U.S. Airlines not Dead, Just Trying to Survive

• >> MIAMI, FL-USA: Spirit Airlines may lay off 60% of its flight attendants and 45% of its pilots in an effort to cut costs and deal with soaring fuel prices, according to letters released Tuesday by union leaders.

The Miramar-based discount carrier wrote in the notification letters that it plans to close its hubs in New York's LaGuardia Airport and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and shrink its main Fort Lauderdale hub by Aug. 1, 2008. The airline is also closing its Detroit hub for flight attendants.

The letters, required by law under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, were sent out Friday by Jeff Carlson, the airline's vice president of flight operations. Carlson wrote in the letters that the airline will furlough or displace up to 448 flight attendants and 242 pilots.

The exact number of jobs that may be cut has not been decided. Spirit has about 540 pilots. As many as 240 attendants will be affected in Fort Lauderdale, 141 in Detroit, 15 in New York and 52 in San Juan, according to letters sent to Patricia Friend, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, which were first obtained by The Miami Herald. Spirit has about 750 flight attendants.

The company said it will monitor oil prices and profits through the Hurricane season, which is typically a slow travel time for its Caribbean fleet, before making a final decision on jobs.

Everything Unsafe Before Life Expires

• >> WASHINGTON, DC-USA (June 5, 2008): Silver-colored metal dental fillings contain mercury that may cause health problems in pregnant women, children and fetuses, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday after settling a related lawsuit.

As part of the settlement with several consumer advocacy groups, the FDA agreed to alert consumers about the potential risks on its website and to issue a more specific rule next year for fillings that contain mercury, FDA spokeswoman said.

Millions of Americans have the fillings, or amalgams, to patch cavities in their teeth.The FDA said in a notice on its Web site that dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses. Pregnant women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them more sensitive to mercury exposure, including individuals with existing high levels of mercury bioburden, should not avoid seeking dental care, but should discuss options with their health practitioner.

The FDA said it did not recommend that people who currently have mercury fillings get them removed. The FDA must issue the new rules in July 2009. Such a rule could impact makers of metal fillings, which include Dentsply International Inc and Danaher Corp unit Kerr. The new rule will give the agency special controls that can provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the product.

The lawsuit settlement was reached on Monday with several advocacy groups, including Moms Against Mercury, which had sought to have mercury fillings removed from the U.S. market.

While the FDA previously said various studies showed no harm from mercury fillings, some consumer groups contend the fillings can trigger a range of health problems such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. In 2006, an FDA advisory panel of outside experts said most people would not be harmed by them, but said the agency needed more information.

Mercury has been linked to brain and kidney damage at certain levels. Amalgams contain half mercury and half a combination of other metals. Charles Brown, a lawyer for one of the groups called Consumers for Dental Choice, said the agency's move represented an about-face. "Gone, gone, gone are all of FDA's claims that no science exists that amalgam is unsafe," he said in a statement.

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. analyst Ipsita Smolinski said the FDA is not likely to outright ban the fillings next year but will probably call for restrictions. "We do believe that the agency will ask for the label to indicate that mercury is an ingredient in the filling, and that special populations should be exempt from such fillings, such as: nursing women, pregnant women, young children, and immunocompromised individuals," Smolinski wrote in a research note on Wednesday.

Fewer patients have been opting for mercury fillings in recent years, instead choosing lighter options such as tooth-colored resin composites. Only 30 percent of fillings given to patients were mercury-filled ones as of 2003, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). Other options include glass cement and porcelain as well as other metals such as gold, but they cost more and are less durable, the group has said.

Ibanez® RG1570 Basic For freshmen, intermediate players, and budget seekers. ƒ ¦ §

The Fray - Over My Head (cable car) and VFG Airbus A330.

• Inflation in U.S. nerves Bernanke.

• GM to Close 4 North America Plants (1 in Mexico). Chairman says oil prices are to stay high; therefor the company is concentrating on the production for small fuel-efficient cars and hybrid/electric autos. Large sedans, SUVs', trucks have been slow in sales since 2 years ago when fuel costs started to rise. The military version for the civilian model - Hummer, the gas-guzzler may be slashed from the production line the end of this year.

Current price at the pump in the U.S. is around USD$ 4.00/gal, with San Francisco City having the highest -- USD$ 4.55. Coming in for the second highest is the Bay Area-CA. Generally, cities in this region pay higher priced fuel becuase of the strict environmental protection laws.

An average USD$ 60 is to be spent on a full fillup in the tank. And depending on the commute and driving habits, most refills are between 3-7 days.

Some businesses in the U.S. are considering a four-day work week instead of the traditional 5-day to ease traffic and save costs for the employees and the company. Employers encourage workers to work from home at least 1-2 days per week.

U.S. consumes about 20% of the world's total oil production in any given day.

• U.S. state of Georgia to redraw its border caused by draught.

• Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is recuperating well and walking around hospital hallways after undergoing a risky surgery that targeted the cancerous tumor in his brain. The 76-year old Massachusetts Democrat now ready for chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

• Wax Hitler spark riot. BERLIN (06/02/08) - Plans to include an Adolf Hitler wax figure in the new Berlin branch of Madame Tussauds wax museum are being condemned by critics who say displaying the dictator is tasteless and could attract neo-Nazi reform.

Honoring, displaying artwork, speech in public of Hitler in anyway is illegal in Germany.

The museum director said if the wax figure were to be displayed, there will be no photographs allowed to be taken for people who want to stand beside the figure.

• Computer designed to read human mind. www.engadget.com.

Latest on the Mars project:

• http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/. (Phoenix Mars Mission homepage)
• http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/06_03_pr.php. (Direct page to Phoenix Mars Mission)
• http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/06_03_pr.php. (Intro to Mars; link on bottom-left page)

In early mornings while the sun is still behind clouds and the mist ...

Childhood Cancer Highest in Northeast
CHICAGO,IL-USA: Research suggests that childhood cancer is most common in the U.S. Northeast, a results that caught experts off guard.

The large government study is the first to find notable regional differences in pediatric cancer. Experts say it also provides important information to support smaller studies, confirming that cancer is rare in children, but more common in older kids, especially among Caucasians.

The study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) is based on data representing 90% of the U.S. population. It found that cancer affects about 166 out of every million children, a number that shows just how rare childhood cancers are.

Environmental factors might play a role, including exposure to radiation, said lead author Dr. Jun Li of the CDC. Radiation has been linked with the most common types of childhood cancer - leukemia, lymphoma and brain cancers.

While noteworthy, the differences in rates among regions shouldn't cause alarm among parents, said Dr. Adam Levy, a cancer specialist at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York

Regional differences in rates for some specific cancers have been found in adults, but these are likely due to personal habits and lifestyle factors, Ward said. For example, lung cancer rates are high in the South because smoking is generally more popular there, she said.

But it generally takes years of exposure to lifestyle factors such as smoking before cancer develops, she said, so this wouldn't explain children's rates.

On the Net:
• American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org.
• CDC: www.cdc.gov.

Brigitte Bardot Convicted in Racism Case

PARIS (06/03/08) - Brigitte Bardot was convicted Tuesday of provoking discrimination and racial hatred for writing that Muslims are destroying France.

A leading French anti-racism group known as MRAP filed a lawsuit last year over a letter she sent to then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. The remarks were published in her foundation's quarterly journal.

In the December 2006 letter to by now President Sarkozy, Bardot said France is "tired of being led by the nose by this population that is destroying us, destroying our country by imposing its acts."

Bardot, 73, was referring to the Muslim feast of Aid el-Kebir, celebrated by slaughtering sheep.

French anti-racism laws prevent inciting hatred and discrimination on racial or religious or racial grounds. Bardot had been convicted four times previously for inciting racial hatred. "She is tired of this type of proceedings," he said. "She has the impression that people want to silence her. She will not be silenced in her defense of animal rights."

A Paris court also settled a USD$ 23,325 fine against the former animal rights campaigner. The court also ordered Bardot to pay $1,555 in damages to MRAP. Bardot's lawyer, Francois-Xavier Kelidjian, said he would talk to her about the possibility of an appeal.

IBANEZ® SG Prestige D series Electric Lead / Rhythm Guitar

A well equipped machine that plays near-excellent and priced less than typical high-end brands. The Prestige line-up is enjoyed by many guitar pros. It is very popular for on stage rock out. You can almost be certain to see one in every live concert.

I read in the reviews that this has a slick neck that allow players access chords faster than more costly models. If you are a fast hand, try one out in your local store. The down side is many say the built quality and sound is above-average, but incomparable to Gibson, Fender, Rickenbecker and other high-priced brands. Again, the selling-point for the Prestige is, it's fully equipped; everything you want in a guitar and at almost half the price of others having similar features.

A special for this instrument is that the stock has a glazed-mirror surface (silver gray color shown) that changes color at different view angles. In the above picture, you can see the color difference on top-left compare to the rest of the body from this angle. Available colors: Aquamarine, Lemon green, Maroon, Metallic black, Mocha, Sage, Silver gray. Owners may custom order unlisted color of their choice.

Nowadays people are having guitar just for display; to use as a room decoration even they don't play. Also a great conversation piece for your guests in the living room. I'd have one of these hung on my wall someday(?) just for show.

User Rating: out of 5 stars.

YT
xo