Entertainment Stop!

We Need To Talk About
Kevin

A hit book doesn't necessarily mean its movie counterpart is going
to be as successful, especially when one considers the difficult subject matter
but all credit to filmmaker Lynne Ramsay
who manages to translate Lionel
Shriver's harrowing novel to the screen with impressive results.

Helped in no small part by a towering performance from Tilda Swinton but also from some clever
casting of Kevin, who is seen in the film at 3 stages of his life, we are led
into the mind of a tormented mother who is driven to despair and beyond by her
– at times – quite evil child.

Anyone who thought that
kid was bad the Omen and is likely to be pushed over the edge by what they see
here.

Not the kind of film to watch if you are having troubles with your
own teenagers or looking for escapism. We
Need To Talk About Kevin is difficult subject matter handled intelligently
by a team of professionals who tell it how it is, not perhaps how you want it
to be delivered.

You have been warned.

We Need To Talk About
Kevin is available now on Blu Ray, DVD and through iTunes.



Contagion

Our fears as a species switch with each generation and as technology
forms a bigger part of our lives – dispatching the more traditional forms of
horror through scientific explanation – we
look to different sources to keep us trembling under the covers.

It seems we have gone full circle in the cycle of horror. We used to like to see our monsters in all
their glory and now the less we see the better. Perhaps that is why films
like Paranormal Activity, The Last Exorcism and even Insidious have proven so
popular of late.

Contagion is the latest from director Steven
Soderbergh and features an impressive ensemble cast that includes
heavyweights Matt Damon, Jude Law,
Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet, all fighting against an invisible
airborne disease that threatens to wipeout humanity.

The premise is plausible
and the demons in this particular instance, a terrible virus that is just as terrifying by its absence.

Some have called this movie science fiction rather than horror but I
would disagree. It is a harrowing
journey that debates the "what if" scenario of a global epidemic without
discrimination for its victims. Black, white, gay or straight, if you catch it
you're dead.

What is refreshing is that science is the hero and maybe its sending
a message out to the generations that follow that the

Contagion is available now on Blu Ray,
DVD and through iTunes.



Rayman Origins

Rayman has enjoyed a bit
of a resurgence of late and the excellent Ubisoft release last year Rayman Origins on the major home
consoles demonstrated that if done correctly, a series reboot is the perfect
opportunity to introduce a gaming classic to a whole new generation of players.

Not content to sit on
their laurels, the innovative developers have offered up a scaled down version
for the PS Vita that is just as entertaining and
perhaps more importantly, just as much fun.

In most respects it replicates the 360 and PS3 versions on the small
screen to impressive effect and represents why Sony's boast that they have one of the strongest first and third party
line-ups for a new console release is valid.

Rayman Origins on Vita is
a title you should consider buying if you love platform games because there is nothing better out there on the system as things
stand today.

Rayman Origins is out now on Sony Vita
and is still available for PS3 and Xbox 360.

FIFA 2012

Anyone who enjoyed FIFA 12
on the PS3 or Xbox, will be pleased to note that the emergence of it's younger
cousin on the PS Vita is a welcome addition to the series and ensures that fans of football need never be deprived of their
favourite console kick about, even when on the move.

It also provides us with the opportunity to match up the Vita
version against the iTouch and iPad incarnations and send out a resounding recommendation for Sony's
console against any of the other portable versions. Call me old fashioned
but there's still something satisfying about real "thumb against the plastic"
control over virtual joysticks that cannot be equaled.

The biggest surprise is the authentic and entertaining feel the game
offers and anyone familiar with the full
console versions is going to be impressed at just how closely this edition
mirrors the gameplay on the bigger, more powerful devices.

All credit to EA games on this title. Forget your Apple and Android
devices, Vita is the new home for
portable FIFA.

FIFA 2012 is available now on Sony
Vita.

Everybody's Golf

This series has followed Sony's console releases around like a
faithful dog, always there to entertain and remind us that when all else fails,
there are still some traditional and
familiar comforts we can fall back on.

If you like your golf games colourful, easy to pick up and instantly
engaging, then Everybody's Golf on the
Vita is the perfect choice, suited to all age ranges.

Packed with courses,
challenge modes and a host of unlockable content,
this pick-up-and-play title is the kind of game that you can easily occupy five
minutes as you might five hours with.

It might be a little too cute for the sports purists but there is
little here to complain about and you get exactly what you pay for. If fun golf is your aim then Everybody's
Golf should be your title of choice.

Everybody's Golf is available now on Sony
Vita.George R Vaughan We have a copy of We Need To Talk About Kevin on Blu Ray to give away to one lucky subscriber.For your chance to win all you need to do is answer the following question:Who directed We Need To Talk About Kevin?Send your answer to competitions@womentalking.co.uk ensuring you put the word Kevin in the subject header and you include your Women Talking username with the submission.The competitions closes on April 8th and the winner will be contacted soon after.Please note this competition is only open to Women Talking subscribers and any submission without a valid username will not be allowed to enter.

Source: http://womentalking.co.uk/new//topics/entertainment/entertainment-stop-2/

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THISBy Tracey Spicer

March 1, 2012

I don't know what's more heartbreaking.

Watching the ABC footage of cattle being tortured and mutilated by abattoir workers in Indonesia; or knowing the federal government is too shortsighted to see there's a simple solution.

For years, the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the Meat Workers Union have lobbied for live exports to be phased out, replaced by a chilled and frozen meat trade.

Animal activists and abattoir workers are unusual bedfellows.

But their Humane Chain campaign provides compelling evidence this can protect animals AND jobs.

Each year Australia exports more than four million sheep to the Middle East and almost a million cattle, predominantly to Indonesia.

Tens of thousands of animals die on board the ships. Those that survive the journey often have their throats slit while fully conscious. Four Corners opened our eyes to this horrific practice in May last year.

This prompted the Federal Government to ban live cattle exports for two months. It was the right outcome at the wrong time. Farmers simply weren't ready.

Many had to shoot starving cattle as the ban dragged on.

Facing a backlash, the government resumed the trade under 'strict guidelines' stating exporters must guarantee the welfare of all livestock leaving Australia.

This is impossible to police, unless you put a hidden camera in every abattoir.

Source: http://thehoopla.com.au/it-doesnt-have-to-be-like-this//

WHO'S AFRAID OF THE ONLINE TROLL? By Wendy Harmer

February 29, 2012

Trolls…

I've had a few.

But, then again…

Too few to mention.

We're having this encounter online.

Not down the shops, not in a car park, in a footy grandstand or in a slow-moving queue.

I can't see you. You can't see me.

In cyberspace, no-one can see your face when you’re shouting mindless, ugly abuse.

I was reminded of this yesterday when, stuck in a traffic jam my fellow drivers wound down their car windows to watch a disturbing road rage incident unfold.

Shouts. Swearing. Fists shaking. Cars refusing to move after the lights turned green as the argument raged. Ugly stuff. Frightening.

Those of us nearby were noting number plates and had 000 on speed dial. A few got out of their cars to see what was up. We acknowledged each other with a nod, knowing we were there as witnesses in the event things became physically violent.

That sort of support is not there when you are at home, alone and the abuse comes through on your computer screen.

It can make you feel very vulnerable indeed.

There's hardly a human posting their opinion online who hasn't complained of being bombarded with ugly, cruel and explicitly violent comments from anonymous 'trolls'.

NB: In internet slang, a 'troll' is someone who makes comments with one aim in mind – to provoke and upset.

Doesn't matter if you are male or female; whether you're in the depths of despair or celebrating your triumphs, seems there's always some 'anonymous' who is there to rain on your parade. To make you feel small and unworthy.

Now we have the chance to peek behind the mask thanks to a brilliant report from News Ltd. journalist Claire Connelly who interviewed three such 'trolls'.

Source: http://thehoopla.com.au/afraid-big-bad-troll//

Older Adults Do Get a Good Night's Rest, Survey Finds (3/1/2012)

Older Adults Do Get a Good Night's Rest, Survey Finds

Sleep disturbances, daytime fatigue not a given in later years.

By Lisa EspositoHealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- The older you get, the better you sleep, according to new research that challenges conventional wisdom that a good night's rest is harder to come by with age.

In a survey of 150,000 adults, people in their 70s and 80s had the fewest complaints of sleep disturbance, while those between the ages of 18 and 24 had the most. Except for a bump in complaints in middle age, sleep appears to improve steadily over the course of a lifetime.

One big implication of the study is that health-care providers should not just dismiss poor sleep as a normal part of aging, said study author Michael Grandner, a research associate at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania.

The study, which appears in the March issue of the journal Sleep, looked at responses to a phone survey conducted in 36 U.S. states and territories. People described how often they had experienced sleep disturbance or daytime drowsiness in the previous two weeks.

"In women, you saw very clear increases in both sleep disturbance and daytime tiredness [in middle age]; in men you also saw an increase in later middle age," Grandner said. "I think in women, you're seeing an effect of pre-menopause and menopause. With men, it's a little later. That's where career peaks -- and peak stress -- occurs, in the later 50s."

Men in that age group are also at higher risk of sleep apnea and other health problems, he noted.

Health problems -- especially depression -- had a significant effect on sleep, the survey found.

"One of the most important findings was that depression was a significant predictor for sleep problems," said Michael Vitiello, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, and an expert on sleep and aging.

"I applaud the investigators for this labor-intensive and comprehensive examination of the question," he said. "I've been on the 'It isn't aging, it's illness' bandwagon for many years. It's a treatable disorder. Much of the sleep disturbance seen in older adults is not driven by aging, but by illness."

Healthy older people sleep better, both experts said. They don't necessarily nap more, and dozing off at the opera or movies is by no means a given.

In his own research, Vitiello said, "we looked at napping in older adults -- but not as large a sample, and found that, like sleep complaints, napping is driven by illness burden. If an older person complains [of sleep problems], something's going on and it needs to be dealt with. A physician shouldn't say, 'OK, you're old.' "

Treatment could include referring a patient to a sleep clinic or to a psychiatrist, Vitiello said. And Grandner said patients have been helped by combinations of psychotherapy and relaxation therapy.

Because of the nature of the study -- a "cross-sectional" survey -- the authors said they can't conclude that a cause-and-effect relationship exists between aging and sleep.

Vitiello did point out some methodology issues with the survey, such as an overall response rate of only 40 percent. And, because the study was landline based -- no cellphones -- he added that could affect participation rates among different age groups.

"The common knowledge is that sleep deteriorates with age," Grandner said. And, he added, many sleep-lab studies have shown "certain aspects of sleep get worse as you get older. Older people tend to take longer to fall asleep, they have more awakenings. A lot of the restorative and healing functions of sleep tend to happen less in older people.

"However, what we found [in the study] was that even if their sleep objectively might be worse, their experience of their sleep is better," he said. Part of the explanation may be that older people have other health problems that leave sleep issues lower on their radar. "Somebody who's much younger [might have] a much higher expectation of how they're going to sleep," he said.

It could also be that people in poor health -- who are more likely to have sleep problems -- are less likely to survive to older ages, he said.

For his part, Vitiello said, "If you're healthy, you're probably sleeping quite well, even into your 80s. So, if you see an older person who is having a lot of problems staying awake during the day, you shouldn't just excuse that as, 'Oh, that's just an old-people thing.' "

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/662278.cfm/

A Rose By Any Other Name

The
human nose is a marvelous thing.
It can detect over 10,000 different smells and our sense of smell can call up powerful memories in an instant.

Room
scenting is a very personal choice. A particular scent will connect to an event, person or thing. When you smell it again, it often triggers
memory in the form of a conditioned response, for example the smell of the
ocean call up a particular seaside holiday.

Smell
can also activate the subconscious and influence your mood. Instead of reminding you of specific holiday
details, the ocean scent might make you feel content or happy. Fragrance is so
powerful it can take you from a
feeling of calmness and relaxation to a feeling of joy and stimulation.

Fragrance
categories include:

Floral
– this can be a single flower
or classic floral blends, which may have fresh, fruity, or even powdery
elements.

Citrus
Fruity –includes such
fragrances as lemon, orange, bergamot, apple and berries.

Aquatic - scents
from nature, which bring the outdoors inside all year round. Fresh clean
scents are usually inspired by fragrances taken from nature's elements, like
the rainforest and the ocean.

Nature
Greens - lively fragrances such as green tea, spring
leaves and fresh mown grass are great for living areas and hallways
because they are both revitalising and welcoming. The beauty of
nature and green culture has grown demand for green vegetable and aromatic
herb-based fragrances like thyme and new
mown hay.

Oriental - rich
scents that evoke the feeling of warmth and comfort are becoming increasingly
popular, especially in the autumn. People want to bring the scent of warm
woods and rare spices into the home with fragrances such as sandalwood, vanilla
and cloves.

Food
- foodie aromas can lend an atmosphere of nostalgia – a
fragrance such as cinnamon or ginger may rekindle happy memories of family
times spent in the kitchen and create feelings of wellbeing and reassurance.

You can also consider the season when choosing
a scent. Winter is a popular time for
the likes of apple, cinnamon and pine, while scents like pumpkin, spice and
maple leaves are popular for autumn.

We are bombarded with
artificially scented products. The chemicals often used to formulate these
fragrances can be toxic to the human body over time. It is estimated that 95% of the synthetic fragrances on the market
today are derived from petroleum by-products. These chemicals can cause irritation to the nose, eyes and throat and
are often found in artificially scented air fresheners, soaps, detergents and
cleaners, deodorants, lotions, perfumes and other more common products, so
do check labels before you buy.

There are many different types of home
fragrance units on the market. The
scented candle and pot – pourri are are among the oldest forms of scenting
homes. Candles can offer design variety but over the years accidental house
fires and soot marks have become an issue.

To
use a safer product many people have moved on to reed diffusers, which are
particularly pleasing to the eye.
Wall plugs, light bulb heated warmers and scented oils are all alternative
options.

Layering
your home fragrance will add greater depth, which can be achieved through the
use of candles, flowers and perhaps diffusers. Candles and flowers will give you a
short-burst of fragrance lasting a few days and an aroma diffuser will provide
you with a constant delicate underlying scent that can last for months, just be
sure your fragrances enhance one another and don't clash.

Lilly
Light

To add fragrance and beauty to your home Ashleigh & Burwood would like to
offer one lucky Women
Talking subscriber the chance to win a Premium Fragrance Lamp Gift Set.

Each Fragrance Lamp is
individually handcrafted, and each piece is therefore completely unique

To enter answer the following question:

Name one of the oil
fragrances

For help visit www.ashleigh-burwood.co.uk

Send your answer to competitions@womentalking.co.uk
ensuring you put the words fragrance in the subject header and also include
your Women Talking username with the
submission.

Please note this competition is only open to Women Talking subscribers and any entry
without a valid username will not be accepted.

The competition closes on March 31st and the winner will be contacted soon after.

Source: http://womentalking.co.uk/new//topics/lifestyle/rose-any-other-name/

TONY'S WOMAN PROBLEMBy Tracey Spicer

Booze and Family History of Colon Cancer a Bad Mix: Study (2/3/2012)

Booze and Family History of Colon Cancer a Bad Mix: Study

Red meat, smoking and skipping veggies also associated with a raised cancer risk, research finds.
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- People who consume a few alcoholic drinks a day and have a family history of colorectal cancer are at increased risk for developing colon cancer, new research suggests.

For the study, researchers in Boston examined data from more than 87,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study and 47,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and found that 1,801 cases of colon cancer were diagnosed among the participants from 1980 onward.

People with a family history of colorectal cancer who drank an average of 30 or more grams of alcohol per day (about 2.5 typical drinks in the United States) were at increased risk for colon cancer, according to lead author Eunyoung Cho, of the Channing Laboratory, department of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and colleagues.

Those at greatest risk also ate the most red meat, smoked more and consumed the least folate, which suggests they ate fewer green vegetables and cereal. The findings indicate that other lifestyle factors, such as diet, play an important role in colon cancer risk, the researchers said.

Although the study uncovered an association between these factors and colon cancer risk, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Among people who did not have a family history of colorectal cancer, no significant association was found between alcohol consumption and colon cancer. Greater alcohol intake was not associated with a consistent increase in cancer risk, the authors noted in a news release from Boston University Medical Center.

The study was published in the February issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Source: http://www.womenshealth.gov/new//news/headlines/661274.cfm/

GIVING MARGARET COURT A SERVEBy Duncan Fine