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Schwarzenegger Nears 60 In Top Political Form
Los Angeles (AFP) Jul 27, 2007 Arnold Schwarzenegger, who once flexed his muscles as Mr. Universe and as an action-film hero, turns 60 Monday as the respected and popular governor of the most-populous US state. The "governator" of California, who played the robotic killing machine in the "Terminator," has become a charismatic leader whose work against global warming has drawn the interest of world dignitaries. First elected in 2003 in a historic recall election that ousted then-governor Gray Davis, the moderate Republican easily won re-election in November with nearly 56 percent of the ballots. Schwarzenegger's spokesman refused to say how the former champion bodybuilder would celebrate his 60th birthday, when he will join President George W. Bush and former president Bill Clinton in the sexagenarian club. While fellow Hollywood stars in their sixties keep taking tough-guy roles, Schwarzenegger cannot regret turning his back on a lucrative acting career to tread on California's political minefield. His transformation from a gun-toting screen hero to hand-shaking politician has been a success. With three and half years left in his second and final term, he basks in approval ratings of more than 50 percent. His transition may have come at the right time, as his aging body no longer fit his brawny characters running around saving and taking away countless lives, a Hollywood expert said. "He became a real joke, being the aging man shooting everybody and saving the world from the bad guys," said Lew Harris of Movies.com. "It became silly and sillier. ... It wasn't working anymore, he had no career left." "He's always been very smart about his career moves. That was a very smart career move to change directions like he did," Harris said. In the meantime, his 1980s action film rival Sylvester Stallone, 61, released a sixth "Rocky" movie about a boxer who comes out of retirement to fight a much younger pugilist, while Harrison Ford, 65, is poised to appear next year in a fourth "Indiana Jones." A fourth "Terminator" is in the works, but it won't feature Schwarzenegger. The body he meticulously sculpted and earned him Mr. Universe bodybuilding titles has even begun to betray him: In January, he was sworn in to his new term in crutches due to a skiing accident, and he was briefly hospitalized in December 2005 with an irregular heartbeat. After going after villains on the silver screen, Schwarzenegger is now playing a real-life role in the global battle against climate change. In September, he signed a historic bill to cap greenhouse gas emissions, making California the first US state to impose limits on the gases blamed for global warming. California's initiative drew praise from Britain's then prime minister Tony Blair, who said "This will echo right around the world." Leaders from around the world now want to discuss global warming with the governor of the richest US state -- which is the size of Italy and would be the world's sixth biggest economy if it were an independent country. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met him in July, while German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected in California in August. Schwarzenegger has also gone against the current within his own Republican party and the Bush administration, from his support for universal health care to his backing of public financing for embryonic stem cell research. He has reached out to Democrats who control California's legislature and defends his independent streak. "Centrist does not mean weak. It does not mean watered down or watered over," he said during his inauguration. "It means well-balanced and well-grounded. The American people are instinctively centrist -- so should be our government." The Austrian-born actor also admitted in a recent CBS television interview that he would like to become US president one day, following the footsteps of another actor who became California governor and then president, Ronald Reagan. "You always shoot for the top," he said. But this may prove difficult as the US Constitution only allows US-born citizens to run for president, and Republicans running in the 2008 presidential election said they would oppose a "Schwarzenegger amendment."
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Two Bacteria Better Than One In Cellulose-Fed Fuel Cell
University Park PA (SPX) Jul 29, 2007No currently known bacteria that allow termites and cows to digest cellulose, can power a microbial fuel cell and those bacteria that can produce electrical current cannot eat cellulose. But careful pairing of bacteria can create a fuel cell that consumes cellulose and produces electricity, according to a team of Penn State researchers. "We have gotten microbial fuel cells to work with all kinds of biodegradable substances including glucose, wastewater and other organic wastes," says John M. Regan, assistant professor of environmental engineering. "But, cellulose is tricky. There is no known microbe that can degrade cellulose and reduce the anode. |
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