In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt
A New York woman who died Sunday from cancer has raised enough money to erase million of dollars in medical debt with a posthumous plea for help
2023-11-18 02:25
Microsoft’s new AI tool cleans up messy backgrounds in video calls
Microsoft has come up with a solution for when you're too pressed for time to tidy your room before hopping in to a video call. The tech company's new "decorate your room" feature for Microsoft Teams, announced at the Ignite 2023 conference this week, will launch next year. For those wanting a festive touch to their background, the tool can even place fairy lights and a Christmas tree into the picture. "Meeting participants can now use generative background effects in Teams to show up their best – even when the space they're working from isn't at its best," Microsoft said.
2023-11-18 01:25
Does turkey really make you tired? When the best time to host Thanksgiving dinner is, according to chefs
Thanksgiving is only days away, and families all across America are in the midst of building their dinner menus for the feast. While you’re heading to the grocery store to pick up your turkey and sweet potatoes, there’s one aspect of Thanksgiving that’s important to consider while planning out the big day: When will dinner be served? Over the years, Americans have opted to host their dinners at different times, with many families starting the meal at 3pm on the fourth Thursday in November. On the other hand, some people decide to eat dinner as they normally would, by hosting Thanksgiving at 6pm or 7pm. The question of when to have your Thanksgiving dinner may be tied to one major factor - that large meals can make you a bit sleepy. There’s constant discussion surrounding the star of Thanksgiving, turkey, and how it makes you tired. Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid in our bodies that helps make melatonin to regulate sleep schedules, according to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. There’s no arguing that eating a Thanksgiving meal full of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes would make anyone ready for a nap. Still, the question remains as to whether the chemicals in turkey actually make us susceptible to tiredness, or whether other factors are at play in our post-meal slumber. Speaking to The Independent, professional chefs have discussed the drowsiness that comes from eating a hefty meal, and how that feeling can affect your upcoming Thanksgiving plans. According to the Cleveland Clinic, tryptophan is an essential acid that’s found in food containing high levels of protein, such as chicken, eggs, cheese, and fish. Since there’s tryptophan in turkey, the amino acid can affect our body’s levels of both melatonin and serotonin, neurotransmitters that control our moods. Speaking to The Independent, California-based chef Brendan Collins acknowledged that the tryptophan in turkey is an amino acid that affects our sleep schedule. However, he clarified that turkey isn’t the reason for the drowsiness, and rather our eating habits on Thanksgiving could be the culprit. “I think the truth is that we can end up overeating on Thanksgiving, in comparison to our normal eating schedule, and we get food comas,” he explained. “We need to sleep because of that. Not because of the small amount of tryptophan found in the turkey itself.” John Carpenter - an executive chef at Signature Restaurant at La Cantera Resort and Spa in Texas - agreed that stuffing our faces with food on Thanksgiving may be more likely to blame for our tiredness. He noted that it’s easy to feel sleepy after a big meal and specified that a range of foods and beverages can contribute to the drowsiness, from pumpkin pie to wine. “Thanksgiving dinner is quite heavy, between stuffing and large amounts of meat we eat, whether that be turkey or ham,” he explained. “It’s also usually surrounded by friends and family, and there’s some alcohol drinking usually involved, which isn’t exactly known to keep us awake.” With the side effects of eating a big Thanksgiving meal in mind, chefs have shared their advice on when to plan your dinner. It’s important to note that the day before Thanksgiving can be relatively busy, from buying your ingredients to decorating your home. In addition to managing physical tasks, Carpenter said there’s another routine he usually takes on to prepare for the holiday - changing up his eating habits. “For me personally, I definitely prefer to change my eating schedule, leading up not only the day of Thanksgiving, but also a couple of days before,” he said. “I always eat a little bit lighter, leading up in anticipation of a big meal. And personally, I normally don’t even eat breakfast on Thanksgiving because I know I’m going to eat so much.” The morning of Thanksgiving tends to be quite hectic, so Collins urged families to give themselves enough preparation time before dinner. He recommended giving yourself a good two and a half to three hours of cooking time, when you can prepare all your vegetables while the turkey is in the oven. So, when is the best opportunity to serve the food to your guests? Professional chefs recommend the daytime, rather than evening, as the best time to host your dinner, taking both meal preparation time and drowsiness into account. “Normally for me, it’s early in the afternoon or early in the day,” Carpenter explained. “I have two children so I prefer earlier because it gives us the rest of the day for them to wind down from a big meal and all that. And then you have more time during Thanksgiving day to be with your family.” When you decide to host your Thanksgiving dinner is entirely up to you, but Collins acknowledged that the age of your guests is another factor to consider. He noted that children are generally accustomed to having their meals earlier in the day, even though that might not be the case for adults. “I think if there’s a lot of children under 10 years of age, having your dinner at 2pm or 3pm would be good,” Collins said. “If it’s more towards the adult scene, then I think it’s more of an early dinner, late lunch kind of thing. I’d personally go for 4pm or 5pm.” Thanksgiving aside, studies have found that late-night dinners may not be the best idea. In a 2022 study published in peer-reviewed journal Cell Metabolism, researchers examined 16 patients who were overweight and obese as they ate the same exact meals on two schedules - one group eating as late as 9pm. Results showed that eating later had a large effect on how patients regulated their “energy intake, expenditure, and storage”. Since there’s so many different types of food served on Thanksgiving, eating dinner on the earlier side could ultimately be better for your physical health. “Personally, I know you shouldn’t be eating a huge meal later at night, especially the size of a normal Thanksgiving meal,” Collins added. “So definitely give yourself the time for your food to settle down.” Although there are various factors to consider when planning the timing of your Thanksgiving dinner, it’s important to remember not to let the stress of it ruin the day. “Don’t stress out too much about the food,” Collins said. “I know sometimes Thanksgiving is one of the first times you’ve seen friends or family in a long time. So I think the idea is that it’s celebratory, and make sure you do that. Buy really good wine or champagne and enjoy yourself.” Read More 10 Thanksgiving traditions and where they come from The French have rules, and they have camembert rules – mess with them at your peril Pearly Cow, Margate, restaurant review: Go for the steak, but stay for the potatoes The French have rules, and they have camembert rules – mess with them at your peril Pearly Cow, Margate, restaurant review: Go for the steak, but stay for the potatoes We must stop Big Cranberry Sauce’s reign of terror over Christmas sandwiches
2023-11-18 00:53
Bellagio CCTV shows moment Sainz’s Ferrari hits drain cover on Las Vegas F1 circuit
Sparks were seen flying from Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari as the first practice session for the highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix descended into chaos. Thursday night’s practice (16 November) was cancelled after just nine minutes when Sainz hit a broken drain cover, damaging his car. CCTV footage from the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, which overlooks the track, shows the moment the Ferrari driver ran over the manhole. Sainz has been handed a 10-place grid penalty for the incident, and his car required repairs ahead of the second practice session, which took place in the early hours of Friday morning.
2023-11-17 21:56
Empty grandstands at Las Vegas GP as chaotic practice session takes place at 3am
The grandstands at F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix were close to empty during Thursday night’s (16 November) chaotic practice. Session one was cancelled after just nine minutes when a broken drain cover damaged Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. The second practice was subsequently pushed back by over two hours, as officials worked to inspect the track. By the time drivers returned to the circuit - around 2:30am local time on Friday morning, the grandstands were empty. A statement from F1 confirmed that all fan areas were closed at 1:30am - before the second session started - “due to logistical considerations for our fans and our staff”. Read More Ferrari team boss fumes over damage to Sainz car: ‘Just unacceptable’ Jacques Villeneuve becomes first F1 driver to get married in paddock at Las Vegas GP Watch: Sainz hits loose drain cover on Las Vegas track as F1 practice turns to chaos
2023-11-17 21:24
Auction Houses End November Sales Season With ‘Solid’ $2 Billion
There are a few ways to interpret the news that the annual November New York auctions sold more
2023-11-17 20:26
Ferrari team boss fumes over damage to Sainz car in Las Vegas: ‘Just unacceptable’
An incident with a manhole cover that damaged Carlos Sainz’s car on the Las Vegas Grand Prix track is “just unacceptable”, Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur has said. The first practice session on Thursday night (16 November) was cancelled after just nine minutes when Sainz hit a drain cover that had come loose. Vasseur said the car suffered a damaged chassis, engine and battery in the incident, and would miss the second practice session. “I think it is just unacceptable,” he told Sky Sports F1 in the team principal news conference.
2023-11-17 19:22
Tesla Business Grinds to a Halt Where Unions Still Hold Sway
For the past week, not a single Tesla has passed through Sweden’s four biggest ports. Starting Friday, broken
2023-11-17 18:16
Las Vegas F1: Jacques Villeneuve becomes first driver to get married in GP paddock
Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve married his partner in the Las Vegas Grand Prix paddock on Thursday night (16 November). A wedding chapel was set up so anybody tempted to tie the knot in Sin City could “Race to the Altar” - and Villeneuve took full advantage. His partner Giulia wore a stunning dress for the occasion and the happy couple were then seen posing for photos. Villeneuve’s former Williams engineer, Jock Clear, was best man as the 1997 world champion became the first - and likely last - F1 driver to get married on the track. His wedding came hours before a chaotic first practice session was cancelled. Read More Sainz hits loose drain cover on Las Vegas track as F1 practice session turns to chaos Las Vegas Sphere wears giant F1 helmet ahead of inaugural grand prix F1 cars projected into sky as drone show lights up Las Vegas ahead of grand prix
2023-11-17 17:59
Watch: Carlos Sainz runs over loose drain cover on Las Vegas track as practice session turns to chaos
F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix began in disastrous fashion as the first practice session on Thursday night (16 November) was abandoned due to a loose manhole cover. The session had only been going for eight minutes when Carlos Sainz’s car rolled to a stop on the Sin City strip, having suffered substantial floor damage. Onboard footage shows the moment his Ferrari, driving at speeds of over 200mph, went over the loose drain cover. Sainz veered to the side and stopped the car after the impact. A red flag was thrown and soon after, stewards announced the session would not resume. Read More Carlos Sainz breaks Netflix Cup trophy during F1 and golf crossover event Jacques Villeneuve becomes first F1 driver to get married in paddock at Las Vegas GP Luis Diaz’s father weeps in stands as his son scores days after release by kidnappers
2023-11-17 17:45
Las Vegas Sphere wears giant F1 helmet ahead of inaugural grand prix
The Las Vegas Sphere was seen wearing a Formula 1 helmet ahead of this weekend’s grand prix. A highly anticipated race will take place on the world-famous strip on Saturday night (18 November) and ahead of Thursday’s first practice session, Sin City’s newest landmark was lit up accordingly. A giant yellow emoji face was seen sporting an F1 helmet, making for a rather amusing view close to the circuit. The Sphere will also be used throughout race weekend to show driver introductions, live positions and fans around the track. Amid all the hype around the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Thursday’s practice session was cancelled over a loose manhole cover. Read More F1 cars projected into sky as drone show lights up Las Vegas ahead of grand prix Verstappen criticises Las Vegas GP as F1 stars presented in ‘Hunger Games’ reveal Harry Styles debuts shaved head on date with Taylor Russell at Las Vegas Sphere
2023-11-17 16:54
Thailand to Miss Growth Targets Without Stimulus, PM’s Aide Says
Thailand risks missing its growth targets without the injection of a large dose of cash into the economy,
2023-11-17 14:57