said Canberra wanted a halt within a reasonable period of time. Both men however insisted the issue would not harm strong bilateral ties. On Friday Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave Japan until November to stop whale hunting in the Antarctic. His Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, said his country could present its position before the International Whaling Commission as early as Monday.
The Japanese fleet kills hundreds of the animals during annual hunts in Antarctic waters. Its ships have been involved in repeated clashes with campaigners in recent weeks. Japan abandoned commercial whaling in 1986 after agreeing to a global moratorium. But international rules allow it to continue hunting under the auspices of a research programme.Conservationists say the whaling is a cover for the sale and consumption of whale meat. Current Japanese programmes aim for a total catch of more than 1000 whales per year.
Controversial splits
Japans foreign minister made the comments after two days of talks in Australia.It's very unfortunate the Australian side has indicated it will take action in an international court Mr Okada said in the city of Perth after meeting Mr Smith.Should action become a reality Japan will seek to represent its case with the that its activities are legal he said. Mr Okada met Prime Minister Rudd on Saturday. Mr Rudd has said his country will seek arbitration if it fails to resolve the issue with Japan.
Australia enjoys support from its traditional allies New Zealand the EU and the US. Iceland and Norway also practise whale hunting. In January anti-whaling activists accused a Japanese vessel of ramming their high-tech speed boat during a confrontation in the Southern Ocean. Video of the incident appeared to show the Japanese ship severely damaging the Ady Gil but all six crew were rescued.

Valentine Day Mirror

Kelly Price: "My most memorable Valentine's Day was Valentine's 2000. I'd just finished recording Mirror, Mirror and was plane-hopping between Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta. I got home February 13th late at night and decided that my husband and I should exchange gifts at midnight only to find out Jeff [with Kelly below] had forgotten Valentine's Day. I was devastated! He'd never missed one Valentine's Day since I was 18 years old. Rather than rush to make up for things, Jeff planned our own Valentine's Day, exclusive for Kelly and Jeff. On March 14th I was ambushed with roses everywhere and cards that read "Happy Valentine's Day! I love you and I'll never forget again." I was then whisked away to a private villa overlooking the water in Puerto Rico for six days and five nights of sheer heaven. It was the most time we've ever spent alone."
Kirk Franklin: "It was Valentine's Day 1998. I was traveling quite a lot as well as getting pulled in all sort of directions and could not wait to get home. When I walked through the door, my wife [Tammy, shown above with him] and kids had transformed our home into a place of peace. Candles were everywhere and jazz was playing throughout the house. They had also prepared a candlelit dinner for which my kids hand-made the menus and were dressed up like little servers. Being home with my family helped me to completely relax because all they want me to be is husband and daddy. Needless to say, I resumed the rest of the evening alone with my wife."
Chante Moore: "A bath with bubbles and floating gardenias. Candles all around. Marvin Gaye on the stereo. A plate of fresh melon. Pellegrino water with gas. A soft pillow behind me. And the man of my dreams awaiting me."
Shaggy: "My girl surprised me and took me into the city [New York]. We took a horse and carriage ride around Central Park and ended up at The Waldorf Astoria in a suite overlooking the park. We had a candlelit dinner with champagne. She laid rose petals down and we fogged up the mirrors!"
Charlie Wilson: "My wife Mahin, who was my girlfriend at the time, and I went to Rosarito Beach in Mexico on Valentine's Day. It is a very romantic place. We had a candlelit dinner and a mariachi trio serenaded us. We later went down to the beach for a walk. With the moonlight spotlighting us, I asked her to marry me. She cried and said `yes.' We kissed and made love at that very spot! It was a special moment. The next year we returned and got married on that very same spot on the beach. We had marked it with rocks and buried them in the sand on the beach."
Vesta: "I had been working pretty hard in the recording studio. I got home about 7:30 or 8 p.m. My sweetie, who was very sexy and handsome, had a candlelit dinner ready. He had prepared wonderful grilled lamb chops with mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach, salad--the whole works. He served champagne with dinner--Dom Perignon. He told me he had drawn up a bath, and after we ate dinner, he helped me into the bath and bathed me himself. I was sipping mimosa from a champagne flute while in the bath. At some point he left the room and came back with nothing on but a big red bow tied around his neck. Then he gave me the rest of my Valentine's gift. Holidays are special to me. I've had some really nice things to happen on Valentine's Day. I'm a very romantic person. I'm a severe romantic."

My Best Valentine's Day'

IT is the day for love and for lovers. Valentine's Day is when a man romances his woman with flowers, champagne, limousine rides, diamonds and candlelit dinners. It is when women put on their fanciest (or skimpiest) lingerie and plan something very special for the special man in her life. On the following pages celebrities share with EBONY readers the Valentine's Day that stands out in their minds and hearts as the best and most special. Most involved a romantic meal and quality time with the love of their life. Steve Harvey remembers it as the day he proposed to this wife. Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band returned to the romantic beach in Mexico where he had proposed and married his wife the following year. Kelly Price recalls the surprise exotic vacation her husband planned. These anecdotes touch the heart and inspire others to remember their special love on this special day.Patti LaBelle: One Valentine's Day I did a show and my Valentine decorated my dressing room while I was performing. After the show was over, I came back to the room to find candles and rose petals everywhere and a catered dinner for two. I love gifts that are thoughtful.Steve Harvey My best Valentine's was the second Valentine's Day my wife Mary [above lounging at home with Steve] and I spent together. That was when I gave Mary her first engagement ring. She was working for Fashion Fair in a mall outside Dallas, and I stopped by her job and took her to lunch. She was totally surprised when I gave her the ring and asked her to marry me. We'd been seeing each other for about two years then and I wanted to get a commitment that she'd be my lady. I gave her another ring diamond solitaire before we got married. On her last birthday, I upgraded that to a diamond ring.

Hank Albarelli's book review of Wolf and Pack at Amazon

The hidden and secret history of this nation's so-called War on Drugs and its warriors has been waiting quite some time to be told; we are now very fortunate to have historian Douglas Valentine's two-volume set of books that provide a well-documented and robust narrative of the various government agencies that evolved into the current DEA. Valentine's first book, The Strength of the Wolf, provides us with a stunningly documented and detailed volume about the old Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN). The book is replete with a slew of startling facts about the FBN's connections to the CIA and the FBN's intelligence related overseas operations.Indeed, Valentine's first book was quite helpful to a section of my book just out on Dr. Frank Olson's murder, A TERRIBLE MISTAKE: The Murder of Frank Olson and the CIA's Secret Cold War Experiments.Valentine did a superb job in his first book revealing the CIA's ties to the FBN. At points, both agencies seem to merge into one and to perform as one. That the two agencies performed as one and so closely shared objectives says a lot about the overalll objectives of intelligence gathering. Valentine's excellent newer book, Strength of the Pack, moves readers into current years and delivers a cornucopia of startling and long-secret data and information that throws considerable light on the mockery of the efforts of the U.S. to rid itself of the curse of drugs. After reading Valentine's latest excellent book one does not have to contemplate very long to understand why illicit drugs will continue to flood our nation and little will be done about it. Anyone concerned about this problem, and wanting to learn about how the so-called 'War on Drugs' really operates, should read both of Valentine's very important titles.The Douglas Valentine Vietnam Collection at the National Security Archive in Washington, DC, has been open and used by researchers since early 2007. The Collection contains the research material, including original handwritten interview notes and government documents obtained through FOIA requests, for my book The Phoenix Program. The Collection can only be used in the National Security Archive's Reading Room; it is not available for interlibrary loan and an appointment must be made to use it. The "resguide" link below will help anyone who wants to read the material

Four Landing Spots For Julius Peppers

Philadelphia EaglesThe Eagles are loaded with depth at the defensive end position, headlined by Trent Cole and rounded out by Juqua Parker, Darren Howard, Victor Abiamiri, Chris Clemons and Jason Babin. But they still lack that playmaker opposite Cole that could really wreak some havoc in defensive coordinator Sean McDermott’s aggressive scheme. Unless a sleeper prospect falls to them in the middle rounds, it’s unlikely that the Eagles will be able to address their defensive end need via the draft. That’s where Peppers comes in. If Philly decides to be aggressive this offseason, they may try to acquire Peppers whether the Panthers decide to franchise tag him or not. (They may be in line to acquire more draft picks if/when they trade Kevin Kolb, Donovan McNabb or Michael Vick.) Paired with Cole, the Eagles would have one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the league.
Atlanta FalconsJamaal Anderson hasn’t turned out to be the pass-rushing force opposite John Abraham that the Falcons envisioned he would be when they selected the former Razorback with the eighth overall pick in 2007. Worse yet, after racking up 16.5 sacks in 2008, Abraham (the team’s best pass rusher) only produced 5.5 QB take downs last season and will turn 32 in early May. Some feel as though Abraham has lost a step, but he would flourish playing opposite Peppers on the same defensive line. Pep would also make the vastly underrated Jonathan Babineaux and 2009 first round pick Peria Jerry even more dangerous on the inside, but the question now becomes whether or not the Falcons will be active in free agency. GM Thomas Dimitroff didn’t make any significant splashes last offseason, instead opting to build his roster via the draft. But if Dimitroff decides to be aggressive, then Peppers makes a lot of sense for a team like Atlanta, which is clearly on the rise but needs to plug some of its defensive holes.
New England PatriotsRumors surfaced last offseason that New England was a possible landing spot for Peppers, so it makes sense that the Pats would be viewed as candidates again this year. The Patriots definitely have a need for a pass rusher and Peppers said last year that he wanted to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Given that Adalius Thomas has fallen out of favor with Bill Belichick, there could be a spot opening up in the Pats’ defense. But considering players like Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork, Logan Mankins and Stephen Gostkowski all need new contracts, New England might decide to spend its money on retaining its own players instead of acquiring outside help like Peppers. Plus, keep in mind that the Patriots were burned in the Thomas deal, so they may be reluctant to shell out big bucks for another pass-rusher.
Carolina PanthersThere’s still a possibility that the Panthers will franchise Peppers again like they did last year. The problem with that is it’ll cost them roughly $20.1 million and therefore, it’s unlikely that they’ll go that route. Instead, they’ll probably make Pep their best offer and if he decides that the grass is greener in another stadium, then he’ll exit Carolina stage left. Of course, they could always franchise him and then try to trade him in order to get some form of compensation, but if they don’t find a willing trade partner than they could wind up footing the $20.1 million bill for him next season. Carolina seems like an unlikely destination for Peppers next year, but given how much history the two have together nobody should be surprised if he has a change of heart and returns to the Panthers in 2010.

Scott Boras Is Just Making Stuff Up Now

Scott Boras is the guy at the bar right now, who after already being turned down by the hottest girl in the joint, is just determined to go home with somebody. He's found his target, she's not gorgeous by any means, but she's there and she'll have to do.It's nearly last call, so if he's going to get this done, he's going to have to work quickly."You like Project Runway? OH. MY. GOD. So do I! In fact, and I haven't told many people this, but I just feel a real connection with you, when I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be a fashion designer. Seriously, I still sometimes think about just dropping everything to chase the dream, you know?" Right now that girl is the Detroit Tigers, his bedroom is Johnny Damon, and Boras is pulling out all the stops to put those two together.Last week Boras told the Tigers that his client, Damon, wanted to play for them going as far as saying that the only thing keeping a World Series title from Detroit was not having Johnny Damon on the team.This caught the Tigers' interest, but they were still somewhat wary of this man trying to seduce them, and a week later no deal has been signed by either side. So Boras is amping things up.If Steve Yzerman wasn't busy running Team Canada for the Olympics, perhaps he could help persuade free agent Johnny Damon to sign with the Tigers despite a lower offer than he'd like.Damon has rooted for the Red Wings for years. He started doing so because of how much he likes Yzerman. Damon's agent, Scott Boras, talked Monday about Damon's fervor for the Red Wings."When he and I go to a Greek restaurant, he always orders octopus," Boras said.See what Boras did there? Go back up and read what I had Boras telling the girl at the bar, and replace Project Runway with Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings. Just find the thing that people in Detroit really like and then say "Holy shit! What a coincidence, so does Johnny Damon!"I'm surprised he didn't go on to say that Damon's iPod is filled with nothing but Motown, Ted Nugent, Eminem and Kid Rock.The other lie that Boras told was that immediately after it was clear that the Yankees didn't want Damon, he received "four or five offers right away" from teams for Damon.There were just so many people making contract offers that Boras couldn't remember how many there were! Too many to count! It could have been four or five. Maybe even six! Who's counting? Not Scott Boras! Johnny only wants to play for Detroit!Now Boras may have received four or five calls from teams inquiring about Damon, but I'll guarantee you he didn't get a single offer. All you need to do is look at his constant courting of Detroit to know that's not true.

Mandela office Nelson

The Andrew Harding finds that long-stalled plans to turn it into a centre for black lawyers say a lot about the pace of change in modern South Africa.The Johannesburg building that once housed Nelson Mandela's law firm is now a derelict squat.George Bizos shuffles slowly across Fox Street, in the centre of Johannesburg. A lunchtime crowd is clogging the entrance of a shabby-looking cafe. Mr Bizos slips inside - unnoticed at first. But within seconds there are nods and smiles of recognition.
The Chinese man behind the till is complaining about the criminals in the area.
"There's a derelict building on the next block. Chancellor House. It's full of criminals," he says sharply. Mr Bizos' crumpled, 82-year-old back straightens - his barrister's instincts alerted.
"That house," he explains patiently, "is occupied by dozens of squatters who have no alternative accommodation. They should not be casually categorised as criminals."
It is a good 50 years now since Mr Bizos first bought lunch at this cafe.
He and his friend Nelson Mandela used to come at least once a week to grab a couple of pies and take them back to Mr Mandela's office around the corner. As a white man, born in Greece, Mr Bizos could have eaten at the cafe. But in those days black people were not allowed to sit down here. On the way out today, two men in workmen's clothes stop Mr Bizos and ask if they can shake his hand.
Historic placeOne block down Fox Street, opposite the Magistrate's court, is the derelict, three-storey building the Chinese man was complaining about. The walls are blackened by fire. Half a dozen young men are standing outside it. There is a strong smell of marijuana and rubbish. "A lot of memories," says Mr Bizos, smiling at the crowd then slowly climbing the pitch-black stairwell of Chancellor House, up to the water-logged landing on the first floor.
At the far end, a makeshift door opens into what was once Mr Mandela's office - the very first black law firm in South Africa and a place that used to be besieged by clients.
Today it is occupied by a 38-year-old unemployed electrician, Dick Macomary, and his growing family. There is a mattress on the floor, pots and pans, and some clothes drying by the boarded-up windows. "Sorry," says Mr Macomary, clearing away some old newspapers. "It's a special place. I just don't have the power to make it more nicely."
Mr Bizos looks around in the gloom. "If we brought Mr Mandela here now, it would break his heart," he says. To the Mandela family, Mr Bizos is Uncle George. Although he is still very active as a human rights lawyer, he is often interrupted by telephone calls asking him to come to a house in the elegant northern suburb of Houghton.
That is where Nelson Mandela is in deep retirement - 10 years older than Mr Bizos, and now rarely seen in public. Occasionally he slips out to attend a grandchild's graduation or to visit his home village near the coast. But he tires quickly, and his short-term memory is fading.

Iran new makes enrichment uranium challenge

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked the country's nuclear chief to begin enriching uranium to 20%. The US defence secretary urged the world to "stand together", saying there was still time for sanctions to work. The West fears Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons - and have threatened new sanctions. Iran insists its programme is peaceful.
The US defence secretary urged the world to "stand together", saying there was still time for sanctions to work. "Pressures that are focused on the government of Iran, as opposed to the people of Iran, potentially have greater opportunity to achieve the objective," Robert Gates said during a visit to Italy. In London, the Foreign Office said Mr Ahmadinejad's announcement was "clearly a matter of serious concern". "This would be a deliberate breach of five UNSCRs [United Nations Security Council Resolutions]," it said in a statement. In January, diplomats said Iran had informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it did not accept the terms of the deal agreed in October by Iran, the IAEA and the P5+1 - the US, Russia, China, UK and France plus Germany. Earlier this week, the US, Britain and France circulated a discussion paper on further possible sanctions against Tehran. But China says the P5+1 must remain patient and keep pursuing a diplomatic solution to the issue. Red lineMr Ahmadinejad made the announcement on Iranian state television - two days after his foreign minister said a deal on swapping enriched uranium for nuclear fuel was close - a claim greeted with scepticism by Western powers. "I had said let us give them [Western powers] two to three months, and if they don't agree, we would start ourselves," Mr Ahmadinejad said in a speech broadcast live.
"Now Dr [Ali Akbar] Salehi, start to make the 20% with the centrifuges," the president said, addressing Iran's nuclear chief who was sitting in the audience at a laser technology plant in Tehran. Civilian nuclear power requires uranium enriched to about 3%. Weapons grade uranium needs to be enriched to 90%.
The Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne, reporting from London, says Mr Ahmadinejad's announcement crosses a significant red line. Iran says it wants to supply a research reactor with highly enriched uranium following the breakdown of the international deal to provide fuel for it.
But some Western analysts say Iran does not possess the technical know-how to make fuel rods for the reactor, our correspondent says, and Western countries fear this could be a stepping stone towards the manufacture of weapons-grade material.
At the very least, this is a provocative act which will make negotiations more difficult, our correspondent says. Existing UN sanctions are meant to prevent the flow of any items or technology which might aid Iran in enriching uranium or developing nuclear weapon delivery systems. The sanctions range from actual sales or supplies to dealings with named individuals.

Digital Economy Bill Bill would be a "violation"

An influential group of MPs and colleagues said that the government tackle illegal file-sharing can be violated rights of Internet users.Select Joint Committee on Human Rights said the Government Bill in the digital economy should be clarified.He said that the technical measures - which fixed reserve pirates - "were not specific enough."Besides, he said he was concerned that the bill could lead to "over-broad powers.""The Internet constantly new challenges for policymakers, but this can not justify the ill-defined or sweeping legislative responses, especially when an opportunity to freedom of expression or the privacy of individual users to reduce," said Andrew Dismore MP and chairman of the Committee.A spokesman for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (a), which oversees the digital economy, Bill, said the government "always been clear that [the] proposals to combat illegal file-sharing should not be incompatible with human rights.

The Miracle of Vitamin D: Sound Science, or Hype?

Imagine a treatment that could build bones, strengthen the immune system and lower the risks of illnesses like diabetes, heart and kidney disease, high blood pressure and cancer.
Some research suggests that such a wonder treatment already exists. It’s vitamin D, a nutrient that the body makes from sunlight and that is also found in fish and fortified milk.
Yet despite the health potential of vitamin D, as many as half of all adults and children are said to have less than optimum levels and as many as 10 percent of children are highly deficient, according to a 2008 report in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
As a result, doctors are increasingly testing their patients’ vitamin D levels and prescribing daily supplements to raise them. According to the lab company Quest Diagnostics, orders for vitamin D tests surged more than 50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, up from the same quarter a year earlier. And in 2008, consumers bought $235 million worth of vitamin D supplements, up from $40 million in 2001, according to Nutrition Business Journal.
But don’t start gobbling down vitamin D supplements just yet. The excitement about their health potential is still far ahead of the science. Although numerous studies have been promising, there are scant data from randomized clinical trials. Little is known about what the ideal level of vitamin D really is, whether raising it can improve health, and what potential side effects are caused by high doses.
And since most of the data on vitamin D comes from observational research, it may be that high doses of the nutrient don’t really make people healthier, but that healthy people simply do the sorts of things that happen to raise vitamin D. “Correlation does not necessarily mean a cause-and-effect relationship,” said Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, a Harvard professor who is chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
“People may have high vitamin D levels because they exercise a lot and are getting ultraviolet-light exposure from exercising outdoors,” Dr. Manson said. “Or they may have high vitamin D because they are health-conscious and take supplements. But they also have a healthy diet, don’t smoke and do a lot of the other things that keep you healthy.” Dr. Manson is leading a major study over the next five years that should provide answers to these questions and more. The nationwide clinical trial is recruiting 20,000 older adults, including men 60 and older and women 65 and older, to study whether high doses of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids from fish-oil supplements will lower risk for heart disease and cancer. (Learn about taking part in the study at www.vitalstudy.org )
Dr. Manson said fish-oil supplements were included in the study because they are another promising treatment that suffers from a dearth of clinical trial evidence. In addition, both vitamin D and fish oil are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, but each works through a different pathway in the body, so there may be an added health benefit in combining them. Study participants will be divided into four groups. One will take both vitamin D and fish oil pills. Two will take either a vitamin D or a fish-oil supplement and a placebo. The fourth will take two placebo pills.
Vitamin D is found throughout the body and acts as a signaling mechanism to turn cells on and off. Right now, the recommended dose from food and supplements is about 400 internationa units a day for most people, but most experts agree that is probably too low. The Institute of Medicine is reviewing guidelines for vitamin D and is expected to raise the recommended daily dose. Study participants will take 2,000 I.U.’s of vitamin D3, believed to be the form most easily used by the body. The study will use one-gram supplements of omega-3 fish oil, about 5 to 10 times the average daily intake.
The vitamin D dose is far higher than what has been used in other studies. The well-known Women’s Health Initiative study for instance, tracked women taking 400 units of vitamin D and 1,000 milligrams of calcium. The study found no overall benefit from the supplements, although women who consistently took their pills had a lower risk of hip fracture. Even so, many experts think 400 units is far too low for any additional health benefits.
Another study, of 1,200 women looked at the effects of 1,500 milligrams of calcium and 1,000 units of vitamin D. Women who took both supplements showed a lower risk for breast cancer over the next four years, but the numbers of actual cases — seven breast cancers in the placebo group and four in the supplement group — were too small to draw meaningful conclusions. Although consumers may be tempted to rush out and start taking 2,000 I.U.’s of vitamin D a day, doctors warn against it. Several recent studies of nutrients, including vitamins E and B, selenium and beta carotene, have proved disappointing — even suggesting that high doses do more harm than good, increasing risk for heart problems, diabetes and cancer, depending on the supplement.
Despite the promise of vitamin D in observational studies, research into other supplements shows it’s difficult to document a benefit in otherwise healthy people, and virtually impossible to predict potential harms, notes Dr. Eric A. Klein, chairman of the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Klein recently worked as national coordinator for Select, a study of vitamin E and selenium for prostate cancer .The study seemed promising, but in the end it showed no benefit from the supplements and a potentially higher risk for diabetes in selenium users.
“My sentiment is that the lesson we have learned form large trials with other vitamin supplements, including Select, is that there is no proven health or preventative benefit for dietary supplements in nutritionally replete populations, which accounts for most of the people who enter this sort of clinical trial,” Dr. Klein said. “It makes more sense to me to study dietary supplements or vitamins in populations who are deficient.” People most at risk for vitamin D deficiency are older, have diabetes or kidney disease, stay indoors or have darker skin. African-American teenagers are at particularly high risk, possibly because in addition to their dark skin, they are less likely at that age to drink milk or play outside.

Can White Roofs Battle Global Warming?

A forthcoming study in Geophysical Research Letters reinforces the idea that painting urban rooftops white — a tactic that would reflect sunlight — could have a cooling effect on the planet.
White roofs have been thought to be particularly effective in cities, which tend to be warmer than rural areas because of the presence of asphalt roads, tar roofs and other surfaces that absorb heat.
Although earlier studies have also pointed this out, in this case, the team used a computer model to simulate the amount of solar radiation absorbed and reflected by urban surfaces. The models indicated that if every roof in every city were painted white, it would reduce demand for air conditioning and ultimately cool every city by an average of about 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We think it’s really important to model the temperatures within the cities, because that’s where most of world’s population lives,” said Gordon Bonan , an author of the study and a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
“This will be a very important tool to model cities and form a strategy to mitigate warm temperatures,” he said.
Other studies have found that while roofs do reduce air-conditioning costs by 20 percent in hot, sunny weather, this may be countered by the additional energy required to heat buildings during the winter months in cold climates.
Mr. Bonan said that while the study’s main findings supported the idea that painting roofs would effectively reduce global temperatures, “we also need to consider the costs of heating of buildings because of that.”
White roofs may be best suited for cities with a year-round warm climate, he said.
Last year, The Times reported on a burgeoning white-rooftop movement — which has gained the support of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who told a “Daily Show” audience last year to, “Make it white.”

Time Warner Reverses Loss and Raises Dividend

NEW YORK (AP) -- Media conglomerate Time Warner Inc. said Wednesday that improving results at its movie studio and cable networks boosted fourth-quarter revenue, and smaller one-time expenses helped it post a profit after reporting a loss a year ago.
The company is also raising its dividend 13 percent to an annual rate of 85 cents per share and increasing its stock repurchase plan.
Time Warner has been slimming down, shedding both AOL and Time Warner Cable in the past year to focus on creative content rather than the businesses that deliver it to customers.
While that strategy has yet to prove itself, the focus appears to have paid off in the fourth quarter, as Time Warner's HBO and Turner cable networks pulled in more money from fees it charges cable and satellite providers and its Warner Bros. movie studio had success with ''The Blind Side'' and ''Sherlock Holmes ''
Time Warner, which also owns Time Inc. magazines, said it earned $627 million, or 53 cents per share, in the last three months of 2009. It lost $16 billion, or $13.41 per share, a year ago when the company was hurt by heavy write-downs on its cable, publishing and AOL assets.
Excluding one-time items from the most recent results, the company said it earned 55 cents per share. Analysts polled by who typically exclude such items, were looking for 52 cents.
Revenue rose 2 percent to $7.32 billion, beating analysts' average forecast of $7.14 billion.
The publishing industry's advertising slump has been particularly painful for Time Warner magazines, which include Time, People and Sports Illustrated among others. The company's publishing revenue fell 13 percent in the fourth quarter, while film and cable revenue grew 7 percent and 4 percent respectively.
Full-year earnings came to $2.47 billion, or $2.07 per share, as cost cutting and smaller accounting charges reversed a loss of $13.4 billion, or $11.23 per share. Revenue slipped to $25.79 billion from $26.52 billion.
The company said it expects its earnings per share this year to grow percentage-wise in the mid-teens from an adjusted figure of $1.83. That's roughly in line with the average forecast from analysts, which calls for a full-year profit of $2.12 per share.
The company's stock fell 41 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $28.10 in morning trading.
Meanwhile AOL Inc. , newly released from its fizzled marriage with Time Warner, reported a profit for the fourth quarter on Wednesday, reversing a year-ago loss brought on by huge accounting charges.

Stop Driving Recalled Toyotas, Says Agency Chief

the Transportation secretary, said Wednesday morning during a House Appropriations panel hearing that owners of recalled Toyotas should stop driving them and take them to their dealers to be repaired.of recalled Toyotas was to “stop driving it, take it to a Toyota dealer because they believe they have a fix for it.”
“We need to fix the problem so people don’t have to worry about disengaging the engine or slamming the brakes on or put it in neutral," Mr. LaHood said in response to questions.
His comments at the hearing, which appeared to be off the cuff, came shortly after he told reporters that he planned to call the president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, about the recalls and after the Japanese government told the carmaker to examine the brakes on its hybrid Prius. Drivers in Japan and the United States have complained that the brakes momentarily stopped working when driving at low speeds.
“I’m going to take the initiative to have a conversation with Mr. Toyoda very soon, to talk to him about how serious this is, and to make sure that he understands,” Mr. LaHood said. “I think he understands, but I’ve never talked to him. I just feel like I need to have a conversation with him.”
Mr. LaHood’s comments Wednesday were the latest in an aggressive campaign by his department over the Toyota situation. Last week, Mr. LaHood took credit for the company’s decision to stop building and selling eight models involved in a recall over accelerator pedals that could potentially stick, saying Toyota did not take the step until urged to do so by the department.
Some safety advocates said however that Mr. LaHood might be trying to protect federal safety regulators from potential liability issues over their role in investigating defects.
Mr. LaHood told reporters that regulators have the resources and expertise to conduct a thorough review of consumer complaints regarding unintended acceleration in Toyota focusing on electronic throttles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “is not finished with this safety issue involving Toyota,” he said, explaining that the department would look into the possibility of electromagnetic interference with the accelerator system.
“I think at the department, we will continue to look at the electronics, continue to study that, continue to work with Toyota on that, and then make a judgment about that,” Mr. LaHood said.
He confirmed Wednesday that the Transportation Department was considering a civil penalty against Toyota over the handling of the recalls.
Toyota had no immediate response to Mr. LaHood’s comments. The company’s shares on Wall Street were down 7.2 percent.
Lawmakers and the Transportation Department have stepped up pressure on Toyota, seeking proof that problems that could cause its cars to speed up unexpectedly were limited to floor mats and sticking pedals.

History of St Valentines Day

Valentine's Day - the popular festival of love and romances traces its origin to ancient Roman festival and has not been created by card companies as some people believe it to be. There are various legends associated with the festival along with the belief that birds began to mate from this day. Popularity of the Valentine's Day festival stems from the combined effects of all these legends, beliefs and of course the wish to glorify the unparalleled feeling of love.

Feast of Lupercalia

Historians trace the origin of Valentine's Day to ancient Roman Empire. It is said that in the Rome of ancient times people observed a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno - the Queen of Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also regarded Juno as the Goddess of Women and Marriage. On the following day, February 15th began the fertility festival called 'Feast of Lupercalia'. The festival of Lupercalia was celebrated to honor the Gods Lupercus and Faunus - the Roman God of Agriculture besides the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. An interesting custom was followed in the Feast of Lupercalia to bring together young boys and girls who otherwise were strictly separated. On the eve of the festival names of young Roman girls were written on a slip of paper and placed into jars. Each young man drew out a girl's name from the jar and was paired with the girl for the duration of Lupercalia. Sometime pairing lasted for a year until next year's celebration. Quite often, the couple would fall in love with each other and later marry. The custom lasted for a long time until people felt that the custom was un-Christian and that mates should be chosen by sight, not luck.

Defiance by Saint Valentine

The pairing of young boys and girls did set the mood of the Valentine's Day Festival as we know today. But it was actually due to the efforts and daring of a priest St Valentine that the festival got its name and clearer meaning. The story goes that during the reign of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in several bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius found it tough to get soldiers and felt the reason was men did not join army because they did not wish to leave their wives and families. As a result Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. A romantic at heart priest of Rome Saint Valentine defied Claudius's unjustified order. Along with Saint Marius, St Valentine secretly married couples. When his defiance was discovered, Valentine was brutally beaten and put to death on February 14, about 270 AD. After his death Valentine was named a Saint. According to another version of legend Valentine was killed because he attempted to help Christians escape from the Roman prison as they were being tortured and beaten there. Yet another popular version of the legend states that while in prison Valentine or Valentinus fell in love with jailer's daughter who visited him during confinement. Before his death Valentine wrote a farewell letter to his sweetheart from the jail and signed ‘From your Valentine'. The expression became quite popular amongst love struck and is still very much in vogue. By the Middle Ages, Valentine assumed the image of heroic and romantic figure amongst the masses in England and France. Later, when Christianity spread through Rome, the priests moved Lupercalia from February 15 to February 14. Around 498 AD, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine's Day to honor the martyr Valentinus and to end the pagan celebration.

Beginning of Birds Mating Season

During the Middle Ages, people in England and France held a belief that birds started to look for their mate from February 14. This popular notion further helped to link Valentine's Day - celebrated in the middle of the February, with love and romance. Over the period of time, St Valentine became the patron saint of lovers and they began to celebrate Valentine's Day as a day of romance by exchanging love notes and simple gifts such as flower.

Popularity of St Valentines Day

Valentine's Day festival gradually grew in popularity amongst the masses due to the combined effect of all the above said reasons. To mark the day lovers began to exchange love notes called ‘Valentines' with their sweethearts. In the beginning the trend was to send handmade cards but this was changed in the beginning of 19th century and mass-produced greeting cards caught the fancy of the people. In the course of time, Valentine's day came to be regarded as the festival that celebrates love and not just romantic love. Today, Valentine's Day cards are gifted to teachers, parents, friends, siblings and sweethearts. Popularity of Valentine's Day has spread in countries across the seven continents and is still increasing by the year.

Valentine's Day Poem Enjoy this

beautiful and romantic collection of Valentine's Day Poems! To touch your beloved's heart memorize a cute Valentine Day Poetry and say it while holding hands and looking deep into his/her eyes. If that sounds a little tough quote a touchy verse in the card that you may have got for your Valentine. In case you have composed a special Poem for Valentine's Day and wish to share it with the world, do send your poem to us and we will carry it along with your name.

Be my Valentine..

I think of you often...I do,From morning 'til evening I do,When memories bring laughterOr moments bring pain,There is faithfulness, too, once again.And time always shows meAnd God always shows meBoth sunshine and rain,How, we gain yearlyFrom the love we're share dearly.So, my dear, my sweet bubbaloo,Remember our love, dulce bubbaloo,For we've come so far and there's so much to comeAnd I have love to yet giveFor the life we will live...together.Make little of what makes you cry,Be sure that what makes you cryHas greater desire and a more certain willTo pray for His help from aboveand restore the feelings of love.

My Valentine..

Valentines is nearJust wishing you were hereYou will always be nearMy heart will never be the sameBeneath my skin, my soul lies waiting for youEveryday I think of you I feel blueNever give up hopeRemembering the first kissAll I ask is to be with youAnd for you to be my ValentineFor I will always cherish your heart in mine.

Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the riverAnd the rivers with the oceanThe winds of heaven mix for everWith a sweet emotion;Nothing in the world is single,All things by a law divineIn one another's being mingle­Why not I with thine?See the mountains kiss high heavenAnd the waves clasp one anotherNo sister-flower would be forgivenIf it disdain'd its brother;And the sunlight clasps the earth,And the moonbeams kiss the sea­What are all these kisses worthIf thou kiss not me?

TheGrio's 100: Charles F. Bolden, Administrator of NASA, astronaut

Charles Bolden is the first African-American head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Bolden's appointment from President Barack Obama and confirmation by the Senate went rather smoothly compared to his post-high school aspirations to join the Naval Academy. Back then, Congress refused to appoint African-Americans to the prestigious military school in Annapolis.
He eventually won an appointment from Rep. William Dawson, a black Congress member from Illinois. Bolden is not shy about this racial history. In a July 8 testimony before the Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, he informed those who held his confirmation in their balance about his parents, "public school teachers who, despite very long hours and lower wages than their white counterparts, loved every day of their work ... [inspiring] thousands of black students to take their places in national, state and local leadership."
Today, the former NASA astronaut who's made four space shuttle voyages, is tasked with pushing space exploration beyond lower Earth orbit, leading NASA into greater involvement in critical environmental issues, and helping the U.S. establish itself as a world leader in science and technology.
There will be many challenges for Bolden's administration. He has said that he would like to enhance NASA's capabilities for climate change monitoring, but right now there is staunch opposition from Republican members of Congress for any financial support for any climate change initiatives. NASA has also suffered budget constraints that have kept them from reaching their goals.
It will be up to Bolden to convince Congress that science, technology and space exploration are worthy investments for the nation. Sending humans to moons and planets is still the concentration of NASA activities, but under Bolden, it could also help unlock solutions to climate change problems that will keep humans safe on Earth.

Factbox: NASA's 2010 Budget

The mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is to drive advances in science, technology, and exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality, stewardship of the Earth, and solutions to national and global challenges. The President's Budget will allow NASA to improve our knowledge of the Earth, explore space with humans and robots, foster strong partnerships with other nations, and educate and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. * Adds $6 billion to NASA's budget over five years and draws upon American ingenuity to enable us to embark on an ambitious 21st Century program of human space exploration. * Initiates flagship exploration technology development and demonstration programs of "gamechanging" technologies that will increase the reach and reduce the costs of future human space exploration as well as other NASA, government, and commercial space activities. * Embraces the commercial space industry and the thousands of new jobs that it can create by contracting with American companies to provide astronaut transportation to the Space Station — thus reducing the risk of relying exclusively on foreign crew transport capabilities. * Ends NASA's Constellation program, which was planning to use an approach similar to the Apollo program to return astronauts back to the Moon 50 years after that program's triumphs. * Extends the International Space Station and enhances its utilization, bringing nations together in a common pursuit of knowledge and excellence in space. * Enhances the Nation's global climate change research and monitoring system, including reflight of a satellite that will help identify global carbon sources and sinks. * Provides for a robust program of robotic solar system exploration and new astronomical observatories, including a probe that will fly through the Sun's atmosphere and an expanded effort to detect potentially hazardous asteroids.