Will 'Hunger Games' Sink 3-D 'Titanic' At Box Office?

Katniss and company dominated theaters for the second weekend in a row, but box-office experts wonder if they can tackle the mighty 'Titanic.'
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate

For the second week in a row, "The Hunger Games" laid claim to the box office. This past weekend offered a unique challenge for the reigning champ, however. Two relatively big studio films, "Wrath of the Titans" and "Mirror Mirror," challenged Katniss Everdeen and the rest of the tributes, but the two competitors could not overcome. "The Hunger Games" collected an estimated $61 million over the weekend, a 60 percent drop from its $152.5 million debut.

Despite its enormous opening weekend, "The Hunger Games" managed to maintain the buzz around it heading into the second weekend. Jeff Bock, a box-office analyst with Exhibitor Relations, Inc., said that for how big "The Hunger Games" opened, a steeper drop could have been expected.

"Ticket sales dipped 60 percent, but when compared to 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,' which dropped 72 percent, that is a great hold," Bock said. "Especially when you consider how great both films were received. 'Deathly Hallows, Part 2' got some of the best reviews of the franchise, and it still had a huge decline in the second weekend."

Part of that lasting success, says Phil Contrino from BoxOffice.com, belongs to the adults, who are interested in seeing the movie but aren't part of the rabid fanbase. "It's appealing to adults, and adults don't feel the need to rush out opening weekend. They'll take their time discovering it."

Almost as important as what "The Hunger Games" has — like its broad appeal — is what it doesn't have. "The film has everything: love, mystery, and adventure. One thing is doesn't have: 3-D," Bock said. "Proving once again, it is not a necessary distraction for tentpole films."

But can "The Hunger Games" win the weekend competition for a third time in a row? Both Contrino and Box Office Guru's Gitesh Pandya agree that the fight will be a difficult one.

"It's going to be tough. 'Titanic' 3-D and 'American Reunion' both look very strong," Contrino said.

Pandya sees James Cameron's 3-D revamp of "Titanic" as the one that could take down "The Hunger Games." "This coming weekend, 'Hunger Games' will be challenged by the 3-D release of 'Titanic,' which can compete with 'Hunger Games' for the #1 spot if it can break $30M over the Friday-to-Sunday Easter frame."

How long do you think "The Hunger Games" will stay hot? Leave your comment below!

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Google?s Sergey Brin To Retire: ?I?m Really Into Blues Guitar?

Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin has expressed interest in retiring "in a year or so" to take up the intense study of blues guitar, sources inside Google say. The decision places the company at a crossroads in terms of management succession and a replacement is already being groomed. Brin has been learning blues guitar from a number of major players including Eric Clapton (who was given $40,000 for a series of three lessons in a Palo Alto park), Keith Richards, and Ralph Macchio.

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Corals 'could survive a more acidic ocean'

ScienceDaily (Apr. 1, 2012) ? Corals may be better placed to cope with the gradual acidification of the world's oceans than previously thought -- giving rise to hopes that coral reefs might escape climatic devastation.

In new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change, an international scientific team has identified a powerful internal mechanism that could enable some corals and their symbiotic algae to counter the adverse impact of a more acidic ocean.

As humans release ever-larger amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, besides warming the planet, the gas is also turning the world's oceans more acidic -- at rates thought to far exceed those seen during past major extinctions of life. This has prompted strong scientific interest in finding out which species are most vulnerable, and which can handle the changed conditions.

In groundbreaking research, a team of scientists from Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, at the University of Western Australia and France's Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, has shown that some marine organisms that form calcium carbonate skeletons have an in-built mechanism to cope with ocean acidification -- which others appear to lack.

"The good news is that most corals appear to have this internal ability to buffer rising acidity of seawater and still form good, solid skeletons," says Professor Malcolm McCulloch of CoECRS and UWA. "Marine organisms that form calcium carbonate skeletons generally produce it in one of two forms, known as aragonite and calcite.

"Our research broadly suggests that those with skeletons made of aragonite have the coping mechanism -- while those that follow the calcite pathway generally do less well under more acidic conditions."

The aragonite calcifiers -- such as the well-known corals Porites and Acropora -- have molecular 'pumps' that enable them to regulate their internal acid balance, which buffers them from the external changes in seawater pH.

"But the picture for coral reefs as a whole isn't quite so straightforward, as the 'glue' that holds coral reefs together -- coralline algae -- appear to be vulnerable to rising acidity," Professor McCulloch explains.

Also of concern is that a large class of plankton, floating in the open oceans and forming a vital component of marine food webs, appears equally vulnerable to acidification. If so, this could be serious not only for marine life that feeds on them -- but also for humans, as it could impair the oceans' ability to soak up increased volumes of CO2 from the atmosphere. This would cause global warming to accelerate.

Ironically, an added plus is that warming oceans may increase the rates of coral growth, especially in corals now living in cooler waters, he says.

However, the big unknown remaining is whether corals can adapt to global warming, which is now occurring at an unprecedented rate -- at about two orders of magnitude faster than occurred with the ending of the last Ice Age.

"This is crucial since, if corals are bleached by the sudden arrival of hot ocean water and lose the symbiotic algae which are their main source of energy, they will still die," he cautions.

"It's a more complicated picture, but broadly it means that there are going to be winners and losers in the oceans as its chemistry is modified by human activities -- this could have the effect of altering major ocean ecosystems on which both we and a large part of marine life depend."

The researchers conclude "Although our results indicate that up-regulation of pH at the site of calcification provides corals with enhanced resilience to the effects of ocean acidification, the overall health of coral reef systems is still largely dependent on the compounding effects of increasing thermal stress from global warming and local environmental impacts, such as terrestrial runoff, pollution and overfishing."

Their paper "Coral resilience to ocean acidification and global warming through pH up-regulation" by Malcolm McCulloch, Jim Falter, Julie Trotter, and Paolo Montagna, appears in the latest issue of the journal Nature Climate Change.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The University of Western Australia.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Malcolm McCulloch, Jim Falter, Julie Trotter, Paolo Montagna. Coral resilience to ocean acidification and global warming through pH up-regulation. Nature Climate Change, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1473

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Improving Your Home With Feng Shui ? Cute Girl Hair Color Spa

Feng Shui may be the practice of bringing good fortune by achieving balance between various elements. In the usa, more people are beginning to consult Feng Shui experts in decorating their properties. For you to understand what they say, you have to learn the basic Feng Shui areas that need your attention so you can decorate it properly.

Step one is to draw a layout of your house. When you are doing it, you are noting along the north points in the house.

Then it?s time to work on the door. Ideally, the leading and back door must never lineup with each other. This is because according to the principles of Feng Shui, energy enters the house will just go out without bringing any good things about the homeowner. If this is the situation in your home, put a plant or other obstruction with an angled throw rug to encourage a path in the sideways direction.

To bring more energy in the home, bring in some light. It doesn?t mean turning the lights on but opening up the curtains and so the sun can come in. You should also add green plants since in Feng Shui, along with itself brings joy and happiness. Other decorative items you can use include mirrors, wind chimes and brighter colors.

You may also bring good fortune to the home by setting up an indoor water fountain. This is because water refreshes Chi. At the same time, you can throw in some goldfish as this also encourages wealth. Make absolutely certain to keep the pond clean and never allow it stagnate.

Red is a very strong color in Feng Shui because it is hot, passionate, rich and celebratory. You must use this color for a living room set because too much of it may bring restlessness, instant anger and over stimulation. In order to use it, use it only for details and accessories.

Whenever you note down the north point of the home, it will be easy for you to work in the areas such as the southwest area of the house. This area is vital because it will allow you to have satisfying relationships. This can be done by eliminating clutter and replacing it with symbolic items ideally in pairs. The right examples are candles and other figurines. Never make the mistake of putting wooden or green items here.

For your dining room, the best ones to obtain are circles as this symbolizes heavenly blessings. The chairs needs to be even in number and comfortable to sit in. The decor ought to be simple so people will not get distracted and become more focused on having a good meal.

Be cautious about exposed beams. If there are, these should be covered up because it creates an oppressive downward energetic flow which could cause health problems and other misfortunes in your lifetime. The other option is to have two Feng Shui flutes installed at 45 degree angles on the beam, one at each end.

When it comes to bedroom, make sure that the bed isn?t directly facing the door. You should not also place a mirror on the opposite side of the bed because this could attract a third party to your relationship.

Peace and prosperity is only able to be achieved by decorating your home with Feng Shui. You can start now with a few of the basics then get help if you think you need it.

Consider the web site Scentsy Wickless Candles.

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Sino-Forest files for bankruptcy protection ... - The Finance Room

on March 31, 2012 5:04 am in Business News / no comments

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Chinese timberland company Sino-Forest Corp., which is being investigated for fraud, said Friday it is filing for bankruptcy protection, putting itself up for sale and filing a lawsuit against the research firm that accused the company of exaggerating its timber holdings in China

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Time to Think About Colon Cancer ? Marian Ronan

March 31, 2012 at 2:11 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: colon cancer, colonoscopy, Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Komen Race for the Cure, UNDY 5000 Race

Since it?s the afternoon of the last day of March, time is running out for me to tell you something important: March is (was?) Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. You knew that, right?

Funny thing is, I didn?t know it either. This is odd, ?because awareness of colon cancer is a fundamental component of my identity. Not only have I had colon cancer, a mob of my closest relatives have had it too. My mother. My mother?s sister, after whom I am named. That aunt?s son, a first cousin who looked more like my brother than my brother does. My maternal grandmother, beloved ?Dommie,? ostensibly died of pancreatic cancer, but myself, I?m convinced it was an unidentified metastasis of colon cancer that killed her; what?s the point of being a Turner/Dodds/Ronan if you don?t have, and in many cases die from, colon cancer?

The story is that these family members and I all have (had) something called Lynch II Syndrome, a genetic defect that causes colon, uterine, and other abdominal cancers.(My mother, aunt, and I had uterine as well as colon cancer). Even before they actually discovered that I had the Lynch II gene, the doctors assured me I had some genetic defect; how could that many people in one family have colon cancer by accident? And let me assure you, a major component of my awareness is tracking how far away I am from my annual colonoscopy. The day after I have it?and learn that the big C hasn?t returned is the happiest day of my year.

So here?s the question: how come I, and probably you, didn?t know that March was Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month? I can?t say for sure, but here?s my hunch: nobody wants to think about colon cancer because the colon is perceived as a dirty, shameful part of the body. ?The lowly colon,? as my genetics counselor, Peggy Conrad, characterizes it.

Now you might respond by saying nobody wants to think about cancer, period. But what about breast cancer? Now don?t get me wrong here. I?m all for curing breast cancer. Some of my best friends have had breast cancer, and several of them died from it. But just think about how much more coverage breast cancer gets than colon cancer. Compared with the Komen Race for the Cure, the Undy 5000 races to spread awareness of colon cancer and raise money for local screening are practically secret events. There?s one in Central Park tomorrow but have you heard a word about it? I didn?t. And did you know that some people dress in blue to spread colon cancer awareness?the way others wear pink ribbons for breast cancer?

The problem is, resistance to thinking about colon cancer?and fear of the primary procedure for detecting it, the colonoscopy?has serious, indeed, deadly consequences. ?Colon cancer is the second largest cause of cancer death in the US, second only to lung cancer; estimates are that??51,690 will die from colon cancer here in 2012. And colon cancer is definitely not a post-racial disease: in part because of lower screening rates, African-American men and women have a 20% higher risk of developing colon cancer and a 45% higher mortality rate than Caucasians, Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans.?Regular screening?for everyone over 50 and even earlier if there?s any family history of colon cancer is the best way to avoid dying from this terrible disease. (You?ll just be dealing with a little poop, nothing to be ashamed of!). This year, why not declare ?April colorectal cancer awareness month and make an appointment with your doctor right now?

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