0 The News Tribe

Chocolate milk the best drink after exercise: study Posted: 25 Dec 2012 03:08 PM PST Washington: A study in the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition' revealed that after a hard workout session at the gym chocolate milk was considered to be the best for recovery as it contained eight to 11 grams of protein. The study also said that milk-based proteins promote greater muscle protein synthesis than soy-based proteins if taken immediately after exercise. "Milk contains nearly 80 per cent casein-protein content and 20 per cent whey protein content. Which is ideal because the whey protein is fast-acting, allowing amino acids to get right into the muscle tissue, while the casein-protein is digested slower, providing a steady stream of amino acids over a lengthier period of time," said the study. The study further said that drinking chocolate milk after workout also provided around 20 to 25 grams of carbohydrates. It was observed that after the recovery period, those who were drinking post-workout chocolate milk showed enhanced performance between the interval sessions which indicated that the carbohydrates in chocolate milk were doing a better job in recovery than carbohydrates in other replacement beverages. Sugar in the drink will cause a spike in insulin levels. Without this insulin spike, athletes are going to be looking at a slower recovery period, which could mean more time out of the gym. The drink also contains calcium, which is one of the minerals that plays a critical role in the “power stroke” – when the individual muscle fibers generate tension through a cross-bridge cycling pattern, causing contraction to take place. By drinking post-workout chocolate milk you will increase your daily calcium intake, and increase the likelihood of an optimal power stroke.

New York Knicks vs Los Angeles Lakers: Marcus Camby to return, says Mike Woodson Posted: 25 Dec 2012 02:55 PM PST Los Angeles: Marcus Camby, who has missed the last 14 games due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot, will return to the Knicks lineup against the Lakers, head coach Mike Woodson confirmed. "We're going to put him in there," Woodson said. "We're going to need him based on the bigs that they have up front, so he will play." But he said he was unsure of Camby's performance at the time. "I don't know, I mean, I've got to gauge it as we go along," he said. "It's not like I can sit here and say he's going to play 30 minutes. I'd be lying when I say that, because he just hasn't had enough court time yet. So we'll gauge it as we go along," NBC Sports quoted him as saying. Woodson refused to speculate further, saying: "I really don't know, honest to God I don't. "Because he just hasn't had a chance to practice. We'll put him out there and just see how it goes. Hell, he might get out there and have a ell of a game for us, so that's what I'm expecting. We'll see." Camby hasn't played much at all for the Knicks this season, appearing in just six games and playing a total of 42 minutes. Now in his 19th season, Camby has career averages of 9.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocked shots per game, the report said.

Joe Salter’s juggling triathlon: One of weirdest world records in 2012 Posted: 25 Dec 2012 02:06 PM PST Florida: Joe Salter from Pensacola, Florida, made incredible achievement on April 21 when he swam a quarter-mile while juggling three balls, then biked 16.2 miles while juggling two balls in one hand and also ran four miles while juggling. The athlete, 31-year-old public school counsellor, completed a triathlon while juggling the whole time made history this year by setting one of the strangest world records. Even more amazing, he did this all in 1 hour and 57 minutes, according to The Huffington Post. The record earned Salter a huge fame and now the title of being the person who set the weirdest world record of 2012, according to RecordSetter.com, an adjudicating agency that has found a niche in the competitive world record recording business by allowing people to submit their own wacky world records for consideration. Following are the details of the triathlon: Triathlon Juggling World Record (1st Person to Juggle while completing an entire triathlon) April 21, 2012 Finish Time: 1hr 57min (Started in last wave, official clock time minus 9 minutes) Swim: 1/4 Mile (21min 39sec) Bike: 16.2 Miles (1hr 42sec) Run: 4 Miles (31min 29 Sec) Placed 147 out of 246 Participants Juggling Stats: -Zero Drops for Bike and Run -3 drops in water on Swim Approximate number of Throws and Catches: During Swim: 4,140 Bike: 8,640 Run: 6,912 Total number of throws/catches in race: 19,692 Charity Fundraising: Raised over $2200 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of North-West Florida. Race: Flora-Bama Mullet Man Triathlon Perdido Key, FL Salter’s amazing stunt is still getting praise and admiration around the world, but especially from fellow “jugglers” like Perry Romanowski, who runs a website dedicated to the sport justyouraveragejoggler.com. “Before him, no one was able to figure out the swimming part of the triathlon,” Romanowski told The Huffington Post. “He was the first one.” However, it wasn’t easy picking the weirdest record of the year, according to RecordSetter.com co-founder Dan Rollman. Salter’s achievement was worth celebrating, but his record was just one of many weird ones, Rollman said. Besides Salter, other weird record-holders include Pete Moyer, who performed 10 chin-ups in a row while swiveling a hoop around his hips; Zakk Shanks, who managed to ride his unicycle 30 feet along the floor of a swimming pool; and rapper Street Light, who managed to freestyle rap for 13 hours in a row.

Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre: Teachers’ heroics change public perception Posted: 25 Dec 2012 01:43 PM PST Connecticut: On a building in the Newtown, where 20 children and six others were killed in a school shooting incident, a spray-painted sign hanging with four words, “Hug a teacher today”. The teachers lost their lives when a gunman broke into Sandy Hook Elementary School and opened fire. They jumped into the situation and hid students in closets and bathrooms, and even threw themselves in the line of fire. Their selfless and heroic sacrifice was praised highly by most teachers as they vowed they would do exactly the same if they ever came face to face with a gunman in the classroom. Many teachers of the unfortunate school got extra thanks from parents and students for their role of securing children during the massacre. That gratitude for teachers is a relief from recent years in which politicians and the public have viewed them as anything but heroes. Teachers have been the focus of increased scrutiny and criticism for the perception of having generous, unnecessary benefits and job security. While teachers in the US saw their responsibilities increased and their salaries remained relatively flat over the last two decades at about $55,000 after adjustment for inflation. The salaries for starting teachers were usually lower. Whether the courageous actions in Newtown lead to anything more than a temporary shift in the tone of how the nation talks about teachers remains to be seen. But for the moment, teachers are grateful.

Ben Affleck rules out running for John Kerry’s Senate seat in Massachusetts Posted: 25 Dec 2012 01:33 PM PST Boston: Hollywood actor and director Ben Affleck has said on Monday that despite his love for the political process, he will not be running for US Democratic Senator John Kerry’s seat. The seat would be open if the Massachusetts senator is confirmed as secretary of state. Speculation about Affleck rose slightly when he did not completely rule out a Senate bid during an appearance on CBS’ Face The Nation on Sunday, The Associated Press reported. Affleck says in a Facebook post he would continue working with the Eastern Congo Initiative, a non-profit organisation that helps direct humanitarian aid to the war-torn region, and for other causes. He says Kerry would make a great secretary of state.

NBA Christmas Day 2012: Boston Celtics beat Brooklyn Nets as Rajon Rondo scores 19 Posted: 25 Dec 2012 12:24 PM PST New York: Rajon Rondo scored 19 points and contributed six rebounds and five assists as the Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets 93-76 on Tuesday in an NBA Christmas Day matchup. The Celtics made a successful start to a four-game road trip, pulling level with the Nets at 14-13 for the season. Both clubs now share second place in the Atlantic Division behind the New York Knicks. Jared Sullinger scored 16 points for the Celtics while Jeff Green added 15 points and Kevin Garnett had eight points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which lost twice to Brooklyn earlier this season. “We played firm. That’s what we have got to be,” Garnett said. “We’ve got to be more consistent with what we are doing.” After the Nets battled back within eight points, the Celtics scored the last seven points of the third quarter to seize a 73-68 lead. Rondo had nine of Boston’s 17 points in the third quarter to spark the visitors. Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace each scored 15 points to lead Brooklyn while Joe Johnson added 12 in a losing cause. The Nets, who lost for the fourth time in five games and fell to 9-7 at home this season, were without power forward Kris Humphries, who is suffering from an abdominal strain. He is averaging 7.1 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.

RIP Charles Durning: ‘King of character actors’ dies at 89 Posted: 25 Dec 2012 12:09 PM PST New York: Charles Durning, a decorated veteran of World War II and one of Hollywood's top character actors, has died at his New York City home on Monday at the age of 89. A New York City funeral home said he died of natural causes. Durning appeared in films like “The Sting”, “Tootsie” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”. He was nominated for nine Emmys for his television work as well as two Academy Awards, Reuters reported. The actor won a Tony Award for playing Big Daddy in a 1990 Broadway revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. In addition to scores of TV shows, he appeared in more than 100 films. Durning was nominated for supporting-actor Oscars for playing a Nazi in the 1984 Mel Brooks comedy “To Be or Not to Be” and the governor in the musical “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” in 1983. “Whorehouse” was one of 13 movies Durning made with friend Burt Reynolds, as well as Reynolds’ 1990s TV sitcom “Evening Shade.” Other notable Durning movie roles included a cop in “Dog Day Afternoon,” a man who falls in love with Dustin Hoffman’s cross-dressing character in “Tootsie,” “Dick Tracy,” “Home for the Holidays,” “The Muppet Movie,” “North Dallas Forty” and “O Brother Where Art Thou?” He was nominated for Emmys for the TV series “Rescue Me,” “NCIS,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Captains and the Kings” and “Evening Shade,” as well as the specials “Death of a Salesman,” “Attica” and “Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.” Durning was married twice and had three children.

China rare earths producer, Baotou Steel, extends output halt Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:25 AM PST Beijing: China’s largest rare earths producer said Tuesday it would suspend output at some plants for another month, extending a halt started in late October to try and stem falling prices. Baotou Steel Rare-Earth will halt firing, smelting and separation of rare earths at its factories in Baotou in the northern region of Inner Mongolia for one more month, it said in a statement filed with the Shanghai bourse. “The rare earth market recovered slightly in the two months when production … was suspended. But there has been no fundamental turnaround,” it said. The firm, also called Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-earth (Group) Hi-tech, on October 23 started halting production at almost all of its plants, including two in the eastern province of Jiangxi. China produces more than 95 percent of the world’s rare earths, 17 elements crucial for making a range of hi-tech products including iPads and wind turbines. The country’s control over the sought-after resources — through production caps and export quotas — has sparked a dispute with major trading partners. The price of praseodymium-neodymium oxide, a rare earths compound used for ceramics and magnetic materials, has slid to around 300,000 yuan ($48,000) per tonne, less than one fourth the level at the highest point last year, the official Xinhua news agency said Tuesday. Baotou Steel Rare-Earth implemented a similar month-long production halt in October last year, but failed to reverse the downtrend in global and domestic prices of rare earths. The company said in October that its third-quarter net profit slumped 89.6 percent from the same period last year to 119.9 million yuan. Its shares ended down 0.72 percent to 37.17 yuan Tuesday after the announcement.

Syria peace envoy meets opposition, Gulf urges transition Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST Damascus: Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met Tuesday with internal opposition groups as he pushed a new initiative to end Syria’s conflict, and as Gulf Arab states urged a rapid political transition in the country. Pope Benedict XVI called in his traditional Christmas message for “an end to the bloodshed” and for “dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution” in Syria. Brahimi, the UN-Arab League’s special envoy to Syria, held talks at his Damascus hotel with a delegation of six people led by Hassan Abdel Azim, head of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change (NCCDC), an opposition group tolerated by the regime. Azim said afterwards that Brahimi would stay in Syria until Sunday “to try to implement an international consensus to end the crisis.” Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad (right) meets peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi in the capital Damascus on December 24, 2012 © AFP His deputy Raja Nasser was more forthcoming, telling reporters: “The only solution is a transitional government that holds all powers. “A political solution is the only solution, and this means the establishment of a new democratic regime instead of the current regime.” The comments come in the wake of a report by a French daily of a supposed US-Russian initiative for a transition in Syria, which has caused rage among opponents who reject any compromise with the regime. Le Figaro newspaper said a solution in the offing would involve keeping Assad in power until 2014 while preventing him from further renewing his mandate. The Local Coordination Committees, a grassroots network of anti-regime activists, blasted Brahimi and the international community for failing to stop the bloodshed. On Tuesday at least 31 people were killed across Syria according to preliminary figures given by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a day after 126 people died. More than 44,000 people have been killed since the uprising erupted in March last year, the Observatory estimates. “Brahimi’s arrival in Damascus to discuss a new political initiative to solve the crisis caused by the regime… has not put a stop… to massacres,” the LCC said. A Syrian woman lights candles at Christmas eve mass at the Mar Elias church in Damascus on December 24, 2012 © AFP It said the LCC rejects “any initiative that puts Syrians in a position where they are extorted and forced to choose between accepting unfair compromises, or the continuation of the regime’s crimes against them.” The opposition Muslim Brotherhood also dismissed any compromise that would leave Assad in power. “We consider that giving Assad the opportunity to commit an endless string of crimes is tantamount to complicity in these crimes,” it said. Brahimi met Assad on Monday, saying afterwards that they had “exchanged views on the many steps to be taken in the future” regarding the “always worrying” Syrian crisis. Assad called the meeting “friendly and constructive.” Violence raged southwest of Damascus on Tuesday, mainly in the towns of Moadamiyet al-Sham and Daraya, the Observatory said, adding at least eight people were “summarily executed” in the area by regime forces. Rebels seized the town of Harem in the northwestern province of Idlib, large swathes of which are now in rebel hands, it added. The Gulf Cooperation Council of six Arab monarchies expressed “deep sadness over the continued shedding of blood by the regime and the destruction of cities and infrastructure” and urged a rapid political transition. The United Nations warned on Tuesday that Syrians are “losing hope” as war worsens.  UN relief official John Ging said: “People are losing hope because they just see more violence on the horizon, they just see a deterioration.” The Pope in his Christmas message pleaded for a peaceful solution in Syria. “Once again I appeal for an end to the bloodshed, easier access for the relief of refugees and the displaced, and dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict,” he said.

Stomach virus rules Rafael Nadal out of Abu Dhabi return Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:06 AM PST Madrid: Former men’s tennis world number one Rafael Nadal’s long-awaited return after an agonising six-month knee injury battle has been put off because of a stomach infection, he revealed on his Twitter and Facebook sites on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Spaniard – who hasn’t played since his shock second round exit to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June – had been due to play in a six player exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this week ahead of his return to the ATP circuit at Doha from December 31. He was due to join world number one Novak Djokovic and US Open champion Andy Murray among others at the three day event. “I am really sorry but I cannot compete this year in Abu Dhabi,” wrote the seven-time French Open champion and presently ranked number four in the world. “Everything was ready and I was really eager to return to competition, but the doctors have forbidden me to participate in Abu Dhabi because of a viral infection of the stomach which has provoked a fever.” Nadal, an 11-time Grand Slam title winner, has been plagued by knee injuries throughout his career, a legacy of his all-action style. But earlier this week he shrugged off any fears that despite falling to number four in the world rankings, he is no longer a threat to Djokovic, Murray and world number two Roger Federer. “I haven’t forgotten how to play. I have played over 600 ATP matches and I have spent two years without playing. My feeling is good. I won Roland Garros and those emotions are still me,” he said. “The doctors say the knee is fine and that is great news for me. I still feel something, it’s not perfect.” Nadal insisted he is not bitter over his recent experiences. “I have accepted it as normal, as part of my career, part of my job. It’s another challenge,” he told marca.com. “All I can do is try. But people have to realise that when you’re so many months without competing you need time to progress.”