Antigua

Stressful times typically call for big vacations, but the tough economic climate has forced some families to find enjoyment closer to home this year. The same isn’t true for the world’s billionaires. Although some have seen their net worth shrink, many continue to visit their personal getaways to escape from their high-profile lives.

The location of these luxury destinations is a matter of personal taste.

Oprah

Antigua

Talk about luxury. Oprah has both a 60-acre Maui getaway and a 42-acre estate in Montecito, Calif., that she calls “Promised Land.” Yet when she wants crystal-clear Caribbean water and perfect palm trees, she returns to her playground on Antigua, where Eric Clapton and Giorgio Armani are among her famous neighbors. Much like George Clooney’s villa on Lake Como, Oprah’s vacation home is featured in many of the boat tours that run along the beautiful coastline.

Apussuit Adventure Camp, West Greenland

Courtesy Apussuit Adventure Camp

Bill Gates

West Greenland

Since officially retiring from Microsoft in June 2008, Bill Gates has often traveled for work dedicated to the nonprofit Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. When he needs a break from the African heat — where the foundation does most of its work — he’s been known to hop in a helicopter to Apussuit Adventure Camp, a remote skiing resort 15 miles outside Maniitsoq, West Greenland. This resort has no ski lifts and, more importantly, no other people.

Ty Warner Penthouse at the Four Seasons New York

Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel

Ty Warner

Ty Warner Penthouse at the Four Seasons New York

Ty Warner earned his fortune as the founder and sole owner of Ty Inc., manufacturer of Beanie Babies. With this money, he purchased several of the world’s favorite resort playgrounds, including San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito and Las Ventanas al Paraiso Resort in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. He also owns the Four Seasons New York, where a 4,300-square-foot namesake penthouse suite offers a 25-foot ceiling, a 360-degree view of Manhattan and virtually every amenity known to hoteliers.

The mega-yacht Octopus

AFP/Getty Images

Paul Allen

Octopus

Annual operating costs for a mega-yacht are said to run 10 percent of the ship’s initial cost. For Paul Allen’s 416-foot yacht Octopus, that’s $20 million. At least the Microsoft cofounder gets his money’s worth. This floating five-star hotel features a pool, a basketball court, a movie theater, two helicopters, a 10-person submarine, a jet-ski dock and a 60-person crew.

Necker Island

Paul Harris/Celebrity Home Photos

Richard Branson

Necker Island

This 74-acre private getaway near St. Thomas is owned by the Virgin billionaire. Surrounded by turquoise waters, the island is home to 101 flamingos and houses both a watersports crew that teaches guests how to kitesurf, snorkel and kayak and a personal chef. Most visitors to this exclusive paradise rent out the entire island, which can accommodate parties of up to 28 guests, and famous patrons have included Jay-Z, Mariah Carey and Oprah.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-33232838

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• by YourTango

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher via @longestmarriage on Twitter.

Our hearts melted when we read this piece on Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher of New Bern, N.C., who hold the record for the world’s longest marriage. Herbert, 104, and Zelmyra, 101, have enjoyed 86 years of wedded bliss. According to Mashable, Herbert and Zelmyra, married in 1924, enjoy sitting on their front porch and counting cars. As if that weren’t adorable enough, the two tweeted love advice to the masses between February 12 and Valentine’s Day on their joint Twitter account, the aptly-named @longestmarried. Read: Couple Celebrates 81st Anniversary, Shares Tips

Of course, Herbert and Zelmyra aren’t the only couple that inadvertently set a world record in pursuit of true love. Here are a few other wow-worthy wedding and marriage records:

Greatest age difference in marriage: The Straits Times reported in November 2006 that Sudar Marto of Malaysia, 105, married Ely Maryulianti Rahmat, a 22-year-old maid, in September. That’s an 83-year age difference! At the time, Sudar was still married to his 69-year-old bedridden wife, who welcomed Ely into their union because she appreciated the young girl’s caregiving. Read: 25-Year Age Difference: Can It Work?

World’s tallest married couple: This ain’t a joke—Keisha Bolton, who is six-feet-five-inches, married Wilco van Kleef, seven feet, after looking for a dance partner in the U.K. Tall Person’s Club. The two are a combined 13.3 feet in height.

World’s shortest married couple: Douglas Maistre Breger da Silva, two-feet-eleven-inches tall, and Claudia Pereira Rocha, three feet, married in 1998. Read: Is His Height A Deal Breaker?

The seven-tiered Mohegan Sun wedding cake measured 17 feet tall and weighed 15,032 pounds.

Biggest wedding cake: If you’re going to have a mega-sized wedding, you might want to consider a cake that is 17 feet high. The Mohegan Sun casino’s monstrous creation weighs 15,032 lbs and can feed 59,000 people. Now that’s a lot of vanilla frosting. You can check out pictures of the gozilla-sized cake over here. Read: Is Wedding Pie The New Wedding Cake?

Longest engagement: Octavio Guillen and Adriana Martinez got engaged in 1902, when they were both 15 years old, and married at age 82. That’s a whopping 67 years of procrastination! We’d love more details on the years in between.

Most marriages in a lifetime: Now here’s a story that belongs on a Lifetime TV show. Glynn Wolfe, who also holds the record for the most divorces, married 29 times during his 88 years of life. His shortest union lasted 19 days, and his longest one seven years. The first marriage occurred in 1926, and the last one in 1996, to—get this—Linda Essex, who held the record for female with the most marriages. Best publicity stunt ever? Read: The 7 Most Outrageous Wedding Stunts

Oldest bride and groom: Francoise Frenandez and Madeleine Francineau married in 2002 at an old-folks home in France when the two were 96 and 94, respectively. Love knows no age, indeed.

Most marriage vow renewals: Lauren Lubeck Blair and David E. Hough married each other for the 83rd time in 2004. We wonder how many times they’ve renewed their vows since.

Largest difference in weight: Jon Brower Minnoch, who weighed 1,290 lbs, had two sons with his wife, Jeannette, who weighed 110 lbs. He died in 1983 after five years of marriage. Read: Here Comes The (Starving) Bride: Wedding Weight Loss Truths

AP Photo/ISPAT Communications: Amit Bhatia, left, and Vanisha Mittal celebrate at the exchange of rings ceremony during their wedding festivities at Versailles, outside Paris, Sunday, June 20, 2004.

Most expensive wedding: Vanisha Mittal, daughter of the world’s fifth richest person, married investment banker, Amid Bhatia, in Versailles. The six-day extravaganza, which included a reenactment of the couple’s courtship and a performance by Kylie Minogue, reportedly cost $55 million dollars.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/10-unbelieveable-wedding-marriage-records-1171467/

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What single event will unite 3,500 cities, towns, and municipalities in 125 countries and regions — along with at least 80 million Americans? What worldwide action is hugely symbolic yet so simple, even a child can participate?

It’s Earth Hour, and it happens for the fourth time on Saturday, March 27, 2010, starting at 8:30 p.m. local time. Just turn off the lights, and you’re in.

Landmarks like the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Empire State Building in New York, St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney’s Opera House, and the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens will go dark for one hour.

New monuments turning off the lights this time include Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Toronto’s CN Tower, the Burj Khalifa (world’s tallest building) in Dubai, and the Bosphorus Bridge that links Asia to Europe in Turkey

Countries like the Czech Republic, Madagascar, Nepal, Panama, Saudi, Arabia, Lithuania, and the Cook Islands will participate in the light’s out demonstration for their first time in 2010. They’re joining Earth Hour originator Australia and past participants such as Brazil, Hong Kong, Egypt, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Japan.

London Bridge as it is lit every night.

How London Bridge will look during Earth Hour. (Photos: World Wildlife Fund)
In the U.S., New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is turning off his lights, and so is the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash. Downtown Atlanta, Chicago, and Nashville will dim. The usually glittering Las Vegas Strip will flick off the switch of the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign along with the marquees for dozens of major hotels and the Fremont Street Experience.

The lights will go out at governors’ residences and/or state capitol buildings in 33 states including Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and New York.

Seattle’s Space Needle, the Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple in Salt Lake City, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge are just a few of the American monuments that will turn off all unnecessary lights.

Las Vegas’ Flamingo Hotel usually has a well-lit marquee featuring the current show.

But during Earth Hour, the Flamingo will go dark. (Photos: World Wildlife Fund)
Why?  The power bills won’t go down dramatically with the lights dimmed for just one hour. (And don’t worry, there won’t be a power surge from people turning lights off and then back on all at once.)

The goal of the World Wildlife Fund-sponsored event isn’t to save energy on this one day — it’s to raise awareness of climate change and energy conservation all year round.

Nashville’s riverfront glows on a typical night.

Nashville makes a stand on climate change during Earth Hour.
(Photos: World Wildlife Fund)
So use this hour in the dark to plan what you’re really going to do to help the planet. There are lots of things that take less than one hour but add up to a lot of conservation.

For example, you could start doing any of these things:

• Turn off lights when you leave a room for 15 minutes or longer.
• Drink tap water instead of bottled water.
• Put your computer in power-save mode.
• Turn off video game consoles when not in use.
• Seal air leaks, adjust your water heater, and control your thermostat to lower energy usage and waste.
• Go meatless on Mondays.
• Watch out for energy vampires around the house and unplug the biggies.
• Swap out all your light bulbs for CFLs.
• Stop catalogs and junk mail from piling up in your mailbox.
• Reduce the brightness of your TV set to the “home” mode.
• Use up leftovers, compost, and avoid wasting food.
• Find out how walkable your hometown is and try walking to your weekend errands.
• Fix a leaky faucet or toilet.
• Use the low-water and low-heat settings on your dishwasher, and don’t pre-rinse dishes.
• Hang your clothes to dry on a clothesline in spring and summer.
• Take public transit to work or school.
• Install dimmer switches on your lights and plug appliances into smart power switches.

Get more ideas for living green, saving energy, saving water, conserving limited resources, and saving money at the same time.

Earth Hour is only 60 minutes. It’s a start, maybe a wake-up call for some when they see landmarks and cities go dark. What we do the rest of the day and the rest of the year is what counts in the long run.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/274/turn-it-off-take-action-for-earth-hour.html

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Genetic material pulled from a pinky finger bone found in a Siberian cave shows a new and unknown type of pre-human lived alongside modern humans and Neanderthals, scientists reported on Wednesday.

The creature, nicknamed “Woman X” for the time being, could have lived as recently as 30,000 years ago and appears only distantly related to modern humans or Neanderthals, the researchers reported.

“It really just looked like something we had never seen before,” Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, told a telephone briefing.

“It was a sequence that looked something like humans but really quite different.”

Writing in Nature, Krause and colleagues said they sequenced DNA from the mitochondria, a part of the cell, which is passed down virtually intact from a woman to her children. They compared it to DNA from humans, Neanderthals and apes.

The sequence indicates the hominin’s line diverged about a million years ago from the line that gave rise to both humans and Neanderthals and that split about 500,000 years ago.

That makes it younger than Homo erectus, the pre-human that spread out of Africa to much of the world about 1.9 million years ago.

“It is some new creature that has not been on our radar screen so far,” said Svaante Paabo, a colleague of Krause’s who specializes in analyzing ancient DNA.

And it would have lived near to both modern humans and Neanderthals. “There were at least three … different forms of humans in this area 40,000 years ago,” Paabo said.

Krause and Paabo are careful not to name the creature a new species just yet. They are now working to sequence nuclear DNA — the DNA that makes up most of the genetic code, which will tell a great deal more about “Woman X”.

NEW SCIENCE OF EVOLUTION

The genetic sequence tells scientists little about what the creature would have looked like or whether it interacted with other humans living in the Altai mountains of Siberia, where the pinky finger bone was found.

The work, done using a DNA sequencer made by Illumina Ltd, suggests a new way is opening to identify the ancestors of humanity. Krause and Paabo had only a tiny fragment of bone to work with and cannot reconstruct a skeleton in the time-honored manner of most paleontologists.

But there may be more there. The cold, dry conditions of the Altai mountains preserve the DNA. Stone tools also have been found in the area, as well as the bones of woolly mammoths but only tantalizing fragments of human bone and teeth.

Researchers have sequenced DNA from mammoths frozen in Siberia and the same team has sequenced DNA from Neanderthals.

Paabo and Krause said it is theoretically possible the creature is related to another potential third species of human — Homo floresiensis, nicknamed “hobbit” — which lived on an island in modern-day Indonesia about 17,000 years ago.

The team has tried without success to get DNA from hobbit bones. Most skeletons of pre-humans have been found in warm places such as Africa, but hot, wet conditions break down DNA.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100324/sc_nm/us_human_species

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GAUHATI, India – The Indian military has a new weapon against terrorism: the world’s hottest chili.

After conducting tests, the military has decided to use the thumb-sized “bhut jolokia,” or “ghost chili,” to make tear gas-like hand grenades to immobilize suspects, defense officials said Tuesday.

The bhut jolokia was accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world’s spiciest chili. It is grown and eaten in India’s northeast for its taste, as a cure for stomach troubles and a way to fight the crippling summer heat.

It has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chili’s spiciness. Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000.

“The chili grenade has been found fit for use after trials in Indian defense laboratories, a fact confirmed by scientists at the Defense Research and Development Organization,” Col. R. Kalia, a defense spokesman in the northeastern state of Assam, told The Associated Press.

“This is definitely going to be an effective nontoxic weapon because its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hide-outs,” R. B. Srivastava, the director of the Life Sciences Department at the New Delhi headquarters of the DRDO said.

Srivastava, who led a defense research laboratory in Assam, said trials are also on to produce bhut jolokia-based aerosol sprays to be used by women against attackers and for the police to control and disperse mobs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_india_chili_grenades

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After nearly two years of speculation, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news on Monday that Chris Evans will be playing Marvel Comics’ iconic hero Captain America in the big-screen adaptation.

The movie, titled “The First Avenger: Captain America,” was announced in 2008 after Marvel Studio’s first production, “Iron Man,” became a box-office hit. The names of many actors — from established stars to mostly unknowns — have been rumored to be up for the role for months. Action movie veterans Channing Tatum (“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra“) and Garrett Hedlund (the upcoming “Tron Legacy“) were reportedly considered, as were TV regulars Chace Crawford (“Gossip Girl”) and Scott Porter (“Friday Night Lights”). Even wild-cards like “The Office” funnyman John Krasinski tested for the part.

Chris Evans was a late addition to the roster of potential leads, but he had already established himself as a comic-book hero by playing the Human Torch in the two “Fantastic Four” movies. This goes against director Joe Johnston’s stated intention to use an unknown actor for the role. But Evans is an American, which was Johnston’s other requirement (and left out foreigners like Australian “Avatar” star Sam Worthington).

Finding the right actor to play Captain America has been pivotal for Marvel Studios because they have grander plans for the character beyond the one film. According to Johnston, “The First Avenger” is an origin story set predominantly during the 1940s, when the red-white-and-blue suited hero first appeared in comics. But the movie will also set up “The Avengers” — based on Marvel’s long-running team series — where Captain America will lead a group of superheroes that will include Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man.

While fans of the comics have expressed their doubts at some of the candidates for the role, response to Evans has been uniformly positive. His performance as Johnny Storm in “Fantastic Four” and “Rise of the Silver Surfer” were widely considered to be the best parts of those movies. It’s been said that Evans will sign a nine-picture contract that could see him appear as Captain America in multiple films, both on his own and with the Avengers.

Production on “The First Avenger” will begin in the U.K. in June. Hugo Weaving (“The Matrix“) is in talks to play Captain America’s nemesis, the Red Skull. It is the third movie in Marvel Studio’s pipeline, following “Iron Man 2,” which is coming to theaters on May 7th of this year, and “Thor,” currently filming for a May 2011 release. “Captain America” is scheduled to open on July 22, 2011.

In the meantime, Chris Evans has two films set to open this year, both of which also happen to be based on comic books. Next month, he’ll play a Special Forces operative in the adaptation of Vertigo Comics’ “The Losers.” Then in August he will appear in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” based on the graphic novel series.

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-chris-evans-wins-captain-america.html

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By Trey Kerby

Deron Williams(notes) had a long week — five games in seven days. So come Saturday night, after a nice steal and making a tough layup while getting fouled he just wanted to chill. Luckily his buddies Ricky D and Fake Forest Whitaker (probably a nickname) were in town to kick it.

It was a nice moment for the three old friends to connect. But Deron wished he had more time to spend with his bros. So later, when the game was all wrapped-up, Deron did the chicken dance as a shout-out to all the time they spent chasing chickens around Ricky’s farm as youngsters back in Texas.

It was a touching tribute, and completely made up — just like the rest of this story.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Video-Deron-Williams-is-just-loungin-?urn=nba,229374

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By Trey Kerby

Nothing much to see here. Just your almost daily reminder that LeBron James(notes) has no problem dunking the ball with his head near the rim. Typical basketball stuff. No big deal.

I’m becoming more and more convinced that Mo Williams(notes) throws his alley-oops really high on purpose. It might be the only way to keep LeBron interested. It’s like when quarterbacks would try to overthrow Randy Moss, just to see if he’d be able to get to the ball.

Also, LeBron James can jump high, in case you were wondering.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Video-Ho-hum-LeBron-s-head-almost-hits-the-rim?urn=nba,225807

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By Anita Lienert, Correspondent

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Bizarro, Millennium Force, Nitro and other attention-grabbing roller coasters need to watch their backs. Ferrari has previewed its Ferrari World Abu Dhabi GT roller coaster, and it promises to be one of the most memorable amusement park rides on the planet.
“The GT roller coaster is a racing coaster, which will send two competing roller coaster carriages sprinting along twisting parallel tracks on a race to the finish line,” said Ferrari in a statement. “Each coaster car is a replica of a Ferrari F430 Spider.”
It is the second of two roller coasters that will anchor the amusement park. The other is billed as the world’s fastest roller coaster, with a speed of up to 125 mph that is intended to simulate the feeling of driving a Ferrari F1 racing car.
The roller coasters are two of 20 rides and attractions set for the amusement park, which opens on Yas Island here later this year. The Ferrari GT theme is not only carried on via the roller coaster, but also in the roof of the enclosed theme park. The roof is inspired by the “classic double-curve side profile” of the Ferrari GT.
Inside Line says: Forget your local state fair. The roller coaster rides alone justify the trip to Abu Dhabi.
Just the Facts:
—The roller coaster cars are replicas of the Ferrari F430 Spider.
—The racing coaster sends carriages on parallel tracks to a finish line.
—Another coaster in the park reaches speeds as high as 125 mph.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1368/ferrari-previews-the-gt-roller-coaster/

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Go to Google and type “Where do I find Chuck Norris?” in the search box.  Click “I’m feeling lucky” and this is what you get:

(Photo: Peter Schuchert)

The turritopsis nutricula species of jellyfish may be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth.

Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).

The key lies in a process called transdifferentiation, where one type of cell is transformed into another type of cell. Some animals can undergo limited transdifferentiation and regenerate organs, such as salamanders, which can regrow limbs. Turritopsi nutricula, on the other hand, can regenerate its entire body over and over again. Researchers are studying the jellyfish to discover how it is able to reverse its aging process.

Because they are able to bypass death, the number of individuals is spiking. They’re now found in oceans around the globe rather than just in their native Caribbean waters.  ”We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion,” says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bloggers/26/the-world-s-only-immortal-animal.html

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It’s a Mercedes Benz owned by an Abu Dhabi oil billionaire.

Featuring the newly developed V10 quad turbo with 1,600 horsepower and 2800nm of torque

0-100km/h in less than 2secs, 1/4 mile in 6.89secs running on biofuel.

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