Nintendo Taps AKB48 Member For Xenoblade Image Character

Mayu Watanabe

JPOP group AKB48 continues on their path of complete takeover of the game industry. The latest member of the 48-person group to lend her marketing muscle to a major game release is Mayu Watanabe.

Nintendo has selected Watanabe as image character for Monolith Software's upcoming Wii RPG epic Xenoblade. Watanabe will appear in commercials for the game, one of which began airing today.

Watanabe's debut spot is titled "Kikai no Karada," or "Body of a Machine." The spot shows a CG form of Watanabe wielding a pair of swords, set against the Xenoblade end theme song.

Midway through the spot, Watanabe says something along the lines of "I want you to use this body as much as you want," a phrase that Nintendo says has great significance in the game.

Foods poisonous to pets

By Megan Zehnder, Care2 More from Guest Bloggers blog

We all know that pets aren’t supposed to have people food. But let’s face it, sometimes, it happens…something falls on the floor when you’re cooking dinner, and Buddy is quickly there, vacuuming up the crumbs, or Felix steels something off the plate when you aren’t looking…

There are some healthy “people foods” for pets (only small amounts– not replacements for pet food). But there are also many foods that can be dangerous to our feline friends and canine companions.

Here is a handy list of the top common foods that are toxic to your pet along with tips on what to do if your pet happens to get a hold of any of these substances.

Avocado

While many pet owners say they feed their pets avocados with no problems, studies have shown that their leaves, fruit, seeds and bark can contain a toxin called Persin. According to the ASPCA, the Guatemalan variety, which is commonly found in stores, contains the most toxicity.

Onions, onion powder, chives and garlic

These all can lead to gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage. All forms of onion can cause problems including dehydrated onions, raw and cooked onions. Cats are more susceptible than dogs, but it can be toxic to both.

Grapes and raisins

These can be toxic to dogs and cause kidney failure. Researchers say there are still many unknowns about the toxicity of grapes and raisins, including whether only certain types of dogs are affected, but it is advised not to feed grapes or raisins to dogs in any amount.

Yeast dough

Dough that is not cooked and contains yeast can rise in your pet’s stomach, causing pain, and can potentially cause the intestines to rupture. This risk diminishes once the dough is cooked.

Left-over bones

Left-over bones pose a choking hazard to pets, and they can also splinter and puncture your pet’s gut or intestine. Additionally, do not feed your pet undercooked meat or eggs, as they can contain harmful bacteria.

Foods with a high salt or fat content

Excessive fats can cause upset stomach and potentially inflame the pancreas causing pancreatitis. Salty foods can pose a risk for the development of sodium ion toxicosis, according to the ASPCA. Be aware that if your pet gets into food with a high fat or salt content, she could experience stomach problems including diarrhea and vomiting.

Chocolate, coffee, alcohol

According to the ASPCA, the substances in chocolate, coffee, and caffeine, methlxanthines, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, and potentially death in pets. The higher the cocoa percentage, the more dangerous the chocolate is, making dark chocolate more toxic than milk or white chocolate. All these products can cause vomiting, diarrhea and even death.

Sugarless candies (products sweetened with xylitol)

This compound can cause liver damage and even death in some more vulnerable dogs. Xylitol is in many products including gum, candy, sugar-free cookies and toothpaste.

Macadamia nuts

These nuts can cause weakness, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Symptoms generally last up to two days, and usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion.

Fisherman baffled by mystery catch

A fisherman in China was surprised to catch a mystery creature which looked like a cross between a dinosaur and a turtle.

Sun Yongcheng's catch, in Weishan Lake, Anhui province, was later identified as an alligator snapping turtle, which is not native to the country.

The species is only native to North America and was probably someone's pet before being dumped in the lake, the local fishing department said.

The creature's alien status meant that it could have posed a danger to the local ecological system, they added.

Sun said he was surprised when he netted the alligator turtle, which measures 76cm long and 30cm wide and weighs 7kg.

He said: "I suddenly noticed a black thing was hooked on the net, which scared me. It was struggling and biting the net when I pulled it up."

The spokesman for the Jining Fishing Bureau said this was the first time an alligator snapping turtle had been found in the local water system.

He said: "Somebody may have dumped their pet into the lake, which could greatly endanger the local ecology."

Orange

Cracking your knuckles

Cracking your knuckles does not actually hurt your bones or cause arthritis. The sound you hear is just gas bubbles bursting.

Cracking your knuckles (or any of your joints) can have therapeutic benefits. When you crack one of your joints you are pulling the bones that are connected at the joint apart from each other. This process stimulates your tendons, relaxes your muscles, and loosens your joints. Chiropractors do this for spinal joints when your back is sore and stiff, but you can do this on your own for your knuckles, toes, knees, neck, etc.

Unfortunately, there can be too much of a good thing. Cracking your knuckles will never lead to arthritis (despite what your mom keeps telling you), but scientists have discovered that it can cause tissue damage in the affected joints. Knuckle-cracking pulls your finger bones apart which stretches your ligaments. Too much stretching of your ligaments will cause damage to your fingers akin to the arm injuries sustained by a baseball pitcher who throws too many pitches. In addition to making your hand really sore, this ligament damage can also result in reduced grip strength.

How does this work? Your joints, the places in your body where you can bend, are where your bones intersect and are held together by ligaments. These joints are surrounded by a liquid called synovial fluid. When you stretch your ligaments by pulling the bones apart to crack your knuckles a gas in the synovial fluid escapes and turns into a bubble. This process is called cavitation. Cavitation ends when the bubble eventually bursts, producing that popping sound we know and love. After that, your joints won't be able to crack for another 25-30 minutes while the gas gets reabsorbed into the synovial fluid.

'Kingdom Hearts' PSP coming in September

Square Enix has announced that Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep will be released exclusively for the PSP in September.

The new handheld role-playing game will act as a prequel to events in the original Kingdom Hearts, which was released on PS2 in 2002.

Developed in collaboration between Square Enix and Disney, the game will feature new characters and plotlines, along with familiar environments from the worlds of Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

Alongside boasting "exceptional graphics", Birth By Sleep will also offer three new battle systems and four different multiplayer modes for up to six players.

"Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is a spectacular epic adventure that will bring joy, action and suspense to anyone who embarks on the game's journey," said Square Enix vice president of brands PAL region Larry Sparks.

"Birth By Sleep is one of the most beautiful titles to grace the PSP and we're excited about its forthcoming release across PAL territories."

DS

Physiology Of Anxiety

Anxiety is part of what is called fight-or-flight response, which is generated by the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system along with the parasympathetic nervous system forms the autonomic nervous system. The actions from the autonomic nervous system are automatic and not under our conscious control.

The sympathetic nervous system activates the fight-or-flight response, while the parasympathetic nervous system restores the body to normal mode. While one is responsible to rev up, the other is responsible to hit the breaks.

The fight-or-flight response is a natural protection of the organism during a threat, which can be real or imaginary. We either go away from the threat or fight it. That is why some people who suffer from anxiety are very aggressive, while others run away in fear, during a threatening situation.

The physiology of fight-or-flight involves production of adrenaline and cortisone by the adrenal glands. These hormones cause:

-Quicker heartbeats, which results in more oxygen going to the muscles
-Faster breathing
-Sweating
-Less circulation of blood in the gastro-intestinal tract and skin and more circulation in the skeletal muscles and lungs
-Release of glucose from the liver to the bloodstream to give energy to the body to confront the threat
-Dilation of pupils

Cortisone inhibits the immune system, which reduces inflammation and pain. We can see that this is useful in case of physical danger (i.e. the organism that is injured can better face the threat with less pain).

Suppression of the immune system by cortisone is the probable reason why people that are usually stressed or anxious are more susceptible to sickness.

Because, adrenaline and cortisone take some time to be destroyed by the body, anxiety or discomfort is still present after the threatening situation. This delay for the elimination of these hormones is also for protection of the organism, just in case the threat comes back.

We can see that the fight-or-flight response exists for the body to physically act. This was most useful when humans had to hunt to survive. During this time, threats that required immediate and fast physical action, such as an attack by an animal, were more frequent.

In modern life, intense physical action is not what is needed most of the time during moments of anxiety, as for example, in stressful situations at work or school. Everybody faces situations that cause the fight-or-flight response. The problem is when this happens frequently due to psychological problem. In this case, if it is not controlled it can be harmful to ones health.

There are several approaches that can be used to reduce anxiety, such as, physical exercise, changes in life style (e.g. more rest time), cognitive-behavioral therapy, meditation, visualization, relaxation techniques, neuro-linguistic programming, and others. All these methods can be used for any type of anxiety. If combined together, the effect on the reduction of anxiety will probably be better.

The approach to be used will depend on what you believe will work for you. Try one and if it does not work, try another one. You will eventually find what works best for you.

Types Of Massage

Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning finger pressure. It is a therapy that uses hand pressure and manipulative techniques to adjust the body's structure and adjust inner energies to optimize your well being. Shiatsu is beneficial for relief of back pain, stress, headaches, neck stiffness and joint pain as well as correcting the imbalance within the body. Shiatsu therapy can aid recovery from illnesses by stimulating the immune system and the natural healing power that is already within our bodies. Shiatsu therapists will treat the whole body so that the whole of the mind and body find harmony.

Reiki

Reiki is a system of natural healing. It is a very simple procedure where the recipient just lays or sits comfortably. The therapist gently places their hands in a sequence of positions over your body. There is no need for clothing to be removed as the healing process will pass through anything. The whole body is treated rather than any specific area. It is possible to heal at any level of being, whether it is physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. The therapist is a channel which energy is drawn through depending on the need or imbalance of the client. This doesn't require any religious belief or any effort on the part of the client, just a desire to be healed. Reiki flows over the areas of need, soothing pain and supporting the body's natural ability to heal itself, restoring balance.

Acupressure

Acupressure is very similar to the well known acupuncture technique. The difference is that acupressure uses the fingers instead of needles. The same pressure points are targeted, when pressed they release muscular tension and promote the circulation of blood. This can help relieve headaches, neck pain, backache, muscle aches and stress. As with the other two Eastern practices, Shiatsu and Reiki, acupressure helps adjust your body's Ki or Qi, the energy force within us all.