Page 2 News: June 4, 2012 – June 15, 2012
NEWS
Kuwaiti gets 10 years for Twitter blasphemy
A Kuwaiti man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday after he was convicted of endangering state security by insulting the Prophet Mohammad and the Sunni Muslim rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on social media. Shi’ite Muslim Hamad al-Naqi pleaded innocent at the start of the trial last month, saying he did not post the messages and that his Twitter account had been hacked…..
Gassy dinosaurs helped warm Earth
Sometimes climate science isn’t pretty. Dinosaur flatulence may have been a culprit in methane greenhouse gas emissions that kept the ancient world toasty, an analysis suggests. In the journal Current Biology, an analysis led by Dave Wilkinson of Liverpool John Moores University totes up the toots from the ancient plant-eating sauropods of the Age of Dinosaurs, and finds they likely produced even more methane than cows do today…..
New Jersey couple sues, claiming rented house is haunted
A New Jersey couple is suing the landlord of their three-bedroom ranch house in Toms River, claiming it’s haunted, the Asbury Park Press reports. Josue Chinchilla, 37, and Michele Callan, 36, fled the house in March after staying only one week and want their $2,250 security deposit back. They claim they had to endure a series of “paranormal activity” at the house, including lights that switch on and off…..
US students survive 9 days in New Zealand bush
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Two U.S. students trapped in the New Zealand wilderness by a snowstorm trekked back out to safety after surviving their nine-day ordeal by rationing their meager supplies of trail mix and warming themselves in hot springs. Alec Brown and Erica Klintworth, both 21, returned to the city of Christchurch on Monday after meeting up with members of a search team — famished but otherwise in good shape…..
Offbeat ways retirees earn money
These days trying to find high-quality income-producing stocks or bonds—ones yielding better than a measly 2% or 3%—can be as frustrating as trying to tie your shoelaces with one hand. Don’t despair: There are ways to boost income in retirement that go beyond the usual suspects—sometimes way beyond. Here are five ideas. If you live in an area where people routinely burn wood to heat their homes, you might consider…..
SPORTS/OUTDOORS
Massive swell sets stage for unforgettable big-wave surfing session
Kelly Slater was victorious Monday in the Volcom Fiji Pro at Tavarua, but the bigger story was the massive swell that slammed the remote island earlier during the ASP World Championship Tour competition. The waves on Friday were so large and powerful that the contest was postponed after two heats, but that did not prevent a handful of competitors and some of the world’s premier big-wave riders…..
AUTOS
10 pricey autos and their cheaper counterparts
The dream is to park a new Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, or Range Rover in the family garage. The reality is that exotic and luxury cars are horrendously expensive. But there are reasonably priced cars that ape the spirit of the higher-priced ones, and come surprisingly close in performance, luxury, or design (but not all three.) These ten imitators provide some serious bang for your buck…..
9 great road-trip cars
If you’re thinking of hitting the road this summer, here are some of the best cars to take: Ford Mustang -Price: $27,310. Sure, the backseats might be a little snug but what if you don’t really need back seats? It’s hard to imagine a better car to take out on the open road than a Mustang V6 convertible, a car that’s fuel efficient, fun and very, very cool…..
TRAVEL
5 stunning music venues
Whereas some buildings can survive on their looks alone, concert halls and opera houses must appeal to the ears as well as the eyes. The degree to which contemporary performance venues succeed on both fronts is the focus of Site and Sound: The Architectural and Acoustics of New Opera Houses and Concert Halls (The Monacelli Press, $50), a thoughtful new book by architectural historian Victoria Newhouse…..
7 must-try roller coasters
Bringing new meaning to the phrase “off the rails,” Six Flags Great America’s new roller coaster, X Flight, opened to the public on May 16 with one very unusual feature: There is no track above or below you. Thrill seekers sit in pairs, suspended on either side of the track with feet dangling, soaring at speeds of 55 mph through 3,000 feet of drops and various inversions, including a barrel roll and 360-degree twists…..
10 most beautiful paths
With all due respect to road trips, some of the world’s most breathtaking routes aren’t fit for four-wheel drives. And they’re better off for it. After all, aren’t the world’s most beautiful views best absorbed at your own pace? These 10 gorgeous trails, paths, and passageways let you do just that—from the saddle of a bicycle, a pair of skis, or your own two feet—without any impatient drivers looming in your rearview mirror…..
PHOTOS
National Geographic: Photo Gallery: Colorful Sea Creatures
The Ocean: The creatures that inhabit the world’s oceans run the full spectrum of colors—often in intricate patterns, advanced camouflage, and varying degrees of transparency. Here, a white sea anemone keeps company with a sea star in the waters off British Columbia. There are more than a thousand sea anemone species. The invertebrate takes its name from the equally flashy terrestrial anemone flower…..
