World news

Capitol Hill woman's killer sentenced to 35 years

2009-05-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

The man accused of killing Seattle Sierra Club worker Shannon Harps near her Capitol Hill home has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

James A. Williams, 50, pleaded guilty last week to first-degree murder in the New Year's Eve 2007 stabbing. After hearing from Harps' family and friends, King County Superior Court Judge Palmer Robinson on Thursday sentenced Williams to the lengthy prison term.

Williams, who has been held at Western State Hospital during much of the time since his arrest in January 2008, has a long history of schizophrenia and violent crime.

Harps, 31, was stabbed to death in the stairwell of her apartment building. Police later found Williams' DNA on a kitchen knife found nearby, and arrested him shortly thereafter.

Due to an earlier criminal conviction, Williams was living in a home for extremely mentally ill offenders when the attack occurred. A community corrections officer supervising him wrote that Williams "was barely able to hold himself together" the day Harps was stabbed to death.

The unprovoked attack prompted widespread concern around the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Police initially identified another suspect in the attack; later cleared, that man, William Ball II, was himself slain months later in an unrelated attack.

Responding to the plea last week, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said in a statement that Harps' slaying illustrated a need for better coordination between the mental health system and law enforcement.

"This is a good resolution to a tragic case which will result in, essentially, a life sentence for the defendant," Satterberg said previously. "This case highlighted a lot of work that still needs to be done in improving the overlap between the mental health system and the criminal justice system."

Harps' death prompted a series of special reports in the Seattle P.I. on the state's mental health system and its failures. One focused on efforts to monitor dangerously mentally ill offenders like Williams.

Barack Obama pledges support for Palestinian statehood

2009-05-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama has reassured Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, of Washington's support for Palestinian statehood during his first visit to the White House.
Following their Oval Office talks, Mr Obama said he was "confident" of moving the Middle East peace process forward and said freezing the expansion of settlements was now a public priority for the US.
Mr Obama said that "time is of the essence" in securing Arab Israeli peace and that it is "in US interests to do so quickly".
After years of being shut out the White House during the Bush Administration, the Palestinian delegation was encouraged to find a President prepared to push back against Israeli positions that conflict with the "road map" for peace.
Mr Obama declared that Israel had the obligation of "stopping settlements," but warned that Palestinians must also crack down on anti-Israel violence and incitement in schools, mosques and public places.
A freeze on settlements has been US policy for years, but in practice expansion has been tolerated, to the fury of Palestinians. Mr Abbas has ruled out restarting peace talks until Israel removes all roadblocks and freezes settlement building.
During a brief press conference Mr Obama also said he was confident that Israel would recognise that a two-state solution was in the interests of its security.
However earlier in the day Israel dismissed an unequivocal US demand to stop building Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory, as it headed for a direct confrontation with its most important ally and sponsor.
Responding to blunt comments made by Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, an Israeli government spokesman said "normal life" would continue in West Bank settlements – a euphemism for further construction to accommodate population growth. Mark Regev , the Israeli government spokesman, said the fate of settlements "will be determined in final status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and in the interim, normal life must be allowed to continue in those communities".
Earlier this week Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, told his cabinet that construction would continue in existing settlements.
Mrs Clinton used particularly blunt language when restating Mr Obama's insistence that the building should stop.
"He wants to see a stop to settlements. Not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions," she said.
The comments were the clearest example yet of the rift emerging between the President, who has vowed vigorously to pursue the peace process as part of a changed approach to the region, and Mr Netanyahu, who presides over a hard line government that is largely opposed to concessions.

More Alzheimer’s Risk Factors for Hispanics, Studies Suggest

2008-10-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

By PAM BELLUCK
PHILADELPHIA — Antonio Vasquez was just 60 when Alzheimer’s disease derailed him.

He lost his job at a Queens bakery because he kept burning chocolate chip cookies, forgetting he had put them in the oven. Then he got lost going to job interviews, walking his neighborhood in circles.

Teresa Mojica of Philadelphia was 59 when she got Alzheimer’s, making her so argumentative and delusional that she sometimes hits her husband. And Ida J. Lawrence was 57 when she started misplacing things and making mistakes in her Boston dental school job.

Besides being young Alzheimer’s patients — most Americans who develop it are at least 65, and it becomes more common among people in their 70s or 80s — the three are Hispanic, a group that Alzheimer’s doctors are increasingly concerned about, and not just because it is the country’s largest, fastest-growing minority.

Studies suggest that many Hispanics may have more risk factors for developing dementia than other groups, and a significant number appear to be getting Alzheimer’s earlier. And surveys indicate that Latinos, less likely to see doctors because of financial and language barriers, more often mistake dementia symptoms for normal aging, delaying diagnosis.

“This is the tip of the iceberg of a huge public health challenge,” said Yanira L. Cruz, president of the National Hispanic Council on Aging. “We really need to do more research in this population to really understand why is it that we’re developing these conditions much earlier.”

It is not that Hispanics are more genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, say experts, who say the diversity of ethnicities that make up Hispanics or Latinos make a genetic explanation unlikely.

Rather, experts say several factors, many linked to low income or cultural dislocation, may put Hispanics at greater risk for dementia, including higher rates of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke and possibly hypertension.

Less education may make Hispanic immigrants more vulnerable to those medical conditions and to dementia because scientists say education may increase the brain’s plasticity or ability to compensate for symptoms. And some researchers cite as risk factors stress from financial hardship or cultural adjustment.

The Alzheimer’s Association says that about 200,000 Latinos in the United States have Alzheimer’s, but that, by 2050, based on Census Bureau figures and a study of Alzheimer’s prevalence, the number could reach 1.3 million. (It predicts that the general population of Alzheimer’s patients will grow to 16 million by 2050, from 5 million now.)

“We are concerned that the Latino population may have the highest amount of risk factors and prevalence, in comparison to the other cultures,” said Maria Carrillo, the group’s director of medical and scientific relations.

In response, Alzheimer’s and Hispanic organizations have started health fairs and support groups. Some Alzheimer’s centers have opened clinics in Latino neighborhoods.

“There’s some taboos” about Alzheimer’s, said Liany Arroyo, director of the Institute for Hispanic Health at the National Council of La Raza, which surveyed Latinos. “Folks did not necessarily understand what it was.”

Antonia Lopez, who immigrated from Panama to Boston, showed symptoms at about 60, but it was 10 years before the family acknowledged it was Alzheimer’s, said her daughter, Carol Franklin.

“My mom was telling people, in her confusion, that I spanked her,” she said. “My brother believed that. He said to me at one point, ‘Don’t say that my mom has Alzheimer’s, because I believe it’s just part of being old.’ ”

Overwhelmingly, Hispanics with Alzheimer’s live with multigenerational families instead of in nursing homes. That support can be beneficial, experts say, but it severely stresses families.

When Maria Contreras, a Salvadoran immigrant, began wandering and hallucinating, her daughter, Teresa Navas, took her into her home in Silver Spring, Md. The strain on Ms. Navas and her children compelled her to place her mother in a nursing home, but when she kept getting sick, Ms. Navas took her home again and quit her job teaching Spanish.

“I have to be with her all the time,” she said. “Sometimes she doesn’t even know who I am.”

Mr. Vasquez’s daughter, Ana, 39, moved her parents to her Philadelphia home. She works at a neighborhood grocery and tells her sons, 6 and 11, “Watch out for your grandfather.”

Once, Mr. Vasquez was found hitchhiking on a major Philadelphia street. On a visit to the Bronx neighborhood where he had lived, he wandered away, leaving his family frenetically searching subway stations. “I was desperate, crying, especially when the night was coming,” said his wife, also named Ana.

Nine hours later, he appeared on their Philadelphia porch, having happened upon a bus to Philadelphia and given the driver a card with their address.

Scientists are searching for what sets Latinos apart. Dr. Rafael A. Lantigua, a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University Medical School, said, “There’s no gene at this point that we can say this is just for Latinos.” Dr. Lantigua added that one gene that increased Alzheimer’s risk was less prevalent in Latinos than non-Hispanic whites.

Kala M. Mehta, an assistant professor in the geriatrics division at the University of California, San Francisco, analyzed autopsies from 3,000 Alzheimer’s patients, finding “similar neuropathology” among Latinos, whites and African-Americans.

And Mary Sano, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, found that different ethnic groups shared the most common behavioral symptoms, like repeating sentences and uncooperativeness.

But researchers say they have seen disparities in the timing of the illness and its severity when diagnosed.

Dr. Steven E. Arnold, director of the Penn Memory Center at the University of Pennsylvania, studied 2,000 white, African-American and Latino Alzheimer’s patients.

Dr. Arnold found that the Latinos, mostly low-income, poorly educated Puerto Ricans, many with diabetes, “have more depression,” and their scores on tests in Spanish measuring dementia averaged about 15 percent lower than African-Americans and about 30 percent lower than non-Hispanic whites. Latinos were on average about three-and-a-half years younger than non-Hispanic whites and about five years younger than African-Americans, he said.

Dr. Christopher M. Clark, director of the Center of Excellence for Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Pennsylvania, studied the age at which 174 Alzheimer’s patients in California, New York and Pennsylvania first showed symptoms and found Spanish speakers were on average 6.8 years younger (about 67) than non-Hispanic whites, regardless of whether they were Mexican, Caribbean or South American. That Latinos are on average younger than other Americans accounted for a small part of the gap, but not most of it, Dr. Clark said.

Research is scant on the age of onset in Latinos remaining in their native homes, but Dr. Clark said patients in two clinics in Mexico and Puerto Rico did not show symptoms early.

Mary N. Haan, a University of Michigan epidemiologist heading the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging, studied 1,800 Mexican-Americans over 10 years and found greater likelihood of Alzheimer’s for those more “acculturated” to American society, based on a number of factors, including diet and social networks. Dr. Haan attributed that to higher stress from being “relatively poorer off” and “more socially isolated.”

Dr. Cruz, of the National Hispanic Council on Aging, said, “As you acculturate, you lose those protective factors linked to nutrition, physical activity, social support system, that come with you when you first arrive here.”

Dr. Haan found more acculturated people more prone to diabetes, and people with diabetes or obesity more likely to have Alzheimer’s. Researchers theorize that high insulin levels and poor cerebral blood flow can cause brain changes that accompany Alzheimer’s, said Dr. Jose A. Luchsinger, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center.

Dr. Cruz said many Alzheimer’s risk factors “have to do with poor education,” which aggravates nutrition, financial status and health care.

Mrs. Mojica, from Puerto Rico, with five years of schooling, developed diabetes and hypertension after a hard life in a rundown row house, where she and her husband care for their 39-year-old mentally retarded son.

Not all Hispanics have medical or sociological risk factors.

Ida Lawrence, whose Alzheimer’s has made her hide money in socks and shower obsessively, attended high school in Honduras, learning English. Her husband, Robert, said he thought her dementia might be inherited, adding, “She’s been healthy except for the fact that she was coming down with this Alzheimer’s thing.”

Mr. Lawrence, who has prostate cancer, struggles to care for his wife, still only 63. “Everybody says to me, ‘Bob it’s going to get worse,’ ” he said.

Ms. Franklin finally moved her mother, Ms. Lopez, to a nursing home, where she cries and “doesn’t want nobody to touch her,” she said.

“It hurts me so much to see her like that,” Ms. Franklin said. “It’s like I can see her on one side of the mountain and say, that’s not my mom.”

Study: 25% of us have left childhood religions

2008-02-25T22:30:00.000-08:00

More than a quarter of American adults have left the faith in which they were raised, switching to another religion or no religion at all, according to a national survey of religious affiliation.

In addition, adults who claim no ties to any religious institution have grown into the fourth largest category of religious affiliation, a trend led by California and states in the West, according to a report by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

Researchers said the large number of immigrants who have come to California from Central America and Asia have had an effect on the question of religious affiliation in the state as well as the makeup of particular denominations, particularly Catholics. While 10 percent of U.S. adults have left the Catholic Church, an influx of Catholic immigrants has kept the church's population stable.

Because the numbers of the unaffiliated have grown, Protestants are on the verge of becoming a minority in the United States. Only 51 percent of American adults describe themselves as Protestant.

In addition to the 28 percent of Americans who have left their childhood faith entirely, 16 percent have switched from the Christian denomination of their childhood to another Christian denomination.

The fluidity of affiliation in the United States underscores the competitiveness of the religious market, in which groups are vying for members, said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum. "If you're going to rest on your laurels, you're history."

The survey of more than 35,000 adults was distinctive in the number of respondents as well as the number of questions posed. It found that 78 percent of the 220 million adults in the United States are still Christian.

Among Protestants, evangelicals are the largest single group, representing 26.3 percent of the nation's adult population. Mainline Protestant denominations - including Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians - continue to see their numbers shrink, currently representing just 18.1 percent of the overall population. Historically black churches, which are increasingly taking on members of other ethnicities, represent 6.9 percent of the overall population.

Catholics are the second largest group of Christians, representing roughly 24 percent of the population - a relatively constant figure for the past 35 years.

But the constancy of that figure obscures the dramatic and unique way in which immigration patterns are reshaping America's religious identity, the survey found. Unlike in Europe, the majority of immigrants to the United States are Christian. And those immigrants are heavily Catholic, particularly those from Mexico.

Among immigrant adults, Catholics amount to 46 percent, while 24 percent are Protestants. But among U.S.-born adults, Protestants outnumber Catholics 55 to 21 percent.

The departures from the church mean that "roughly 10 percent of all Americans are former Catholics," the study found. While 31 percent of American adults were raised Catholic, only about 24 percent describe themselves as Catholic today.

These shifts are seen throughout the Bay Area, said George Wesolek, director of the Office of Public Police and Social Concerns within the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

St. Peter Church in the Mission District draws about 25,000 people every weekend, Wesolek said. The Catholic churches in East Palo Alto, the Bay Area's most heavily Latino city, hold most of their services in Spanish, he said.

The responsibilities of the parishes, the social mission of the church and the needs of the congregants are changing as a result.

"The Latino and immigrant base of the church is now making up the core, especially in California," said Wesolek, noting that Filipinos are a large portion of the archdiocese. "That has implications in almost every way." Priests must be multilingual, for example, and be able to meet the needs of different cultures.

The Western states have long been a destination for immigrants as well as the native-born, said John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum and a principal author of the study. That mobility and lack of deep roots also play a role in the region's higher rate of the religiously unaffiliated, Green said, referencing other studies.

"The West was settled relatively late," he said. "It didn't have the tradition of established religious institutions that you have in the East or the South. They didn't have that history to draw upon."

That is compounded by immigration, particularly from Asia, which has brought other religious traditions, and that makes Western states like California distinct, he said.

"The West has always been quite diverse in religious terms and is especially diverse these days," he said. "And that level of diversity has created a group of people who aren't as interested in organized religion. They have other options."

Roughly 16.1 percent of the U.S. population describes themselves as not affiliated with any religious organization or body, a category that includes those who believe in God. In California, the unaffiliated account for 21 percent. Researchers said the numbers of atheists and agnostics - roughly 1.6 and 2.4 percent of the U.S. adult population - have remained consistent over time.

Those who are raised unaffiliated change their beliefs, too: Roughly half of those who were raised without a religious tradition now claim one as adults, according to the survey.

Green said the impact of the unaffiliated has yet to be seen. But it needs to be watched.

"The large size of this unaffiliated group could have a profound affect on the character of American religion," he said.

Sarcasm reigns as Hillary Clinton attacks Barack Obama's campaign

2008-02-25T03:18:00.000-08:00

Sen. Hillary Clinton schmoozes with media and answers questions during flight to Rhode Island Sunday for campaign speech.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Hillary Clinton's assault on Barack Obama shifted from outrage to heavy sarcasm Sunday, with the former First Lady mocking her rival as much as chewing him out for his tactics.

Framing Obama as both a deceiver and a dream weaver, Clinton said "none of the problems we face will be easily solved."

Then oozing derision, Clinton cracked, "Now, I could stand up here and say, 'Let's just get everybody together. Let's get unified. The sky will open. The light will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing, and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect.'"

Her remarks drew chuckles from a supportive audience gathered at Rhode Island College.

"Maybe I've just lived a little long, but I have no illusions about how hard this is going to be," she said. "You are not going to wave a magic wand and have the special interests disappear."

Clinton's mockery of Obama came a day after she railed, "Shame on you, Barack Obama," decrying what she termed deceptive mailings in Ohio about her stances on universal health care and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Later, in Boston, Clinton signaled she would continue her more aggressive approach against Obama. "I just have this sense that finally my opponent is getting maybe a little bit of scrutiny," she said.

The New York senator has a narrow lead over Obama in the Buckeye State and is trying to regain ground after 11 consecutive primary defeats.

Campaigning in Cleveland, Obama pushed back on the NAFTA issue, using quotes from Clinton's book to demonstrate her past support for the pact. NAFTA has been blamed for an exodus of jobs in pivotal states like Ohio, where Democrats vote March 4.

"Ten years after NAFTA passed, Sen. Clinton said it was good for America. ... Well, I don't think NAFTA has been good for America - and I never have," Obama said during a campaign stop at a wallboard factory. "The fact is, she was saying great things about NAFTA until she started running for President."

Clinton has said on the campaign trail that the trade agreement - which was passed during her husband's administration - is problematic.

Obama said Sunday that while he has issues with NAFTA, an attempt to repeal it "would probably result in more job losses than job gains in the United States."

A Clinton spokesman retorted that Obama has spoken positively of NAFTA in the past: "Sen. Obama's insistence on repeating attacks that have been demonstrated to be false by independent entities proves once and for all that his speeches about the new politics are just words."

62 Killed In Attacks On Iraq Pilgrims

2008-02-25T03:03:00.000-08:00

(CBS/AP) A roadside bomb killed three people on a Shiite pilgrimage Monday morning as they traveled through the outskirts of Baghdad, while the death toll in a suicide bombing Sunday that struck a refreshment tent filled with pilgrims has risen to 56, Iraqi authorities said.

In all, extremists have attacked pilgrims headed to the holy city of Karbala three times in the past two days.

The suicide bomber detonated himself among pilgrims taking a break at a roadside tent for a bite to eat and tea. The blast killed at least 56 people and injured 68, according to police and Dr. Mahmoud Abdul-Rida, director of the Babil health department.

Hours earlier, extremists attacked another group with guns and grenades in the predominantly Sunni Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, killing three and wounding 36, police said.

Monday's roadside bombing, in addition to killing three people, also wounded 15, said a police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.

The suicide bomber targeted travelers near Iskandariyah, as authorities have fortified the capital and Karbala to in an attempt to keep away extremists.

The U.S. embassy in Baghdad and U.S. military forces issued a joint statement Monday condemning the attacks.

"Those killed and wounded in yesterday's barbaric attacks in Baghdad and Iskandariyah were innocent citizens participating in an important religious commemoration," it said. "This indiscriminate violence further reflects the nature of this enemy who will target even those practicing their religion in an effort to re-ignite sectarian strife in Iraq."

Karbala is burial site of Imam Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's most revered figures, where ceremonies will culminate Wednesday to commemorate the end of the 40-day mourning period following the anniversary of his death.

Separately, six pilgrims drowned Saturday in a boat accident on the Tigris River.

Meanwhile, Turkish troops fired dozens of salvos of artillery shells across the Iraqi border on Monday, a day after the military confirmed that a Turkish helicopter crashed in Iraq and eight military personnel were killed during a cross-border ground operation against Kurdish rebels.

The sound of the artillery fire from a distance could be heard in this border town of Cukurca. Several military bases that support the incursion into Iraq are on its outskirts, and artillery units have been positioned on hilltops overlooking Iraq.

Turkey began the ground operation Thursday to target autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels who attack Turkey from hideouts on the Iraqi side of the border.

The guerrillas said Sunday they shot down a Turkish military helicopter near the Turkish-Iraqi border.

Turkey's military said technicians were inspecting the wreck to determine why the helicopter crashed near the border. It was not clear if any of the reported casualties were on board.

The military did not specify on its Web site whether the eight fatalities were troops or pro-government village guards, local residents who are familiar with the terrain and accompany the military on operations against the rebels. NTV said three village guards had been slain, but did not say when or where they died.

The Turkish toll since the start of the incursion Thursday is 15, according to military figures.

The armed forces say 33 rebels were killed in Sunday's fighting, bringing the rebel death toll since Thursday to 112.

The incursion is the first confirmed Turkish military ground operation in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

The rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, are fighting for autonomy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets from bases in the semiautonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The conflict started in 1984 and has claimed as many as 40,000 lives.

Kosovo peacekeeping tests U.S. troops

2008-02-25T02:41:00.000-08:00

CAMP NOTHING HILL, Kosovo - Spc. Scott Krampitz stands on a plateau overlooking a smattering of shabby houses against a backdrop of snowcapped peaks known as the Cursed Mountains.

His unit of Humvees and trucks patrol muddy roads in northern Kosovo, protecting tiny hamlets of Albanians from ethnic Serbs infuriated by the birth of the newest state in Europe.

The Minnesota native is one of 1,455 American troops taking part in a NATO peacekeeping force whose mission has become even more delicate since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.

The United States and many Western countries have recognized Kosovo's statehood, angering Serbs who consider the region the heart of their culture and orthodox religion. At the same time, NATO troops strive not to take sides between Kosovo's rival groups - putting them in a tough spot last week when Serbs vented their anger by destroying U.N. and NATO property, setting off hand grenades and staging protests.

Serbs used plastic explosives and bulldozers to destroy the two main U.N.-run border checkpoints between Kosovo and Serbia. Protesters tipped over metal sheds that housed Kosovo's multiethnic customs service and sent them sliding down a hill and into a river. They vandalized and set fire to passport control booths.

NATO peacekeepers did not intervene, apparently trying to avoid stoking tensions.

"We are ready to act tough in case of further such incidents," said Maj. Etienne du Fayet, the French spokesman of the NATO Task Force North stationed in Mitrovica, a Kosovo town split by a river into Albanian and Serbian sides.
Kosovo Albanians represent 90 percent of the new state's 2 million people. But here in the north, they are a tiny minority compared to Serbs.

Aliu Hazir, an ethnic Albanian living in an isolated mountain settlement, fears Serb anger could boil over into the sort of bloody ethnic cleansing campaign triggered by former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic's offensive against separatist Kosovo Albanians.

The bloodletting stopped only when NATO chased Serbian troops out in 1999, and Kosovo became a U.N.-administered province.

A big part of the 15,900 peacekeepers' mission is to protect the 30,000 Serbs who live in virtual ghettos in isolated enclaves on the Albanian-dominated territory.

"We are faced with a display of nationalism on both sides," said Krampitz, of Owatonna, Minn.

He's not the only Minnesotan serving in Kosovo. More than 400 members of the Minnesota National Guard are part of "Task Force Bayonet" with a mission of keeping communities safe and secure.

In addition to the NATO peacekeeping force, a multiethnic U.N. mission has administered the province since 1999. Further testing international resolve to keep Kosovo intact, the Serbs prevented Albanian policemen, judges and other staff of the U.N. mission from going to work in northern Kosovo since Sunday's independence declaration.

At least four hand grenades exploded in front of a U.N. court in Mitrovica in the past few days, as Serb judges and court clerks staged daily protests in front of the building to make sure Albanians could not get in.

Kosovo border creeps south, for 24 hours

2008-02-25T02:23:00.000-08:00

By Matt Robinson
ZUPCE, Kosovo, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations persuaded Serbs on Sunday to remove two checkpoints they had set up 20 kms (12 miles) inside the border of newly independent Kosovo.
For 24 hours, a blue portacabin topped with floodlights stood at the side of the road running north to the Kosovo-Serbia border, manned by Kosovo Serb police officers checking vehicles.
The regional U.N. police chief negotiated with the local Serb authorities to have the cabin removed with the help of Danish NATO peacekeepers, watched by a crowd of agitated Serbs.
One week after its Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia, there is a sense Kosovo is destined for partition, with the Serb-dominated north splitting away.
If partition came, the frontier between the two sides would run where the portacabin was placed in Zupce.
"It's their imaginary red line," one Western official at the scene commented. "They're playing games with us, saying this is where the border post should be."
Another blue box was placed on the eastern edge of the Serb-dominated strip of northern Kosovo and later removed.
Serbia has not said explicitly it wants to partition Kosovo, but in rejecting the province's secession it has promised to strengthen its grip on Serb areas, notably the north where just under half of the 120,000 Serbs live with their backs to Serbia.
Kosovo's 90-percent Albanian majority rejects partition.
"Every part of Kosovo is under the full control of NATO, Kosovo police and the United Nations," Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said on Sunday. "We are following closely these events and we are ready to face all challenges."
The United Nations mission on Sunday turned down a request from Serbia's Minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, to visit Kosovo on Monday, a spokesman said. It cited "public security concerns".
The European Union is taking over supervision of Kosovo from the United Nations, which has run the territory since NATO went to war in 1999 to save its Albanians from Serb ethnic cleansing.
OCCUPATION
Serbs have rejected the mission as an "occupation".
The command structure in the Kosovo police service is now split between Serb and Albanian, the Serbs coordinating their work through the U.N. police and local municipalities, not through Pristina.
What few ties there were between the north and Pristina are breaking down. On Tuesday, mobs burned down the two border posts in the north, forcing NATO to intervene.
Danish, French and American soldiers now secure Gates 1 and 3-1. Kosovo police and customs officers have yet to return.
In Zupce, Serb cars without registration plates drove slowly up to the 'checkpoint' every 20 minutes, turning and driving back below Serbian flags flying from trees. A policeman waved through a Serb car, and stopped an Albanian to check his papers.
Next to Zupce, in the Albanian village of Cabra, Danish soldiers established a small base on Saturday, with armoured personnel carriers and tents.
If Kosovo was partitioned, Cabra would be cut off from the rest of Kosovo. (Additional reporting by Fatos Bytyci and Branislav Krstic; Editing by Douglas Hamilton and Robert Woodward)

British media criticised over wave of young 'suicides'

2008-02-21T05:05:00.000-08:00

LONDON (AFP) — The British media is under the spotlight, accused of encouraging a flurry of apparent suicides by impressionable teenagers in and around the small town of Bridgend in the south Wales valleys.

In little over a year, 17 young people have been found dead, 16 of them hanged -- a rare method for suicide particularly among young girls -- and one hit by an oncoming train.

The latest was 16-year-old Jenna Parry. She was discovered hanging from a tree near her home in Cefn Cribwr, near Bridgend. Last week, two cousins were found dead within hours of each other.

With so many deaths of young people -- all of whom were either related, knew each other or had some link with previous victims -- the British press has begun to talk of Internet suicide pacts and the area as "suicide county".

But the assertion has been strongly rejected, with police, families, lawmakers and mental health charities all accusing the media of encouraging copy-cats and sensationalism.

"I would like to put to bed any suggestion within the media that we are investigating suicide pacts or suicide Internet links," Dave Morris, an assistant chief constable with South Wales Police, said Tuesday.

"We are speaking to young people in Bridgend and what we are getting from them is that the media is starting to contribute to their thoughts in terms of how they feel, pressures they are under and Bridgend becoming stigmatised through the media."

Carwyn Jones, who represents the Bridgend area for the Labour Party in the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff, has also weighed in, criticising London-based papers for unbalanced coverage and having preconceived ideas about the town.

Sharon Pritchard, whose 15-year-old son was one of the two cousins found hanged last week, said: "The media coverage put the idea (of suicide) in Nathaniel's head."

But Morris admitted that all the young victims used social networking sites which could have been a factor -- as such media are more influential among the young than newspapers.

Statistically, Wales has the highest number of suicides in Britain -- 19.4 per every 100,000 men and 17.4 for the same number of women. Lack of facilities for young people in the Bridgend area have been highlighted.

Yet, although the town of Bridgend -- population 130,000 -- is in a former mining area, it is not particularly disadvantaged, having managed to attract foreign investors of the likes of Sony or Ford.

"It's described as a highly depressed former mining town -- but it's never been a mining town. And the town is getting an awful reputation," Carwyn Jones was quoted as saying in this week's Press Gazette trade newspaper.

British newspapers, which are bound by a code of conduct to avoid "excessive detail" about suicide methods, have also cited the "Werther effect" -- a contagion phenomenon among young people proposed by US academic David Phillips.

Phillips, a sociologist at the University of San Diego in California, draws a parallel between the number of actual suicides and the publication in 1774 of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther".

That triggered a wave of suicides in Europe among young, male "romantics".

The Guardian on Thursday cited research from Oxford University's department of psychiatry that said there was "compelling evidence" that news reports on, and fictional drama about, suicide increases suicidal behaviour.

Sue Simkins, from the centre for suicide research, said there was "clear evidence" reports describing suicide methods, condolences and online obituaries "romanticise" the deceased and lead to copy-cat attempts.

"Studies have also found increases in suicides after a picture is used of the victim or the location and where the story is sensationalised, is prominent in the paper and is repeated," she added.

East Timor's Wounded President Regains Consciousness

2008-02-21T04:44:00.000-08:00

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
21 February 2008

The East Timorese President, Jose Ramos-Horta, has regained consciousness from a drug-induced coma 10 days after he was shot in an assassination attempt. Doctors at the Australian hospital where Mr. Ramos-Horta is being treated say he has made good progress, although he remains in a serious condition. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

The East Timorese president has already had five operations in the past week and a half, and medical staff in Darwin say he will have to undergo more minor surgery.

The doctors say the president has been responding well to treatment, but he remains in intensive care, and it is not clear when he will be fit enough to leave hospital.

Dr. Len Notaras says Mr. Ramos-Horta is being brought back to consciousness in stages.

"He is now gradually waking up and the sedation is being reduced and has been gradually speaking to the senior clinical staff around him and to a number of very close family members as well," said Dr. Notaras. "His condition at this stage is still serious."

President Ramos-Horta was shot twice in the back and chest on February 11 in an attack by rebels in the East Timorese capital, Dili. The country's prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, was targeted in a separate ambush the same day, but escaped unharmed.

Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by followers of rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was killed during the assault on Mr. Ramos-Horta.

Arrest warrants have been issued against 17 people suspected of being involved in the attempted assassinations.

Australian peacekeepers, along with reinforcements from Portugal, Malaysia and New Zealand, were deployed to East Timor in 2006.

They were sent to quell fighting between renegade elements of the East Timorese security forces - also led by Alfredo Reinado - and units loyal to the government.

Last week's assassination attempts prompted Australia to send an addition 200 troops and police officers to Dili amid fears of more unrest. International troops are now combing the area around Dili in search of the would-be assassins.

Profile: Cuba's Carlos Lage

2008-02-20T06:02:00.000-08:00

By Patrick Jackson
BBC News

Cuba's de facto prime minister, Vice-President Carlos Lage, is tipped by some to play a greater political role after Fidel Castro's retirement.

Looking more like a bank manager than the right-hand man of a communist revolutionary leader, he has gradually become Cuba's face abroad, standing in for the ailing "Comandante" at Latin American summits and other foreign forums.

A doctor who worked his way up to the heights of Cuba's Communist Party and government, he has been described as a model child of the revolution.

If you are going to move from the historic generation, then he is absolutely a logical choice
Professor Antoni Kapcia
Nottingham University

He is also credited with doing much to rescue the economy in the 1990s after the collapse of Cuba's main economic partner, the USSR.

And for the Cuban revolution's enemies, the quiet 56-year-old may be seen as someone they can do business with, simply because he is not a Castro.

Doctor and manager

Born in Havana on 15 October 1951, Carlos Lage Davila trained as a paediatrician and spent time in Ethiopia as part of a Cuban medical contingent.

A leader of both the Federation of University Students and the Young Communist Union, he joined the Communist Party in 1976 and entered its Central Committee in 1980.

He accompanied Fidel Castro on foreign visits in the 1980s and early 1990s and was entrusted with drafting reforms to restructure the centralised economy.

LAGE'S ECONOMIC TRACK RECORD
Encouraged small businesses, more flexible land tenure, foreign investment and foreign tourism in 1990s
Oversaw legalisation of US dollar in 1993 (some restrictions re-imposed in 2004)
Negotiated 2004 deal with Venezuela to obtain cheap oil in return for Cuban medical aid

Latterly, as secretary of the Council of Ministers, he has effectively run the government, making him prime minister in all but name.

"I think the Cuban public tends to see him as a very efficient operator," says Antoni Kapcia, a professor at the UK's Nottingham University who has been researching Cuban politics for more than 30 years.

"Above all, people remember him as the man who oversaw economic reforms."

A more recent success was negotiating the oil-for-doctors deal with Venezuela.

Brian Latell, a former head of the CIA's Cuba division and author of After Fidel: Raul Castro And the Future of Cuba's Revolution, agrees he might make an effective leader.

"As in whatever few other strange places that continue to describe themselves as communist, the new Cuban brand will be pragmatic and flexible," he notes.

Foreign appeal

Neither flamboyant nor given to long speeches, Carlos Lage is so different from the charismatic Fidel Castro "that he is almost welcome", says Mr Kapcia.

Mr Latell observes that popularity, in any case, is hardly a prerequisite for Cuban leaders.

"Certainly Fidel was, for a time, and still with many," he says.

"But all the others, [Fidel Castro's brother] Raul included, do not operate on the basis of personal popularity. This is a dictatorship."

Outside Cuba, at least within Latin America, Mr Lage is said to enjoy much respect as a diplomat.

"He is seen as a very urbane, mild-mannered, sophisticated politician who gets on well with people," Mr Kapcia says.

The fact he is not Fidel or Raul Castro means he could be acceptable to the US should Washington initiate low-level talks, he suggests.

Anti-Castro exiles view him as someone who has "generally stayed outside the repression mechanisms", according to Andro Nodarse Leon of the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation.

"He is more of a party guy than a state police guy - unlike those whose hands are tainted with blood," says Mr Leon, who grew up in Havana in the 1980s.

Exiles who would never talk to the Castro brothers, he believes, might speak to someone like Mr Lage if they thought it could lead to an end to communist rule.

'Logical choice'

Yet, as Mr Kapcia points out, Carlos Lage is very much the Castro brothers' man.

"He is seen by the Cuban leadership as a safe pair of hands in terms of keeping the basics of the system together but making the necessary reforms," he says.

"He is also quite broadminded and quite willing to adapt, and the nature of the Cuban system is that it does adapt remarkably well.

"So if you are going to move from the historic generation, then he is absolutely a logical choice."

For Brian Latell, the chief measure of Mr Lage's success may simply be "the fact that he has survived for many years in very high office without alienating either Castro brother - quite an accomplishment".

US Rules Out Quick Cuba Policy Change

2008-02-19T14:56:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration is ruling out any changes in its Cuba policy — including lifting a five-decade trade embargo — after Fidel Castro's resignation, deriding his brother and heir apparent, Raul, as "dictator lite."

Despite having openly wished for Castro's demise and the end of his rule for years, U.S. officials said Tuesday that Castro's decision to step down on his own terms leaves little hope for real democratic transition in communist Cuba during Bush's final year in office, although it may open options for his successor in the White House.

Led by President Bush, a chorus of officials expressed hope that Castro's departure would spark fundamental changes for the Cuban people. But they also said they doubted that would happen under Raul Castro and said there was little chance the nearly 50-year-old U.S. embargo on Cuba would be lifted.

"They're the ones who suffered under Fidel Castro," Bush told a news conference in Rwanda. "They're the ones who were put in prison because of their beliefs. They're the ones who have been denied their right to live in a free society. So I view this as a period of transition and it should be the beginning of the democratic transition in Cuba."

"Eventually, this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections — and I mean free, and I mean fair — not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as true democracy," Bush said. "The United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty."

Even as U.S. lawmakers suggested Castro's retirement should set off a review of U.S. policy, senior State Department officials in Washington said there would be no lifting of the embargo, which has been the centerpiece of American policy toward Cuba since it was first imposed in 1960 and strengthened in 1962.

"I can't imagine that happening any time soon," said Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

The ailing Castro, 81, who has called the embargo "criminal" and claims its impact has run into the tens of billions of dollars, announced earlier Tuesday he would not accept another term in office when parliament meets to elect a new president this weekend.

Castro outlasted nine U.S. presidents who, with some minor policy adjustments, have steadily ramped up pressure on Cuba. At least two Secretaries of State, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell, said publicly while in office that they hoped "the actuarial tables" would catch up with the aging Cuban leader who was a persistent thorn in Washington's side.

Long-standing U.S. irritation with Castro was evident on Tuesday with officials stressing they were not optimistic for any kind of quick change under Raul Castro, to whom Fidel ceded power temporarily in July 2006.

"The changing of the guard is not significant of and by itself," deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters, repeatedly referring to Raul Castro as "dictator lite" or "Fidel lite."

"It will be significant if in fact it leads to greater openness and freedom for the Cuban people and ultimately to a democratic transition," he said. But he cautioned that "the general analysis is that Raul Castro is 'Fidel lite.' He is simply a continuation of the Castro regime, of the dictatorship."

Jumping into the fray, the top three U.S. presidential candidates all said Washington should look for ways to encourage democratic reforms in Cuba, steps that could lead to normalizing U.S. relations with Cuba later on.

Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and Republican John McCain called for the release of Cuban political prisoners and said the United States should look for ways to encourage democratic reforms in Cuba.

"The United States must pursue an active policy that does everything possible to advance the cause of freedom, democracy and opportunity in Cuba," Clinton said.

Obama said the U.S. must be prepared to take steps to normalize relations with Cuba and to ease the embargo if Cuba's new leaders "begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change."

McCain underscored that "freedom for the Cuban people is not yet at hand."

In Congress, more than 100 lawmakers from both sides of the aisle signed a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging a "tough-minded review" of current U.S. policy toward Cuba, which they said had left the United States "without influence at this critical moment" on the island.

"After fifty years, it is time for us to think and act anew," they said.

Separately, Rep. Howard L. Berman, D-Calif., the acting chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would call hearings on the development that "may provide an opportunity for the United States to inject creativity and fresh ideas into that policy to better achieve our common goal of bringing freedom to the people of Cuba."

Meanwhile, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Miami-area Republican who was born in Havana, said Castro's resignation was irrelevant because his regime had already "done great harm to the suffering Cuban people." She urged the administration to look into indicting both Castros for Cuba's 1996 shoot-down of a humanitarian relief plane.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who is of Cuban descent, said Castro's resignation "is not the cause for celebration that some would believe. This does not represent the replacement of totalitarianism with democracy. Instead, it is the replacement of one dictator with another."

Cuban leaders have often expressed willingness to deal with the United States — but only on Cuban terms — conditions that look nothing like the U.S. demands laid down to lift the embargo in the Helms-Burton Act of 1996.

The law grants U.S. presidents broad leeway over how to enforce the embargo but the embargo rules themselves will stand as long as either Raul or Fidel are in power, according to Helms-Burton.

Still, Raul Castro has repeatedly offered to improve relations with Washington, even if the Bush administration shows no sign of taking him up on it. He has hinted he favors greater, if still limited economic freedom. And he's already allowed more, if limited, public criticism of the government.

Since taking the provisional presidency, he has extradited three U.S. fugitives, reduced the number of Cuban political prisoners by more than 20 percent and refrained from imposing the death penalty in two military mutinies where firing squads seemed likely. He also said Cuban forces would recapture any terror suspects who escape from the Guantanamo prison.
MATTHEW LEE

Musharraf's rivals win Pakistan election

2008-02-19T04:19:00.000-08:00

(Releads after pro-Musharraf party concedes defeat)
By Robert Birsel

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's opponents won a big election victory on Tuesday after voters rejected his former ruling party, raising questions about the future of the U.S. ally who has ruled since 1999.

Counting was continuing with results still awaited from almost 100 seats, but no party was expected to win a majority in the 342-seat National Assembly.

The opposition parties of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appeared to have won enough to command a majority, according to unofficial results. But there is no certainty that they will work together.

The pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League was trailing a distant third, and the party's spokesman conceded defeat but kept open the possibility of joining a coalition.

"Obviously, the nation has spoken through the ballot. We couldn't convince them. They have rejected our policies and we have accepted their verdict," PML's Tariq Azim Khan told Reuters.

"For the best interest of the country, we're willing to cooperate and work with anybody. Otherwise, we're also ready to play our role in opposition."

According to unofficial results from 241 seats, Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had won 80 and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had 64.

The pro-Musharraf PML trailed with 37. Small parties and independents shared the others.

Musharraf has said he would accept the results and work with whoever won to build democracy in a country that has alternated between civilian and army rule throughout its 60-year history.

DECISIVE FACTOR

Some analysts said the decisive factor in the PML's defeat was Musharraf's unpopularity and resentment over inflation, food shortages and power cuts.

Groups of happy opposition supporters celebrated in the streets in cities across the country as results trickled out.

Full unofficial results are due later on Tuesday.

Pakistan's main stock market welcomed the peaceful polls and absence of rigging complaints, and shares rose more than 3 percent. But dealers said the formation of a parliament hostile to Musharraf would make investors nervous.

Monday's vote was postponed from Jan. 8 after Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack on Dec. 27, which raised concern about the nuclear-armed country's stability.

As president, former army chief Musharraf did not contest the elections, aimed at completing a transition to civilian rule, but the outcome could seal his fate.

A hostile parliament could try to remove Musharraf, who took power as a general in a 1999 coup and emerged as a crucial U.S. ally in a "war on terror" that most Pakistanis think is Washington's, not theirs.

Analysts said the implications for a president whose popularity slumped after he imposed emergency rule and purged the judiciary last year were ominous.

"It's the moment of truth for the president," said Abbas Nasir, editor of the Dawn newspaper. "There will be thoughts swirling in his mind, whether he can forge a working relationship with two parties whose leadership he kept out of the country."

Bhutto spent eight years in self-exile to avoid corruption charges she denied. Sharif was exiled a year after Musharraf ousted him in 1999. Both returned late last year.

Sharif was barred from the election because of past criminal convictions he says were politically motivated.

The election was relatively peaceful after a bloody campaign and opposition fears of rampant rigging by Musharraf's supporters proved unfounded.

COALITION QUESTIONS

The PPP, led by Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, had been expected to reap a sympathy vote, while Sharif's party is doing surprisingly well despite a mixed record as prime minister, when he clashed with the judiciary.

His defiance of old foe Musharraf and support for the judges he purged had paid off, analysts said.

A victory for Sharif, who has repeatedly called for Musharraf's removal, or the inclusion of his party in a coalition with the PPP would be disastrous for the president.

Some analysts said differences between the PPP and Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif made a coalition doubtful.

A secular ethnic Pashtun nationalist party was winning in North West Frontier Province, beating Islamists who won in 2002.

Fear appeared to have kept many people from the polls. An election watchdog group put turnout at 35 percent. At least 20 people were killed in election violence, including, Zardari said, 15 PPP activists. (To read more about the Pakistan election, double-click on [nSP61741]; and visit the Reuters blog "Pakistan: Now or Never?" here) (Additional reporting by Zeeshan Haider, Faisal Aziz and Sahar Ahmed in Karachi; Editing by Alex Richardson)

© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

Official NYC Condom Gets Makeover for Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T03:55:00.000-08:00

“Get some” free NYC condoms on this special lovers’ day – February 14 – it’s for your own safety and your partner’s, city authorities are campaigning this week.

New York City’s Health Department is continuing its free condom initiative by issuing a redesigned edition of the famous NYC condoms.

“We want to give away as many condoms as people will use because we're trying to make New York City an even safer place to have sex, and this is a powerful way to do it,” Monica Sweeney, the Health Department's assistant commissioner for HIV prevention and control, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

This year’s initiative includes street teams handing out “friendly-looking” condoms on Thursday, in locations such as Times Square, Wall Street and near City Hall and an ad campaign on television and radio as well as in subways and buses, encouraging everyone and all to “get some.”

The city has been making efforts to reduce rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies among its dwellers for years, and one essential part of its campaign has been the free condoms initiative. Last year, authorities even redesigned the package to make it more attractive for would-be users.

This year, a revamp has occurred again.

“Good design can help bring condoms out of the closet,” designer Yves Behar, founder of the San Francisco-based design agency, fuseproject, explained. “The brand’s friendly design and the dispenser’s approachable shape convey openness and acceptance. They say condoms are nothing to be embarrassed about.”

The “fresh package design” and “elegant new dispenser” were both gifts to New York City from Behar, whose clients include One Laptop Per Child, Johnson and Johnson, Jawbone and Herman Miller, the city specified in a press release.

About 100,000 of New York's 8.2 million residents have HIV or AIDS, and many more are diagnosed each year.

NYC doubled the monthly number of free condoms it gave away starting with 2007’s redesign, from 1.5 million to 3 million. Sweeney said some 900 establishments currently offer condoms. She added that more than 36 million free condoms were given away last year.

Israel goes on alert after top terrorist killed

2008-02-14T03:41:00.000-08:00

JERUSALEM: Israeli security instructed embassies and Jewish institutions around the world to go on alert Thursday for fear of revenge attacks for a car bomb that killed a top-wanted terrorist, Imad Mughniyeh, officials said.

Soon after the explosion in the Syrian capital of Damascus Wednesday that killed the Hezbollah fugitive, Israel insisted it was not the perpetrator. But the perception that Israel wanted Mughniyeh dead left the Iranian-backed militia and many in the Arab world pointing a finger at the Jewish state.

Mughniyeh was the suspected mastermind of several attacks that killed hundreds of Americans in Lebanon and of cruel kidnappings of Westerners.

Israeli embassies have gone on alert and Israeli security has instructed Jewish institutions to also be aware, Israeli officials said on condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to discuss security matters with the press. Israel's Foreign Ministry would not comment.

The Shin Bet security service has ordered security increased at several points, defense officials said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter. Israel Radio reported that security had been raised on airplanes, and boats and at sensitive installations.

The army raised its awareness on its border with Lebanon and in the Palestinian territories for fear of attacks and kidnappings, the defense officials said. The Israeli army spokesman would not comment.

Mughniyeh's killing is expected to raise Israel-Hezbollah tensions and could ignite a new round of cross-border hostilities despite Israel's denial of involvement

Official: Shooting victim brain dead

2008-02-14T03:34:00.000-08:00

OXNARD, Calif.—A brain dead 15-year-old boy was on a ventilator Thursday for possible organ donation, and a classmate suspected of shooting him in the head was under arrest on investigation of attempted murder, authorities said.
Eighth-grader Lawrence King was shot Tuesday during a class at E.O. Green Junior High, police said.

He was pronounced brain dead Wednesday at St. John's Regional Medical Center after examination by two neurosurgeons, Ventura County Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Craig Stevens said.

King was on a ventilator while his family decided on organ donation, Stevens said.

Oxnard Police Department spokesman David Keith announced earlier that King was dead. "I'm sticking with my earlier statement. I was informed by the hospital that he has passed away," Keith said.

He said the teen's family asked police to not comment on King's medical condition.

The hospital referred inquiries to police.

The unidentified 14-year-old classmate arrested after the shooting was booked Tuesday for investigation of attempted murder.

If King dies, the 14-year-old could face charges of murder and use of a firearm in commission of murder, prosecutor Greg Totten said.

Police have not alleged a motive for the shooting, but said there appeared to have been "bad blood" between the teens. Police said a handgun was used in the attack, which occurred with more than 20 other students in the room.

King had been under the care

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of the county foster care system and lived at Casa Pacifica, a nearby center for abused and neglected children, said Steve Elson, the facility's chief executive.
"We're are all stunned and it's just an unspeakable tragedy," Elson said.

King had been receiving help from school support staff, district Superintendent Jerry Dannenberg said. He had no details on the type of assistance the teen needed.

About three-quarters of the junior high's 1,150 students body showed up Wednesday for school, where psychologists held counseling sessions, Dannenberg said.

Oxnard is about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Senate Ethics Committee Admonishes Craig

2008-02-14T03:13:00.000-08:00

(The Politico) The Senate Ethics Committee officially admonished Idaho Sen. Larry Craig Wednesday, almost six months after the Republican was arrested in a Minneapolis airport restroom for lewd conduct.

In a letter signed by all six members of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, the members affirmed the initial guilty plea that Craig signed after an undercover officer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport arrested him in a men's room sting.

"The committee accepts as proven your guilty plea and all matter set forth in your guilty plea," the letter read.

In the official ruling, the senators also cast doubt on Craig's later pleas of innocence after the arrest report was unearthed.

"Your claims to the court, through counsel, to the effect that your guilty plea resulted from improper pressure or coercion, or that as a legal matter, know what you were doing when you pled guilty, do not appear credible," said the letter.

In addition, the committee members berated Craig for attempting to use the influence of his office to avoid arrest and failing to notify the panel that he had used $213,000 in campaign funds to pay his legal fees, a violation of Senate rules. Campaign funds can only be used to pay legal bills related to a lawmaker's official duties.

The letter included unusually stern language for the Ethics panel, not normally known for its tough treatment of colleagues.

"We consider your attempt to withdraw your guilty plea to be an attempt to evade the legal consequences of an action freely undertaken by you - that is, pleading guilty," said the letter.

The Ethics Committee released the letter late Wednesday as most lawmakers and reporters were headed to the annual dinner sponsored by the Washington Press Club Foundation.

Copyright 2008 POLITICO

The Magical History Of The Wedding Kiss

2008-02-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

A kiss is still a kiss no matter if you do it the French way or any way. So why has that short sow of affection between the bride and groom became such an awaited part on most weddings?

Today's wedding kiss is a testament to the newlywed's devotion and love for each other but it had a more practical meaning during the Roman Times when it was used to seal the legal bond or marriage contract. This may be the origin of the expression "sealed with a kiss" and that does not only refer to a wedding. It seems that the Romans are known for their fascination to the ancient art of kissing. They started the passionate betrothal kiss which is said to be the origin of the kiss which was done at the end of the ceremony.

That kiss between the new husband and wife serves as a public agreement that they willingly enter into a life-long contract called marriage. The more superstitious ones believe that the wedding kiss paves the way for the mingling of the couples' souls.

Even the Catholics had their share of popularizing kissing when it was made part of the Catholic Mass in the 13th century. This practice was however removed during the Protestant Revolution although Christians have continuously kissed the Pope's ring.

But while Catholic weddings are characterized by the kissing of the bride, it was the Russians who first incorporated this tradition into the wedding ceremony to seal the promise with the act. Even modern weddings have these rites not only in the church but even during the reception. Traditionally, the guests signal their desire to witness the kissing of the bride and groom by clinking their glasses during the reception.

However, some couples distribute wedding bells not only as favors but also to be used by the guests requesting a kiss of their own. Whatever the history of the wedding kiss, it sure makes the event more romantic and memorable.

World of Warcraft Gold Diggers

2008-02-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

World of Warcraft is a very competitive game. I'm sure that this is definitely not what Blizzard Entertainment meant when they first released the game, but reality is that WoW gamers became over-competitive and achieving WoW gold is not the primary mission of gamers from all over the world.

The quest for WoW gold has produced some pretty weird ways of achieving the desired goods. One of the most fascinating outcomes of this Gold craze is the WoW gold sweat shops. During the last years many people recognized the ability to sell WoW gold for real money. This effect drove people to establish some sort of WoW gold factories in which the workers played hours after hours of Wold of Warcraft and gained large amounts of gold. After the gold was achieved the "factory owners" published it on forums and internet sites that are dedicated to World of Warcraft and offered to sell the gold to other players. This virtual market became very popular among avid WoW gamers who used to spend big amounts of money on buying WoW gold.

When this phenomenon became a bit too big, Blizzard Entertainment decided to put an end to it and announced that selling WoW gold is forbidden and that gamers who will buy gold will face penal actions and might get their account deleted. This announcement, however, failed to stop the WoW gold merchants from selling it on forums and chat rooms. Still, many World of Warcraft gamers decided to look for a different way to achieve gold and discovered WoW gold guides.

World of Warcraft gold guides are the best tool for fast and easy gold. Since buying WoW gold isn't acceptable anymore gamers must count on themselves and use all sorts of strategies and tactics for achieving the precious resource. Nowadays you can find many informative WoW gold guides that offer players tons of excellent tips and tricks for their favorite role-playing game. Not only that using World of Warcraft gold guides is less dangerous, it is even better for gamers who want to experience the real joy of the game without using forbidden (and cowardly) tactics such as buying WoW gold. For serious gamers we always suggest World of Warcraft gold guides.
Jessie Wilson

5 Advantages Of Revitol Hair Removal

2007-10-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just imagine what it would feel like to have smooth hairless skin all over your body without needing to either shave or wax ever again. Well thanks to Revitol Hair Removal Plus you can actually achieve the elimination of un-wanted body hair both easily and painlessly.

Revitol Hair Removal cream contains an advance hair inhibitor system and can be used by both men and women. Also it is safe enough to use anywhere on the body and it only takes one simple application which is absorbed quickly and can be removed instantaneously. So no longer will you need to shave, wax or use tweezers on a regular basis and no need for paying out all that money to have hairs removed by either electrolysis or laser.

However before you begin using Revitol Hair Removal plus it is important that you test it on a small patch of skin in order to see how the chemicals react to your skin. What you need to do is leave the product on for the required amount of time stated in the instructions and then rinse it off. If you find that there are no signs of irritation after testing it out then you can use it for the rest of your body.

So just why are more and more people looking to use Revitol Hair Removal Plus as a way of eliminating un-wanted hair. Here are some of the reasons why more people are considering this particular product.

1. It is safe to use on any part of the body.
2. It eliminates un-wanted hair both instantly and painlessly.
3. You can even use it to remove un-wanted hair from eyebrows, upper lips as well as your legs.
4. It gets rid of the un-wanted hair in seconds without causing you any irritation.
5. But not only does it remove un-wanted hair it also conditions, moisturizes and protects your skin against the environment.

Not only does Revitol Hair Removal plus contain ingredients in order to eliminate unwanted hair, it also contains a protective natural barrier and pro-vitamin, anti-oxidant complex that contains Vitamins A and E, as well as Green Tea, Aloe Vera and other natural plant extracts.

Revitol Hair Removal Plus gently removes hair from the follicle bulb so it leaves your skin feeling baby soft and silky. Because of its unique blend of bio-active plant extracts these seep into the hair free follicle and reduce the hair shaft naturally. It helps the hair becomes thinner and finer and after a period of time, hair will stop growing.
More information HERE
Ricky Lim

Is Revitol Right for You? - Revitol Skin Care Products Review

2007-10-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

I am always on the lookout for new and innovative anti aging skin care products. I have personally reviewed dozens of the most sought after anti aging skin care packages in the world and recently had the chance to do a full review of the Revitol product line.

This product has become known for its top of the line image, mainly because many movie stars and wealthy people have caught on to the seeming fountain of youth Revitol appears to offer. This review is going to reveal all of the facts you need to know to make the most informed buying decision for your anti aging skin care package. Let’s take a look at what makes Revitol special in today’s market.

The Revitol anti aging skin care solution consists of three parts. The anti aging wrinkle complex treatment, the skin care hydration treatment serum, and moisturizing skin treatment cream. You have the choice of buying any one of the stated products or buying them as a skin care kit for a reduced price. Each bottle of product lasts for a full month. This makes the cost per day quite reasonable.

Now let’s take a look at what advantages Revitol offers over its competitors. I was quite impressed when I viewed the ingredients list of Revitol products. I found it to be high in potent antioxidants, vitamins, skin tighteners and essential oils -- all of which have been proven to greatly improve the health of the skin and reduce the effects of aging.

VITAMIN E- Potent antioxidant, protects skin from harmful free radicals, soothes and softens skin.
VITAMIN A- Firms skin, renews collagen and elastin, smoothes out pigmentation removing age spots.
SQUALENE- Protects skin from free radical damage, slows aging process by shielding skin from harmful toxins.
SHEA BUTTER- Long known for its amazing moisturizing and regenerative capabilities, contains fatty acids which prevent drying, cracking, and burning of skin.
IDEBENONE- Proven antioxidant which has been proven to slow the aging of skin and protect entire body from a variety of inflammatory diseases.
HYDROLYZED WHEAT GLUTEN and CAROB- This blend has been shown to have a very synergistic effect when used in combination. First penetrates deeply into skin and then tightens skin. Great for relieving wrinkles.
HYALURONIC ACID- Important component found in high concentration within healthy skin, most people suffer from low levels of this critical acid. Acts to lubricate the three layers of skin thereby reducing inflammation and wrinkling.
EVENING PRIMROSE OIL- anti inflammatory, improves texture of skin, prevents wrinkles, relaxes skin, improves cell membranes.
EDELWEIS EXTRACT- Prevents ultra violet damage, antioxidant protects against toxins and other pollutants, slows skin aging.
DMAE- Helps heal acne scars, improves skin tone and firmness, DMAE levels are high in young skin and low in older skin, replenishes supply thereby removing years of aging.
ARGIRELINE- Made from naturally occurring amino acids, relaxes facial muscles by regulating release of neurotransmitters responsible for muscle tension. This relaxing removes facial wrinkles because the muscles stop pulling on the skin.
DERMOX- restores surface of skin, increases synthesis of collagen.

Obviously, Revitol offers quite a robust ingredient package. It is rare to find such a complete and high quality combination of high-end components brought together into one package.

But let’s look at what really counts: Results. Does Revitol’s exotic ingredient package give it what is necessary for real results? My answer is a definite yes. I have been very impressed by the results I have noted from Revitol’s three part product line. Each individual product offers unique benefits, and in combination they are quite amazing at reducing the effects of aging.

This product has proven itself to be a real winner in my eyes. I have never tested anything that offers such noticeable results in such a quick amount of time. You can literally notice a difference on the very first day. By day six, lots of people start commenting on the improvement and asking you for your secret. It really is that powerful. I feel fortunate to have found Revitol’s anti aging skin care products. I have not found anything on the market that even comes close to Revitol in my opinion.

I feel that anybody who uses Revitol consistently can easily shave ten or fifteen years off their appearance with great ease. You don’t need a face lift or harsh acid peel to look your best. Give your skin what it needs to heal itself. Revitol’s skin care line does exactly that. I would recommend these products to anyone. Especially the package that includes all three components necessary for optimal results.
More information HERE
Andrew Kryzak

Revitol - Natural Cellulite Solution Cream

2007-10-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of dieting only to find out that your belly fats are still there? Indeed, women want to look good and confident about themselves.

Women always find way in order to look good and feel good. They want to make sure that they are physically looking good. So if they are gaining weight, they will definitely find the solution that can help them lose weight.

Usually, women gain weight due to too much eating and being inactive, so you have to find solution that can lose your unwanted weight and feel great about yourself again.

Yes, women can lose weight by eating healthy and by dieting. You can change your habits. That is maybe hard but if you are determined, you can do so. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Do some exercising for 30 minutes each day; these can help you lose weight.

But at some point, even if women try to lose weight, there are still some cellulites that show up. Cellulites are bumps under the skin which causes the surface of your body to look dimpled; these are what women covers up when they go to beach and even at work. Cellulites are fat cells that have become distended which cause these cells now to acquire up more space between the skin's connective tissues than normal, the fat then expands these spaces that results in the overlying skin dimpling in.

Cellulites get worse if it is untreated. So you have to really find way to treat it. So you have to take good care of that tough cellulite now before it worsens.

If you want to remove that cellulites now, you can try out Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution that can help you eliminate cellulite dimples, boosts muscle tone and sculpts our body. It can also tighten your thighs, legs and butt. This cream can make you get rid of those cellulites on your body. It is easy to apply and it can work both for men and women.

Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution doesn’t need any prescription, so anyone can buy it online and even offline. You can purchase you’re months supply or even a year.

So if you are having problems with cellulites, you have unsightly bumps on your legs, stomach, buttocks or arms, and you can simply use Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution to get rid of these cellulites on you body.

Just apply Cellulite Cream to your thigh, waist, tummy, or chin and gaze at the fat disappear. Some even undergo to some dangerous methods such as surgery just to get rid of their cellulites. But with this Cellulite Cream, you do not have to undergo some dangerous methods to solve your problem. With Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution, you do not have to subject yourself from dangerous and risky methods such as surgery. Simply apply it to your skin and viola, cellulites are gone in time.

Just make sure to follow the instructions given to make sure that Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution will work effectively. So to get rid of those unpleasing cellulites, use Revitol Cellulite Cream Solution.
More information HERE
Eliza Maledevic Ayson

Diflucan for Vaginal Yeast Infections - The Side Effects of Diflucan Pills

2007-10-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

Diflucan is an anti fungal antibiotic that is used to treat infections caused by fungus. Many women consider taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections. Before you do, you should be aware of the side effects. This article will discuss the side effects of diflucan pills.

Serious Effects
Seizures and convulsions are reported to be one of the most serious side effects of diflucan pills. Women have also experienced severe blistering and peeling, along with a red skin rash. When taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you may also have vertigo or dizziness. In some cases, it took up to a year for the vertigo to go away. Other serious side effects of diflucan pills include loss of appetite, yellow skin or eyes, and abdominal pain.

Allergic Reaction
Although it is relatively rare, one of the side effects of diflucan pills is an allergic reaction. This reaction will trigger various symptoms such as hives, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or a sudden drop in blood pressure. You may also have swelling on the face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Less Serious
There are also less serious effects of taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections. The most common include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and upset stomach. Other less serious side effects of diflucan pills include headache, bloating, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.

Diseases
Diflucan for vaginal yeast infections should not be taken if you have certain diseases. These include liver disease, kidney disease, or a heart rhythm disorder. You should also not take it if you have a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome".

Before taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you should be aware of the potential risks. The side effects of diflucan pills include nausea, diarrhea, headache, and bloating. Occasionally, seizures and allergic reactions are reported. Before taking diflucan for vaginal yeast infections, you should consult with a doctor, especially if you have any of the diseases mentioned above.
More information HERE
D Swain

Important Information About Prostate Treatment With Flomax Medication

2007-10-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Flomax is a prescription medicine that has been approved and licensed by the FDA for the treatment of enlarged prostates. The medical terms for an enlarged prostate include benign prostatic hyperplasia, benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH. Flomax is manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

How It Works
This medication works like the common alpha blockers, it blocks the alpha-1 receptors. These receptors can be found throughout the body including the prostate. When alpha-1 receptors are blocked it allows the muscles to relax in the prostate and the bladder neck. Flomax is different from other prostate medications since it doesn’t actively shrink the prostate as some other drugs do. However, the symptoms are quickly relieved with it when the muscles relax. This means that Flomax provides relief for the symptoms, but it isn’t a cure for the condition.

Taking Flomax
This drug is taken by mouth as a capsule every day at least thirty minutes after a meal. You should take the whole capsule and never open, chew or crush the capsules. You should take the capsules at the same time each day so that you have an even level of the drug in your blood. You should always take Flomax, as prescribed since this helps it to work properly. If you stop taking it, prostate enlargement will return and you will not longer receive the benefits.

Side Effects
There are possible side effects with this drug as there is with all prescription medications. Although side effects won’t be experienced by every individual taking. Rather the opposite is true, many people tolerate this drug very well. Most side effects that occur are minor and either have no necessary treatment or can easily be treated by your healthcare provider. The most common side effects of this drug include abnormal ejaculation, runny or stuffy nose, dizziness and infections including the cold or flu. There are a number of drugs that can interact with Flomax so you should tell your doctor of any medicines you are taking and they will make sure no interaction will occur.

Before you start taking Flomax there are several things you should tell your health care provider. If you have any allergies including foods, dyes, preservatives or sulfa then you should tell your doctor. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant or breastfeeding then you should also talk with your doctor before taking this drug. When telling your doctor about any medicines you are taking you should be sure to include both prescription and non-prescription medicines as well as vitamins and herbal supplements.

More information HERE
Brian Welsch

Belichick Scandal - The NFL Doesn't Want the Truth!

2007-09-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

How is it that Bill Belichick can be caught cheating in a regular season NFL football game and the NFL doesn't ask him the obvious question:
Bill, have you done it before?
If a grade school teacher catches a student cheating on a test, the first question asked is whether this was the first test the student cheated on.
The question is obvious and yet NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall seems not interested in asking it.
I wonder why?
Actually, I don't wonder at all. I'll tell you why the NFL isn't interested in pursuing that question.
The reason is because the increasingly obvious answer is that Belichick and the Patriots have been cheating for years. Apparently, the Patriots have been taping the signals of opposing teams, observing what play is run when a particular signal is called – and, the next time they see that signal, bingo, they know what to expect.
Since the Spygate Scandal broke, numerous accounts of the Patriots taping signals (and electronically jamming the headsets of opponent coaches) have come out of the woodwork. Yet, incredibly, "no comment" from the Patriots, Belichick or the NFL.
Stonewall, whitewash, silence.
The Patriots have enjoyed remarkable success this decade, winning three Super Bowls. Belichick has "earned" a reputation as a genius. Quarterback, Tom Brady is supposedly one of the most clutch QB's in history.
But, maybe, their apparent genius and clutch plays were due to the fact that they knew what the other team would do in advance. Even I could hit an open receiver if I knew ahead of time who would be left open.
Did the Patriots win those three Super Bowls because they cheated?
That's the unasked and unanswered question at the moment.
The answer, if we ever get it, will likely challenge the fundamental integrity of NFL football since the Belichick era began.
That's why the NFL doesn't want to go there.
If you think the NFL should fully investigate the Belichick Spygate Scandal, let the football world know at Belichick Spygate Scandal: Unanswered Questions Mo Johnson is editor of http://www.secsportsfan.com
Mo Johnson

Animal Coffee

2007-09-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

While searching the many resources of the internet today on coffee, I found a very interesting coffee...blend we'll call it. The coffee is made with animals' stomachs and is called Luwak Coffee. The process as how they get their coffee is simple.

Coffee beans are harvested and fed to animals that live in the Sumatran forest. After the animals have done their business, workers walk around the forest and collect the remains to be brewed into "fresh" made coffee. The actual coffee is owned by the company AnimalCoffee, which is based in Indonesia. The coffee apparently is very popular and is considered to actually be Gourmet Coffee. The beans come from various places around Indonesia but they can offer both Arabica and Robusta type coffees. The company is so far only online based but does have offices in Indonesia as well and is run by someone with the name Troy Davis but they have been in operation for 13 years as of yet. Currently he lives in Australia but his company is starting to pick up steam and the word is spreading.

Big orders are being placed for these coffees so perhaps there really is something to it. If you would like to try some of it, you can always request a sample. If you are into animal stomach type foods don't forget there is also Haggis and I'm sure lots of other types of companies that sell animal organ related foods as well. But then again, some just don't have the stomach for it.
Eric Hartwell

Investment Clubs Debunked - Even Groups of Average Investors Aren't Very Good

2007-09-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

A lot has been written about individual investor underperformance - the little guy, on average, just doesn't fair very well against the market. In this study we set our sights on investment clubs and show that when individual investors work together (think "internet forums") they don't do much better...or perhaps even worse.

Between 2001 and 08/2007, investment clubs in our study underperformed the market by a gut wrenching 4.5% a year; and that was before accounting for commissions, taxes, and other costs of trading.

What is an investment club? An investment club is a group of individuals who pool their money and invest together. The club buys or sells based on a majority vote or some other agreed upon method. In the U.S. alone, clubs control tens of billions of dollars.

How We Performed Our Study

To perform our study we turned to one of the largest providers of investment club accounting software, Acme Co. That's not their real name of course, but we don't want to run afoul of anyone's crack legal team, so for the purpose of this study they're Acme Co.

Acme maintains an index of the holdings of the thousands of clubs using their software, representing several tens of millions of dollars in holdings. The index is hailed by Acme as a completely scientific tool for determining how well investment clubs pick stocks. The index is weighted based on club holdings, is rebalanced monthly, and ignores trading costs such as commissions.

Now, Acme Co was not so kind as to provide a handy-dandy-graph depicting how well clubs underperformed versus the market (that would be kind of self-defeating wouldn't it), but they were kind enough to provide a daily snapshot of the value of the investment club index since its inception. Our ingenious and not a little devious programmers simply wrote a software program to record this information daily.

And what did we find? Between 2001 and 08/2007, the index underperformed the S&P 500 by 4.5% annually (again, that's before accounting for transaction costs). This abysmal performance was consistent across the entire period sampled.

Perhaps we're focusing too much on returns - maybe these investors are a risk-averse bunch investing in lower returning investments to decrease their level of portfolio risk? That would be a negatory - the monthly standard deviation on the club portfolio was 5.2%, 35% higher than the S&P 500.

Taking this one step further, if we generously assume that trading costs run somewhere around 2%/year as is in the actively-managed mutual fund industry, that brings the underperformance to somewhere around 6.5% a year…and well, that just makes me want to cry.

Implications

The only conclusion we can draw from these results is that investment clubs (and by proxy, groups of individual investors) just aren't very good at managing a portfolio. Not just the meager 2% underperformance we see from “professionally managed” mutual funds mind you, but a dizzying 6.5% kind of underperformance.

I think the implication for investors is to be careful who you toss around investment ideas with - the fine folks on that internet bulletin board may seem like a savvy bunch, but the numbers show that on average, they probably aren't. So do your due diligence and expect empirical results - not just anecdotes.

Happy Trading,
MarketSci.com

Credit Card Debt Help

2007-09-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

Most people prefer credit cards when they have to make huge amounts of payment. The issuer of credit card provides money to the users, through credit card network between the retailer and the bank. It allows the consumer to hold onto to their cash and buy on credit, at the cost of having interest charged. Debt is granted with expected repayment and interest. But debt is not easy to manage. Everyday million of consumers face credit card debt problems, and they need credit card debt help.

Credit card debt is an example of unsecured consumer debt. Debt results when a client of a credit card company acquires an item or service through the card system. Debt mounts up via interest and penalties when the consumer does not pay the company for the money he or she has spent. In credit card debt help sites there are financial experts who specialize in finding the proper form of debt help for each and every consumer, in any kind of dire financial circumstances.

People generally think that they will use their card astutely, at the end of the month they will pay it all off, and build their credit. But often quite the opposite happens. Statistics prove that in North America an average family has $12,000 of credit card debt.

Follow the simple credit card debt help tips below to help yourself out of financial crisis:

-You have to stop spending with the cards. Before you can get out of the hole, first you need to stop digging deeper.

-Make a budget. Having a budget will help you in your financial priorities, and to set them in order. While making the budget keep in mind your credit card debt payments.

-Discuss with credit card debt help services, about your credit debt problems. Try to negotiate with the credit card company on the interest rate. They often lower it as they do not want their consumers to transfer the balance to another credit card with a lower interest rate.

-It is a common though that debt consolidation is an easy way to get rid of credit card debt and other debts problems. But this is not true for all kinds of debt. If you have a personal credit card debt problem it is best to go to an expert credit card debt help service for the right information and guidance.

Credit card debt help can bring welcome relief if your credit card debt is getting beyond your personal control. When you select debt help services, do some research so that you select a bonafide company with just the right services that suit your needs.

With a good credit card debt help service you can consider making one payment with an affordable, lower interest rate instead of several payments each month, each with varying and much higher interest rates. This will help you cut down the outstanding dues by almost half as well as lower interest rates by 50%.

Debt Help Finance provides debt solutions to improve your credit ratting. Debt Help Financial marketplace connects consumers with multiple debt relief companies that compete for your business. For more information please visit Credit Card Debt Help
Martin Lukac

How To Build An Unstoppable Belief System

2007-09-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Why do we make the choices we do? What makes some people persevere and take risks to achieve their goals while others seem stuck or locked into an unfulfilling position for years? Here is the answer, my friend: Your beliefs shape your life and behavior!

We become what we think about, what we wish we were; and when we’re possessed by an exciting goal, we reach it. It’s as simple as that! That is why it has been said: ‘Be choosy, therefore, of what you set your heart upon. For if you want it strongly enough, you will get it.’

Goals are the very basis of any success – the definition of success itself! Yet success does not lie in the achievement of a goal, but in the journey toward that goal. We are successful as long as we are working toward something we want to bring about in our lives. That’s when the human being is at his/her best.

Being successful is not far off place. It’s even closer than we think if we have the mindset to see the opportunities to our best life. Being successful is not about making the right move every time; it’s about ‘maximizing’ those moves.

The first step in preparing for this ‘success voyage’ is believing in yourself; if you don’t think well of yourself, no one else will and you will surely miss some opportunities. So the way you feel about yourself matters and has a direct influence upon your success, which, as a result of a positive attitude, would enter your life easily and effortlessly from all around you. Wouldn’t we all like that? Just think about it!

Even though scientists have not completely figured out where thoughts come from, psychologists state that thoughts are generated by our beliefs. So, if you believe you are worthy of something, you will think thoughts to support that belief and draw it into your life.

You have to believe you deserve it, to feel worthy of success and welcome it into your life! Start making a plan, visualize it and verbalize your desire. Then, just as your thoughts and intentions call new opportunities you must be willing to act upon their arrival. Make a plan, include the necessary steps in achieving the success you desire and start moving to that direction! I know…this may imply serious changes in your daily routine, a certain amount of effort, maybe a series of things you have neither done before nor thought of. Are you getting nervous about it already? Come on! Be flexible and stay open, for as long as you believe you can do it, you will. You might even discover that your plans have been too small and life has something better in store for you. You are entitled to adjust your plan to the newly-encountered situation. Think even bigger! You know you are worthy of what you desire.

The feeling of worth is one of the foundations of a worthy self-esteem. When you feel you are worthy, you believe it is your right to be happy and get the reward that you deserve for your efforts. When your self worth is low, you may believe that you are not entitled to what is on offer and you may walk away from a life-changing opportunity and even let other people take advantage of you unfairly.

Self worth is a positive thing, which, of course, does not mean we are superior to other people and they must be eliminated from the competition of life. It is inwardly focused on us, it means we respect ourselves and deserve the respect of others, it means that our happiness or fulfillment is worth pursuing.

When you start believing in your potential, you can clearly get that vision of your future in the shape you really want it to be, because you know you deserve it, you are worthy of what’s best in this life.

You might ask yourselves: ‘How the heck are we supposed to get to believe we are worthy?’ Hello!... It is not quite a difficult process. We must simply start by doing the exercise called "You are worthy of success". Write down a few things that you are either grateful for or proud of. They don’t have to be very big things, you may not have had the opportunity of proving to the world how special you are just yet, but you know it, you know there have been some moments in your life when you felt proud of something you said or did that reflected in other people’s eyes and those moments meant something to you and to others. Then think of other moments when you felt grateful for something that life (or somebody) had just offered you and - I assure you - they were not just ‘accidents’, you really deserved them, they were not gifts, but rewards for being yourself, saying or doing what you did.

With this ‘powerful’ list in your mind you will become aware of your value as a human being and start thinking even further and trying yourself much more, for the more you believe in yourself the more you are likely to prove you can do!

Looking back to the history of mankind, to the greatest leaders of nations who climbed the highest peaks that mortals could, we can draw this one very sane conclusion: They could not have achieved their goals in life unless they had strongly believed in their power to change things, to reach certain levels, unless they had seen themselves worthy of what they desired, worthy of success. You don’t have to be a leader to think big and move mountains for the sake of mankind; you must only think of yourself and what is best for you; set the appropriate goals ahead of you and start pursuing those goals believing that you can do IT! If you believe it, it will be!

To sum up, there are some basic elements that lead to the desired outcome: You, your plan or path, the actions and behavior and the goal itself.

The belief you will develop around each element will form a winning belief system that will empower you in achieving anything you really want in life. This is how to build unstoppable confidence and self-esteem. When we talk about the Law of Attraction, it all comes down to beliefs. When we talk about dreams, goals, independence, freedom, it all comes down to beliefs. If you truly believe in yourself, you can do ANYTHING!
Sam Santiago

Cat like corn

2007-09-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Simple Ways To Relieving Stress And Anxiety In Our Lives

2007-09-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

Why are we so stressed, why are we so full of anxiety these days? Is there so much pressure on us these days that we have to conform to every one else in society that we have forgotten who we are as people and that we have forgotten what we want in our life.It seems life of today is just one big competition of keeping up with the ego.

The media of today are always throwing so many ads on TV on how you can get this great car, stereo, Plasma TV, house, house extension or just more money and buy what you want for this interest free period and how easy it is to get ourselves into more debt. Then there’s more stress and anxiety in our lives because of debt.

People of today have forgotten how to think for themselves, they spend so much time in front of the TV that they don’t have to think, it’s all put in front of them. There are so many subliminal messages coming from the TV. Go do a search on subliminal messages on the TV; you would be surprised on how you are being programmed. Do you want to be programmed?

How about giving up TV all together. I gave up TV 4 years ago now and don’t miss it at all. I gave up newspapers and radio. Now I don’t have the media portraying to me how I feel today I make the decision how I feel today. People ask me but how do you know what’s going in the world? If I really want to know I can look it up on the internet and I read the story for myself, you always know what’s going on around the world but you know what you want to know not what the media thinks you should know. Yes we do have choices and options in this world and if we are in control of what is being fed to our brains then the less anxiety and stress we are going to have in our lives because we are taking control. Wouldn’t it be an interesting concept that if we had a no TV for a week campaign.

So what do you do instead of TV, how about some music, think about it, when one of your favorite songs come on the radio how do you feel, you feel great and you smile. Then there are other songs that can make you feel sad. So if music can do that to you what is TV doing to you. So for a week try playing all your favorite music every night for a week, play music that is relaxing while you unwind from work and eat your dinner don’t watch the news.

Then after dinner you can play high vibration music and turn it up loud let the music vibrate through your body dance around the house and sing, the worst that can happen while you’re doing this is you will probably let go, let go of what? Well that’s it isn’t? Let go of all that doesn’t really matter anyway and you will feel good again and that’s what is important it’s about you not anyone else. Learn to let go it’s the only way to go in getting rid of stress and anxiety in your life.

This article was written by Cynthia Kerry for more information on how to conquer anxiety in your life and a list of high vibration music you can play to let go: http://www.anxiety.guide-7.com
Cynthia Kerry

Mind Fitness, A Healthy Emotional Life

2007-08-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

As you can assume, your mind is a powerful tool and it helps you through each step of your day. It controls the way that you perform each action, the way that you see life and it controls all of those little things like breathing and your heart pumping that you don't think about.

Yet, there are many ways that your mind's fitness may not be the right level that it should be. In fact, for many people living in today's hectic lifestyle, it's anything but easy to make it through the day without dealing with some type of stress or pressure.

The mind's health is quite an important aspect and, believe it or not, plays a significant role in the quality of life and the longevity that you have in your life. When you are emotionally or mentally unfit, your body's health is directly related.

There are many different ways that this can happen, including the simple fact that you may have to battle illnesses more often and with greater intensity.

Although you may be wondering just how you can control your minds fitness, the good news is that this can be one of the easier steps to take in total health and wellness if you allow it to be.

Let's get started by learning what exactly is healthy and what may not be the best choice for your overall health and well being.

What's Healthy for Mind Fitness?

For your mind to be in a healthy state, several key things must play a role. First, you need to be fully capable of thinking clearly; performing mental tasks and you need to be able to conquer problems effectively. In addition, you need to tame those other things that happen throughout your life that limit you or otherwise affect the quality of your mind and lifestyle.

A Healthy Brain

With the onset of Alzheimer happening to more and more people, the importance of having a healthy brain is very evident. Whether or not you can stop this disease or other debilitating diseases from happening to you is yet to be seen, there is evidence that says that you can actually push off the onset by some time if you do the right things.

For this particular battle, you need to exercise your mind. Keeping your mind active, challenged and attentive is essential to your well being and this fight.

Emotional Health

Another aspect that you probably don't want to talk about is that of emotional well being. While life affects each one of us, the way that you handle the problems that happen to fall into your lap are critical in maintaining a healthy life. For example, should something emotionally troubling happen to you, such as a death or deception, you need to be able to effectively deal with it and then to move on.

Emotional health is an important battle that everyone must strive to improve. There are many various ways that you can improve your emotional state by learning how to react to critical situations. Indeed, the right social activity is one way to improve your emotional health.

Stress Management

Yet another factor that plays a significant role in the well being of your mind is that of stress. Not only does it pull you down through causing large amounts of emotional trauma, but it also causes all types of physical problems for those struggling with it. It can lead to various health issues physically, too.

While you can't take away everything in your life that causes stress, learning to effectively manage stress is important. It can help you to tackle even challenging tasks with more ease and with success. Sometimes it may be important to remove the stress from your life, but that's not a common occurrence.

Spiritual Well Being

Spiritual well being is yet another consideration that you need to take. While there isn't always a need to be religious or spiritual, it can often play a role in the way that you see your life as well as in your emotional state of mind. For those that do believe in a Higher Power, the need for spiritual well being is even more evident because it places a significant role in your self esteem and your outlook on your own life.

Spiritual well being is a critical factor in maintaining your health, too. Those that are spiritually fit, feel good about themselves which allows them to be more likely to improve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

This is a personal decision, of course, but aren't all of these aspects of fitness personal decisions that you need to commit to? Spiritual health is something to think about.

Codant Wright is an author writing on Fitness and Exercise Visit my website and get my Free Brand New 5 Part Fitness Ecourse at http://www.best-fitness.info
Codant Wright

Mind Power - How To Increase Your Mind Power

2007-08-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

How can I increase mind power? Well, the answer is simple. In the previous articles, I've talked about this, but let me summarize this now in to make it easy for you. So, now you have it! You know what to do to make your lifestyle improved through these changes. Here's a quick look at the changes that you can make today that will increase your mind's power later and throughout your life.

Improve your stress levels and see physical, mental and emotional benefits right away. Relieve your stress by doing something that you love. For example, I love writing, thus when I get stressed I will write some articles to release stress.
Improve your social network to reduce stress and to improve your quality of life. It also helps to make it through difficult times when you have someone by your side. Don't keep your problem kept within yourself. Find friends to talk to about your problem.
Improve your brain's fitness by challenging it through new adventures, continuous learning and through challenges of all types.
Do things that are enjoyable to you. If you can't think of anything, learn something new. New adventures coupled with doing them with those that you love make life better and help to improve your mental fitness.
Keep your self esteem positive. Working on this is hard, but feeling good about yourself is a must for overall health. Think positively! Get positive affirmation, such as "I am competent", "I can succeed", and "I will be able to do well today".

By doing these things it will significantly improve the fitness that your mind has physically and emotionally. The good news is that you can change the outcome of your day by just making the right decisions on the way to look at challenges during the day. Procrastination is a bad thing you should avoid. Make changes like these today and see results today.

Codant Wright is an author writing on Fitness and Exercise. Visit my website and get my Free Brand New 5 Part Fitness Ecourse at http://www.best-fitness.info

Tips for Winsor Pilates at Home

2007-08-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Busy lives and hectic work schedules can often conflict with our personal fitness goals. This is common regardless of the type of exercise you are trying to do on a continuous basis. One of the best options you have is to seek out a way you can do your exercises at home without having to set aside a specific time for your exercise constantly. While regular exercise is important some schedules do not allow this exercise to always fit into the same time slot conveniently.

This need for flexibility has created an entire industry that is designed to help people bring Winsor Pilates to their home or place of work or where ever they are able to exercise to help ensure they stay in the best shape possible without losing ground that they have accomplished through hard work. With mats as well as Reformers available that can be used in the home there is virtually no excuse for not doing your Winsor Pilates at home now.

If you are interested in doing Winsor Pilates at home then it is highly advisable that you take at least 2 Pilates classes at a local gym or club to help you really grasp the ideas of the exercises as well as get a good feel for the breathing techniques. If you do not try have the ability to take continuous classes at a studio then you are one of many, but having at least a couple of classes under you will make it easier to build your skills and really help you accomplish your fitness goals.

You should also ensure you are working with the best equipment possible in your home. If you are most interested in the mat techniques of Winsor Pilates then you should ensure you have a good mat available to use, this also applies to the Reformer methods. With many models available in affordable options for personal use it is possible to never be far away from your exercise.

As you can imagine Winsor Pilates at home is going to be a much cheaper option than taking classes continuously at a studio, club or a gym. Just ensure if you become stuck you seek out a class to help increase your motivation again so you can continue making progress towards your fitness goals without becoming stuck for very long. Seek out a friend you can team up with to help encourage each other so you do not start to slack. With work and effort most people are very happy with the results of Winsor Pilates regardless of where they practice at.

Chris Wight is a health and fitness enthusiast who has done everything from weight lifting to kung fu. You can learn more about Winsor Pilates at his site http://www.winsorpilatessource.com
Chris Wight

Merle Norman Cosmetics - I Finally Found Gold!

2007-08-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

I'm nearly 50 years old and for 30 some odd years I've looked, or should I say, 'hunted' foundation that would at the very least, calm my oily skin. Well... just about a month ago I went into Merle Norman and for the first time, somewhat opened up to the consultant on duty... Ok, I poured my heart out, begging her to help me! She was so sweet and calmly took me to the Luxiva Lasting (liquid) Foundation. We picked out a shade and even though I just couldn't see it being any different than the thousands of other brands I've tried, I thought... ok... I can do this. I can take this girl's word, take it home and since they have a money back guarantee, hey, what did I have to loose? She also talked me into their new Pure Mineral Make-up, which I liked since it was in a powder form and could sop up any oil that the liquid foundation she talked me into would create.

Well, I'm delighted, elated, over the roof excited to report that it works! For the first time in my life I have not been running to the powder room every hour to take toilet paper or the nearest tissue to remove the oil coming from my gigantic pores that I inherited! Now I live in Florida, where the humidity alone could make you think I'd been swimming in the middle of the day by the wet clothes, hair and body... But this line has saved my face! (Everything else needs a good drying down, but that's another story)!

And oh, did I tell you, she gave me some of their clay mask and I've got to tell you, my blackheads are nearly gone! Yes, my skin was a mess! Anyway, I'll be going back for that mask and I'll be a faithful follower of Merle Norman from now on. At least until some 'man' comes in and changes the formula. (Don't you just hate it when companies do that? I figure it's just GOT to be men who don't use the product that make all those stupid changes to your favorites!)

A great big "kudos" to Merle Norman! Thank you!
Deborah Sheehy

A Home Remedy for a Sinus Infection

2007-08-21T01:27:00.000-07:00

The sinuses are actually a wonderful thing. Not only do they stand between the bacteria and germ filled air outside and out lungs, but they also help to shape the way our faces look, as well as the way our voice sounds. They are a wonderful creating that we should be thankful for. I have to admit, though, that it is hard to be thankful when you are suffering from a sinus infection. I have had problems with my sinuses for most of my life that was caused by allergies and weather patterns, but from time to time I would get a sinus infection so I started to look for a home remedy for a sinus infection and I found something that helped me with all of my sinus trouble.

The thing that helped me the most was the use of nasal irrigation. I bought a Neti pot and used it on a regular basis. Although I wasn't too fond of the idea right away, after I got the hang of it there were some great benefits. I felt less cloudy in the mornings, seemed to breath better and my sinus problems were much easier to deal with. The key, for me, was to get the right mixture of salt and water so that it did not burn at all. Another thing that many people have used, and this seems to help with so many different things, is to take a couple of spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar every day. Some people would put it in a cup of water and sip it throughout the day, and others would just go ahead and get it over with all at one time, but a few people that I have heard of said that they saw some good results from using this method.

Stop your sinus infections quickly and naturally without the use of steroids or drug store potions that just leave you feeling drained. Download our special report at http://www.stop-sinus-infection.info/

Ad growth for AOL called vital to a remake

2007-08-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Just over a year ago, AOL unveiled a radical plan to remake itself into a business built on advertising from one driven by Internet access subscriptions.

To a great extent, AOL had little choice in the matter. Customers were rapidly deserting its once-lucrative dial-up access service, and retaining them was costly.

The new plan certainly seemed to make sense. With the advertising business growing rapidly across the Web, AOL appeared to be in an ideal place to capitalize on that trend. It remains, after all, one of the most popular online destinations, with more than 90 million people visiting its sites in a month.

But a precipitous slowdown in advertising growth has raised new questions about AOL's transformation plans. AOL executives say the slowdown is probably temporary, but Richard D. Parsons, chief executive of Time Warner, which owns 95 percent of AOL, said this month that he no longer expected AOL's ad growth to match or exceed the overall growth rate of online advertising. The company's challenges highlight one of the quirks of today's Internet market. As advertising is moving from offline media to the Internet at a rapid clip, portals, which command some of the biggest audiences online, should be among the top beneficiaries. Instead, the travails of the mass market portals like AOL, as well as Yahoo and Microsoft, indicate a decline in power.

Online advertising in the United States is expected to increase 28.5 percent this year, according to eMarketer, a research firm. AOL's ad revenue increased 16 percent in the last quarter after gaining 40 percent in the previous quarter. Revenue at Yahoo, the No. 1 Internet portal, rose 8 percent in the latest quarter.

Part of the challenge for portals is that people are starting to approach the Internet in a different way. A new generation of Web users has grown increasingly adept at finding what it wants online and is less reliant on portals for guidance. What is more, younger audiences are spending more time on social networking sites and less time on traditional Internet portals. "Just like Yahoo, AOL is fighting MySpace, Facebook and others for audience and ad dollars, and those are tough competitors," said Jordan Rohan, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets.

Social-networking sites are not the only culprits. Thousands of smaller Web sites, like blogs, news collectors and niche content sites, are also attracting growing numbers of Internet users and advertisers.

AOL knows all this. It may even have been the first among the major portals to recognize this trend. In 2004, it bought Advertising.com, a network that collects ad space from across the Web and sells it to marketers, giving them a way to reach the Web's increasingly fragmented audience.

Since then, Yahoo, Microsoft and Google have all invested significantly to remake themselves into companies that not only sell advertising on their own sites, but also help sell or broker ads across the Web. And AOL has sought to further the success of Advertising.com by buying a string of online advertising companies.

Advertising.com is now AOL's fastest growing unit. "The brand that we build around Advertising.com might become more important than the AOL brand itself," said Randy Falco, AOL's chief executive.

Falco and other AOL executives reject any notion that their turnaround plan is in trouble. They say the slowdown in advertising growth in the most recent quarter was tied to specific events, including redesigns of several of the portal's channels and a change in the way it displays search results.

"In the first six months of the year, we have accomplished more in terms of a turnaround, in terms of fixing products and the platform, than in the past three years," Falco said.

Falco, a longtime NBC Universal executive who took the top job at AOL in December, said the company was systematically revamping its channels and services. It has redesigned many of its pages and embarked on an expansion into 14 countries.

AOL plans to re-engineer its site so users can choose various channels and services they like and include them in their blogs, personalized home pages or favorite social networking sites.

"We are not trying to build yesterday's portal," said Ron Grant, AOL's president. "We are trying to build a network of sites that users can combine or do whatever they are most comfortable with."

The efforts are beginning to pay off, AOL executives said, noting that page views have increased 4 percent in the second quarter from the first.

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Extra: How to hack Starbucks Not all changes have been well received. After an earlier executive team devised an innovative way to display AOL search results, which are powered by Google, Grant and Falco decided to roll back the changes and mimic Google's presentation of 10 links on a page. The decision led to defections.

John McKinley, the former president of AOL Digital Services, thought the imitation would serve to dilute the AOL brand. "Over time, the average consumer is going to develop more of a tendency to just go to Google.com directly," he wrote in his blog. Grant defended the decision, saying the change to the Google-like results stopped a decline in the use of AOL's search service.

AOL's revamping has focused not only on consumers but also on its advertisers. Advertising executives say that for the first time in years, AOL's customized ad packages are competitive with those of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.

None of the improvements has been able to prevent the recent slowdown in growth at AOL. Gordon Hodge, an analyst with Thomas Weisel Partners, said that if the slowdown continues, it could spell trouble for AOL's turnaround plan. "I think the dial-up subscriber losses and profit losses could overwhelm the gains they could make from advertising," he said.
Louise Story contributed reporting from New York.
Entire contents, Copyright © 2007 The New York Times. All rights reserved.

Gastric Bypass Methods Of Today

2007-08-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

With the popularity today’s media has placed on physical fitness and the beauty of those who are physically fit, gastric bypass surgery has gained popularity as a solution for obesity, especially morbid obesity.

While there are two primary methodologies within the world of gastric bypass surgery, the original method, called the “loop” method. Having been practiced in the 1960s, this method is now commonly avoided because of better advances in research and medicine. Right now, the most common gastric bypass method is known as the Proximal, or Roux en-Y system.

As with any gastric bypass method, with Proximal, or Roux en-Y gastric bypass surgery, food intake is significantly restricted due to the mechanical limitations of the stomach.

With this surgery, a small pouch of a stomach is created and essentially closed off from the rest of the stomach. As you take in food, it moves into this tiny pouch and then on to the ‘Roux limb’ of the small bowel which is created during surgery. This allows the food to bypass the rest of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. With this re-routing of the intestinal tract, the body is unable to absorb as many calories as previously done. This allows the body to lose weight at a rapid pace.

Finally, the remaining gastric bypass method is known as the biliopancreatic diversion. This method is used less frequently and is rather complicated. With the biliopancreatic diversion , portions of the stomach are literally removed from the GI tract. A tiny pouch of remaining stomach is then directly connected to the end section of the small bowel. Since this method bypasses the remaining intestine there are less calories absorbed and weight loss occurs.

The gastric bypass methods used today are important advances in the field of surgical medicine and have helped thousands of people who previously suffered with obesity to lose the weight with which they struggled for years. No, it is not a quick fix, but in some cases, the gastric bypass methods are life-saving alternatives to continuing to haul around the excess pounds.
Jeff Foster

Craziest Fad Diets Ever

2007-08-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of people out there who are overweight, whether they are obese or just a few pounds over the norm. If you're like me, you have tried out at least one diet for every year of your age. There are countless fad diets out there, waiting to lure you in and get you to spend your money. Most offer quick weight loss, and claim that you will keep it off. However, if you think you've seen every kind of diet there is, check out this list of the craziest fad diets ever. If you're like me, by the time you've finished reading, you'll have burned up several good calories just from laughing.

The Cabbage Soup Diet - This diet suggests that you eat cabbage soup every day for a week, and nothing else except fruit and vegetables. You're supposed to lose a substantial amount of weight on this diet, and be ready for that new party dress by the weekend. Here's the thing with this diet. You're essentially fasting when you go on this diet, and you will end up losing muscle mass instead of fat. While cabbage is a healthy food, eating cabbage soup for seven days straight and nothing else will likely make you curse cabbage for the rest of your life. What's more, as soon as you start eating normally again, you will gain the weight right back. The only sensible thing about this diet is the fruit and vegetables that are supposed to be snacks.

The Negative Calorie Diet - Here's a good one for you! This diet actually claims that certain foods you eat will leave you with less calories after eating them than you had before. Hmmm...Does this one scream crazy? The foods they promote are healthy foods, such as oranges, however, your body needs nutrition from many different food sources. Scientists argue with people who promote this diet, because they say there is no food that contains 'negative calories.'

The Cookie Diet - Man oh man, does this one sound good. Unfortunately, with this diet, you're not actually eating cookies in the chocolate chip sense. These are more like fiber and amino acid...things. You eat six of these 'cookie things' everyday, and the only real meal you eat is dinner. They are supposed to make you feel fuller, and only consume 800 calories a day. The problem is, calories provide us with necessary energy to live. They also suggest that you take certain supplements to make up for the fact that you are consuming so much fiber. Does this just sound unsafe to me, or are you a little freaked as well?

The Grapefruit Diet - This diet is based on the idea that grapefruit is a big calorie burner, and they suggest you eat it with every meal. Now, while grapefruit is a healthy food, the low amount of calories you are allowed to consume in this diet is not healthy. In fact, some people who have been on this diet reported dizziness, faintness, and upset stomach. Some of these problems may be due to the fact that this diet suggests you drink unlimited amounts of black coffee every day. This much coffee in your stomach and so little food...how do these people sleep at night?

The Vinegar Diet - Here's a goofy one for you. When you're on this diet, you must take three tablespoons of vinegar before every meal. Supposedly, vinegar has amazing 'fat burning qualities,' and you will lose weight quickly. If you can manage to choke it down. If you lose weight on this diet, it is likely because the promoters of this diet suggest you watch what you eat and monitor your caloric intake. Not because you gulped down 9 tablespoons of vinegar a day without vomiting.

The truth is, no matter what diet you are on, there's no miracle diet. Unfortunately, we must go back to that boring old idea that we must eat healthy, watch what we eat and exercise, because that is what truly does work. So if you hear about an amazing new pickled okra and banana diet, be suspicious!
Kristi Patrice Carter

Elvis - The Once and Current King of Rock and Roll

2007-08-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

Elvis Presley, along with Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry, turned music upside down and brought a new sound to the world. With his roots in Tupelo, Mississippi and his childhood in Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis was constantly exposed to Gospel and black rhythm and blues. His first appearances and recordings merged these musical genres with country music. As he further developed his style, Elvis revolutionized Rock ‘n' Roll into an accepted musical form.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s Elvis was the King. His chart-busting songs continuously played on the air, transistor radios close to the ear or jukeboxes blaring out his deep, resonant voice. Featured in over 31 movies, Elvis acted, sang and danced with his characteristic pelvic swerve.

Scandalous at first, Elvis' pelvic gyrations sent mothers rushing to shield their daughters' eyes from his bold movements. It was his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1959 that tipped the general public's opinion of this upstart musician. When Elvis finished his set, TV Host Sullivan walked onto the stage, put his hand on Elvis's shoulder and proclaimed, "This is a fine young man, a fine musician."

Nationally, over fifty of Elvis's songs reached the Billboard Top 20. His stellar climb to international fame is short of remarkable. With only three television stations nationwide, no internet or cable, nor any overseas concerts, the world recognized Elvis as their King of music.

In 1964 Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles on his show. The British "Fab 4" swept the nation and contributed to a gradual decline in the popularity of Elvis among the younger generation. The King who had brought his unique blend of rock, southern blues, Gospel, and country music took a back seat to a wave of long-haired English gents who moved music into yet another direction.

Within less than five years, generational boundaries evolved as music again radically changed. Elvis's music seemed irrelevant to the youth who staged Woodstock, expanded the hippie movement and organized anti-Vietnam war demonstrations on college campuses. While retirees flocked to Las Vegas to see Elvis in sold-out concerts, Rock ‘n' Roll slipped off the airwaves as the younger generation thrived on folk music and acid rock.

As the 30th anniversary of his death passes, Elvis remains the King of Rock ‘n' Roll with thousands making a pilgrimage to his Graceland Mansion. Elvis's international records sales are over one billion; 150 of his record albums have earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum status.

Yvonne Perry

Little League World Series - It's Not the Real World Series - Calm Down!

2007-08-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

When I was a little kid, I loved playing baseball. The smell of the freshly cut grass, sunflower seeds, and a day at the ball park were enough to excite me beyond anything else. And while the early morning hours weren’t exactly at my peak activity hours, you could count on me getting up early every Saturday morning to get ready for the weekly game. Simply put, there was something magical about little league games for me.

Nowadays, though, it seems as if some of the magic has been taken out of the game. A prime example of what I am talking about happened last night during a Little League World Series game. In the Northwest Regional Championship game, Lake Oswego, Oregon took on Kent, Washington. These two teams had met previously in a game thouroughly dominated by Kent. The game started as most do in these tournaments - both pitchers were throwing heat and dominating the opposing hitters. Then, in the 2nd inning, the Kent pitcher gave up a solo home run. Up until that point, he had recorded somewhere in the ball park of 4-5 stikeouts. He ended the game with upwards of 10 strikeouts, giving up a meager 3 runs. Yet, despite his stellar performance, he began tearing up with every hit or run Lake Oswego produced.

Another example happened in the same game. After having had two solid at-bats, a Lake Oswego player struck out on his third attempt. He, too, began to cry, even though his team was winning. One would think that having a .667 batting average in a victory would be cause for praise. However, as evident from the aforementioned examples, that is not the case. In both cases, each player was so broken up by minimal mistakes that he began to cry. But why? Why should a player get so upset over such a little thing as making one minor mistake? The answer - Pressure. These young boys are put under a tremendous amount of pressure. Because they are gifted athletically for their age, these players simply destroy the competition during their little league careers. They begin to develop a history of winning. When that happens, anything else is unacceptable. Winning, not the game, becomes the main objective, the driving force. However, for the most part, the kids are not the ones who yearn for victory. They simply want to play ball. The parents and the coaches, on the other hand, who seem to relive their glory days vicariously through their children, need the “W” and are wholeheartedly disappointed when they don’t get it. Believe me, I’ve been there. Overly-critical coaches are the main reason I stopped playing baseball, even though I too played on the all-star team.

We need to remember that baseball is just a game for kids. Whereas the lucky few who find their way to the professional baseball ranks should expect criticism, little leaguers should not. They don’t get paid for playing baseball. The American mentality of winning is a must and second place is the first loser has created a situation in which young boys are subjected to pressure for which they have not been prepared. The result - cry babies crop up every game, terrified of what their coaches or parents might think if they make a mistake. Seriously, baseball is just a game. We need to calm down a little bit and realize that the Little League World Series is not the real World Series. After all, Little League baseball is for kids, not parents.

Nishan Wilde

6 Recommended Living Room Decorations

2007-08-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

If your problem is with regards to how you would address the need of your living room to get pumped up from the usual boring way, then you need not be problematic anymore since there are plenty of living room decorations. Below are some of the most recommended living room decorations and accessories to purchase and use.

1. The living room carpet. The living room carpet is an important thing to use. It could be of any color of your own choice whether you prefer to match or contrast it with the wall colors of your living room. Most homeowners go for the neutral color of the carpet as it is easy to blend along with the rest of the living room decorations.

2. The curtains for the windows. The use of window curtains always determines the character of the living room. They are the ones which designate a luxurious, elegant, or simple appeal to the living room. The window curtains should of course be relevant with that of the size of the window. You could turn to professionals for the tips in purchasing and designing the right curtains for your windows.

3. The mantels. Mantels are best to use especially if you've got a fireplace in the living room area. Naturally, there has to be something on top of the mantel. It could be a vase, candle set, or other ornaments.

4. The plants or greeneries. Plants basically provide more oxygen in the living and it could bring you closer to nature. There is a certain ambience created by the use of plants as living room decorations. You may choose from herbal, potted, and hanging plants.

5. The chairs and sofas. These living room decorations must very well blend with the rest of the designs employed in the area. They are important furniture in the living room since the primary use of the area is simply for entertaining visitors and your family members as well.

6. Candles. Whether they are scented or unscented, they never fail to bring about romance and ambience in the air. They are best if your living room does not have a fireplace.

As you go and shop around for the living room decorations, do not be surprised at all if you spot several of them. Do not end up confused since they could always be harmonized with one another. These living room decorations, when handled well, could definitely add up a beautiful personal touch to your living room space.
Albert Lee

NASA's Explorer Schools

2007-08-16T01:25:00.000-07:00

Usually when we think of NASA, we think of spacecrafts exploring new frontiers. And so they do, of course, but the nation's space agency has its hand in more earthly pursuits, as well—pursuits that may well have a direct influence on the children in your life.

In the NASA Explorer School (NAS) undertaking, created in 2003, the agency partners with under-serviced schools across the nation to bring mathematics, science and technology curriculum to students ranging from K-12. When a partnership agreement is reached, teachers and a school administrator team up to develop and implement a three-year action plan that addresses local challenges in the subjects mentioned earlier. Based on information generated through needs assessments, this customized plan is delivered through a combination of on-site school services and distance-learning networks.

Program elements include professional development workshops during the summer months in which teams of educators meet at the nine NASA Field Centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The intensive, one-week training provides opportunities for the teachers to begin to integrate NASA content into the existing school curricula, and extends to creating and implementing action plans to address local challenges.

Throughout the school year, ongoing research-based professional development includes NASA aerospace education specialists, Space Grant consortia, educator resource centers, and NASA Education networks.

That's the somewhat boring explanation of what it's all about. The real-life examples are much more exciting.

Botball, Anyone?

Chances are you've never played botball—given that it's a game played only by robots. But, hey, robots have to have some fun too, right? For the past three years, students at Explorer Schools have been accepting the challenge to build and program robots to compete with opponents on a field the size of a ping-pong table. The challenge for 2006 was "Search and Rescue." Robotics teams worked autonomously to locate a plush robot and his "tribble" friends. ( Star Trek fans understand tribbles. They're the round, furry animals that reproduce faster than spam in your Inbox.) The challenge was to complete various tasks and score points ahead of the opposing robots. (It's a bit like Survivor, without the bikinis.)

Search and Rescue (and the other botball challenges) gives middle and high school students a hands-on learning application in science, technology, engineering and math. The competing teams built their robots from an official kit containing such goodies as 1,800 LEGO building blocks, two Xport Botball Controllers (XBCs, attached to Nintendo® Game Boy Advance devices), and 20 censors, including color-recognition cameras. After using the pieces to build their robots, students programmed them using a version of the C computer language.

The annual botball challenges have generated so much enthusiasm that at least 13 regional tournaments are held across the United States. Hawaii is actively involved, with more than 20 participating schools. The 2007 national tournament will be held in Honolulu in July, and will be one of the events at the National Conference on Educational Robotics.

NASA's Web site quoted Jade Bowman, the NES team lead at Hawaii's Waimea Middle School, as saying, "The Botball program has been an avenue for our students to broaden their horizons in many areas." Bowman added that the botball program exposed the students to new careers, taught them to use a variety of technology, increased self confidence, developed complex thinking, and showed the importance of team playing.

Cassini Scientists for a Day

On January 23, 2006, a group of California third, fourth and fifth graders became "scientists for a day," and selected where to point the cameras on the Cassini spacecraft as it continued its tour of the space around Saturn. These students of Shirley Avenue Elementary School in Reseda, California (part of the Explorer network), had 10 days to study three target options and decide which opportunity would make the most scientific sense. After much debate, they decided to take an image of the planet's rings.

Mission planners calculated the needed maneuvers and sent the commands to the spacecraft. The students had been studying Saturn prior to the project, so they had some idea of what the mission entailed.

The "Cassini Scientist for a Day" activity helped them understand how much time it takes to gather scientific information, and how complicated it is to make decisions. The NASA Web site quotes the kids' teacher, Kathy Cooper, as saying, "I was stunned to hear a fourth grader saying, 'You need a good eye and have to be patient, because science isn't quick—we didn't learn about the universe overnight; it takes time,'" Cooper says. "The activity brought a higher level of thinking; they kept coming up with good questions."

Build Your Own Rocket Ship

Michigan's Southfield School was the nation's first to be designated a NASA Explorer School. In early 2006, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, announced a $2,500 grant to students in Southfield, Michigan, to help them design, build and launch their own rocket. Part of NASA's Student Launch Initiative, the project helps students learn more about engineering and teamwork through a hands-on approach to create and launch rockets with payloads.

The Student Launch Initiative is jointly managed by the Marshall Center in partnership with the Huntsville Area Rocketry Association, a group of rocket enthusiasts and engineers who launch their own rockets. Each participating student team designs, builds and tests its own rockets, while documenting their progress on a Web site. Students can request guidance from professional engineers during the design and testing phases. The teams also learn problem-solving skills, how to prepare and present proposals, and how to budget.

The teams display and launch their rockets in a competition. Competing rockets carry a tracking device and a recoverable science payload weighing between one quarter and one half-pound. The rocket must reach an altitude of one mile during flight and be reusable. After flight, the team collects data from the payload, analyzes it, and reports the results to Marshall Center engineers, the project's mentors, who evaluate each rocket and determine the winners. The winning teams receive a school trophy.

How to Become an Explorer School

According to the Web site, competitive applications are accepted and selection of the NASA Explorer School teams occurs each spring. Up to 50 teams will be added each year, for a maximum total of 150 teams.
June Campbell

devil

2007-08-14T22:27:00.001-07:00

Apple iPod Shuffle - Music, In a More Refined Way

2007-08-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

For the last five years, Apple has unequivocally dominated the world of hard disk based audio gadgets. Although, the competition has become more stiff these days, but Apple continues to enjoy a dedicated following. And, at the same time, the sudden surge of music phones have also pushed the limit for such manufacturers, as now they are adding some additional music features to retain their dedicated customers. Consequently, their prices have also gone down. So, now you can afford to buy an Apple ipod with a reasonable price. The newest kid on the block is the Apple iPod Shuffle, which comes equipped with an improved hard disk and now, you can store a far greater amount of music, as compared to earlier Apple iPods.
The Apple iPod shuffle comes with two capacities with 1GB and 512MB options. Since Apple has already released some of the most magnificent iPods, we can expect something special from this newest edition. First of all, the Apple ipod shuffle is the second generation iPod and on the other hand, it is also acclaimed as the smallest iPod ever designed. Hence, it is quite obvious that this iPod has really lost a lot of fat to get that sleek look and there is a certain ommission of any real display. There is only a small tri-colour led, which indicates the basic functionalities to an user. Currently, this iPod is available in five enticing colours –choose your favourite one to enter the ecstatic world of music.
As such lot has been said about this iPod, but does it really serve the basic purpose, as being the cheapest, simplest and smallest iPod to date. So, there are some interesting aspects, which should be considered to review the appropriate usefulness of this music device

Compatible size:
When you take a first look at the new Apple iPod shuffle, you would find it like another small media player. Although, its overall dimensions are slightly larger than the original nano's screen. On the other hand, its control scheme does look like other iPods, as it comes with similar features like a ''scroll wheel'', which does not offer any scrolling functionality. Thus, you can easily press down on the top and bottom of its wheel to increase or decrease the volume –whenever you want. There are two toggle switches on the bottom of this iPod. One is used as a simple on/off switch, while the another one is a ''shuffle switch'', which randomly adjusts the song order to make things further easier for you. Well, this shuffle iPod is endowed with the latest version of Apple's highly popular earpbuds, which offer brilliant sound quality.

Improved features:
It is because of its extremely small size, the Apple ipod shuffle does not work with same docking mechanism like other iPods. Instead of that, it utilises a specifically designed USB dock, which can be easily plugged into the headphone jack.
So far, nothing significant has been done in the Apple ipod shuffle, but it does have it all to play all your music – the way you like.
Raina Kelsey

South Africa's Public Health Sidelined Over Political Power Play

2007-08-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

During the Nationalist Party, or white government, days in South Africa, the only time the country made it into the international newspapers was when apartheid based atrocities and anti-apartheid campaigns were reported. It used to annoy the government immensely as they felt that the good stuff was being overlooked.

President Mbeki, and his apostles, must be feeling the same at this moment. The front page of the Independent in the UK says it all. ‘A President in denial, a nation denied hope’ is the headline. The article is in response to the firing of deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge.

Ms Madlala-Routledge had worked hard to obtain some form of credibility for the government. She had been outspoken about new treatment campaigns to ensure medication was available to infected people and co-authored a five year treatment action plan. She had visited hospitals and pointed out how bad the health services were in some areas such as the Eastern Cape.

Mbeki and his Minister of Health Tshabalala-Msimang have been ridiculed by the world for their denial of the epidemic. Mbeki ascribed to the theory that HIV and AIDS were not linked and Tshabalala-Msimang maintained that eating beetroot and garlic were more useful than anti-retrovirals which she said were harmful to people. This is the country where coffins are made from cardboard because the wooden ones can’t be made quickly enough to fill demand.

The Deputy was fired, according to the South African press, for having attended an AIDS conference in Spain. It was felt that this was wasting tax payers’ money. Besides which this trip had apparently not been authorised. One might remember a Christmas a season ago when the Deputy President used tax payers’ money to use the government jet to take herself and a couple of buddies off to a shopping holiday in Dubai. She certainly didn’t get fired for that unauthorised trip.

Which all points to the fact that the Deputy Minister’s firing had really very little to do with health issues. It has to do with political power. Mbeki has, during his years as president, surrounded himself with people whom he feels comfortable with and who have shown him total loyalty. These select few will remain within his orbit whether they do the job or not. The Deputy Health Minister, by undermining the power base of the Health Minister had to go.

Health Minister Tshabalala-Msimang is one of these apostles. She could decide to hand out arsenic pills at hospitals and she would not be fired. I suppose giving people beetroot and garlic to cure HIV/AIDS is about the same.

Political power is particularly relevant as the succession debate to Mbeki’s rule hots up. The issue centers around the new leadership of the ANC which will be determined shortly. At the same time, the head of the ANC is automatically appointed as president of the country. According to the constitution, President Mbeki may only serve two terms and he is completing his second term now.

This is not really a serious issue. One needs to remember that the ANC acquired over two thirds of the vote during the last general elections. This means the ANC is able to change the constitution. It could very well mean that Mbeki is padding his supporter base in preparation for re-election. He has indicated that he wishes to stand for the ANC leadership.

The consequences of the political maneuvers being played out are dire though. The public health system is falling apart at a rapid rate, and not only with respect to HIV/AIDS treatment. Reports on the state of public hospitals are dire. According to one Doctor quoted in the Independent, people are dying in the queues.

The absolute tragedy is that South Africa has money in the bank to improve the health system. Not only did Finance Minister Trevor Manuel submit a surplus budget in February this year, but today’s South African version of the Independent states that the taxman is heading for another big tax bonanza.

Never a more appropriate saying than the one that states that Rome burns while the politicians fiddle.

Anja Merret lives in Brighton, UK, having moved across from South Africa just over a year ago.

She now looks after the business interests of her daughter who is a Flash Developer and Accessibility expert. She started a blog at the beginning of the year under the heading of chatting to my generation. Although she is chatting to the baby boomer generation, she sometimes feels that all generations have the same issues to face, they just don't have hearing aids or walking sticks!

One of her pet peeves is the war in Iraq and in fact anything that causes innocent people to get hurt. But she also loves tech stuff, although only as an amateur. She considers herself a Silver Surfer Gadget Geek. She is even considering queuing for an iPhone in the UK later on in the year. But her daughter has offered, so she will only be taking hot food to the Brighton Geeks waiting in line.

Her musings may be found on http://www.anjamerret.com Her observations on personal power and self-development may be found on http://www.pinkblocks.com
Anja Merret

New Contraceptive Patch Leads to Concerns About Health

2007-08-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

The Ortho Evra Patch released by Ortho McNeil has recently come under fire for the patch’s contribution to serious thrombotic problems such as heart attack and stroke.

After its approval in November 2001, the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch revolutionized birth control by allowing women to wear a patch directly on their body giving it the nickname the “Birth Control Band-Aid.” Following its release to the public in 2002 over 5 million women have tried the Ortho Evra contraceptive.

Recently, however, the Ortho Evra Patch has been linked to an increased risk of a number of serious thrombotic problems. These problems might include heart attack, stroke, blood clots, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.

Those problems have been shown to be caused by the constant level of estrogen and progestin absorbed by the body while the patch is in use. Oral contraceptives, as compared with the Ortho Evra Patch, give users 35 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen in a daily dose as opposed to the patch that provides 20 mcg continuously for a week.

A British study completed in 1969 found that the body could not receive estrogen in excess of 50 mcg without the risk of inflicting the user with serious blood clots. All companies selling estrogen with more than 50 mcg had taken their products off the market by 1988.

The problem with the Ortho Evra Patch is that, although it only is a 20 mcg dosage of estrogen, it provides it for a prolonged period of time. The FDA issued a new warning in November of last year, asserting that the Ortho Evra Patch exposes users to 60% more estrogen than those on the oral contraceptive.

Essentially, the patch actually floods the users system with a 56 mcg dosage of estrogen over a longer period of time

There have also been new studies that have been released indicating that progestin, another active ingredient in the Ortho Evra Patch, also poses dangers to health. An anti-throbotic, prostegin inhibits the user’s blood from forming clots. This is the opposite of estrogen, a pro-thrombotic, which causes blood to clot. It was thought that each would cancel the other out. What everyone failed to see was that the prostegin, which was a 3rd generation version of the drug, indicating that the drug actually allows for the creation of more blood clots. This combined with the increased dosage of estrogen puts women at serious risk for many clotting-related issues such as heart attacks and strokes.

It was discovered that the Ortho Evra Patch fails to warn women adequately of the risks imposed on them by the levels estrogen and progestin exposure.

Currently, there are many attorneys that are working on a class action lawsuit against Ortho McNeil, maker of Ortho Evra. You may qualify to join this lawsuit if you:

Have been prescribed the Ortho Evra Patch

Have taken oral contraceptives for an extended period of time prior to using the Ortho Evra Patch without incident.

Suffered from a serious thrombotic event like heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, blood clot, etc.

Were forced to stay in a hospital for an extended period of time as a result of the thrombotic incident

Were forced to undergo surgery as a result of the thrombotic incident Have to undergo coagulant therapy for at least 6 months.

Also, if you are a smoker and have had a thrombotic event after using the Ortho Evra Patch, you may still qualify to file a lawsuit. Although there is a warning against smoking while using the Ortho Evra Patch, it does not specify the severity of the consequences, or mention the risks associated with smoking while using the Ortho Evra Patch.
Sara Goldstein

Ideas For Painting The Living Room

2007-08-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

In most instances, the living room is one of the public areas of your home. This is the place wherein the visitors are received. This is the space provided for gatherings. Then, it is mostly the one that is very much open to criticism. Therefore, the painting of your living room matters a lot.

Here are some ideas that you could keep in mind and know by heart when it comes to the attempt of painting the living room. Making over your living room is such a venture that you need to be careful when attending to it.

Firstly and basically, you must select the hue scheme that needs to be employed in painting the living room. It means that there is the need for you to select the paint color that you would like to have for your walls, doors, trims, accents, and other accessories.

Mix and match your color paint choice with the biggest furniture in the living room. That is your focal point, so to speak. You also need to take note of the lighting factor, the function of the living room, its size, and the mood that you definitely want to create within the living room.

Then, you must have the time to spend to focus yourself on the selection of the paint finish since it could alter the mood that you want to sweep into the room. When the walls contain some imperfections, truly, you could always get a paint finish which could hide them. Usually the paint finish which are not glossy and those that give off a matte finish are the best to use. These paint finishes also provide an equally effective resistant to the possible wall stains.

The architectural details, trims, and doors may always be highlighted with the gloss finish such as the satin or the semi-gloss. These areas are thus easier to clean since they are sheen and smooth in texture.

Painting the living room could be better off with the latex or water-based paints. However, the doors and windows must be employed with the acrylic paints.

There are paint colors that would ask you to put on more than one application of the paint coat so you need to also keep it in mind. The usual one gallon of any paint color could only cover a capacity of 400 square feet.

Painting the living room would be best done with hard work as coupled with your creativity. There are techniques and concepts that you must bear in mind to come up with a successful venture.

To learn more living room decorating ideas, visit http://www.livingroomdesign101.com

Reach a New High with Samsung U Series Phones

2007-08-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

What is it that you have always wanted from your mobile phone? Is a decently operational communication platform the only thing in your mind when you think about mobile phones? For all you know, your mobile phone can also back up as one little treasure of a host of fun filled activities and features to light up your face. We have witnessed a steady growth in the mobile phone industry since that day these wireless communication devices hit the stands across the world. The primary reason behind this almost seemingly well-coordinated progress is the gradual modification of mobile phones through newer and better technologies with each developmental phase. The constant evolution of technological standards have incessantly paved the path for mobile phone manufacturers to ship-shape their intelligence and offer something more enriching with every subsequent release of their products. Such gregariousness has evidently been a customary endeavour for South Korean giant Samsung, which has made its expertise widely known through its U series phones for one.

The Samsung U series is a highly stylised range of mobile phones under the Ultra Edition banner that promises to make some impressive strides in the history of the mobile phone industry. These phones have been introduced by the manufacturer as a new breed of communication devices in ultra slim frames with highly attractive designs and the best of what modern mobile technology has to offer. All you have to do is purchase one of these U series phones and behold what the future has to offer. The Samsung U100, Samsung U300, Samsung U600 and Samsung U700 are the U series phones by the manufacturer, which are apparently creating quite a big storm in the phone market.

Samsung has been living up to its reputation as an unfaltering innovator of mobile phones for quite some time now, and the introduction of the U series is a testimony to the fact.

Andrena Markley is the webmaster of 3contractmobilephones.co.uk and deals in all kind of mobile phones. Get latest updates on Samsung U100, Samsung U300, Samsung U600 and Samsung U700 from the site.

New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

2007-08-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

New York style cheesecake recipes are made with a combination of cream cheese and Italian cheese cakes made with ricotta cheese. In the early 1920's, this particular silky style of cream cheese was developed in the New York area.

New York style cheesecake recipes were introduced by Jewish delicatessens in New York City. Arnold Reuben Jr., owner of the legendary Turf Restaurant at 49th and Broadway in New York City and a descendant of immigrants from Germany, claimed his family developed the first cream cheese cake recipe. Reuben’s cheesecake was so good, it won a Gold Metal at the 1929 World’s Fair.

The superior qualities that make Reuben’s classic New York style cheesecake are a graham cracker crust, a creamy texture, and distinct lemon flavor that is firm but light in density. Below you will find his Classic New York Style Cheesecake recipe.

Classic New York Cheesecake

Crust:

Heavily coat 10-inch spring form pan with cooking spray

1 1/2 cups commercial graham cracker crumbs

5 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. honey

1/4 cup sugar

Mix ingredients together with hands until well blended and crumbs appear moist. Pour into pan. With hands, spread evenly across the bottom and pat down firmly.

Filling:

5 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature

2 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar

11/2 cups sugar

grated rind of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp. orange liqueur

3/4 tsp. vanilla

2 egg yolks at room temperature

5 eggs at room temperature

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place first five ingredients in large mixing bowl and beat on high until they are completely blended. Add vanilla and 2 yolks, and beat again. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Pour into prepared pan. Batter will fill pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Top will be golden. Lower oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until top browns, cake feels bouncy to the touch, and a toothpick tests clean. Cool to room temperature. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 16-20 slices

The history of cheesecake is believed to have originated in ancient Greece. The first recorded mention of cheesecake was when it was served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 BC. Centuries later, cheesecake appeared in America. The recipes were brought over by the immigrants.

If you ask a New Yorker, the only true cheesecake makers and connoisseurs are in New York. Every New York restaurant has their own version and thus the cheesecake from New York has been re-named New York cheesecake.

I hope you enjoy this New York style cheesecake recipe.

Copyright © 2005 Best-Coffee-Makers-Online.com. All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by Best-Coffee-Makers-Online.com where you can easily shop and compare coffee makers so you can purchase exactly what you’re looking for at great values.

Download Free Ipod Nano Song- Two Easy Methods

2007-08-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

There are two simple methods for downloading free Ipod Nano song, or songs for any other Ipod for that matter. Many people find the whole situation a little confusing, so hopefully this quick guide will come in useful.

The first and most common method is to download the songs from your existing CD collection onto your Ipod. This will give you some songs to listen to instantly, and it won’t cost you a penny! Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1-
Fire up your computer and connect to the internet. You’ll need Itunes, so if you haven’t got it, download it, and make sure it’s the most up to date version. Both the download and the updated won’t take too much time at all.

Step 2-
The next step is to get the songs from your CD collection actually onto your computer. It’s a pretty simple process, Itunes will do all the work for you, but it can be time consuming so set aside an hour or two to do this if you have a lot of cds.

Step 3-
Connect your Ipod to the computer using the USB lead. Once the two recognise each other you can simply use the mouse to drag whichever songs you want onto the Ipod. Ipods aren’t the fastest things in the world, especially the Nanos, so be patient while you wait for the process to finish.

Step 4-
The last step is to listen to the songs. That’s all you need to know about the first way to download free Ipod Nano song.

The second method of downloading the free music is to find a decent free download site and get the songs from there. The trouble is that the majority of sites offering “free” downloads will actually ask you for a per download fee, or even worse try to infect your computer and Ipod with nasty software.

It’s well worth taking the time to find a few trustworthy download sites. The best ones are ones that charge a small one off admin fee for membership-they put the fee toward upkeep of servers and software etc, so you know all the downloads will be high speed and good quality. I’ve selected a few of the best sites like this for you to check out, and you’ll find them in the links at the bottom of this article.

Hopefully you’ve got a better understanding of how to download free Ipod Nano songs now. It can be pretty tricky at first but once you know what you’re doing the sky’s the limit. If you did find this useful, why not pass it on to a friend using the link at the top right?

Sean Hamilton is the webmaster at http://www.ipodlowdown.com

Public Speaking AMD Presentations - Top 10 Tips

2007-08-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

1 – Start strong, finish strong! Your conclusion and wrap-up are just as important as your intro. Many people memorize the first paragraph or so to ensure a great beginning, but then end off with a wobbly “so...uhm…I guess that’s it…uhm…any questions? Ok thanks.” No good. Your ending should leave a strong impression and give them a “call to action” or otherwise motivate them to do something immediately. Plan both ends.

2 – Know your audience. Adapt your language and materials to them specifically. That may mean doing some advance research on who will be there, and what they are coming for. It’s no good making a great speech to people who are not following you, or are not interested in what you’re saying. Modify it.

3 – Be prepared but stay flexible. Can this be delivered without any visual aids (e.g. if they are left at home) or audio/visuals or computer support (in the event of loss of power)? Remember Murphy’s Law – anything that can happen, will!

4 – Have back-up. CD, flash memory stick, email attachment. Have back-up equipment too, like extension cords, computer cables, batteries, pointers, cue cards and notes, etc.

5 – Manage time efficiently. No tangents or digressions. Learn how to control audience questions so that they do not lead you off track and out of time before your great pitch!

6 – Perform a head-to-toe pre-check. Go to the restroom and check to see that the wind has not blown your hair funny. Is there any food stuck in your teeth? Is your tie straight and clean? (Carry a back-up tie). Is your belt straight? Any lint hanging off your clothes or suit? Are your shoes shiny and clean? Do you have your water for your dry mouth? Mints? (No gum, of course!)

7 – Act it and have fun! Show passion and enthusiasm. This is a moment on stage after all, so you’ve got to know how to own it. Don’t be so serious that you’re boring. Don’t read notes. The audience must “feel” your passion and believe in your presentation or pitch, so you must as well. Smile!

8 – Rehearse it. Try it on someone at home or a colleague that will give you honest feedback. The more you do it, the smoother it will get, and you will gain confidence from competency. Perfect practice makes perfect.

9 – Don’t overuse visuals and slides. Your voice and presence are the main tools. A great PowerPoint or Keynote display can never replace a great speaker. If you are a great speaker, you will always have confidence, no matter what happens to your audio/visuals. Don’t depend on “things.” YOU are the presentation. YOU are the information. YOU are the pitch.

10 – Control handouts. Don’t give out at the beginning of the presentation, unless it is a brief “skeleton” agenda. You want to keep them focused and listening to you, and watching you, not reading their handout. At the end of the presentation, always give them a “takeaway” that adds value to the experience. This could be special offers, brochures, relevant articles from press releases, a survey or questionnaire, etc. They should leave with some literature, and know how to get a hold of you afterwards.

Ric Phillips

Spyware - Now a Problem for Mac Users as Well

2007-08-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Fortunately for the Mac users, the Adware and Spyware industry is still, as of 2005, heavily focused on the PC users. Adware and Spyware developers are particularly found of targeting PC users through DILLs and ActiveX controls, and can therefore only attack computers running Windows. This does not mean that Mac users are completely blessed from Spyware and Adware. There are several Spyware and Adware software capable of infesting Mac, and every Mac user should take a look at the Adware and Spyware removal programs available for mac. In 2005, Symantec caused a lot of hullabaloo in the Macintosh community when they warned the mac users about how the OS X operating system was rapidly becoming a target for virus developers and hackers. Symantec cautioned computer users not to relay on their mac alone to safe guard them from spyware infestations. You can no longer assume that you mac is immune from viruses and spyware. The need for free mac spyware removal programs available online is growing rapidly and we will hopefully see a lot of new free mac spyware removal programs on the Internet soon. Since Spyware is still a smaller problem for mac users, the number of available free mac spyware removal programs is currently much smaller than the number of free Spyware removal programs for PC.

When you choose among the available free mac spyware removal programs you should preferably pick one that is capable of scanning and removing both spyware and adware from your mac. A high-quality free mac spyware removal program will also be able to alert you every time an attempt to install spyware or adware on your mac is made. You should also ideally have the option to set the free mac spyware removal program to automatically block all such attempts without bothering you. Some of the free mac spyware removal programs will also protect your mac from several types of remote administration type applications. For maximal protection, you should combine your free mac spyware removal program with a good personal Firewall.

A new Spyware program designed to attack mac computers would probably spread rather slowly, since only around three per cent of systems in use today are using Mac OS. If a mac infected with spyware, or any other type of Malware, tries to spread the malicious software to a new computer, it will find a non-mac computer in 97 percent of the time. What everyone fears is therefore a hybrid Spyware capable of infecting Mac OS as well as Microsoft Windows. If, or rather when, such a hybrid is created it can spread very rapidly. Since many mac users still believe that their mac is immune to virus and spyware attacks, a lot of mac computers will become infected. All mac users are therefore recommended to take advantage of the available free mac spyware removal programs as soon as possible. One such program is available at http://macscan.securemac.com/

When you have installed your free mac spyware removal program, it is also important that you perform regular updates to make sure that you are protected from new types of spyware. Preferably choose a free mac spyware removal program that you can set to automatically search for updates and download them as soon as they are available. Check the fine print when you choose your free mac spyware removal program. A free mac spyware removal program where the regular updates cost a lot of money will soon turn out to be a very expensive “free” program. Some free mac spyware removal programs do not allow you to get updates, or will limit the number of updates, until you have bought a non-free version of the free mac spyware removal program.

Speech Writing Secrets Of President Bill Clinton

2007-08-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Speaking in public can be a powerful way to build a business. It can help raise the profile of your business, generate new leads and create greater profits. But speaking in public can be nervewracking and seriously stressful for first timers. Writing a speech can be a major challenge, especially for technical writers.

We can all learn from watching professional speakers.

I have achieved a long held ambition to hear Bill Clinton - in Perth on Saturday February 23, 2002. It was a fantastic event! My motivation? Anyone who earns $300,000 for a 50 minute keynote presentation must be good. As a professional speaker, I wanted to see Clinton in action. I didn't want to only hear what he said, but how he said it.

Here's my analysis of what I learnt from hearing Bill Clinton in person and noting how he was presented. You should be able to adapt at least some of these points to fit your own circumstances.

1. The marketing strategy
In previous years a big advertising blitz brought audiences to see speakers such as former Soviet leader Gorbachov and others. Their marketing approach was very commercially focused with a massive advertising budget. The Clinton event had a more humanitarian angle with funds being raised for a good cause, namely sick kids through The Princess Margaret Hospital for Children Foundation. This was a better match with Clinton's core values of building community and having an empathy with the concerns of ordinary people. The marketing campaign relied heavily on positive media coverage to create awareness of the event.

2. A memorable entry
Clinton's entry to the ballroom was brilliantly stage-managed. Everyone was asked to stand and then he walked into the room to his US Presidential election theme song 'Happy Days are here again'. The emotion in the room was electric and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!

3. Personal presentation
His dress and presentation was absolutely immaculate. (Maybe the $500 haircuts help.) Many women at my table commented that Clinton was far better looking in the flesh than on TV.

4. The Power of Presence
There was a buzz about being in the same room as President Clinton. His body language, smile and confident hand shake exuded charisma. His considerable charm reminded me of that high school science experiment when you tip iron filings onto a white sheet of paper covering a strong magnet. People were attracted to Clinton like metal filings to a powerful magnetic field.

5. Warm-up
Alan Jones was MC and the warm-up included a short film taking a light hearted look at Clinton's last days in office. Scenes included Clinton washing the Presidential car, clipping the hedges and playing switchboard operator in the Oval Room. A great scene from a press conference showed Clinton waking a single sleeping journalist.

6. Introduction
A well constructed introduction helped build empathy and highlighted that Clinton's life had not all been plain sailing. The fact that his father died when he was young, his mother was a nursing assistant and he was born in Hope, a town of 10,000 people, helped put his success and achievements in context.

7. Building on the sense of destiny
A strong personal brand is built on stories. The story of Clinton meeting President Kennedy when on a youth leadership camp was used to great effect. Not only was it mentioned in the introduction but that famous photo of Clinton shaking JFK's hand was also used in the marketing materials. Other brand building shots included an intimate moment with Hilary, a shot of him playing the saxophone, a jogging photo, one with Chelsea and one featuring Clinton lined up with 3 past Presidents. They all helped to define Clinton the man.

8. Customising the message
Clinton's speech in Perth was customised to include stories relevant to a Perth market, including his memories of Perth switching on its lights at night for a US space mission re-entry and comments on a former US President's career as a mining engineer in Kalgoorlie.

9. Using humour
Clinton had some great lines about how he could have helped previous Presidents in dealing with the media in tricky situations.

10. Memorable one liners using opposites
This can be very effective. When talking about possible solutions to the war against terrorism, Clinton said "most of the big things in life are simple".

11. Repetition
Clinton used this proven speechwriting technique to great effect.

12. Using metaphors
Clinton used the metaphor of the gap between the invention of the club and the shield to describe the present situation in the war against terrorism. He said "this gap needs to closed". Metaphors can give intangible concepts more impact with an audience.

13. Develop empathy with the audience
Clinton told the story of how he was in Australia at Port Douglas on September 11th and how his daughter Chelsea was in downtown New York. He connected with every parent in the room when he talked about his feelings when he couldn't contact his daughter for three hours on that day.

14. A call to action
The aim of the event was to raise money for a Children's hospital. Clinton's final words were "I want you to help". Simple, direct and powerful.

I hope you have enjoyed this analysis. I certainly learnt a lot by seeing one of the world's great communicators in action. Whatever your personal views on Clinton are ... his personal warmth, ability to connect with an audience and presentation skills are outstanding.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

The Final Presidential Executive Order

2007-08-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Presidential Executive Orders are controversial because as previously mentioned, they allow the President to make major decisions without the consent of Congress. For example, Executive Order # 6102 prohibited the hoarding of gold coins, gold bullion, and gold certificates & was used by Roosevelt to confiscate gold in 1933. I believe another terrorist attack could generate such a climate of fear, panic and public emergency. This would result in a political over-reaction that could destroy many of our remaining personal, financial, religious & educational freedoms we value so highly in America today. Read the following case study and decide if this is possible, then protect yourself and forward this report to your friends to make them aware of the threat – while there is still time. Note, this "what if" study is a worst case scenario, and although the timing of the study is during the Bush presidency, our goal is only to highlight the risk of the following controls in a public panic situation. We feel that the politicians of both major parties could incorporate at least some of these measures following the next Islamic terrorist attack.

This case study outlines a chilling terrorist attack scenario in the future, when on 9/11/2007, a presumed domestic Moslem radical group carries out a series of successful attacks inside the US similar in scope to the July 7, 2005 London subway bombings. Learn why since the Feds refuse to ethnic profile those who threaten us. Explore how an excessive political reaction inside the US could create a harsh regulatory environment that could destroy what is left of our civil liberties, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. You will discover how this could be used as a real or fabricated pretext to destroy your financial security, uproot your religious and educational freedoms, confiscate your gold, freeze your domestic bank savings (including mutual funds and investment portfolios), and raid your remaining cash holdings. The setting for this example is the day following the attack when the Final Presidential Executive Order, "protecting the public", allows the government to take total control of your wealth and liberties using the terrorism emergency as the excuse.

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania (1759)

Setting the Stage

Since 9/11/2001, the American public has been forced to suffer through 5 years of broad-based and usually misdirected border and airport security measures, instead of targeting the individuals and groups that might actually be terrorists. The government is unable to target certain factions and individuals due prohibitions against ethnic and racial profiling.

Now they are touting the benefits of Felony Frowning, read Lew Rockwell's "Your Evil Intent" http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/evil-intent.html

about the new emphasis on frowning when entering and leaving the United States.Americans have sacrificed our last constraints protecting financial and communications privacy, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution, which have all been lost in the so-called “War on Terror”. Given the government’s broad actions to date, here we take the next logical step by projecting what could happen, given their past response, if there was another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. While we do not believe the risk to be imminent nor the response possibly as extreme as played out in the following example, it Is best to be prepared for the worst.

We all know how Homeland Security and the TSA have been harassing American grandmothers, mothers with babies, my wife (A true story – Read "Meet My Wife Tami - A Domestic Terrorist” at http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/holland5.html, and other innocent Americans as part of their effort to defend our nation from Islamic terrorists and al Qaeda operatives. While I will not begin to question what groups were ultimately behind the horrendous 9/11 attack, suffice it to say that Moslems around the world are angry and antagonized by the foreign policy actions of the US. Even if Osama and Islamic terrorists were not behind 9/11, they jumped at the chance to take the credit for the attack. Today almost five years later, millions of additional Moslems have been radicalized and now see America as their ultimate enemy. The Scenario

On Tuesday at noon during a normal lunch hour, 10 conventional explosive blasts hit 7 major metropolitan areas in the United States. In New York City, a large truck bomb went off in front of the New York Stock Exchange, doing extensive damage to the building, the floor of the NYSE, and computer and communications equipment. The Wall Street subway station was also bombed by a suicide bomber, resulting in heavy causalities. A briefcase filled with explosives was left in a skyscraper elevator and detonated when the building was full of office workers preparing to go out for lunch.

A few minutes away, a transfer truck filled with explosives was blown up in the Holland Tunnel, and the resulting blast killed hundreds trapped in the resulting traffic jam. At the same time a jet leaving Orlando bound for Dallas exploded right after takeoff when it reached an altitude of 666 feet, apparently from a luggage bomb with an altitude trigger. Suburban malls in Minneapolis and San Francisco, a casino in Las Vegas, and a five star hotel in Miami were also ripped apart by bombs, leaving many hundreds dead and wounded. Finally, a small explosion from within a safe deposit box in the vault of the Bank of America headquarters building in Charlotte went off. Although no one was injured in this instance, other deposit boxes and their private contents were consumed in the small explosion. Moreover, additional bombs went off in two other Bank of America buildings in Atlanta and Seattle, creating a sense of panic and disarray for the United States leading bank.

A broad sense of public terror was increasing by the minute, making the situation and financial costs much worse. The American stock and bond markets were closed as investors remembered what happened after the 9/11 terrorist attack. Subways, planes, and high rise building elevators were almost empty as the public feared additional attacks. Malls and shopping centers, casinos, banks, and major hotels were strangely quiet as people stayed away in droves. The American economy was shutting down.

By 6:00 PM, just in time for the 6:30 nightly new programs, the Bush Administration and the Homeland Security Department held a joint news conference announcing 20 suspects were already in custody. Most of the suspects were young radical Islamists who had recently graduated from Madrasah style Islamic schools in the targeted cities and several were home schooled. There also appears to be direct financial and religious links between the terrorists and Hezbollah and of course Iran and Syria.

The President reported that a tip from Israeli intelligence had allowed the government to react quickly and forestall a planned second wave of attacks. He thanked them for their efforts. More news emerges as files found on the personal computers of the deceased and detained alleged terrorists clearly show that the suspects had financed their operation with funds wired from outside the country and through large amounts of cash currency secretly kept in bank safe deposit boxes.

The President then appealed to the public for their support and highlighted the need for them to stay calm during the emergency. He announced that effective noon tomorrow EST, September 12, 2007, a Presidential Executive Order would be released in response to the attack that would safeguard the American public and protect our nation from another attack such as this. He affirmed that this kind of unwarranted attack against innocent civilians and our financial interests would never happen again. He insisted that all the perpetrators, both domestic and foreign, as well as any conspiring organizations or governments, would be brought to justice.

Finally, he placed the US armed forces on high alert and ordered a carrier task force, which happened to be standing by off the coast of Iran near the Straits of Hormuz, to prepare for action. In addition, he called for unity among the American people, and warned politicians and all facets of the media of the need to understand that America is now in a state of war with the terrorists. Any and all anti-American activities and other actions that might divide the American people, deny the seriousness of, or question the coming emergency actions, especially tomorrow’s Presidential Executive Order, will be prohibited for the duration of the terrorism emergency. Helen Thomas, a reporter sitting in the audience loudly questions whether the President would ask Congress to issue a Declaration of War. She was immediately escorted from the press conference by the Secret Service.

The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first."-- Thomas Jefferson

The Executive Order

Office of the Press Secretary
September 12, 2007

Executive Order 13666 on Domestic Terrorism And Response to the 9/11/2007 Attack Safeguarding the American public by blocking property and prohibiting money, cash, and gold transfers; public and educational propaganda with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism.

By the authority vested in me as President in the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to strengthen the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as all Federal, State, and local agencies, executive order 13666 is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment. The Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) shall immediately establish within the Department of Homeland Security (Department) a Domestic Terrorism Response Team (Task Force) to be named the Bush Executive Action Stopping Terrorism.

Section 2. Membership and Operation. (a) The Task Force shall be limited to the following members or employees, all of whom will be no lower than the Assistant Secretary level or its equivalent:

(i) the Secretary of Homeland Security, who shall serve as Chair; the Secretary of State; the Secretary of the Treasury; the Secretary of Defense; the Attorney General; the Secretary of Agriculture; the Secretary of Commerce; the Secretary of Labor; the Secretary of Health and Human Services; the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; the Secretary of Education; and) such other officers or employees of the Department of Homeland Security as the Secretary may from time to time designate; and such other officers of the United States as the Secretary may designate from time to time, with the concurrence of the respective heads of departments and agencies concerned.

Section 3. Functions. Consistent with applicable law, the Task Force shall:

(a) Provide direction to executive departments and agencies concerning the immediate emergency response required to protect and safeguard the nation and our financial infrastructure from internal and external terrorist attack. Due to prohibitions against ethnic and racial profiling, this emergency Presidential Executive Order will cover all Americans equally without regard to religious, ethnic, racial or political views and beliefs. To this end, we immediately implement the following temporary emergency actions, federal legislation, regulations, and requirements to become effective at 12:00 Noon, tomorrow on September 13, 2007.

(b) The Safe Banking Act - every bank, including their personnel and customers, are threatened by the risk of future safe deposit box bombs. Therefore, all bank and private safe deposit boxes are hereby sealed and closed for 60 days or longer until a complete inventory of every box in the nation is completed by approved bank personnel and the appropriate government agencies, to include but not limited to the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI and Homeland Security. All the contents are to be reviewed and an inventory prepared by the box owner of record and such approved bank and government personnel as the Department of Homeland Security deems as appropriate.

After the inventory is completed, all private records and legal documents may be retained and stored in the box, but the box holder may only utilize the same box in the future in conjunction with monitoring of contents by approved bank personnel. At the time of inventory, all currency, gold, precious metals, or collectibles exceeding $1,000 in fair market value will become the temporary property of the US Treasury until such time as the box holder shall provide records and cost basis of the purchase. The difference between cost and fair-market value will be immediately declared as income and taxed accordingly. Failure to show adequate records will also result in the immediate taxation and requirement of payment of income taxes on the deemed fair market value with a cost basis of zero.

(c) The Gold and Currency Protection Act - in order to protect the American public from future terrorism incidents by limiting their ability to fund unlawful activities, the Gold and Currency Protection Act will prohibit the future ownership of gold, silver, and currency in amounts exceeding $1,000 without the filing and completion of new Treasury Disclosure Forms. Effective immediately, all cash transactions in the United States exceeding $500 are prohibited and punishable by fines and jail time not to exceed $5,000 and 3 years.

(d) The Terrorism Emergency Safe Currency and Debit Card Initiative - all existing United States currency now circulating in the United States and around the world will be withdrawn from circulation as legal tender within 5 business days and replaced with a new currency with superior counterfeiting safeguards. All private holdings of cash are to be surrendered and exchanged at your local bank for a "Terrorism Emergency Debit Card" within the next 5 business days. Every transaction exceeding $1,000 must be accompanied by appropriate records, receipts and a paper trail. Any old currency held after the 5 day period will not be redeemed and will not be considered legal tender by the United States. No currency deposits or withdrawals will be allowed in existing bank accounts exceeding $1,000 for the duration of the terrorism emergency.

(e) The Financial Services Defense Act - all American investment markets, mutual funds, annuities etc. are frozen for the duration of the stock market closure due to the damage experienced by the terrorist attack on the New York Stock Exchange. This is a temporary closure but all commercial banks will remain open during the emergency in order to fulfill the safe deposit box and exchange of currency requirement mandated by this Presidential Executive Order. All future bank withdrawals, deposits, and debit and credit card purchases will be monitored and evaluated by the US Treasury for the protection of the citizens of the United States.

(f) The Funds Transfer Protection Act - all bank transfers exceeding $1,000 including bank wires, checks etc. going to or from outside the United States by private individuals are hereby prohibited without the completion of the new Treasury Disclosure Forms and approval by your local financial institution.

(g) The Terrorism Emergency Denial Act – The terrorism emergency denial regulations prohibit any and all anti-American activities and other actions that might divide the American people or deny the seriousness of the present situation. Moreover, the government prohibits any protests over coming emergency actions like the Presidential Executive Order. We also forbid the encouragement of our enemies during this terrorism emergency. Effective immediately, all press publishing, reporting, and editorials-- including print, electronic, television, radio, all internet news and blog sites, and personal and private websites are hereby prohibited from denying or questioning the emergency or the government response until this terrorist emergency is declared over by the Department of Homeland Defense. The failure to follow these voluntary requirements and regulations may result in fines and or imprisonment.

(h) The Private School Protection Act - all private schools (including Christian schools) are hereby required to register their curriculum and materials with the Department of Homeland Security. Furthermore, all classes and schools are subject to monitoring and review by the Department and subject to visits at any time in order to stop the spread of Islamic propaganda and the radicalizing of the American Moslem population. The registration and review will be equally applied on all public and private school at the high school and college level.

(i) The Homeschool Reorganization Act - all homeschooling is hereby prohibited effective Septemeber 12, 2007, for the duration of this emergency. All children from the 1st to the 12th grade are required to immediately register and attend the public or private school of their choice.

(j) The Citizens Homeland Protection, Illegal Immigration and Transaction Defense Act - effective immediately all citizens of the United States, 18 years old or older, are required to register to vote in their local precinct and requested to also register for the new voluntary "Lawful Citizen Transaction Card" which will be scanned at the entrance to every place of business, meeting event, and at such shopping areas and other citizen protection spot checks as the Department of Homeland Defense deems appropriate for the protection of the citizens of the United States. No financial transactions, purchases or sales will be allowed without a valid "Lawful Citizen Transaction Card" in order to end illegal immigration and the terrorist threat to the United States.

To further protect our nation, starting in 60 days, the public will be allowed to voluntarily request a safe and secure micro chip placement in the right forehand in lieu of the card which can then be monitored at each required location by new equipment that will scan the right hand of each citizen. These chips will include important blood type, vital statistics and will allow law enforcement to track the location at will of every lawful citizen in the United States in order to protect this nation. This action will curtail illegal immigration and discourage illegals and potential terrorists from being able to transact business in the United States.

(k) The Religious Tolerance & Defense Act - all religious symbols, clothing, jewelry, etc. as well as the dissemination of religious tracts and public missionary activity are hereby prohibited outside of church and religious institutions. All services, ordinances, and private ceremonies at religious institutions are subject to review and monitoring by appropriate Homeland Defense Department personnel.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to strengthen the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security and all Federal, State, and local agencies to help legal immigrants embrace the common core of American civic culture, learn our common language, and fully become Americans, it is hereby ordered as follows:

(l) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

September 12, 2007

Prologue

And so on the following day, 9/13/2007, in a burst of patriotism and outrage at the death and carnage from the attack, the Senate voted 100 to 0 and Congress voted 434 to 1 in favor in a non-binding endorsement of the Presidential Executive Order. The people cheered and waved American flags, the opposition fell silent and our young men and women waited for the day when their Registration Acknowledgments were replaced with the draft cards and notices for the ongoing war in the Middle East.

GOP Congressman Ron Paul from Texas, the lone dissenting 1 vote in opposition, packed up his desk, resigned from the Congress and went home to Texas where he was barred from writing and commenting publicly by the Bush Executive Action Stopping Terrorism and the Terrorism Emergency Denial Act.

Accordingly, a long night of darkness fell over this former Republic and our remaining liberties. The Bush Executive Action Stopping Terrorism which became known by the initials, BEAST was enforced for the duration of the terrorist emergency which covered the rest of the Bush term and the one term presidency of Hillary Clinton. Five years later, in the November 2012 Presidential Election, an elderly Ron Paul was elected President of the United States and the terrorism emergency and the BEAST were declared unconstitutional and The Final Presidential Executive Order # Executive Order 13666 was cancelled.

Of course this is just a story and we are obviously having a little fun with the "BEAST" acronym showing a worst case situation. This scenario is meant to illustrate what could happen here in the United States. Still the PC prohibitions on ethnic profiling could result in these extreme kinds of government actions in the event of a real or contrived Islamic extremist terrorist attack on the United States. Unlike 9/11, there is nothing high tech about any of this. Although we use President Bush in the example simply because he will be President at the time of this story, I foresee few real differences in the foreign or domestic policy of either party, although this would more likely happen under a Democrat Party administration.

Quoting George Washington, "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action."
Ron Holland is the author this article and it is from the online book, The Swiss Preserve Solution at http://www.swissconfederationinstitute.org/swisspreserve1.htm This is a politically incorrect guide to defending your wealth & liberty from internal and external 21st Century threats.

iPod Movie Downloads – Scam Or Real? Find Out For Yourself

2007-08-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

Try searching for iPod movie downloads and chances are you will find several advertisements for paid membership sites that offer a huge library of iPod movies and other media files such as music, TV shows, etc. These sites offer you more than 90 million media files, including software bundles to download the songs, movies, music etc to your iPod, and other softwares like registry cleaner, adware/spyware removal applications. All these benefits for a lifetime fee of lesser than $50.

Compare this against the backdrop of downloading a video at $1.99 at iTune, many people would be tempted to download at these iPod movie download sites. So one burning question is: Do these sites really exist? Or Are they really able to deliver you what they promised?

Apparently, several of these sites are the real deal. Of course there are some which are downright Kazaa, LimeWire style websites. These websites basically share files, and in most cases illegal or copyrighted media files. So be really careful before you start downloading movies from some of these iPod download sites.

I am going to share with you some tips to help you to sieve out the real deals from the scam. This hangs a lot on what people specifically customers are saying about their services. So what are the things you should be looking out for when shopping for a quality paid membership site, as you scour the iPod or music forums?

1. Interface of the iPod Movies Download Site

Is the interface easy to navigate around? It must be simple enough to operate even if you are a newbie. This often speaks volumes about the professionalism of the site.

2. Software Provided

What kind of software do they provide? Do they charge you for the usage? Expect to get downloading software for free from some of the better sites. They should not be charging you at all. Please also find out if the software is compatible with your computer and your iPod.

3. Security in downloading the iPod Movies

How secured is it to download the iPod movies to your PC or Mac? Would it expose our computers to viruses, spyware, adware, etc?

4. Customers’ Comments and Feedback

Customers will not lie about their experiences. Hear some of the honest comments given by the customers at iPod forums.

5. Excellent Customer Service Support

Imagine facing difficulties while downloading your favourite movie that you intend to watch during the weekend and cannot get the technical support you need? What you need is solid technical support that is there when you need it.

These are important tips to distinguish the real deals from the imitations. In my next article, I will be sharing about the inside scoop about top iPod movie download sites that iPod users have been talking about.

The content of this article is provided for the purpose of education and illustration only and is in no way associated with Apple, iTune, or any company or subsidiary of Apple. This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

How To Get Free WiFi Access At Your Airport

2007-08-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, one of the best places to relax and surf the web in an airport, while waiting for your next flight, is from your laptop in one of those airline lounges. Access to these lounges, however, are for those frequent flyers who have logged some miles with the airline. Unfortunately, not all of us fly as often as those people.

One of the good news for us web surfer/casual flyers, however, is that more often than not, these lounges offer Free WiFi access! Thanks to the wireless technology, the WiFi signal easily penetrates the walls of these lounges. I have to confess that I have logged on to these airport lounge hotspots to gain free Internet access at the airport many times.

Ok, even though these airport lounges are springing up in the airports around the world finding them still takes some work. Thanks go to the people at LoungeGuide.net whom make things pretty easy when it comes to locating these airport lounges. The LoungeGuide.net team did a great job cataloging all the lounges at the airports around the world. All you have to do is locate your airport and there the list of the lounges and their location. I bet there is already at least one lounge in your airport!

I used LoungeGuide.net last time to locate a lounge in the new Bangkok International Airport in Thailand for Free Internet access when I found out about my 4 hour layover. Yes, I did find the lounge with the Free WiFi access using the site. I was happily surfing the web and killing time for Free! Kudos to the Cathy Pacific people for providing the Free WiFi signal from their lounge in the Bangkok Airport.

Well, I hope this post will provide you a way to gain some Free WiFi Access already out there at the airports around the world. Now is a good time to remember to start collecting your frequency flyer miles, so you can be enjoying the free Internet while snacking on free food from inside those lounges!

Free iPhone Unlimited Downloads

2007-08-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

iPhone is the newest and coolest gadget that hit the market recently. Along with its popularity, download websites are appearing in the internet daily because iPhone is not just a mobile phone; it is also a multimedia player and an internet device. To enjoy its full capability you need the latest multimedia files into your iPhone. It is much better if you will enjoy an iPhone unlimited downloads.

Getting an iPhone unlimited downloads will give you more savings. Imagine if you will get a download service that you need to pay for every download? It will be too expensive if you want to pack your iPhone will a lot of media files. You may not be able to enjoy the full capacity of your iPhone if you will consider the amount that you need to spend for every download that you need.

iPhone unlimited downloads is the answer to make your iPhone experience more enjoyable. Fortunately, legal websites for iPhone unlimited downloads has been launched to give you another option in choosing a download service for your iPhone. All you have to do is sign up for membership. Memberships are one time fees. You will not be billed again and no surprise and recurring charges. Once you become a member you will get an unlimited access to iPhone unlimited downloads from thousands of categories in music, movies, TV shows, games, software, etc.

Isn’t it great? You don’t have to spend a fortune to get the best for your iPhone. This one time payment membership for iPhone unlimited downloads will allow you to download all your favorite media files without charging you a per download fee. In a sense, once you become a member, all downloads are basically free of charge.
Enjoy an unlimited access to the most popular iPhone portal for downloading unlimited music, movies, sports, TV Shows and more! http://your-iphone-downloads.blogspot.com/

For iPhone download websites reviews visit http://iphonedownloads.great-discovery.com/

Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including Free iPhone Unlimited Downloads. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.

What the Baby Boomers Can Teach Paris Hilton

2007-08-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of the celebrity driven circus revolving around Paris Hilton? Does the hotel heiress deserve to be behind bars for her flagrant disregard for the law? As a popular media figure, should she be responsible to set an example for the impressionable teenagers who emulate her?

The Baby Boomers or so called 'Me Generation,' on some level, weren't all that different. They were often seen as egocentric and self absorbed, as having a sense of entitlement. But, along the way, they developed the capacity for self reflection. Now, entering the retirement years, they are serving the greater good and are often referred to as the 'We Generation.' Paris Hilton can learn a lesson or two from the changes in their attitudes and behavior:

1. Taking a step back helps you see the situation from a different angle and develop a new perspective. Listening to your inner voice can provide comfort and reassurance as you recognize how your basic character strengths support you. Focus on what's important, and try to integrate core values and personal ideals into how you view the world.

2. Let go of your concerns about the present moment and look at the big picture. Time passes quickly - use it to your advantage and make different choices about your future. Set new long range goals as well as short term objectives. Commit to a process of change - then move forward, step by step.

3. Look to satisfying others instead of only giving yourself pleasure. Learn that gratitude is a very powerful emotion. Tell others what you appreciate about them. Watch their positive reaction to what you say and see how that makes you feel.

4. Increase your capacity to be resilient. Releasing tension through humor will help you begin to bounce back. It is not easy to maintain your sense of optimism when the circumstances are complicated. But focus your thoughts on what you can accomplish and manage, rather than on what you cannot.

5. When problems seem too hard to handle, giving back provides a welcome diversion. Find your spirit of idealism and make a contribution to those less fortunate. Be generous with your skills and time as you become involved with social activism. Change society for the better and you'll eventually transform yourself.

Back in jail and feeling a little less vulnerable, Paris Hilton seems to be singing a different tune. She now says that she will serve her time, not cause any more trouble and use her power to make a difference. More spiritual already, she sees herself growing from her jail experience.

Only time will tell if she is truly ready to roll up her sleeves and be a role model for the young people who look up to her. Instead of focusing on the latest clubbing venues, perhaps she will use her flair for self promotion in a more positive way. Let's hope so – for her sake and the sake of our children.

Freaks of Nature

2007-08-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Great Sex Tips to Spice Up Your Marriage

2007-08-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

They say that marriage is bliss—for the first year or so. After that, the boiling passion of most newlyweds cools down into a simmer. This is not to say that the couple is too used to each other, or is losing interest. It is simply the result of life taking over, schedules being set and met, and routines falling into place. While some couples are happy with their lives during this time, others feel that the newlywed phase ended too soon.
One part of this slowing down for newlyweds and couples is that busy schedules do not allow for the blissful times of the honeymoon days. Making time for intimacy can be difficult, even in the best of situations. Sometimes, a little bit of extra sex is all you need to feel like that newlywed couple once more. For those couples that want to feel like newlyweds again, young and old, here are some sex tips to spice up your marriage.
1. Go buy a sex tips book. This may seem like an odd tip for this piece, but it is the best advice to give. Sex tips books are very explicit and will give you and your spouse a chance to explore what you both like in (or out) of the bedroom.
2. Rent or buy some soft pornography. Sex tips books are great, but sometimes you learn better from seeing than reading. When you and your spouse watch the movies, look at the positions and make sure that you mention any that you might like to try.
3. Take time for each other whenever possible. Get the idea out of your head that sex must happen at night in the bedroom. The best sex tip you will ever get is this—if you get the opportunity to be intimate with your partner, take it!
4. Make a date. Who says you can’t date after marriage? If you feel like your marriage is getting horribly dull, make a date with your spouse. Go out to dinner and a movie, hit the club, or go bowling. By the time you get home, you will feel like you did when you first got married. Since you are both going to be relaxed and in the mood for some fun, use this time to try out some sex tips out of that book mentioned earlier, or pop in a movie.
5. One of the best sex tips for lonely housewives of overworked husbands is to do something unexpected to gain their attention. Sometimes working hard gets in the way, and we don’t see that we are leaving our spouse out of our lives. Put a risqué picture or sexy note in his briefcase or wallet. You will be sure to gain his attention and affections by the time he comes home to a nice candle light dinner for two.
Mario Churchill

Japanese Developing Sex Robots

2007-07-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

What propels human innovation? Well, we know where the funding comes from. We know that funding comes when a Return on Investment is available. What do people spend money on? Well, think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. People want to maintain self preservation, so you will find the greatest technological money flows in those things, which protect the sanctity of life; things such as Health Care and Medical advances, security and military. People also wish respect from their fellow man. They want to look good; thus you will find consumer items such as make-up, clothing, sports cars, etc. Humans also want companionship and entertainment and so we see advances in movie special effects, computer games and now the Japanese are developing human female robots. Today they advertise them as maids, receptionists and servers. But in the true spirit of Kama Sutra, you can bet that those Japanese robotic engineers will soon be designing Blonde Hair Blue Eyed sex robots to serve their will.

These Japanese scientists have unveiled the most human-looking robot to date, well at least in the public domain. Secret research is being done now which looks towards the future to build robots so real they will fool humans, in other words they maybe sitting next to you and you would never even know it. The Japanese scientists call their new robot android Repliee Q1 Expo. She flutters her eyelids in normal human increments, looks like she is breathing and moves her hands just like a human would. This robot has over 42 actuators. But indeed, this is merely the first step in human type robotics.

We all know that the Internet is used most in recreational use for surfing websites, such as pornography, chat, online dating and personal communications of the sort. It should be obvious that the near future of robotic androids will be used for sexual pleasure. Isaac Asimov and others have cited this as the most probable use. Not only have science fiction authors put these futuristic predicts forth but Hollywood has as well in several movies such as “A.I. Artificial Intelligence.”

Using tactile sensors and the latest Haptics research the Japanese scientists are well on their way to the development of their next marketable technology. The Repliee Q1 Expo has 42 actuators, but some of the MIT robots, will mimic the human nerves in the hand already have 250 sensors. New skin technologies will allow the robots to have real human skin grown in petri dishes and these might also be incorporated in the sexual revolution of robots. Want to learn more about Repliee Q1 Expo

The Sexual Body Feelings and Erogenous Zones of Men

2007-07-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

There is a widespread misunderstanding by many women, and surprisingly also by many men that boys and men only have sexual feelings in their penis, or even only in their penis head. The reason why many men also carry this misconception is probably that boys often are educated to suppress corporeal sensations and to be hard.
Many erogenous zones in men and boys are best activated when the body is relaxed, and the zones are stimulated in a gentle manner. Gentle stimulation of these zones in a relaxed state can give feelings of pleasure as strong as those in the penis, and can even result in some types of strong orgasmic reactions. Here is a survey of various erotic zones in the male body, and how to stimulate the sensations in these zones. You can stimulate yourself at these zones when masturbating, or the your female or gay partner can do the stimulation work.
THE SCROTUM AND THE TESTICLES
The scrotal skin and the content of the scrotum, including the testicles, are sensitive to erotic stimulation. When stimulating these genital parts, take first hold of the scrotum with your whole hand, warming it inside your hand, and massaging it gently by gripping movements. Warming and handling the scrotum gives feelings in the whole genital region. Stimulation of the scrotum also increases the blood circulation and engorgement of all the genital organs around the scrotum.
The testicles are best stimulated by gentle rolling movements with your fingers. Also tickle the scrotal skin with your finger tips. A part of the penis is actually hidden partly inside and partly behind the scrotal sack, by palpating with your finger tips between the testicles or at the side under the scrotum; you can massage this part of the penis. A sharp massage with your finger tips gives the most intense sensations to this hidden root of the penis.
THE BREAST NIPPLES AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS
The nipples of a man are important erogenous zones, and a man has tits just as a woman, although the tits of a man are smaller and flatter that those of a woman. Actually a man has all the structures that a woman has in his breasts, but they are not developed to have a milk producing capacity.
This means that a man’s breasts have the same erotic capacity as the tits of woman. A man's nipples also have an erective capacity. They rise and get hard upon stimulation. When stimulating a man’s breasts, take hold of the breast with your whole hand, warming it inside your hand, and massaging it gently by gripping movements. To stimulate the nipples, massage gently around the nipples with a finger tip. Also squeeze the nipples with your fingers, varying the intensity from the very gentle nip to some harder pressure.
THE REGION BETWEEN THE PENIS AND THE ANUS
The visible penis is actually a part of a larger body beginning at the prostate region just in front of the anus, and reaches to the tip of the penis. The urethra also goes through this structure. The parts between your legs will engorge when you are sexually exited just as the penis, and when it engorges, the region bulges out between the legs.
Upon mechanical stimulation, this area gives intense pleasurable feelings. You can stimulate this area by squeezing it between your fingers, pressing down against the urethra or massaging up and down along the urethra. You should change between gentle and a little harder handling, as these two manners give rise to different types of feelings.
THE NAVEL AND THE BLADDER REGION
The navel is an erotic point, and so are the structures in the middle of the belly between the navel and the penis. This structure contains a groove between the belly muscles. The structures in this groove are very sensuous, the so called linea alba. The naval can be stimulated by sticking a finger into it, and by tickling with your finger deep down in the navel. Also here you should alternate between light, gentle, slow tickling, and harder sharper tickling.
This stimulation give sensations that radiate out form the navel to the surroundings, and spreads downwards to the tip of your penis, giving a very funny feeling in your penis. The groove between the navel and the penis, you can stimulate by massaging up and down with the tip of your fingers.
THE BUTTOCKS AND ANAL SURROUNDINGS
The inner sides of the buttocks in the natal cleft give rise to deep erotic feelings with a very special intimate valor. Move your fingers up and down between the buttocks from the spine to the opposite end between the legs, and gently massage the inner side of each buttock with your finger tips.
You can also concentrate your attention to the region deep inside the cleft very near the anus and tickle these most intimate points with your finger tips. Further you can stretch each buttock to the side so that the butt cleft opens, and the rectal opening is also stretched. The result of these manipulations is erotic sensations that radiate to the whole pelvic area, flow deep inside you and rise upwards along your spine.
THE ANUS AND THE OUTER RECTUM
The anal region is in many ways the real central of feelings in a man or boy. By stimulating this area in the proper ways, you can create a process that spread waves of intense feelings of joy, pleasure and ecstasy up through the whole body, partly forward to the genitals and belly region, and partly along the spine up to the neck. You best stimulate the rectal opening by very gentle circulatory movements with your finger tips. Alternate between these circulatory movements and the stimulation of the insides of the buttocks.
You can also stick a smeared finger into the anal opening and stimulate by gentle movements in and out. By sticking your finger further inside, you can gently massage the inside walls of the anus. By adding some pressure, your stimulation reaches deep into the tissue around the rectum. All these stimulation give rise to profound feelings radiating to the whole body.
THE DEEP PART OF THE RECTUM
The perhaps most intimate and sensitive zone of a man, is the deep part of the rectum. This zone can be reached by gay intercourse or with a dildo or some other long object. When inserting something in the anus to stimulate this zone, it is necessary to be very cautious so that the intestinal walls are not hurt. However, this zone is so sensitive that even the gentlest stimulation gives an immense depth of feelings, both of physical and psychological kind.
You can stimulate this zone by gently and gradually by inserting a thin smeared dildo, and when fully inserted, very gently move it a little in and out, a little around, or press gently to different sides with the dildo. The more you relax, and the longer you do this stimulation, the deeper and more intense will the feelings grow.
THE PROSTATE:
The prostate lies just in front of the anus and the urethra goes through it. This gland produces much of the viscous fluid in the semen. You can stimulate it from the outside by pressing somewhat firmly with your fingers inward just in front of the anus. There is a deepening in this area, just like a little vagina. Press your finger into this groove and a little forward.
You can also stimulate the prostate by inserting your finger into the anus and massage the prostate through the front wall of the anus. The massage releases prostate fluid. Feeling the fluid coming through your urethra and dripping out through you pee-hole, add to the physical excitement. Also the prostate have its own sexual feelings, and prostate massage combined with anal stimulation can induce a form of orgasm that has a much deeper psychological and ecstatic impact than ordinary penile orgasm.
Knut Holt is a international internet marketer and author with a focus on health items and erotism. At this site you can find more health information, products to improve erotic life, products to increase sexual pleasure and natural medicines against many common diseases.

Paris Hilton Reveals NASA UFO Secrets (Sort Of)

2007-07-31T00:35:00.000-07:00

Buzz Aldrin was scheduled for a phone interview on the Friday, June 8, 2007, edition of Your World with Neil Cavuto on the Fox News cable channel. Originally booked to talk about the latest space shuttle launch, he suddenly found himself being asked about Paris Hilton and had some very interesting things to say.

Friday, June 8, 2007, should have been a big news day. A former Preacher’s Wife was sentenced to three years in prison for shooting her husband in the back while he slept. A Tax Protestor couple in New Hampshire discovered what happens when you challenge the authority of people you elect to office: You get state police and an army of federal troops with tanks and federal agents with submachine guns at your door. The space shuttle took off on a mission to support the International Space Station. It was announced that the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was stepping down. East Coast air travel was practically brought to a stand still by a computer glitch.

None of those news pieces ended up being the biggest story of the day. Instead it was Paris (Hilton, not France). Yes, it apparently took Fox and other news gathering and reporting organizations eight hours to tell the tale of Naughty Paris and the Nasty Judge. It didn’t seem to bother the news pundits that Paris was ordered back to jail to serve a forty-five day sentence for a probation violation, when other celebs have spent as little as five hours in jail for the same thing. I mean, give a gal a break! Don’t billion dollar babies get an automatic pass? Regardless of how you feel about the Paris Affair, it may have paid off in an unusual way for UFO Researchers.

Buzz Aldrin was supposed to be talking about the latest Space Shuttle Mission. Imagine his surprise when the famous astronaut’s guest spot was jammed into the middle of the never-ending discussion about Paris. An experienced media guest, Buzz is never at a loss for prefabricated words. Years ago I appeared on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show with him and a few other UFO Researchers. As long as you didn’t ask him anything out of the ordinary, he had some terrific prepared responses. If you did, he stammered and stumbled. That’s what happened on Your World with Neil Cavuto today around 1:30pm Arizona Time.

Asked to comment on how he felt about living in a world where Paris dominates the news for hours on end, he began by stammering on about some science fiction book he once wrote. The story was about a civilization that was going to be destroyed in exactly 140 years by a terrible calamity. He point was that everyone knew about it and did nothing until the very last minute. Huh? Like I said, not good without the prefab responses.

Buzz continued and finally made a lucid point. He apparently feels that we have lost our focus. Instead of worrying about how the Russians, Chinese and Japanese are slowly overtaking us in space research and exploration, we sensationalize and promote non-events like today’s Paris debacle. Just as Your World was headed to a break, Aldrin reminisced about the days of the Apollo 11 Moon Mission and said, “Suppose Neal and I said, ‘Look at what’s outside of our window! It’s a UFO!’ Instead, we said, ‘It’s unusual to see a booster rocket outside of our window.’ Think about what people would have said and what they would have done if we told them it was a UFO following us? That‘s what it was.”

This was not Aldrin’s first statement about UFO encounters during the Apollo 11 Mission. He appeared on a Science Channel program entitled, “First on the Moon: The Untold Story” in 2005 and made this unusual observation: "There was something out there that, uh, was close enough to be observed and what could it be? Mike (Collins) decided he thought he could see it in the telescope and he was able to do that and when it was in one position, that had a series of ellipses, but when you made it real sharp it was sort of L shaped. That didn't tell us very much."

While interesting, it was carefully worded and left the door open to various interpretations. Compare that to the statement he made today, “Think about what people would have said and what they would have done if we told them it was a UFO following us? That‘s what it was.”

Throwing caution to the wind, Aldrin brings up two points that involve accusations UFO Researchers have made against NASA and the Government for years:

1. The U.S. Government is hiding information about UFOs for fear of public reaction to the affirmation that Aliens exist and are visiting our planet at will.

2. The U.S. Government knows all about UFOs and has the ability to identify them.

To my knowledge, Aldrin has hardly ever used the term, “UFO.” Astronauts have avoided that term like the plague. Deke Slayton, an Astronaut and Chief of the Astronaut Office made this statement in 1976: “I don't recall any of our astronauts ever reporting UFOs.” Why would he say that when there were already so many Astronaut sightings and UFO photos on record by then? Simple. They were already IDENTIFIED, not UNIDENTIFIED. And as far as word games go, the use of the term UFO by government or military personnel officially ended with the close of Project Bluebook (the official U.S. Government investigation into UFOs) in 1969.

As indicated by Buzz Aldrin’s latest statement, NASA already knew how to recognize UFOs in 1969. Aldrin: “Think about what people would have said and what they would have done if we told them it was a UFO following us? That‘s what it was.” However, Aldrin hasn’t always been so forthcoming. I recall Aldrin’s trademark Cheshire cat smile on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show anytime we asked about UFOs or Aliens. It was his preprogrammed defense mechanism. Anytime he’s asked about UFOs during a television, cable or film interview, the smile pops up. Other times he’ll substitute the smile with handy comments like, “It’s a big universe” or “I guess someone else has to be out there,” but it’s still more than we ever hear from Neil Armstrong.

The world is still waiting to hear what the first man to walk on the moon has to say about what happened during the Apollo 11 Mission. Described as a deeply private and honest man, Armstrong has been virtually silent since returning to Earth except for a few interviews almost immediately after the mission. The question that has always bothered me is why?

The only sensible answer is that things happened on the Apollo 11 Moon Mission that Neil Armstrong doesn’t want to talk about. It’s likely that he would rather say nothing then lie to people, mislead them or deliver a series of NASA approved responses. It’s impossible to say exactly what happened, but there is a decent body of evidence to indicate that it was anything but a routine flight.

During a time when the media was allowed to monitor most radio transmissions from the mission, odd noises and allegedly unknown languages were heard. Various statements regarding unknown objects and particular incidents were made by all three of the Apollo 11 Astronauts. Some photos taken during the mission appear to show a number of odd lights and strange objects in various positions near the moon.

Armstrong’s overall lack of enthusiasm for press events brings up another question. Why would NASA choose a quiet guy like Neil Armstrong to be the first man to walk on the Moon? They had to know that everyone in the world would want to interview him for years to come. That could have been a major publicity boom for NASA; instead it turned into a bust that probably contributed to the eventual gutting of the Space Program. That leaves the door open for all kinds of speculation.

Whenever he’s asked a question about something that Neil Armstrong said or did during the Apollo 11 Moon Mission, Buzz Aldrin always says, “You would have to ask Neil about that.” We would love to Buzz, but he ain’t talking! The best we can hope for is a final disclosure from Armstrong while he is alive or some kind of written or recorded statement left behind after he passes on. Now almost seventy-six years old, his last public appearance was at the White House in 2004 for the 35th Anniversary Celebration of the Moon Landing. As usual, he had little to say during that occasion.

On a day when all the news cameras were focused on a tearful Paris Hilton being dragged off to jail (again), Buzz Aldrin’s latest statement was the real bombshell. But those precious few and very important words from Aldrin came about all because of the Hilton court date coverage. So I say, Thanks, Paris! I’ll send a cake with a file in it and a Get out Of Jail Free Card from my children’s Spongebob version Monopoly game if that will help. Read more and view UFO photos taken during the Apollo 11 Mission at http://www.CanYouStandTheTruth.com

Author: Bill Knell

World of Warcraft Gold Guide

2007-07-31T00:27:00.001-07:00

Having enough Gold in World of Warcraft is one of the most important aspects of the game. Gold has a major effect on your game play. Gold of course has their common known usage in a mmorpg game which is used to buy and sell items from vendors and other players. In world of Warcraft, gold can be used for training. To learn new skills you are required to pay the trainer a fee. Alot of gold would be required to perfect your character. Here are some tips to help you farm World of Warcraft Gold.

Grabbing a profession early in the game can most definitely have its advantage. You are able to level up your profession easily and gain its benefits. 2 professions we highly suggest starting with is mining and skinning. As you kill animals and other creatures in World of Warcraft you can easily skin the animals and sell them to vendors or other players with a nice load sum of profit. You are also leveling your profession as well. While you're out leveling your character I'm sure you will kill a numerous amount of mobs that you can skin. The mining profession is another great profession. You will oftenly run into caves which may have some very prosperious mineral ores. Some minerals are very popular in the game and are highly demanded.

Questing in World of Warcraft is unlike any other MMORPG released. Quests are one of the biggest advantages you can have in the game. While you're out leveling grab a quest each time you get. Only takes a matter of seconds. Not only will you receive EXP from killing the mobs in the quest but you will also gain additional EXP from completing the quest along with some nice items and money. A great bonus added to help players level faster and get richer of course.

Gears in World of Warcraft can get quite expensive. Alot more expensive than just training. From levels 1-40 I highly suggest not investing any money on buying gears or items. Low level characters are not too gear dependent. The quests should be able to provide you just about everything you need. Save the extra gold you have for higher level gears.

Certain types of mobs tend to have better drops than others. From what we've noticed so far, humanoids tend to drop more gold and items than any other creature in the game. So while you're out leveling away, try to kill as many humanoids as you can.

Ruibo enjoys playing World of Warcraft and helping others with the information he provides on his website World of Warcraft Gold Guide. Help support his site by visiting http://www.worldofwarcraftgoldguide.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruibo_Chen

One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward

2007-07-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

So, President Bush managed to push the G-8 to more or less his position on the climate change. Is it time for us to celebrate? Can we breathe easy? Not yet. His proposals may represent an advance in the sense that at last the U.S. is also waking up to reality of the climate change, but only in this very limited sense. By making the proposals vague and devoid of firm commitments, the world has taken one step forward and two steps backward.

The first question that goes begging is: how is it that a nation that is leading advocate on binding performance evaluation criteria for foreign and domestic aid now wants to have non-binding “aspirations,” instead of clearly defined, measurable goals?

Recall that before USAID approves a dime in aid to an international NGO or a governmental agency, it asks for firm long-term goals and outcome evaluation criteria. Even more significantly, before the U.S. pays its dues to the United Nations under the U.N. charter and international treaties, it flaunts its power and flexes its muscle to ensure that the U.N. and each of its agencies draws up and furnishes to the U.S. Congress their strategic planning matrices with detailed performance indicators for evaluating the impact. It is claimed, and perhaps rightly, that if it cannot be measured, how do we know it worked? Therefore, any agency, especially an international one, before it receives any aid from U.S. has to agree to measurable goals that are considered satisfactory by the U.S. However, when it comes to global emission standards, the world’s largest polluter does not want any fixed goals. It does not want any sanctions or penalties for non-compliance. And it is incredible that the remaining industrial powers have also scaled back to this position.

Second, how can the U.S. shed its responsibilities for creating the mess in the first place? Despite being a home to less than 5% of world’s population, it contributes to over a quarter of world’s green house emissions? The U.S. and other industrialized countries took the lead in emitting the green house gases and there is no reason why they should not take a lead in checking. By no means do I intend to absolve the developing countries of their responsibilities in preventing further aggravation of the problem. After all, they stand to lose as much if not more from the climate change.

Development is not merely a matter of economic prosperity for the people. It is about quality of life. Rapidly degrading environment such as that India and China have is not in the interest of their own citizens. High levels of pollution, rapidly shrinking glaciers, disappearing forest cover, scarcity of waters, and growing number of natural disasters pose a serious threat to the very existence of these countries, which they ought to take a serious note of. If these countries manage to stall the progress of an agreement, I would be very disappointed for their citizens.

Granted that an equitable deal has to be worked out that accommodates the interests of all countries as far as possible, non-committal targets, however, are not the way to go. Firm performance targets in a climate change convention are a must for the environmental security of the planet. Don’t you agree?

american homeless photo

2007-07-23T22:41:00.001-07:00

Activate your iphone without AT&T Service:

2007-07-23T19:39:00.001-07:00

Over the last few days, some intrepid geeks have been working on cracking the iPhone activation service and it works:

Here is how:

1.) Download the following file to your Mac. iPhoneTool.zip

2.) Extract it to a directory on your desktop named iPhoneTool

3.) Open the program “Terminal” location in HardDrive/Applications/Utilities

4.) Type the following command into the flashing cursor:

cd ~/Desktop/iPhoneTool

5.) Now make sure your iPhone is connected and you quit iTunes

6.) To activate your iPhone type the follwoing command into the flashing cursor (note that there are two dashes before activate):

./tool –activate a.plist

7.) Your iPhone screen should say something about a SIM error which is fine. Just slide the unlock bar over and it should work. Now connect it to your computer and you should be able to configure it through iTunes.

Cheers!!!

P.S. Many of you have been leaving comments and emailing me thankyous. I appreciate them very much. If you really want to show your appreciation though, I would be grateful if you took the time to visit a few of the advertisers at the top of the page.

Sunrise at Sunset (Foamy Waters)

2007-07-07T23:53:00.001-07:00

Pontiac and vanilla ice cream

2007-07-05T04:50:00.000-07:00

in the office Rontias General Motors Corporation received a letter. I understand the author wrote, God may seem stupid, but what I want to tell, -svyataya truth. Our family is very fond of ice cream. Each night after dinner, we decide what kind will have to dessert, and I am going to him in the shop. The problems started after I acquired a new Rontias. Every time I buy vanilla ice cream and going back to their homes, the car firmly refuses scanned. If strawberry ice cream, chocolate or any other sorta-nikakih problems with the launch. It sounds silly, but it may be in Rontias is something that responds to vanilla ice cream? "President, understandably case showed the letter sceptical, but nevertheless sent engineers to inspect. The owner of the car produced a pleasant vpechatlenie-vezhlivy established and clearly not CRAZY. Have after dinner, went to the store, bought vanilla ice cream. All tochno-mashina not start! This lasted several days. Shokoladnoe-zavoditsya. Klubnichnoe-zavoditsya. Vanilnoe-ne opened! The engineer was sensible people and refused to believe what the car can be allergic to vanilla. He continued to travel with the shop owner, but now celebrated all detali-vremya tour What petrol and what column masterminded car, even temperatures and clouds. Very quickly it became clear that it is not the vanilla, and the location of goods in the store shopping. Vanilla morozhenoe-kak most hodovoe-razmeschalos self in the refrigerator at the same entrance, and all other sorta-v inside the room, and sold through the cashier. Buy vanilla can be much faster than any other. The task turned into tehnicheskih-pochemu car not start if the owner returned to it quickly? And the answer was found as soon zhe-dvigatel fail cool, and the carburettor remained jams caused by the intense evaporation of gasoline.

Fun animals

2007-07-02T21:01:00.000-07:00