Saturday June 2, 2012

BETH HARRIS

AP Racing Writer

A nose. That's all that separated Real Quiet from racing immortality. He was beaten by the smallest of margins in the 1998 Belmont Stakes, the longest and toughest leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.

Affirmed was the last to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, 34 years ago. Since then, 11 horses have won the first two only to come up short in the Belmont, felled by a safety pin picked up in a stall, a stumble out of the gate or a jockey's judgment.

Now it's I'll Have Another's turn to try to become the 12th Triple Crown winner.

The chestnut colt chased down pacesetter Bodemeister in the final 100 yards to win the Kentucky Derby on May 5. Two weeks later, he surged past Bodemeister a few yards from the finish line in the Preakness to win by a neck.

Bodemeister won't be back to challenge I'll Have Another in the Belmont. But 10 other rivals are likely, including Derby also-rans Dullahan, Optimizer and Union Rags. The others are horses that skipped one or both of the first two legs, leaving them well-rested for the 1 1-2 mile run around the deep, sandy dirt track.

"It ain't like the old days where everyone used to run in all three," said Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who is 1 for 13 in the Belmont. "It's taxing on the horse to run in all three. If somebody is hiding behind the bushes waiting to jump you when they're all fresh, they can

Smith will be aboard one of the fresh ones in next Saturday's Belmont. He'll ride Paynter, who skipped the Derby and Preakness.

Read more here:
Racing immortality fleeting at Belmont

A nose. That's all that separated Real Quiet from racing immortality. He was beaten by the smallest of margins in the 1998 Belmont Stakes, the longest and toughest leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.

Affirmed was the last to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, 34 years ago. Since then, 11 horses have won the first two only to come up short in the Belmont, felled by a safety pin picked up in a stall, a stumble out of the gate or a jockey's judgment.

Now it's I'll Have Another's turn to try to become the 12th Triple Crown winner.

The chestnut colt chased down pacesetter Bodemeister in the final 100 yards to win the Kentucky Derby on May 5. Two weeks later, he surged past Bodemeister a few yards from the finish line in the Preakness to win by a neck.

Bodemeister won't be back to challenge I'll Have Another in the Belmont. But 10 other rivals are likely, including Derby also-rans Dullahan, Optimizer and Union Rags. The others are horses that skipped one or both of the first two legs, leaving them well-rested for the 1 1-2 mile run around the deep, sandy dirt track.

''It ain't like the old days where everyone used to run in all three,'' said Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who is 1 for 13 in the Belmont. ''It's taxing on the horse to run in all three. If somebody is hiding behind the bushes waiting to jump you when they're all fresh, they can beat you.''

Smith will be aboard one of the fresh ones in next Saturday's Belmont. He'll ride Paynter, who skipped the Derby and Preakness.

Nineteen times since 1944 horses have come to the Belmont with a chance to win the Triple Crown.

Big Brown was the last horse to take a shot in 2008. But he bombed out in the Belmont, mysteriously getting eased at the top of the stretch and leaving nearly 95,000 fans stunned at the sight of the colt with the bad feet failing to finish.

The final 1 1-2 miles on the Triple Crown trail can do a number on a horse, trainer and jockey.

Continued here:
Triple Crown bids often come undone in Belmont

I recently bumped into a cute story that seemed familiar. It suggested a switch to an 18-cent coin. I found it by way of Hacker News for my money ($0), the best news aggregator for the tech set. It was a fairly typical blog post: a summary of a paper that ran the math and determined that the average number of coins one gets from a cash register is 4.7. But the addition of an 18-cent coin would drop that to 3.89.

I like this sort of thing. Its quirky. Its math. It speaks to the stupidity of pennies. It makes me think about government inefficiencies and the very human affection for little hunks of inconvenient metal.

But I couldnt get past the familiarity. I reread the article and realized it was originally written in 2003. Hacker News usually is pretty current, but a story like this is sort of timeless and prone to resurgence.

Then I realized the byline was Roland Piquepaille, and you dont forget a name like that. For many years, Roland was incredibly active on Slashdot, the news website I founded. His submissions were often like this 18-cent-coin piece: off the beaten path and interesting.

Roland died on Jan. 6, 2009. Apparently, last week, somebody searched online for something or other and landed on a story nearly a decade old, written by a man who had been dead for more than three years; it hit the Internet again just as effectively as if it were written yesterday. A trivial but fun little story has a bit of immortality attached to it.

Roland took a lot of garbage from Slashdot readers over the years. He was incredibly effective at what he did, and his name appeared on the site a lot. A community has a habit of being hostile toward anything extreme, and Roland often submitted stories on the fluffier end of the news spectrum. And he succeeded a lot, which made him a target. That always made me a little sad.

But Id like to think he gets the posthumous last laugh. He found fun stuff that we enjoyed reading. I hope that the traces I leave behind after Im gone are still good for the occasional laugh as well. Ill never write the Great American Novel or direct an Oscar-winning film. But the Internet lets all of us live forever.

Rob Malda is chief strategist and editor at large for the Washington Posts WaPo Labs team. Under the pseudonym "CmdrTaco," he created the "news for nerds" website Slashdot.org.

Read more here:
Online, fun and immortality

In the high-tech hothouse of Silicon Valley where the leafy streets are lined with temples to Microsoft, Apple and Google, one establishment seems distinctly out of place.

Moffett Airfield is a relic of another era, three vast hangars stark reminders of a time when people took to the skies in airships, travelling across San Francisco Bay at a sedate 80kmh.

Today these lighter-than-air leviathans have long since sailed off into the sunset, but the dream still lives on in the form of a replica Zeppelin that takes tourists for a trip down memory lane.

As they float over the sprawling airfield, where Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin park their personal Boeing 767, they are most likely unaware of an extraordinary odyssey taking place right below them.

Nestled alongside Hangar One, a gargantuan structure that covers an area the size of six football fields, is a modest building housing an elite organisation known as the Singularity University.

Its here that some of the worlds best and brightest minds, including two young New Zealanders, have been on a quest to find the Holy Grail immortality.

Brothers Luke and David Hutchison from Auckland were two of just 120 scientists worldwide selected to take part in cutting edge research into nano-technology the science of manipulating atoms to build microscopic structures.

Luke says it has profound implications for humankind.

If you lose an arm we should be able to trigger some growth factors where the arm used to be and you should be able to regrow a new arm.

If you have congestive heart failure we should be able to grow a second heart in your chest cavity and then cut out the old one, rather than transplants. So you grow from your own tissues.

Read the original:
Never say die - the quest for immortality

Its Friday! That means its time for our weekly Storify wrapping up the week on Ideas@Innovations.

Its worth noting that this is the only place to see my collection of the best in the weeks videos. Also, it's sharable, and its not landing in your inbox like other newsletters.

Storified by Emi Kolawole Fri, May 25 2012 12:19:27

ICYMI: Our own Vivek Wadhwa was on CBS's 60 Minutes this past weekend. So, we, naturally, started the week with his follow-up on Peter Thiel's then-most recent appearance advocating for kids to reconsider going to college:

Peter Thiel sings siren song to America's youthThiel made this statement based on a 2011 calculation by Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff, which found that plumbers make m...

We also couldn't resist bringing to your attention this wonderful piece from our esteemed colleague Joel Achenbach:

Facebook IPO and Twitter meet Copernican PrinciplePosted at 11:49 AM ET, 05/21/2012 Mazel tov to Mark Zuckerberg and his lovely bride! Now let's talk about that Facebook IPO again. Your b...

And VentureBeat had the story about Reddit's latest gift-giving effort. Featuring Stephen Colbert for the win...

Reddit kicks off new gift exchange to boost troop moraleEver the patriot, The Colbert Report's Stephen Colbert (pictured) was among the first to sign up for the new gift giving program. The new...

STAPLES Center "Sports-ageddon" Conversion - LA KINGS to LAKERS to CLIPPERSscntmarketing

The rest is here:
A siren song, Facebook’s special, TED , Gatsby and immortality: The week that was in innovation

During my daily news consumption, I bumped into a cute story that seemed a bit familiar. The story was a suggestion to switch to an 18 cent coin. I found it by way of Hacker News, for my money ($0), the best news aggregator for the tech set. The article was a fairly typical blog post, a summary of a longer paper, which simply ran the math and determined that the average number of coins you get from a cash register will be 4.7 coins. But the addition of an 18 cent coin would drop that to 3.89.

The story itself is nice, since I like this sort of thing. Its quirky. Its math. It speaks to the stupidity of pennies (and increasingly nickels). It makes me think about government inefficiencies, and the very human affection for little hunks of metal that are actually really inconvenient and clink in my pocket. But I couldnt get past the familiarity. I backed up and re-read the article a lot slower and realized why.

First, the story was originally written in 2003. This is a little odd for Hacker News which usually is pretty current, but a story like this is sort of timeless and prone to random resurgence. But then I realized the reason for this particular resurgence: The by-line was Roland Piquepaille, and you dont forget a name like that.

Roland was incredibly active on Slashdot for many years. His submissions were often just like this 18 cent coin piece: a little off the beaten path, but often interesting. His nickname on Slashdot was rpiquepa and his account is number 5 on the all time submission list with a pretty amazing 477 accepted stories.

Why did I care? Roland died Jan 6, 2009.

He died, but his site lives on. And apparently this week somebody searched online for something or other, landed on a story nearly a decade old and written by a man who had been dead for over 3 years. And that content hit the Internet again just as effectively as if it were written yesterday. A trivial but fun little story has a bit of immortality attached to it.

Roland took a lot of garbage from Slashdot readers over the years. He was incredibly effective at what he did, and his name appeared on the site a lot. A community has a nasty habit of being a little extra hostile towards anything extreme, and Roland often submitted stories on the fluffier end of the news spectrum, and he succeeded a lot, which made him a target. That always made me a little sad.

But Id like to think he gets the posthumous last laugh. He found fun stuff that we enjoyed reading. I hope that the traces I leave behind after Im gone are still good for the occasional laugh as well. Ill never write the Great American Novel or direct the Oscar Award Winning Film. But the Internet lets all of us live forever.

The author is the founder of Slashdot.org

Read more news and ideas on Innovations , and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Tumblr , Google+ and Pinterest .

Continue reading here:
The Internet and the secret to immortality

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

David Hasselhoff, who achieved rerun immortality of sorts for his roles in such TV shows as Knight Rider and Baywatch, will be cast in the demanding role of himself in a new TV ad from Cumberland Farms, the Framingham-based chain of convenience stores said.

Developed by Boston advertising agency Full Contact, the campaign builds on the two surprises of Cumberland Farms Farmhouse Blend that consumers can get a great cup of coffee at a convenience store, and that the coffee is 99 cents for any size, any time, the chain said in a press release.

In one TV ad, Hasselhoff is so impressed by his Cumberland Farms iced coffee that he declares it to be, Hofftastic!

Hofftastic indeed. This may not be the first time that Hasselhoff has appeared as himself. According to Wikipedia, the ageless pretty boy played the same role in The Spongebob Squarepants Movie.

Read the original post:
Hollywood’s David Hasselhoff will pitch iced coffee for Cumberland Farms

In the near future, the cure for ageing is found. Will we and the world we live in survive it? Heres an entertaining examination of the possible consequences.

The Postmortal

Author: Drew Magary

Publisher: Penguin, 365 pages

THE cure for ageing has been found. Of course, its not legal ... yet. But thats not going to stop John Farrell from getting it.

After all, for the price of some blood, three admittedly painful injections, a waiting period of two weeks and US$7,000 (to be paid in denominations no higher than US$50), potential immortality is quite a good deal.

You can still die, of course, as the doctor who administers the cure to Farrell tells him. Those who have stopped ageing are still vulnerable to diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS, as well as fatal accidents and murders.

But otherwise, Farrell will effectively be biologically 29 years old for the rest of his life.

The Postmortal is the story of the rest of his life, cleverly told through a LifeRecorder app in which Farrell records and saves his thoughts, conversation transcripts, e-mails, news links and digital articles.

Taking a page from the found-footage movie genre, this book is, in a sense, found footage, as readers will see from the prologue, which also cleverly drops in a one-sentence note at its end that tantalises readers into reading the book to find out what its about.

See original here:
Immortality will kill us

Every few months scientists inform us that something we have been doing for years will either kill us or make us live forever. According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, coffee extends your life. Drink six or more cups per day, and you have a 10 to 15 percent lower risk of death.

I love coffee. I drink so much that, if this study is to be believed, I am functionally immortal.

It is reassuring to hear that something you do may extend your life. Usually longevity requires uncomfortable concessions like push-ups or kale. "To get back my youth," Oscar Wilde wrote, "I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable." Thats how I feel. But coffee I can do.

You dont drink coffee because you like it. You drink it because at some point you found yourself surrounded by bright-eyed, bushy-tailed people who had never met a morning they disliked, and you were expected to engage with them. Who are these people, you asked. Havent they read all the studies about how staying up late is an indicator of higher mental functions?

Then coffee came along.

If coffee were a religion, Id be high enough in the ranks of believers to be entitled to a strange hat. You can tell because of my jittery hands and use of exclamation points.

Maybe coffee is something of a religion. Coffee has its temples in airports, on street corners, even small household altars. Worshipers of Starbucks and of Independent Coffee Shops squint mistrustfully at each other. Coffee has rituals the grinding, the dripping, the brewing, the mysterious hissing and ritual exclamations ("Not before Ive had my coffee!"). There are heretics ("Ive switched to tea") and evangelists ("Have you tried Black Blood of the Earth? Its for people who like coffee but wish it contained more coffee!") and all kinds of different approaches.

And now we hear it leads to eternal life.

That was the only logical next step.

Alexandra Petri writes The Washington Posts ComPost blog, a lighter take on the news and issues of the day, and she contributes to the Posts editorial page.

Read the rest here:
I’ll take mine with a shot of immortality

MEN IN MAROON: Ash Harrison tells Amanda Lucas about his Origin idols and rivals.

And Meninga's appraisal was last night supported by 1981 foundation Immortal John Raper, who said Inglis will move a step closer to greatness if he dominates the Blues in Origin I at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium.

Inglis stands on the cusp of Origin immortality, with the in-form Queensland centre needing just one try to surpass Maroons stalwart Dale Shearer (12 tries in 26 games) as the greatest tryscorer in the event's 32-year history.

Meninga is the frontrunner to be named the code's eighth Immortal in September and the Maroons master coach says Inglis is on course to join Clive Churchill, Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands, Reg Gasnier, Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson and Raper in the elite group.

And Meninga's appraisal was last night supported by 1981 foundation Immortal John Raper, who said Inglis will move a step closer to greatness if he dominates the Blues in Origin I at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium.

Inglis stands on the cusp of Origin immortality, with the in-form Queensland centre needing just one try to surpass Maroons stalwart Dale Shearer (12 tries in 26 games) as the greatest tryscorer in the event's 32-year history.

Meninga is the frontrunner to be named the code's eighth Immortal in September and the Maroons master coach says Inglis is on course to join Clive Churchill, Bob Fulton, Graeme Langlands, Reg Gasnier, Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson and Raper in the elite group.

Asked if Inglis could one day be crowned an Immortal, Meninga said: "Absolutely. For mine, I can't see any reason why Greg won't rise to that status.

"He really is playing extraordinary football for Souths.

"The thing is he's still got so much football ahead of him. He's in great shape and he is more professional than he has ever been.

Read more:
Inglis destined for immortality: Mal

Every few months scientists inform us that something we have been doing for years will either kill us or make us live forever. According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, coffee extends your life. Drink six or more cups per day, and you have a 10 to 15 percent lower risk of death.

I love coffee. I drink so much that, if this study is to be believed, I am functionally immortal.

It is reassuring to hear that something you do may extend your life. Usually longevity requires uncomfortable concessions like push-ups or kale. To get back my youth, Oscar Wilde wrote, I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable. Thats how I feel. But coffee I can do.

You dont drink coffee because you like it. You drink it because at some point you found yourself surrounded by bright-eyed, bushy-tailed people who had never met a morning they disliked, and you were expected to engage with them. Who are these people, you asked. Havent they read all the studies about how staying up late is an indicator of higher mental functions?

Then coffee came along.

If coffee were a religion, Id be high enough in the ranks of believers to be entitled to a strange hat. You can tell because of my jittery hands and use of exclamation points.

Maybe coffee is something of a religion. Coffee has its temples in airports, on street corners, even small household altars. Worshipers of Starbucks and of Independent Coffee Shops squint mistrustfully at each other. Coffee has rituals the grinding, the dripping, the brewing, the mysterious hissing - and ritual exclamations (Not before Ive had my coffee!). There are heretics (Ive switched to tea) and evangelists (Have you tried Black Blood of the Earth? Its for people who like coffee but wish it contained more coffee!) and all kinds of different approaches.

And now we hear it leads to eternal life.

That was the only logical next step.

Excerpt from:
Perspective: With a shot of immortality

I can see it now: Hologram Elvis thin, commanding, perpetually youthful descending on a concert stage for a world tour that would surpass anything he ever embarked on in real life.

Thank you, thank you veramuch. Doughnuts? Not for me, thanks.

And Michael Jackson, healthy at last, running through his massive catalogue of hits with an energy and resolve he could never muster in the sad years before his death no Propofol required.

Ditto for Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and a raft of other expired-before-their-time pop stars for whom the demands of fame trounced their natural talent.

Make yourselves at home, dudes theres plenty of heroin and booze in the green room. Oh wait, youre not real.

Welcome to the future, evidenced by the Christ-like resurrection of dead rapper Tupac Shakur as a two-dimensional, yet fully functional hologram at last months Coachella festival in California, the latest bid by the music industry to save itself from a case of built-in obsolescence.

Its a sad story, as original stadium bands like the Beach Boys and Rolling Stones limp along with fading resolve Its our 50th anniversary (cough cough)while the auto-tuned, lipsyncing acts of today would be lucky to fill a phone booth.

The concert industry is dying, baby, and except for warm weather festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo noncorporate extravaganzas that span generations no one holds much hope for the future of live performances on an epic scale.

Music, once the vanguard of popular culture, has splintered damn you, internet into a thousand tiny niches at the exact moment rock has indulged in an endless retro loop, making bands with the clout to fill big stadiums few and far between.

The good news is, with the invention of the hologram, it no longer matters, because the glory days can continue forever, unburdened by egos, sickness, squandered talent, even death.

Read the rest here:
Popsmacked!: Pop’s brave new world of immortality

COFFEE IS GREAT IM A FAN OF COFFEE HEY HOW ARE YA LOOKING GREAT I HAVE LOTS OF ENERGY HEY LETS GO CONQUER SOMETHING LARGE LIKE MAYBE CANADA IT SEEMS MANAGEABLE YOU NEVER HEAR OF PEOPLE TRYING TO INVADE CANADA AND FAILING AM I RIGHT HEY GREAT SO GOOD SEEING YOU BOY THIS IS GREAT COFFEE HUH (Erin Meister - ERIN MEISTER) Every few months, like clockwork, scientists emerge from their lair to inform us that something we have been doing for years will either kill us or make us live forever.

According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, coffee extends your life. Drink six or more cups per day, and you have a 10 percent lower risk of death if youre a man and 15 percent lower if youre a woman. Or so the study, based on self-reported coffee consumption, claims.

I love coffee. I drink so much that, if this study is to be believed, I am functionally immortal.

It is reassuring for once to hear that possibly, just possibly, something you actually do is going to extend your life. Usually longevity requires uncomfortable concessions like onion sandwiches, push-ups or kale. And forget kale, as Cee Lo Green would say.

To get back my youth, Oscar Wilde wrote, I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable. Thats how I feel. But coffee I can do.

Besides, if it werent for coffee, as someone wise once quipped, Id have no personality whatsoever.

Coffee is a civilized vice. As a society, we have agreed upon certain mutually acceptable bad habits. To some extent, this is a crapshoot. Here is a plant, we say, which, when treated and consumed in a certain way, produces a certain stimulatory or depressive effect on the system. Depending on the plant, this is either completely illegal, illegal behind the wheel, illegal in airports and discouraged around babies, or something we are bringing by the gallon to morning meetings! Youre welcome!

If you are one of the fortunate plants, there are hip establishments on corners with counters and tables and low music playing, dedicated to your consumers. If you are not, agents of the law will pursue you over hill and dale, and the only people really enthusiastic about you will have ill-advised beards, bad teeth, unsound political opinions, or the tendency to blow over in high winds.

But we were right about coffee! It even extends your life! Possibly.

The trouble is that most coffee drinkers do not drink it in isolation while doing calisthenics and eating onion sandwiches. Even the study admitted as much. Coffee is the good habit of people with bad habits.

The rest is here:
Alexandra Petri: Coffee, lies, and immortality

David Clarkson is approaching Devils postseason immortality, as last night he scored his third game-winner in these playoffs, beating the Rangers 3-2 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden.

Clarkson is now one goal short of matching the franchises postseason record of four game-winners in one playoff run. Atop the list with four winners are Jeff Friesen and Jamie Langenbrunner (both in the Stanley Cup-winning season of 2002-03), and Neal Broten (1994-95, another Cup-winning season).

Im not chasing anything, Clarkson said. Im just trying to get to those areas.

Charles Wenzelberg

TRUE BLUE: A young Rangers fans waves a rally towel during his teams 3-2 loss to the Devils last night.

His goal came 2:31 into the third period, when he was set up in front of the net and tipped a high wrist shot from Adam Henrique past Henrik Lundqvist. After spending most of the season skating on a dangerous second line with Zach Parise and Patrik Elias, Clarkson was demoted to play with Henrique and Alex Ponikarovsky

In Game 1 he was average, coach Peter DeBoer said, to outstanding tonight.

Added goalie Martin Brodeur, We need him to be dominant. Every time he scores, its a game winner.

* A strange moment came in the second period, with the score tied 1-1 and the Rangers going on the power play on an interference call on Travis Zajac.

Heading to the penalty box after a television timeout, Zajac was stopped.

Read the rest here:
Clarkson comes through for Devils again

Thirty two teams started the battle for glory from September last year. Now, however, the journey has been reduced to the final two-Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Today, both clubs will battle it out for Europe's top club football honour. Football fans, bookmakers and pundits have all predicted an all Spanish final between Barcelona and Real Madrid but Chelsea and Bayern Munich staged upsets in the semi finals by knocking out the two Spanish giants.

Today's final will take place at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich's home ground where the winner will enter into the folklore of football legends while the loser will be left wondering what they will do to conquer Europe someday. The loser today would end up with a second loss in the Champions League final. Bayern Munich is aiming for its fifth Champions League trophy while Chelsea is gunning for a first ever Champions League crown.

The last time these two sides met was in the quarter finals of the Champions League in 2004/2005 season where Chelsea knocked out Bayern Munich by winning 6-5 on aggregate.

Bayern Munich has the luxury of playing the Champions League final in front of their home fans. They will be hoping on ending the season on a high after losing the league and Cup to Borrusia Dortmund, they have already faced an English team already in the competition when they played newly crowned English champions Manchester City with each side winning their home game 2-0.

Bayern has a decent record against English sides in the Champions league. They have played 35 matches, won 13, lost 10 and drew 12. Bayern is playing its fourth Champions League final in 13 years. Bayern fans were left heartbroken in the 1999 finals in Nou Camp when they had one hand already on the trophy but two injury time goals handed Man United the trophy.

They bounced back in the 2001 edition beating Valencia in the finals via penalties. Two years ago they lost to Inter Milan in the finals and will be looking to win this one on their home ground making it the fourth time in history that a club will be playing the finals in its home and the first in this modern era (Real Madrid in 1956/57, Inter Milan in 1964/65 and Roma in 1983/84).

Bayern Munich will be without the services of David Alaba, Holger Badstuber and Luiz Gustavo even though its manager Jupp Heynckes will likely have Mario Gomez, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribry, Toni Kroos, Daniel van Buyten, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, Jrme Boateng and possibly Thomas Mller in his starting lineup, with Manuel Neuer in goal. The Germans will probably go for a three man attack of Gomez, Ribery and Robben.

Bayern's strength lies on their wing play with Ribery and Robben doing damages on the wings. Ashley Cole and Bosingwa will have their hands full containing the duo. Mario Gomez is the second highest goal scorer in the Champions league with 12 goals and need a hattrick to overtake Lionel Messi who has 14 strikes.

Jupp Heynckes will be gunning for his second Champions League crown after leading Real Madrid to the title in 1998. Bayern winger Ribery insists his side will not take the threat of Chelsea very lightly which he believes is tactically superior to Barcelona. "When it comes to the game, Barcelona is stronger," Ribery said. But if you look at organisation, tactics, and set pieces, then Chelsea is better.

In the semi-final, Chelsea played like they had to against a team like Barcelona, and in Munich they will take a defensive approach, with a well-organised and compact team. It will be very hard for us. Also, former Bayern captain and legend Stefan Effenberg believes Bastian Schweinsteiger must step up to the occasion for Bayern to have a good chance of beating Chelsea as the over reliance on Robben and Ribery is becoming too predictable. "There is a lot of hope resting on Schweinsteiger's shoulders and he cannot buy any more time. He must play well now," Effenberg stated

The rest is here:
Nigeria: Chelsea, Bayern Battle for Immortality

Rogers four minutes to immortality

By Stephen Wilson

Monday, May 07, 2012

Roger Bannister remembers those fabled four minutes as if they were yesterday.

Like a proud patriarch regaling wide-eyed children, the 83-year-old avidly recounts that magical four-lap race on a cinder track in Oxford on May 6, 1954 an event that still stands as a transcendent moment in sports.

3 minutes, 59.4 seconds.

"Its amazing," says Bannister, expressive as ever, "that more people have climbed Mount Everest than have broken the 4-minute mile."

The enduring black-and-white images of Bannister, eyes closed, mouth agape, straining across the finish line at the Iffley Road track, symbolise the supreme test of speed and endurance that captured the publics imagination. It made him a global celebrity as the first man to run the mile in under four minutes the mythical barrier that some thought was beyond human reach.

With London hosting the Olympics this summer, the Oxford-educated neurologist knighted Sir Roger in 1975 finds himself in the spotlight again, the embodiment of sporting achievement in Britain.

While Bannister never won an Olympic medal, having finished fourth in the 1,500 metres at the 1952 Helsinki Games, he still represents a strong link to the Olympic ideals of faster, higher, stronger.

Read more here:
Roger’s four minutes to immortality

George Bush the elder, not Dubya is heading for immortality. Executive producer Jerry Weintraub, who brought us Oceans 11, 12, 13 and maybe someday 14, 15 and 16, on how HBOs coming documentary on former President George Herbert Walker Bush came about.

Its on right around the historic D-Day week of June 6. A birthday celebration, its June 14. The 8th is Barbaras 87th birthday, and his 88th is the 12th. The documentary is called 41.

We both have homes in Kennebunkport, [Maine,] so I know the family well. Im close to them for years. Look, Im too old not to know everyone well. A young man whod filmed some footage about astronauts for $1.50 had the idea and started making this. The president asked me to get involved.

The two hours will be all in President Bushs words. First time ever hes talked about himself. Nothing political. No philosophizing. All about his childhood, father, mother, sisters, children, service to the country. Plus never-before-seen private home movies. We shot lots of photos and personal footage. The whole thing took 2 1/2 years.

Bios dont usually do something. This will. Itll tell who he was, what formed him. Its lots about the young Bush.

I called HBOs co-president Richard Plepler and said what Im doing. He came to California to see it. He and Sheila Nevins, who does all their special projects, wanted to do it.

Bush loves what we have. Hes over the moon. My idea was a premiere in Houston, but instead were building a facility in Kennebunkport, and therell be a clambake at his home.

TOM Cruise took singing lessons for next months Rock of Ages film outing. Training with Lenny Kravitz, he surprised everyone. Now, they say, the guy can really carry a tune. Were not talking exactly Andrea Bocelli, but he can actually sing . . . C. David Heymann wrote books on Jackie, Liz, JFK, Barbara Hutton. Jackies gone, Liz gone, Hutton gone, JFK gone, Bobby gone. As of last week, Heymanns gone. He once phoned me to call Elizabeth Taylor a sacred monster.

THE morning line on the presidential election: Pros estimate the same-sex marriage stance brings Obama another $20-$30 million. The gay community is affluent. Willing to spend money. However, the race is too close to call. Romneys language and campaign ads, focusing on Americas prosperity, stimulating jobs, not romance, are having impact.

WHILE learning from Usher, 33, Justin Bieber, 18, is teaching his mentor a few things. At a cover shoot for ABCs Sunday Billboard Music Awards, the senior one said: He makes me feel old. He messes with me about my phone or how slow I type. Replied the junior: Listen, he didnt even know what iChat was!. . . Susan Lucci and five girlfriends lunching at Southamptons 75 Main.

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Straight from Bush’s mouth

Before understanding the need for transformation of our faculties, it becomes necessary to understand Life and Death. Not many of us think of death, but are reminded of the same when persons known, related or connected with us pass away. Sometimes the thought of death leads to fear and the easy way out seems to be to not face the reality of death at whatever time it may occur. The purpose of facing the reality of Death is not to run away or fear it. It is to understand that Life has to be lived to the fullest.

Also the fact that we cannot determine when we will pass away is itself a matter of worry! Why does one not think of death? If the answer is because we are too busy living, it is good. However the need to live life to the fullest and surpass Death (if possible) will become real only when we squarely face the reality that we are not permanent and our faculties will undergo changes as we move on in life.

The next question we need to answer is why we fear death. The philosophers would say that it is because of a wrong identification with the Body/Mind consciousness. This may be true, but the answer most of us can experience is that we do not know what happens when we die. Fear of the unknown or what we cannot predict is one of the most common fears. This leads to anxiety, worry and so on. In fact many times all logic fails and only a fear remains. The Mind is not able to comprehend what happens post death and hence we want to maximize Life. However does it matter if we know and can we change things then?

The solution to change this reaction in Life seems to arise only when the Mind and the Vital energy(Will) act in unison. The way to go beyond the Mind is possible when the Mind is silenced but there is a need to make the Mind a true partner in progress.

Why should one die?

Let us examine Death. It is clear that everything in this world waxes and wanes away. This is the perfect rhythm of Nature. The Body/Mind complex has to also rejuvenate itself and the soul has to witness new experiences. This is very similar to going to sleep and waking up fresh the next day. When one day ends and we sleep the Body/Mind complex rests and we then become ready to open to new experiences going forward. When one understands that Time (as we know it) is of no relevance in the constantly evolving world then how does Death matter. Do we grieve or be afraid of the time spent in sleep?. No, because we think we will wake up again the next day or after a nap!

Let us assume that one does not believe in rebirth. Even then by worrying about Death or how to prevent or postpone it how is any purpose served? Therefore it is ideal if we face the reality that all of us will die one day- in one second or many days later. We don't know when and knowing when does not matter.

The pressing need in Life is to develop a strong courage to face reality. A courage which laughs at or enjoys Death as it does Life. A courage which does not think of Death as an escape from the vicissitudes of Life, but instead knows that Life is meant to be lived in full enjoying each experience as it arises. A Love of Life should not lead to fear but a courage which seeks freedom from fear not only of death but of anything and from everything which causes fear.

Life is meant to be lived, experienced in full and either lacking the courage to do that or fearing the unknown is the path to a Living Hell. The active Mind must experience the knowledge that Life will have no certainty, no perfect and easy solutions but that in itself makes Life worth living!

What is Immortality?

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Joy of being: Life, Death and Immortality

Tomb Treasures from Han China. Credit: Fitzwilliam Museum

In the first exhibition of its kind, the Fitzwilliam Museum will relate the story of the quest for immortality and struggle for imperial legitimacy in ancient Chinas Han Dynasty.

The Search for Immortality: Tomb Treasures of Han China (May 5-November 11) will feature over 350 treasures in jade, gold, silver, bronze and ceramics in the largest and most important exhibition of ancient royal treasures ever to travel outside China.

The Han Dynasty established the basis for unified rule of China up to the present day. To maintain this hard-won empire the Han emperors had to engage in a constant struggle for power and legitimacy, with contests that took place on symbolic battlefields as much as on real ones. While written accounts provide an outline of these events, it is through the stunning archaeological discoveries of recent decades that the full drama and spectacle of this critical episode in Chinese history has been brought to life.

Dr. Timothy Potts, Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, commented: It is impossible to overstate the importance of the Han Dynasty in the formation of a Chinese national culture and identity. At the time of the ancient Romans, the Han emperors were the first to unify a large part of the regions we now know as China under a sustained empire, which they ruled virtually unchallenged for 400 years.

The Han Dynasty gave its name to the Chinese language, its script and the vast majority of the Chinese people. It was arguably the defining period of Chinas history and the point of genesis for the China of today.

The spectacular objects in this exhibition bring to Cambridge the finest treasures from the tombs of the Han royal family, the superb goldwork, jades and other exquisitely crafted offerings the kings chose to be buried with on their journey to the afterlife. For their artistry, refinement and pure beauty they rival anything from the ancient world.

This pioneering exhibition will compare the spectacular tombs of two rival power factions: the Han imperial family in the northern cradle of Chinese history, and the Kingdom of Nanyue in the south, whose capital in modern-day Guangzhou formed the gateway to the rich trade routes of the China Sea and Indian Ocean.

Objects from these tombs have never before been displayed together as a single exhibition. Through the exhibition it is revealed how, in both life and in death, Empire and Kingdom played a diplomatic game of cat and mouse, one to assert its supremacy, the other to preserve its autonomy.

Protected by clay guardians and surrounded by jade and gold, the monarchs tombs were palaces fit for immortals. Each tomb was a symbol of power and majesty, designed to ensure that its owner continued to enjoy in the afterlife the same comforts and privileges afforded to them in life. In showing these two tombs together, The Search for Immortality sheds new light on a critical period of Chinas early history. The exhibition will only be seen in Cambridge.

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The Search for Immortality: Tomb Treasures of Han China

WHEN you think of the word "immortality" it is hard not to feel a tingling excitement, even if those feelings are quickly followed by a sense of something more biblical, almost God-like, and then by something darker lurking in the shadow of the word.

As Western science still has not found the immortality gene, it is perhaps not surprising that in Silicon Valley and on the outskirts of Moscow the eccentric wealthy (and it always is the eccentric wealthy) are now turning their attention - and their money - to projects that are promising to deliver a new version of the age-old fantasy (or folly) of everlasting life: Digital immortality. And this time it may actually work.

For writer Stephen Cave, author of the new book Immortality, digital immortality does not refer to the "legacy" we'll leave on Facebook. Cave's book explores the quest to live forever and how - he believes - it has been the driving force behind civilisations, coming to a climax in modern science.

"Digital immortality," he says, "is about there being a silicon you for when the physical you dies" as a kind of "Plan B if bioscience fails to deliver an actual biological immortality".

And of course, he adds, biological immortality would not stop you being run over by a bus.

"So your brain is scanned and your essence uploaded into a digital form of bits and bytes, and this whole brain emulation can be saved in a computer's memory banks ready to be brought back to life as an avatar in a virtual world like Second Life, or even in the body of an artificially intelligent robot that is a replica of who we were."

For Cave, though, this "is not true immortality" as "you physically die" and this new you, "even though its behaviour could fool your mum", is then just a copy. A copy he admits could carry on growing, marrying and even having children.

Currently however, this is still "almost science fiction" as there are "three big challenges" that stand between us and digital immortality - challenges that projects such as Carbon Copies and Russia 2045 already believe they can overcome within 40 years.

"The first is that we have to be able to read all the information that makes up who you are, and this is likely to be achieved destructively by removing the human brain from the body and then preserving, slicing and scanning in the data it contains. Then there is the challenge to store an amount of information many millions of orders of magnitude bigger than the current computer systems. And finally we need to find a way to animate it."

In the end, Cave argues, "theoretically the problems of digital immortality seem solvable, but whether the solutions are practical is another story... Although when it does happen it is simply inevitable that the rich will get there as they have the most power among us".

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The making of an 'immortal'