Today Hightlight

Lollipop : News (Total : 95)

Ferrari revert to 'lollipop' for Japan Formula One
FUJI SPEEDWAY (AFP) - Ferrari have decided to dump their "traffic light" pit stop signal system at the Japan Grand Prix
and revert to the traditional "lollipop" after their disaster in Singapore.
Felipe Massa lost all hope of winning in Singapore when a mechanic controlling their innovative lights system made a mistake and turned the green on before a fuel hose was detached.
The lights system usually works automatically when the hose is removed, but the system was operated manually in Singapore.
The bungle cost Ferrari dearly as they fell behind McLaren in the constructors championship while Massa slipped seven points adrift of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' world title race.
Team boss Stefano Domenicali said Ferrari needed to simplify things, so the lollipop system was being brought back.
"We still believe that our 'traffic light' system used for releasing the drivers from the pits does bring a performance advantage, something we have seen on a couple of occasions this season," he said on the Ferrari website.
"It is a good system that still has potential.
"However, for the rest of this season, in the light of recent events, we have decided to revert to a conventional 'lollipop' for telling the driver when it is clear for him to go.
"This decision has been taken purely to give the pit crew maximum confidence at the time of the pit stops.
"Pit stops are always a tense moment and with the fight for the championships so finely balanced that will be even more the case over these last few races."
...(more) - 10 8 2008 11:55PM
Coldplay Tops Hot 100
Los Angeles (E! Online) - Coldplay got some heavy play on the charts.
Thanks mostly to massive digital sales, the easy-rocking
Brit band landed its first No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 as "Viva la Vida" ended the four-week reign of Lil Wayne's "Lollipop." Chris Martin and mates reached the top spot with more than 246,000 in sales of the single for the week ended Sunday.
The last time a British rock group topped the Hot 100? Twenty years ago, when the Def Leppard power ballad "Loves Bites" infected the airwaves.
Despite its multiplatinum, Grammy-winning success, Coldplay had previously topped just one U.S. song chart: A remix of "Talk" reached No. 1 on Hot Dance Club Play two years ago. As far as the Hot 100, the closest the band ever came was No. 8 with 2005's "Speed of Sound."
"Viva la Vida," which benefited from placement in a spaced-out iTunes commercial, is the first rock song to top the Hot 100 this year. In fact, only two rock songs topped the chart all of last year: Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder" and Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend."
Powered by the hit single, Coldplay's fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, is on track for a massive No. 1 bow next week with sales projected in excess of 700,000.
Meanwhile, the band's Capitol Records label mate Katy Perry rode major airplay gains to No. 2 with "I Kissed a Girl." This is the first time Capitol has claimed the top two spots since Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" and the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" 41 years ago.
Though "Lollipop" slipped to No. 3, Lil Wayne's new single, "3 Peat," entered the Hot 100 at No. 66 as the week's top debut. Still, it's not like losing the top spot could spoil the rapper's party following Tha Carter III's mammoth million-copy sales week.
Elsewhere, Weezer's "Pork and Beans" and Disturbed's "Inside the Fire" are both in their seventh weeks atop the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts, respectively.
Finally, Kenny Chesney's "Better as a Memory" jumped three spots to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs. That gives the country crooner three No. 1s from his current album, Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, and 14 for his career.
...(more) - 06 20 2008 6:39PM
UK "Lollipop" traffic rage fight goes technical
LONDON (Reuters) - British school traffic crossing helpers are being armed with new high-tech weapons in a bid to fight a growing
number of so-called "lollipop" rage incidents.
Lollipops are the "Stop" signs carried by the yellow-jacketed men and women who help children to cross the road at the ubiquitous zebra-striped pedestrian crossings near schools. Trouble is, many drivers fail to heed them and some become downright aggressive.
Now the signs are to be fitted with miniature cameras, one facing forward and the other backwards, to trap offenders, the Local Government Association (LGA) announced.
Authorities say both monitors and children are being subjected to a growing amount of threatening behavior, intimidation and swearing, especially during morning rush hour.
Motoring groups warned that measures needed to be put in place to ensure innocent motorists were not unfairly targeted.
Latest figures show there were more than 1,400 reported "lollipop-rage" incidents last year.
The high-tech signs, developed by a private firm and costing almost 900 pounds each, are likely to be introduced across the country in the coming months after more than 150 councils expressed interest, an LGA spokeswoman said.
Under British law, a lollipop stop sign has the same legal power as a red traffic light, with failure to abide resulting in a 1,000 pound ($1,969) fine and a three-point driving licence penalty.
"It's unbelievable that we have to take this action," the chairman of LGA's transport board, David Sparks, said in a statement.
"But abuse and intimidation of lollipop men and women who are carrying out a vital service to the community will also not be tolerated. Motorists need to be made aware that they are committing a criminal offence."
A former Hampshire-based lollipop man, David Francis, said he was seriously injured at a school crossing patrol in Gosport last year. He is still unable to walk unaided and continues to take medication.
The head of road safety for the Automobile Association (AA), Andrew Howard, welcomed the move but warned that innocent motorists could be unfairly hit if they did not see the monitors.
"At times people can be incredibly rude to them, so I think when people are being willfully dangerous they probably need do need this extra protection," he told Reuters.
(Editing by Stephen Addison and Paul Casciato)
...(more) - 05 1 2008 6:53AM
'Lollipop' men and women go hi-tech
LONDON (AFP) - First there were speed cameras to catch errant motorists. Now the humble "lollipop" man and woman -- road
safety guardians outside schools -- are being used against aggressive drivers.
The volunteers, many of them elderly, who help children cross roads safely by halting traffic, are getting mini cameras attached to the front and back of their lollipop-shaped "Stop. Children" signs in one part of northern England.
Kirklees Council in the county of West Yorkshire hopes the footage can be used as evidence to trap drivers who hurl abuse or ignore the patrol.
Legally, lollipop patrols have the same status as a red traffic light and failure to stop can lead to a 1,000-pound fine or three penalty points on a driving licence.
The BBC reported that there were an estimated 1,400 incidents against such patrols last year but there has been a problem in collecting evidence to mount prosecutions.
Another council in the West Midlands is issuing its lollipop people with headcams.
...(more) - 05 1 2008 2:21AM
Lil Wayne hits No. 1 on singles chart
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Rapper Lil Wayne scored his firstNo. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart Thursday with"Lollipop,&
quot; the first release from his highly anticipatedalbum.
Lil Wayne has made 20 appearances on the Hot 100 since1999, most of which have been via collaborations. As a leadartist, his previous best showing was with "Go D.J.," whichpeaked at No. 14 in November 2004.
His album, "Tha Carter III," has shifted release dates onnumerous occasions and is now expected June 10.
"Lollipop" flip-flopped with Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love."Jordin Sparks' "No Air" featuring Chris Brown held at No.3.Usher's "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy and MariahCarey's "Touch My Body" were unchanged at Nos. 4 and 5,respectively.
Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake rose oneto No. 6, trading places with Ray J & Yung Berg's "Sexy Can I."Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" was up one to No. 8, switchingspots with Chris Brown's "With You." Miley Cyrus' "See YouAgain" rose one to No. 10, her first entry in the top 10.
Mariah Carey's "Bye Bye" was the top debut at No. 23;another song from her current Billboard 200 chart-topper,"E=MC2," the T-Pain-featuring "Migrate," debuted at No. 92.
Reuters/Billboard
...(more) - 04 25 2008 7:04AM
MotoGP driver Stoner beats lollipop kid in Qatar night triumph
LOSAIL, Qatar (AFP) - Defending world champion Casey Stoner of Australia, on a Ducati, won the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix her
e on Sunday, the first world championship race to be held at night.
Rookie Jorge Lorenzo, who moved into the top flight MotoGP series after winning the last two 250cc titles, was second on his Yamaha, 5.323secs behind, with Honda's Dani Pedrosa taking third, more than 10secs off the pace.
"It's been a hard weekend for us," admitted Stoner who won here also last year but started Sunday's race from fourth on the grid.
"We didn't start well at all. I didn't have a lot of grip at the rear and people were knocking each other out of the road.
"But I managed to get in front where I felt comfortable and then do some reasonable lap times," added Stoner after his 11th MotoGP race win.
Lorenzo, at 20 the youngest rider in MotoGP, celebrated his second place by appearing on the podium sucking a lollipop.
"I would have preferred to have won," said the rookie. "But Stoner was really quick. Finishing second in my first MotoGP isn't so bad and it's a very long championship."
In a sensational start, Pedrosa stunned the field by taking a first lap lead from his eighth-place starting place as pole-sitter Lorenzo slipped back to fifth place.
But Valentino Rossi, a five-time world champion in the MotoGP series, then stormed into the lead on his Yamaha on the third lap with Pedrosa in second, Lorenzo in third and with Stoner biding his time on his Ducati in fourth spot.
The Australian then made his move on the eighth lap by taking the lead with Rossi relegated to third as Lorenzo took second spot.
Stoner, showing no ill-effects of a recent shoulder injury, gradually extended his lead and with seven of the 22 laps left, his advantage was more than a second over Lorenzo.
With five laps left, Pedrosa had pushed Rossi, whose Yamaha was on Bridgestone tyres, back to fourth while Stoner was hammering home his advantage at the front where his lead was over four seconds with two laps left.
Rossi's misery was compounded when another rookie, compatriot Andrea Dovizioso, went past him in his Honda on the final lap to grab fourth with Rossi having to settle for fifth place.
Sunday's race, held in chilly temperatures, was illuminated by 3,600 light fixtures generating 5.4 million watts of power - enough light to cover an area equivalent to 70 football pitches.
The bulbs are fixed on 1000 poles all linked together by almost 500 kilometres of wire and supported by 300,000 kilos of concrete.
Meanwhile, Italy's Mattia Pasini, on an Aprilia, won the 250cc race with Spain's Hector Barbera and Mika Kallio of Finland second and third respectively.
In the 125cc event, Spain's Sergio Gadea, on an Aprilia, took the chequered flag ahead of compatriot Joan Olive and Germany's Stefan Bradl.
...(more) - 03 10 2008 12:57PM
Importer recalls Valentine lollipops
LAKELAND, Fla. - The importer of a Valentine's Day lollipop said it was voluntarily recalling the treats after metal fragments wer
e found in at least two lollipops sold at central Florida stores.
Sherwood Brands of Maryland, which imports the candy from China, said it was recalling all of its Pokemon Valentine Cards and Pops, which have been pulled from the shelves of thousands of stores across the country.
Roughly 20 lollipops were seized at Kathleen Elementary School in Lakeland. X-rays determined that only one piece definitely had metal — what appeared to be a staple — baked inside, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
On Wednesday, a woman in nearby Mulberry told authorities she found a lollipop with a piece of metal in it in a bag of the same product. The metal appeared to be part of a razor blade, authorities said.
The sheriff's office issued a safety advisory and the Dollar General chain removed the product from its more than 8,000 stores nationwide. The Food and Drug Administration is investigating.
Judd said the two tainted lollipops were purchased from different Dollar General stores near Lakeland. He said the lollipops did not appear to have been tampered with and it appeared the metal was baked into the candy in China, where it was produced.
"Our children were put at risk of physical injury because of this," Judd said.
No injuries were reported and it was unclear whether the metal was intentionally placed in the candy.
The sheriff's office said Sherwood Brands was cooperating. "They are as concerned as we are," Judd said.
Sherwood Brands did not return calls seeking comment Thursday but announced the recall in a statement. The company said it was recalling the cards and treats, which were sold in packages of 10 and 30.
"Sherwood Brands is advising its distribution network to remove the Pokemon branded Valentine cards and lollipops from the shelves immediately. The product was sold at retailers nationwide," the company said in the statement.
Dollar General, headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tenn., also pulled another Sherwood Brands product, Dog Artlist Collection Valentine Cards and Pops, from shelves. Tawn Earnest, a spokeswoman for the chain, said no other pieces of metal have been found in the manufacturer's products.
China's reputation as an exporter has taken a beating in the past year following the discovery of dangerous chemicals in products from toothpaste to toys. Last year it announced a series of measures to boost product supervision.
...(more) - 02 15 2008 4:54PM
Internet delivers lollipop scorpions to Australia
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Live honey bees, chocolate-coated insects or lollipops with scorpions.
Consumers love the ease, and the cho
ice, of food shopping on the Internet. But it's making the job of Australia's quarantine inspectors more difficult as they try to stem rising imports of banned food, animal and plant items.
The Australian Quarantine Inspections Service (AQIS) has confiscated live, dead, processed and just truly bizarre items in recent years.
The country has one of the world's toughest quarantine regimes aimed at keeping diseases from entering the island continent, a major agricultural nation and home to unique animals such as kangaroos and the platypus.
Importing contraband can carry a fine of A$60,000 (US$53,000).
"There has been an explosive growth in buying foods over the internet. It's been the most significant area of change and growth in the range of things coming into Australia through air cargo and international mail," said AQIS spokesman Carson Creagh.
"We get some fairly creative descriptions on the declarations," said Creagh. "We intercepted a whole salami declared as wallpaper samples."
"We got a parcel with almost a whole (leg of) ham coming in from France. With a note saying: 'as you suggested I've packed this ham in hand soap, so the dogs won't be able to pick it up'."
AQIS employs about 40 detector dog teams working at international mail centers and air cargo centers around Australia. It also X-rays items.
"Our dogs have got the most incredible noses and they can sniff out these sorts of things," Creagh said. "We don't go on what's written on the declaration form."
"The job is becoming more challenging all the time because there has been about a 10 percent growth every year in the amount of mail and air cargo items coming into Australia, that's been matched by the amount of interceptions," Creagh said.
About 150 million items are sent to Australia each year.
The growth of contraband has seen online auction house eBay Australia work with the quarantine service to stop illegal items entering the country.
"So when you go to make purchases through eBay you have a link to quarantine information which warns people that this is something that you could lose your money on," Creagh said.
(Editing by David Fogarty)
...(more) - 01 24 2008 7:47PM
How Books Can Save Your Life
Dear Book Doctor,One of my new colleagues keeps stealing my ideas and getting credit for projects that I have worked on. It sounds
petty when I bring it up, but it really grates. Any advice?AA, Manchester
If this is happening repeatedly, then you're clearly in the hands of a master, or at least someone with no shame. You must now stake your claim to everything you do, say and think. For the fictional equivalent we can turn to the protagonist of Joanne Harris's The Lollipop Shoes. Where your colleague steals ideas, Zozie de l'Alba (that's only one of her names) borrows whole personae - bank letters, mobile accounts, apartments. "I change my name like my coat," she says. "I never stay in one place for long."
Over the course of a single year, she tells us, 20 million letters are delivered to the dead: "The living just follow their petty concerns, quite unaware that very close by, a miracle is taking place. The dead are coming back to life."
But be careful, not just your ideas but your job could be at risk. In The Lollipop Shoes, Zozie decides she is bored of the usual petty thievery. Even the EU25,000 she pilfered isn't enough. So she goes for something more: a life.
She inveigles herself into the soul of Vianne Rocher, Vianne's beloved chocolate shop and her even more beloved daughter, Anouk.
At the book's denouement, Zozie turns up to the Christmas party in fancy dress of an unusual kind: "Can't you see?" she says to Vianne. "I've come as you." Later she turns to Anouk, as she tries to persuade her to abandon her mother: "You choose your family."
So act now to crush your colleague. Or you could lose a lot more than the credit for your ideas.
bookdoctor@ft.com
...(more) - 09 3 2007 12:33PM
Colombia seizes island from drug lord "Lollipop"
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia said on Monday it had seized$400 million in property, including a Caribbean island, from acocaine
baron arrested in Brazil this month and is awaitingextradition to the United States on drug charges.
Some 322 properties including farms, apartment buildings, ahotel, a gymnasium and an Island off the port of Cartagena werestripped from Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, nicknamed Lollipop,or Chupeta in Colombian Spanish, authorities said.
Ramirez Abadia, who gained notoriety in the 1990s as aleader of the still powerful Norte del Valle cartel based nearCali, used plastic surgery to change his appearance in a bid toavoid being identified.
He was captured notwithstanding in an August 7 raid on aluxury home near Sao Paulo, from which authorities say heoversaw a multibillion-dollar drug ring stretching to Europeand the United States.
Ramirez Abadia, 44, has served prison time in his nativeColombia for drug trafficking but there are a number ofoutstanding accusations against him.
Since his arrest, Ramirez Abadia has made it clear he wantsto be extradited to the United States, saying he would fear forhis life if returned to Colombia.
Early this year, police found about $90 million in cashhidden in several apartments in the southwestern city of Cali,which authorities said had been stashed by Ramirez Abadia.
...(more) - 09 2 2007 11:16PM

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