Amid reports that she may be rekindling a romance with Chris Brown, a svelte Rihanna hit the beach in her native Barbados, without a care in the world.
Without much covering her up, too, it turned out.
Hanging out with her little brother at the time, the star was in a family-oriented mood, but certain images that resulted from her romp in the sea were anything but.
Rihanna's orange bikini turned transparent in the water. Take a look:
Rihanna makes a splash in the Caribbean.
She may be bad, but she's perfectly good at it, and if Rihanna pictures like these surface as a result, we doubt many people will be complaining too loud.
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS
1. (1) Kanye West / Jay-Z; $2,243,684; $120.57.
2. (2) Cirque du Soleil ? "Michael Jackson: The Immortal"; $1,924,258; $116.04.
3. (3) Taylor Swift; $1,281,481; $68.89.
4. (4) Enrique Iglesias; $780,382; $69.09.
5. (7) Foo Fighters; $686,129; $49.41.
6. (5) Journey; $677,924; $59.35.
7. (6) Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band; $671,909; $67.88.
Before sounding an alarm, chimps consider their audiencePublic release date: 29-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons elyons@cell.com 617-386-2121 Cell Press
It's a basic rule of effective communication: Consider your audience. According to a new report published online on December 29 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, that rule of thumb is not lost on wild chimpanzees. Chimps are more likely to make an alarm call about the presence of a snake when others in the group are unaware of the apparent danger they face, the new evidence shows.
The findings suggest that chimpanzees keep track of the information available to other chimpanzees and make selective decisions about the messages they convey based on that understanding.
"Chimpanzees really seem to take another's knowledge state into account," said Catherine Crockford of the University of St Andrews. "They voluntarily produce a warning call to inform audience members of a danger that they do not know about. They are less likely to inform those who already know about the danger."
The researchers made the discovery by placing model snakes in the path of wild chimpanzees in Uganda and watching their reactions. Those studies showed that when an individual chimp detects a snake, they typically produce an "alert hoo" to tell other chimps within earshot. As new group members arrive on the scene, chimps in the know repeat their "alert hoo," filling in the newcomers that a snake is in their midst.
The findings challenge the notion that only humans recognize ignorance in others and act so as to fill them in, the researchers say. They also show that chimpanzee vocalizations are influenced by a prosocial motivation, to intentionally inform others of danger.
The findings are particularly noteworthy given debates over the role of mental state attribution in the evolution of language. "Some have argued that a crucial stage in this evolution occurred when individuals began producing vocalizations with the goal of informing and thereby reducing ignorance in others," Crockford said. The new findings show that "more of the 'essential ingredients' needed to kick start complex communication are evident in chimpanzees than we thought."
It's also key that the findings were made in chimpanzees in the wild, Crockford added. "The advantage of addressing these questions in wild chimpanzees is that they are simply doing what they always do in an ecologically relevant setting; the task is always relevant," she said.
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Crockford et al.: "Wild chimpanzees inform ignorant group members of danger."
DOI Number is 10.1016/j.cub.2011.11.053
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Before sounding an alarm, chimps consider their audiencePublic release date: 29-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons elyons@cell.com 617-386-2121 Cell Press
It's a basic rule of effective communication: Consider your audience. According to a new report published online on December 29 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, that rule of thumb is not lost on wild chimpanzees. Chimps are more likely to make an alarm call about the presence of a snake when others in the group are unaware of the apparent danger they face, the new evidence shows.
The findings suggest that chimpanzees keep track of the information available to other chimpanzees and make selective decisions about the messages they convey based on that understanding.
"Chimpanzees really seem to take another's knowledge state into account," said Catherine Crockford of the University of St Andrews. "They voluntarily produce a warning call to inform audience members of a danger that they do not know about. They are less likely to inform those who already know about the danger."
The researchers made the discovery by placing model snakes in the path of wild chimpanzees in Uganda and watching their reactions. Those studies showed that when an individual chimp detects a snake, they typically produce an "alert hoo" to tell other chimps within earshot. As new group members arrive on the scene, chimps in the know repeat their "alert hoo," filling in the newcomers that a snake is in their midst.
The findings challenge the notion that only humans recognize ignorance in others and act so as to fill them in, the researchers say. They also show that chimpanzee vocalizations are influenced by a prosocial motivation, to intentionally inform others of danger.
The findings are particularly noteworthy given debates over the role of mental state attribution in the evolution of language. "Some have argued that a crucial stage in this evolution occurred when individuals began producing vocalizations with the goal of informing and thereby reducing ignorance in others," Crockford said. The new findings show that "more of the 'essential ingredients' needed to kick start complex communication are evident in chimpanzees than we thought."
It's also key that the findings were made in chimpanzees in the wild, Crockford added. "The advantage of addressing these questions in wild chimpanzees is that they are simply doing what they always do in an ecologically relevant setting; the task is always relevant," she said.
###
Crockford et al.: "Wild chimpanzees inform ignorant group members of danger."
DOI Number is 10.1016/j.cub.2011.11.053
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
As 2011 draws to a close, it's fun to look back and think about how we began the year testing the first Honeycomb tablet, and are now ending it elbow-deep in me-too slates, many of them cut down to smaller sizes. So it should surprise no one, then, that Toshiba released the Thrive 7", a mini (and aptly named) version of the original Thrive, which went on sale last summer.
But in Toshiba's case, shrinking a tablet and calling it a day is a dicey proposition. After all, the 10-inch Thrive had some baggage -- namely, middling battery life, a chunky, toy-like design and a bug that initially kept it from waking after recharging. Indeed, the Thrive 7" looks near-identical, and even packs the same Tegra 2 chip, 16GB of storage and vanilla take on Honeycomb. Still, it brings an LED flash, keeps its big brother's 1280 x 800 display and costs less than the original did when it first came out. So are these improvements enough to make this smaller Thrive stand out? And how does it stack up against all those other 7-inch slates we've been testing lately? Let's find out.
Posted by: Jon Campbell - Posted in Uncategorizedon Dec 27, 2011
A troubled former state senator already facing charges of siphoning $14 million from his non-profit health clinic?and spending $20,000 of that on sushi in Mamaroneck?could be facing a new charge after an ethics board accused him of illegally hiring his uncle.
Former Sen. Pedro Espada, a Bronx Democrat whom some had accused of living in Mamaroneck rather than in his district, was quietly hit with a ?notice of reasonable cause? earlier this month by the Legislative Ethics Commission. (Kudos to the Times Union, which spotted the notice on the commission?s website.)
The commission?which includes four lawmakers and three appointees?found Espada violated the state?s public officers law by tapping Juan Feliciano, his uncle, for an $80,000-a-year job as a ?special assistant? to Espada in January 2009.
Espada declined to speak to the commission, according to the document. He lost his re-election bid to Gustavo Rivera, also a Democrat, last year.
UPDATED: At 6 p.m., Espada issued a response through his non-profit group:
?The report generated and released by the Legislative Ethics Commission is false from beginning to end. It is indicative of the work created by a group recently deemed unnecessary and a waste of resources by legislative leaders and is particularly disheartening during time in which so many New Yorkers face real issues such as joblessness, a depressed economy and a need for delivery of vital services,? said Mr. Espada, former Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader.
?It is my hope that the new Joint Commission on Public Ethics will take up real ethics violations such as the use of state owned assets by Governor Cuomo for private fundraisers, the closing of Community Health Centers due to personal political vendettas and the use of money from interest groups who do business with the State to fund television ads explicitly pushing the Governor?s agenda,? noted Mr. Espada.
Published: December 27, 2011 11:00 AM Updated: December 27, 2011 11:58 AM
What do Eat More Sprouts, Fanny Bay Oysters, the Kingfisher Resort and Spa, and My Tech Guys all have in common?
They have all been past recipients of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce?s community and business awards.
In the 38 years that these awards have been presented, hundreds of individuals and businesses have been recognized for their role in helping make the Comox Valley such a great place to live, to work, and to play.
?The 38th annual Community Awards will be held at the Florence Filberg Centre on Jan. 28, 2012,? explains Chamber president and CEO Dianne Hawkins. ?While Chamber staff, together with our community partners and sponsors, put in considerable time and effort to stage the event, we rely on the community to submit nominations for award consideration.
"Both members of the Chamber of Commerce and the public are encouraged to nominate local businesses and individuals who they feel are making a difference in the Comox Valley. Deadline for nominations is 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.?
The theme for this year?s celebration is Hats Off to Leadership. It is sponsored by 97.3 The Eagle Radio and features a champagne reception sponsored by the King Fisher Resort and Spa, and appetizers. There will also be a gourmet four-course meal, live and silent auctions, door prizes, raffles, and other surprises.
Fifty per cent of the proceeds raised from the live and silent auctions will be donated to the Comox Valley Food Bank.
CBC and CHEK TV?s Tony Parsons will travel from Victoria to the Comox Valley to be the emcee for the festivities.
With a Canadian broadcasting career spanning five decades, Parsons is a familiar ? and respected ? face amongst Vancouver Islanders. The award-winning broadcaster, author, restaurant co-owner, and philanthropist is sure to deliver an engaging, entertaining and professional program.
Another highlight of the gala will be a video compilation of interviews with previous award recipients sharing their thoughts on what it meant to them to be recognized by their community. In past years, the video showcased the current year?s nominees.
The new format has been developed to ensure that the winners in each of the 11 award categories are kept ?top secret? until the night of the awards gala.
Award nomination packages may be picked up at the Chamber office during regular business hours or downloaded from their website. Completed nomination forms may be dropped of at the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, 2040 Cliffe Ave. in Courtenay, faxed to 250-334-4908 or e-mailed to awards@comoxvalleychamber.com.
Again, a reminder that the nomination deadline is earlier than in previous years and is now Jan. 3 at 4 p.m.
For more information, contact the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce at 250-334-3234 or visit www.comoxvalleychamber.com.
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Public release date: 29-Dec-2011
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