Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2009

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2009

jeannytsy.blogspot.com is now closed for the Christmas and New Year period, and we'll be back on January 5.

We'd like to extend our thanks for your support this past year, and wish you all the best for Christmas and New Year.





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Actor Adam Sandler poses at the premiere of his new film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actor Adam Sandler shakes hands with a U.S. Marine at the premiere of his new film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actors Adam Sandler and Keri Russell (L) pose for a photo at the soda fountain at the Disney Store right before the premiere of the film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actor Adam Sandler and Keri Russell (L) pose for a photo at the soda fountain at the Disney Store right before the premiere of the film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actors (L-R) Adam Sandler, Keri Russell and Teresa Palmer pose for a cast photo at the soda fountain at the Disney Store right before the premiere of the film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actress Courteney Cox arrives for the premiere of her new film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actress Lucy Lawless holds a teddy bear as she arrives for the premiere of her new film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

British actor and comedian Russell Brand poses at the premiere of his new film "Bedtime Stories" starring Adam Sandler in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Adam Sandler poses with wife Jackie at the premiere of his news film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actress Keri Russell arrives for the premiere of her new film "Bedtime Stories" starring Adam Sandler in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Adam Sandler poses with his mother, Judy Sandler who came dressed in pajamas for the premiere of his new film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actors (L-R) Guy Pearce,Keri Russell, Russell Brand, Corteney Cox and Adam Sandler pose for a photo at the soda fountain at the Disney Store right before the premiere of the film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actress Keri Russell arrives for the premiere of her new film "Bedtime Stories" in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actresses Teresa Palmer from Australia (L) and Lucy Lawless of New Zealand, stars of the new film "Bedtime Stories", pose at the party following the film's premiere in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actresses Teresa Palmer from Australia (L) and Lucy Lawless of New Zealand, stars of the new film "Bedtime Stories" talk at the party following the film's premiere in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actress Teresa Palmer from Australia (R) and British born, Australian raised actor Guy Pearce, stars of the new film "Bedtime Stories" pose at the party following the film's premiere in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Actress Palmer from Australia (R), star of the new film "Bedtime Stories", poses with co-stars Jonathan Morgan Heit (L) and Laura Ann Kesling at the film's premiere in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

Adam Shankman (R) director of the film "Bedtime Stories" sits on the lap of cast member Australian actress Teresa Palmer as actress Keri Russell laughs as they pose for a cast photo at the soda fountain at the Disney Store right before the premiere in Hollywood, California December 18, 2008.[Agencies]

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Gong Li graces "Harper's Bazaar"

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition. [CIENGLISH.com]

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition.[CIENGLISH.com]

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition.[CIENGLISH.com]

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition.[CIENGLISH.com]

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition.[CIENGLISH.com]

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition.[CIENGLISH.com]

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition. [CIENGLISH.com]

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition.[CIENGLISH.com]

Actress Gong Li appears in a haute couture collection in the January issue of "Harper's Bazaar" Chinese edition. [CIENGLISH.com]

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Madonna performs during her"Stick and Sweet"tour in Sao Paulo

Madonna performs on stage during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo December 18, 2008. [Agencies]

Madonna performs on stage during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Madonna performs on stage during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Madonna performs on stage during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Madonna performs on stage during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Madonna performs on stage during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Madonna performs on stage during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Madonna performs on stage during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo December 18, 2008. [Agencies]

Taken From : China Daily


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Tom Cruise at premiere of "Valkyrie" at Directors Guild of America in L.A.

Cast member Tom Cruise poses at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. The movie opens in the U.S. on December 25. [Agencies]

Cast member Tom Cruise poses at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. The movie opens in the U.S. on December 25. [Agencies]


Cast member Tom Cruise poses at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. The movie opens in the U.S. on December 25. [Agencies]


Cast member Carice van Houten poses at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Cast members Carice van Houten and Bill Nighy pose at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Cast members Carice van Houten and Bill Nighy pose at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Actress Priscilla Presley waves at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Cast member Terence Stamp poses at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Cast member Kenneth Branagh poses at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. [Agencies]


Director of the movie Bryan Singer poses at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. The movie opens in the U.S. on December 25. [Agencies]


Cast member Carice van Houten poses at the premiere of the movie "Valkyrie" at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles December 18, 2008. [Agencies]

Taken From : China Daily

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Smoke endangers fertility

Women who inhaled second-hand smoke as children or as young adults were more likely to have trouble getting pregnant later and suffered more miscarriages than women not exposed to smoke, US researchers reported. They said toxins in the smoke could have permanently damaged the women's bodies and said their finding support restrictions on smoking.

Plunge in measles deaths

Deaths from measles have plummeted by 74 percent globally this decade thanks to a concerted effort to vaccinate children in Africa and other hard-hit regions, health officials said. Measles deaths worldwide fell from an estimated 750,000 in 2000 - the year before the vaccination effort began - to 197,000 in 2007, the UN World Health Organization and other partners in the effort reported.

Hope for healthier blood

US researchers have discovered a gene switch that could lead to better treatments for sickle cell disease and thalassemia, two inherited blood disorders that affect millions of people, they said. Learning how to activate this switch might help doctors direct the body to make healthier blood cells - in this case, replicating conditions found in the womb.

Extended therapy of no use

Doctors around the world are being urged to stop giving prolonged low-dose drugs to those patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C infection who have not responded to an initial round of treatment.

A multi-center clinical trial in the US found no benefit from "maintenance therapy," low-dose peginterferon - in fact, patients who do not respond to initial antiviral therapy are at increased risk of progressing to cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer and ultimately, death, say the researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

"The lesson we learned is that once chronic hepatitis C gets to the stage of advanced fibrosis, patients can decline rapidly," says study head Dr. Adrian M. Di Bisceglie.

Doctors are now pinning their hopes on new drugs that are currently in clinical trials.

Taken From : China Daily


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Have your cake -- and eat it, too

A pastry chief fills Christmas cakes known as "rosco de reyes" with whipped cream in a pastry factory in Burgos, northern Spain January 5, 2008.[Agencies]

TORONTO - The holiday season is here and for those who overindulge, the guilt trips are sure to follow. But it doesn't have to be that way. With the right strategy, you most certainly can have your cake and eat it, too.

Andy Bellatti, a nutrition graduate student at New York University, has some tips for surviving the eating season with your waistline in tact. First, remember that much of it is in your head.

Stop thinking of the holiday season as being five or six weeks long, said Bellatti, who blogs about diet and nutrition at Small Bites. Instead, focus on specific days, like Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. "If you already have it in your mind that those are the days when things are going to be off course," he said, "it's going to be a lot easier."

At the same time, an attitude of deprivation could set you up for failure. "If you know you like pumpkin pie why would you ever tell yourself you're not going to have any?" he asked.

And convincing yourself that you won't make a single "bad" choice during the holidays is self-sabotaging, he added: "It's very easy to say that when you don't have any food in front of you. But when you're there, and you see other people eating it and they're savoring it and telling you how good it is, it gets very hard."

Go ahead and have that pumpkin pie but go back to your regular eating patterns the next day. "There's too much of this thinking that 'Well, I've already gone overboard -- I might as well keep going.' That's problematic," he said.

Another trap "over-indulgers" fall into is the emotional. Bellatti said you should be aware of why you are eating something. "Be aware of your mind state, and think as you're eating, 'Am I eating this because I'm enjoying it, or am I eating it because I want to yell at my sister who gets on my nerves?'" If you know you tend to eat or drink due to boredom or stress, try stationing yourself somewhere other than beside the bar or the food table, he suggested - get what you want, and then take your plate or glass and go to another part of the room.

Instead of trying to "save up" your calories during the day by avoiding food before an event, have a small filling snack, one with some fiber and protein, before going out; Bellatti suggested nuts, cereal or oatmeal. If you're not starving when you arrive, he explained, you'll have better control when you do hit the food table. Besides, it's never a good idea to drink on an empty stomach.

Alcohol can be a major source of empty calories during the holidays, particularly if drinking also leads you to overeat. The drinks themselves are generally not filling, and can have more calories than one might expect - a six-ounce glass of white wine has 120 calories, a bottle of beer has 150 calories, and cocktails can have anywhere from 125 calories in a Bloody Mary to 475 calories in a Rum Eggnog. Bellatti suggested alternating drinks with water or seltzer to cut down on your intake.

If you're hosting a holiday event, try to be realistic about how much food you really need for the number of guests you have, Bellatti advised. "For some reason people think that a Christmas dinner should be for a battalion, and they end up making so much food." At one holiday dinner he attended there were seven pies for the eight guests.

If you do have snacks still around at the end of the party, try sending some home with your guests, he said, particularly if you know the foods are problematic for you. And remember that there will inevitably be some treats left for tomorrow, which means you don't have to eat them all at once.

Most of all, Bellatti said, it's important not to get too caught up in the details. If your diet is good on the whole, a few treats - whether during the holidays or the rest of the year - are okay, and may even help you stay on track. "As long as your overall diet patterns are fine and healthy," he said, "having a donut on Monday and Friday is not going to be the end of you."

Taken From : China Daily


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Scientists can tell what your eyes see

(China Daily) Researchers have reproduced images of things people were looking at by analyzing brain scans, opening the way for people to communicate directly from their mind.

They hope their study, published in the journal Neuron, will lead to helping people with speech problems or doctors studying mental disorders, although there are privacy concerns.

"When we want to convey a message, we need to move our body by speaking or by tapping a keyboard," said Yukiyasu Kamitani, the project's head researcher from the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International in Japan.

"But if we can get information directly from the brain, it will be possible to communicate directly by imagining what we want to say, without having to move."

When we see, light is converted into electric signals by the retina, at the back of the eye, then processed by the brain's visual cortex.

Researchers used a medical brain scanner to look at activity patterns in the visual cortex. Kamitani's team calibrated a computer program by scanning two volunteers staring at over 400 different still images in black, white and grey.

Then, the volunteers were shown different black-and-white geometric figures and letters of the alphabet.

Their computer program was able to reproduce the figures and letters that the volunteers had seen, although more blurry than the originals (see graphic).

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Celebs at premiere of The Wrestler in Beverly Hills

Director and producer Darren Aronofsky (R) poses with his wife, actress Rachel Weisz, at the Los Angeles premiere of his film "The Wrestler" in Beverly Hills, California December 16, 2008. [Agencies]


Actress Rachel Weisz poses at the Los Angeles premiere of the film "The Wrestler" in Beverly Hills, California December 16, 2008. [Agencies]

Actress Rachel Weisz poses at the Los Angeles premiere of the film "The Wrestler" in Beverly Hills, California December 16, 2008. [Agencies]


Actress Marisa Tomei, one of the stars of the film "The Wrestler," poses at the film's Los Angeles premiere in Beverly Hills, California, December 16, 2008. [Agencies]


Actress Maggie Grace poses at the Los Angeles premiere of the film "The Wrestler" in Beverly Hills, California December 16, 2008. [Agencies]


Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood (R), cast members of the film "The Wrestler," pose at the film's Los Angeles premiere in Beverly Hills, California, December 16, 2008. [Agencies]


Actress Evan Rachel Wood, one of the stars of the film "The Wrestler", poses at the film's Los Angeles premiere in Beverly Hills, California December 16, 2008. [Agencies]


Actress Maggie Grace poses at the Los Angeles premiere of the film "The Wrestler" in Beverly Hills, California December 16, 2008. [Agencies]


Actor Mickey Rourke (L), star of the film "The Wrestler," poses with semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper at the film's Los Angeles premiere in Beverly Hills, California, December 16, 2008. [Agencies]


Actress Evan Rachel Wood, one of the stars of the film "The Wrestler," poses at the film's Los Angeles premiere in Beverly Hills, California, December 16, 2008. [Agencies]

Taken From : China Daily

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