Andy Pettitte apologize

Andy Pettitte Apologizes for his HGH use. Andy Pettitte's a million times more of a better guy then Roger Clemens, but seriously, how much is that actually saying? That's like saying someone's more credible then Brian McNamee, may be true, but doesn't say much for the person.First off, Pettitte saying he didn't use HGH to gain a competitive advantage is such a large load of horse crap that it make me gag, especially because of his being on the the Yankees, and seeing the backlash of such high profile steroid users such as Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield. He knew better then anyone the public outrage that results from the use of HGH, and well, that using HGH was wrong, there's really no way around that. By trying to recover faster from an injury aren't you trying to get your competitive advantage back? That's like me being really hungover and playing scrabble awhile using a dictionary to get my words, I'm not trying to get an advantage, it's just my brain hurts so I'm only going to use it to get to the exact level that I'd be at if I wasn't hungover. OK, I'm sure I lost some of you there, but you get my point.

Verizon Wireless : Samsung U550

Verizon Wireless made the Samsung U550 available for sale. The U550 is a mid-range clamshell that has a 1.3 megapixel camera with video recording capabilities, Bluetooth and a microSD slot for added storage. It has an EV-DO radio on board, so it is compatible with most of Verizon's V CAST services. It will cost $70 after rebates and new two-year agreement. It is available both online and in retail stores beginning today.

Wisconsin Obama a Ninth in a Row Victory

Senator Barack Obama decisively beat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday night, accelerating his momentum ahead of crucial primaries in Ohio and Texas and cutting into Mrs. Clinton’s support among women and union members.

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Credit Suisse vs. KPMG, Credit Suisse: No Rogue Traders Here

The immediate issue — one that Credit Suisse amazingly says is undecided — is whether a $2 billion bond issue, sold a week ago, will settle today as scheduled. That rate was 212.5 basis points — or 2.125 percentage points — over Treasuries at the time. Will they reauction it? Will they offer a little extra yield? Stay tuned.

Lindsay Lohan "OK" with nude photo shoot

Lindsay recently paired up with photographer Bert Stein to recreate his legendary 1962 nude shoot with Marilyn Monroe. The photos appeared in New York magazine earlier this week, showing Lohan covered occasionally by see-through bits of fabric.

Buenos Aires Voracious fire in panic

Firemen were working to control a large fire in a party supply warehouse in the populous neighborhood of Once in the Argentine capital.The fire began in the fourth floor at approximately 15:15 hours and rapidly spread to the rest of the building, located on 2257 Lavalle street between Pasteur and Uriburu streets. The building houses a wholesale company called "Ciudad Cotillón" (Party City), which sells highly flammable elements like foam, carnival outfits, and products made with polystyrene.

According to the firemen of the Federal Police, there exists a "real danger" of precipice of the damaged building, for which the Guard of Aid and SAME ambulances remain in the area.

Nearby buildings were evacuated and the traffic was closed in the Larrea and Lavalle streets, from Tucumán up to Uriburu, producing chaos in the traffic.The fire's toxic smoke and smell expanded towards the northern zone of the city. More than 50 people were injured after inhaling the smoke. A cameraman of the Telefé suffered poisoning and was taken to the Ramos Mejía hospital.

The hospitals of the city were declared to be in a state of red alert, to be able to attend to those affected by the inhalation of toxic gases.

Fidel Castro resigns

Fidel Castro, the Cuban president who seized power in a 1959 revolution, has stated in a quote in Cuba's state-run newspaper Granma that when the National Assembly of Cuba meets on February 24 he "will not aspire to or accept... the positions of President of Council of State and Commander in Chief."

81-year-old Castro handed over control to his 76-year-old brother Raúl when he underwent surgery in July 2006. "It would betray my conscience to take up a responsibility that requires mobility and total devotion, that I am not in a physical condition to offer," Castro explained.

United States President George W. Bush said, "I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition." Although, John Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State, said that this does not mean that the 1962 trade embargo will be lifted "any time soon."European Union said that it hopes to improve relations with Cuba, which were almost at a standstill under Castro. Spokesperson John Clancy said the EU is willing to engage with Cuba in constructive dialogue to foster a peaceful transition to pluralistic democracy in Cuba.China said it will maintain its current cooperation with Cuba and termed Fidel Castro an old friend. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Vietnam similarly praised Castro as a great friend and comrade.BBC reports that Raúl Castro is seen by analysts as the likely choice as successor by the National Assembly, though some see 56-year-old Carlos Lage Dávila as potential candidate. Lage is currently Vice-President and Executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers.

The decision is scheduled for February 24, 2008.

Pakistan Peoples Party winning Pakistan elections

Early poll results have shown that the anti-Musharraf parties, Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League (N), are emerging as victorious. The early results also show that Pakistan Muslim League (Q), the party supporting Pervez Musharraf, has been defeated.Furthermore, the results for Pakistan's national assembly indicate that the Pakistan Peoples Party currently have a small lead with 78 seats, with Nawaz Sharif's party just behind with 72 seats. The party which wins the elections for the National Assembly will choose the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The elections had a slow start at 8 a.m. (0300 GMT), as fears of violence kept many voters away. To enforce security, the Pakistani police is backed up by some 80,000 troops. The BBC reported that 80 million people are eligible to vote, but many are expected to stay at home, largely because of fears about security. Authorities reported at least five explosions that had taken place on election day, all but one of which occurred near a polling area.

Wisconsin primary, McCain, Obama win

John McCain and Barack Obama have won the Wisconsin Primary, MSNBC has reported. John McCain won among the Republicans and remains the presumptive GOP nominee, while Obama and Hillary are in a close race on the Democratic side for the national nomination."I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change," McCain said. He added a comment that The New York Times saw as directed toward Obama: "The peals of change that ignore the lessons of history and lack confidence in the intelligence and ideals of free people."

Toshiba stops production of HD DVD players

The battle between the two high definition optical disc formats, Blu-ray and HD DVD has ended after sole HD DVD manufacturer Toshiba has announced it will no longer produce HD DVD players.In what is a reverse of the VHS vs Betamax format war, Sony's Blu-ray has come out on top with the backing of major studios and retailers such as Warner Bros, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Netflix, and Blockbuster who announced they would only support Blu-ray exclusively this past month.

Some analysts believe that Toshiba just could not compete with Sony's sales, who bundled Blu-ray into their PlayStation 3 game system. Microsoft's competing Xbox 360, comes with a $50 HD DVD addon player, whose fate is now undetermined with the demise of HD DVD. Microsoft has said they will wait for what Toshiba has to say.

Nationalisation of Northern Rock

The UK Parliament has been discussing the proposed nationalisation of the troubled UK bank Northern Rock. If the bill is passed it will be the first such move by the UK government since the 1970s.The bill was introduced by Yvette Cooper from the UK Labour Party. Philip Hammond (Conservative) responded by saying that the bill should only apply to Northern Rock as if a similar crisis happens again parliament should carry a new bill through parliament. Hammond also said that the House of Commons were not given enough time to discuss the bill. Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrats) said he accepts nationalisation is required but that he thinks the bill should be passed through over a longer period of time to allow the House of Commons to fully review the bill.

Conservative Members of Parliament said lots of conventions in lawmaking had been broken in the bill. Yvette Cooper responded to this saying that she hopes Members of Parliament will "understand the unusual circumstances" of the situation regarding Northern Rock.

The UK Chancellor of the Exchqequer, Alistair Darling has defended the bill by that some of the powers are necessary not only to "transfer ownership from" the private sector but also to "transfer ownership back" to the private sector. He also claimed that part of the powers granted by the bill were supported by the Conservative Party who have stated that they wish to oppose the bill. He also said that Northern Rock would have gone bankrupt if the government had not intervened.Shadow Chancellor of the Exchqequer, George Osbourne responded to the Darling's statement by saying that the parliament should be made aware of the risks of buying Northern Rock. For example, Osbourne said that the pension deficit of Northern Rock should be released to parliament to allow them to make a more informed decision on the nationalisation.

Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll

Vintage Jesus is the first book published under the banner of Resurgence Literature (Re:Lit) which is a ministry of Resurgence (which is, in turn supported by Mars Hill Church). This is also the first title in a series called “Vintage Jesus” that will build on the themes and doctrines introduced in this book. It is one of six(!) new books we’ll see this year from the pen of Mark Driscoll.

The book is a collaborative project between friends—Mark Driscoll and Gary Breshears. Describing how this collaboration unfolded, Driscoll writes, “In the chapters of this book you will hear my voice since I crafted the words onto pages, but many of the concepts were shaped and formed by my good friend. I sent the manuscript to him for his insights and suggestions, and he also wrote the answers to common questions found at the end of each chapter.

Rachel Bilson New Hollywood Queen

Rachel Bilson was spotted out making a run to the liquor store yesterday. It feels contradictory even writing that sentence. For some reason, she just seems too young and innocent to drink, hahaha :) I think that’s just because she looks so much younger than she really is.

Rachel Bilson has dated a co-star before. During her days on the hit show, The OC, the 26-year old actress fell for her on-screen love Seth Cohen--played by Adam Brody. Now , the very private actress is reportedly seeing another hot new actor, Hayden Christensen, with whom she stars in the new sci-fi thriller Jumper. But when asked to spill on her love life, Rachel smiles, “It’s nice to keep it to yourself.”

Eurovision Song Contest Announced

EastEnders actress Michelle Gayle and X Factor star Andy Abraham will sing for the chance to perform in Belgrade on May 24.Reality stars Rob McVeigh, who appeared on Any Dream Will Do, and Simona Armstrong, a finalist on How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, will also compete on Eurovision - Your Decision, the BBC's two-part Eurovision Trial.The lineup is completed by a pair of girl groups, The Revelations and LoveShy.

Eurovision - Your Decision, presented by Terry Wogan and Claudia Winkleman, will air on BBC One in March.Only the four most popular acts from the first programme will progress to the second, with the winner being selected by public vote.

A Scrabble Board for $20,000

Swarovski Encrusted Scrabble Board for $20,000

Featured above is an exclusive glass Scrabble board coated with around 30,000 Swarovski crystals exhibited at the American International Toy Fair in New York. Designed by Hasbro, the board marks the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the game.

Priced at $20,000, the game is anticipated to be auctioned coming summer with all the proceedings donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe Naked

New York Magazine by Bert Stern

Marilyn Monroe’s “The Last Sitting”; this was a photo shoot at the Hotel Bel-Air in 1962 by photographer Bert Stern which showed Marilyn Monroe naked.

Now 46 years later another celebrity has recreated this photo shoot with Bert Stern, it’s Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe.

Just in the same fashion, Lindsay Lohan has been shown to the world naked in New York Magazine and in a tribute to Monroe these photos could be Lohan’s most famous to date…what a publicity stunt which will make her more famous than ever.Lindsay Lohan might not have the presence and fame that Marilyn Monroe had, but she does look great showing very little…see via link below.

Lindsay Lohan blamed for Heath Ledger dead

Lindsay Lohan, who had once been linked to actor Heath Ledger, has blamed show biz for his death.The 21-year-old actress had in the new issue of New York magazine posed nearly naked for a recreation of “The Last Sitting,” the last series of photos of Marilyn Monroe.

Lohan spoke out about the late actor’s passing away, comparing it to Marilyn Monroe’s death, which she called as tragic.When she was asked if she was referring to Heath Ledger’s death, she replied that the two were good examples.Lohan, who has been in rehab three times, insisted that she will not end up like them.

Elmo Live on video

Elmo Live was pretty much a full-fledged robot, but we can't say we envisioned this. This critter sings, dances and does a decent job of freaking us out with his innate intelligence.



Seriously, you've got to see it to believe it -- good thing the video's just one click away.

Thor 5 satellite launched

Proton rocket launches Thor 5 satellite, International Launch Services Proton-M/Briz-M rocket has launched from area 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with the Norwegian Thor 5 communication satellite aboard. Liftoff of the 53 metre long Russian rocket occurred at 11:33 GMT, and the launch ended with the satellite's injection into a geosynchronous orbit, some 9 hours and 23 minutes later.

At 13:20, the second burn of the Briz-M upper stage was confirmed to have been successful. At 15:50, the third burn, and separation of the upper stage's auxiliary propellant tank, were reported to have been completed successfully. The fourth burn occurred about five hours later, and spacecraft separation followed at 20:57 GMT.Thor 5 will be positioned at 1°W longitude, and will provide direct-to-home broadcasting services to Europe. The satellite was constructed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and is based on the Star-2 satellite bus. It will be operated by Telenor, and is equipped with 24 Ku-band transponders.

The launch was delayed from 2007 after the failure of another Proton rocket, and scrubbed yesterday due to a problem with the rocket's guidance system, detected shortly before fuelling.

Abu Dhabi 'green city'

UAE has started construction of its so called 'green city' which will be named Masdar City. It is a city which is designed to have no carbon emissions, cars, or waste. It will cost $22 billion (£11 billion) and take eight years to make. It will be able to hold a population of 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The city will cover 1,483 acres (6.00 km²).The city was designed by Foster and Partners, a British company.

“No one has ever built a zero-carbon city before. Nor one producing zero waste or fully powered by renewable energy. Masdar City will accomplish all three,” said Sultan Al Jaber.The city will have a personal electrical power supply mainly from two renewable energy sources: wind turbines and solar panels. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant and air conditioning will be provided naturally from wind towers.

It is planned to save more than $2 billion in oil over the next 25 years along with creating more than 70 000 jobs.

East Timor State of emergency

Xanana Gusmao, The Prime Minister of East Timor, has declared a 48 hour state of emergency and a curfew in East Timor, following attacks on Jose Ramos-Horta, the leader of the country.

The state of emergency applies throughout East Timor and it prohibits all public gatherings. The curfew applies from 20:00 to 6:00 (East Timor time).The President of East Timor, Jose Ramos-Horta, was seriously wounded by a bullet during an attack on his home in the early hours of this morning.

The first attack was carried out by a rebel army on at 06:00 am (East Timor time). During the attack the rebels launched a shootout with guards of the house.Ramos-Horta was transferred by air to Darwin, where he was taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital. The staff at the hospital have said they expect Ramos-Horta to make a "full recovery" and that he is in a stable condition.

Australia has sent support forces to East Timor along with 1,700 troops from the United Nations (UN) to help to help stabilize the situation in the country.

Anti-Scientology protests worldwide

The Internet group Anonymous today held protests critical of the Church of Scientology. The protests marked what would have been the 49th birthday of Lisa McPherson, who is claimed to be a victim of the Church of Scientology's practices. Lisa died in 1995 during a running of what Scientologists refer to as an Introspection Rundown, a procedure intended to help Church members deal with a psychotic or deeply traumatic event.

Protests were planned throughout the day in 14 countries and over 50 different cities. The estimation of total protesters world wide for Feb. 10, 2008 is 9,250 people.

Sungnyemun Gate, Arson suspected in Namdaemun gate fire in Seoul

A fire broke out at Sungnyemun Gate (more commonly referred to as Namdaemun Gate), one of the most iconic Korean landmarks, located in the center of Seoul.

Approximately 30 firetrucks and 90 firefighters were sent to the site and were able to bring the initial blaze under control by around 10:30 p.m.

However, around 10:40 p.m., the fire rekindled at the second floor of the gate, as firefighters were in the process of extinguishing embers. By 11:00 p.m. the fire had spread over to the roof of the gate. The Korean Fire Department reports that the second blaze had started as the Department was seeking permission from the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration to dismantle parts of the gate in order to stop any possible further fires from spreading.At about 12:40 a.m. of the 11th, the second floor had collapsed, and the fire was spreading to the first floor; at 1:50 a.m. the first floor collapsed.

Officials have yet to reach a conclusion on the origin of fire, and have presented three possibilities; arson, electric faults or accidental origins.

As the interior of the second floor of the Gate is off-limits to civilians, the Korean Fire Department initially eliminated the possibility of arson, and stated that an electric short or spark from the electric lighting could have been the cause. This possibility was later discarded as a firefighter reported, after examination, that there was no electric wiring on the second floor, as Korean Cultural Heritage Administration regulations prohibit it.Three eye-witnesses have submitted testimonies. A taxi driver has reported seeing a man in his fifties climb up the staircase carrying a shopping bag, shortly after seeing sparks. Police have stated that the driver's testimony differs in several crucial factors from the other two witnesses.

Firefighters have reported finding two cigarette lighters on the second floor, inceasing the possibility of arson as the cause.Police have been unable to obtain evidence from the four closed circuit televisions(CCTVs) installed around the gate.Officials of the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration have stated that restoration will take two to three years and will cost 20 billion won, equivalent of 21 million USD.Officials report that no sprinklers or fire alarms were installed inside the gate, and only eight fire extinguishers were placed on both the first and second floor.

Namdaemun, built during the Joseon Dynasty, is the oldest wooden structure in Seoul and was entitled 'National Treasure No. 1' in 1962 after restoration.

ISS during spacewalk Columbus module

A spacewalk was conducted today by astronauts Rex Walheim and Stan Love, members of the STS-122 Space Shuttle crew, to install the new Columbus module onto the International Space Station.

The spacewalk, or extra-vehicular activity (EVA), began at 14:13 UTC, with the astronauts leaving the Quest airlock of the Space Station, and starting work to install an attachment point on top of the Columbus module, to allow it to be moved by the Station's robotic arm. This was completed at 19:00, about an hour later than planned, owing to the installation taking longer than expected. Columbus was lifted out of the payload bay of Atlantis at 19:55 UTC, by the Space Station's robotic arm, Canadarm2. Astronaut Dan Tani, controlling Canadarm2 from aboard the ISS remarked "Columbus has started its trip to the new world". At 21:29, Columbus soft-docked with the Space Station's Harmony node, and the module finished bolting itself in place by 21:44.

Meanwhile, the astronauts performed some tasks to prepare for the next spacewalk, which is currently scheduled for Wednesday. They loosened bolts holding a nitrogen tank in place on the port truss segment of the Station, ahead of its replacement. It was originally planned that they would also disconnect pipes and electrical connections, however these objectives were delayed to Wednesday's spacewalk, due to time constraints. The EVA finished at 22:12 UTC, having lasted seven hours and fifty-eight minutes

This marks the 102nd spacewalk as part of the International Space Station programme, and the first of three planned for the STS-122 Shuttle mission. It was originally planned that German astronaut Hans Schlegel would perform the EVA instead of Stan Love, however he was unable to do so due to an undisclosed medical problem.

Millions of euros Paintings stolen in Zürich

Claude Monet's "Poppy field at Vetheuil," Edgar Degas' "Ludovic Lepic and his Daughter," Vincent van Gogh's "Blooming Chestnut Branches" and Paul Cezanne's "Boy in the Red Waistcoat" stole by three armed men wearing ski masks.

On Sunday evening, around 16:30 local time, three armed men wearing ski masks stole four paintings: Claude Monet's "Poppy field at Vetheuil," Edgar Degas' "Ludovic Lepic and his Daughter," Vincent van Gogh's "Blooming Chestnut Branches" and Paul Cezanne's "Boy in the Red Waistcoat" from Foundation E.G. Bührle museum in Zürich, Switzerland.

The three armed robbers entered the museum half an hour before closing. One man with a pistol forced employees to the ground while the other two men stole the paintings. The whole ordeal lasted only 3 minutes. The men then proceeded to a van and left.

The four paintings are worth a total of 163 million US dollars. It's said that it would be hard to sell the stolen paintings on the open market due to the popularity of the paintings. There is a reward of 90 thousand US dollars for the artwork.The robbers, who were still at large, stole the paintings Sunday from the E.G. Bührle Collection, one of Europe's finest private museums for Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, police said.

It was the largest art robbery in Swiss history and one of the biggest ever in Europe, said Marco Cortesi, spokesman for the Zürich police. He compared it to the theft in 2004 of Edvard Munch's The Scream and Madonna from the Munch Museum in Norway.Last week, Swiss police reported that two Pablo Picasso paintings were stolen from a Swiss exhibition near Zurich.

Embraer announced it has signed order with Air Moldova for one Embraer 190 jet

Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer on Friday announced it has signed a firm order with Air Moldova for one Embraer 190 jet, to be delivered in March 2010. The contract includes an option on another plane of the same model, Embraer said in a statement. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

At present, renowned companies such as Air France, Lufthansa group and Spanish Iberia own Embraer 190 jets, specified the representative of Air Moldova. The same source specified that Embraer 190 jet is one of the most economic and optimal aircrafts for operation, and it will be configured in a single-class cabin with 114 seats.

Air Moldova, which links the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, to cities in Europe and the Middle East, intends to use the new plane to open new markets.The Embraer 190 is one of the four members of the E-Jets family. On Dec. 31, the Embraer 170/190 E-Jets had logged 764 firm orders and 786 options.Embraer is the world's fourth-largest commercial plane maker. It finished 2007 with a firm order backlog of $18.8 billion.

Australian parliament apologise Stolen Generations

Australian parliament to apologise to Stolen Generations, The Australian parliament will apologise tomorrow for past mistreatment of Australia's indigenous population. The wording of the apology will be revealed after 5pm AEDT (UTC+11) today, and will be read in parliament tomorrow at 9am AEDT.

Opposition leader Brendan Nelson has given in-principle support to an apology, but has criticised the government for the delay in releasing the wording. He has written his speech without seeing the apology."If Mr Rudd wants to unify Australia, to bring our nation together, the most important person he should be negotiating with is me," Mr Nelson said yesterday.

"We're two days away from this, for goodness sake. He should be sitting down with me and saying 'these are the words which we propose, what do you think?

"Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that the words must be tabled to parliament first.The Government's manager of business, Anthony Albanese, said that it was more important for members of the Stolen Generations approve of the apology.

"Quite frankly, what's important is the people most affected are comfortable with that wording," he said.In an opinion piece in today's The Sydney Morning Herald, Tony Abbott defended John Howard's legacy.

"Its refusal to say 'sorry meant that Howard never received the credit he deserved for groundbreaking policies such as the intervention in Northern Territory Aboriginal townships," Mr Abbott wrote. "The Liberal Party's decision to support an apology to stolen children is not a repudiation of John Howard.

It should help us to defend a key part of his legacy, the Northern Territory intervention, and to pursue good policy without accusations of bad faith."

Darwin D. Martin House, Broken pipes cause flood

New York Fire Department, at approximately 10:15 p.m. EST two water pipes inside the Darwin D. Martin House, a National Historical Landmark, broke causing several rooms to flood.The the breaks were discovered in the gift shop area of the house but quickly began to flood other areas near the shop as firefighters had a difficult time locating the main shut off valves.

At 10:50 p.m., firefighters reported to have shut off "several main valves" stopping the flow of water. The cost of the water damage is not known, but covered several rooms. Recent sub-zero temperatures in the city is said to be the cause of the break. At the time of the call, the temperature was only 10°F with a wind chill of 4°F above zero.

On Sunday the temperature was only 3°F with a wind chill of -23°F.The house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, has seen rough times over the years, experiencing problems such as vandalism. The first half of the complex was built in 1903 and finished in 1905. After the pergola, conservatory, and carriage were demolished, restoration and rebuild began in 1992 and is scheduled for completion in 2008 or 2009.

Entertainment writers' strike may end this week

WGA strike, which has crippled entertainment productions in Hollywood since November, may be over as early as Wednesday.In an email to its members Saturday, the WGA announced the arrangement of a tentative agreement with the studios. The union's members will vote on the agreement sometime during the next two weeks. However, a decision to return to work could be made as early as Tuesday.

The WGA has recommended that its members support the contract, as it provides money to writers whose work is transmitted over the Internet.There were two meetings held with the writers, one in New York and the other in Los Angeles where the writers seemed to be enthusiastic about getting back into business. Such shows as Desperate Housewives, the American The Office, and Grey's Anatomy will begin again if the votes go as planned.

Perfect Valentine's Gift

• Perfect Valentine's Gift

The gift doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure there was a good deal of thought put into thinking what would make your love happy.

Ideas for a less expensive gift include researching the meanings of various flowers, buy one of each individual flower and tell a story as you present your love with each one, perhaps ending with a red rose signifying your love; another idea would be to do some searching on your loves family genealogy for them and put your findings together in a scrapbook.Leaning more toward the typical Valentine’s Day gifts for her include:

• an assortment of several of her favorite chocolates and an array of three or four splits of different bottles of champagne;
• a trail of small boxes leading to a big box (or the other way around if you are ending with a piece of jewelry);
• things she wouldn’t normally buy for herself but that you would know she would have fun exploring with you.

Unique Valentine Gifts for Best Valentine's Gifts

Unique Valentine Gifts for the people we love can be difficult. But, with some suggestions from friends and knowing the person we are giving this Unique Valentine Gifts can make it easier if not simple.Most agree that the most Unique Valentine Gifts around today are personalised articles. Examples of Unique Valentine Gifts to give tomorrow could be personalized postcards, a be my valentine rose, valentine dinner for two, men's boxer shorts with a personalized message, valentine gift basket, chocolates to name a few.

Most Valentine Gifts is :

1. Candy
2. Flowers
3. Coffee
4. Jewelry
5. Other

Have a happy lovely valentine's day.

Timbaland Michael Jackson Mix

Michael Jackson ft. Timbaland - Timbaland Michael Jackson Mix - Give It To Me - Michael Jackson DJ Remixes

DJs have been breathing new life lately into some of the Michael Jackson songs tocreate some of the coolest DJ Remixes. This mix is Michael Jackson ft. Timbaland - Give It To Me. There are several cool Michael Jackson Timbaland mix videos check the archive and The Video VJ and The Video Remix for some of the other cool Michael Jackson Timbaland remix videos.

New Michael Jackson Video

The Associated Press reports that Michael Jackson’s record label, Sony-BMG, released a video in which the singer thanked fans for the success of Thriller. A new version of Thriller will be released Tuesday marking the 25th anniversary of the album. The disc will feature new collaborations with Kanye West, Akon, Fergie and will.i.am.

In Jackson’s video message, the singer reminisced on his journey towards record-breaking success, stating: "It's hard to believe that 25 years ago Quincy Jones and I embarked on an album named Thriller. The album spawned such hits as "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller," and introduced the moonwalk to fans all around the world. "To be able to say that Thriller still holds the record as the biggest selling album of all time is just mind-blowing. I have you, my fans, throughout the world to thank for this achievement," said Jackson, who has sold more than 750 million albums worldwide.

In his last words to fans, Jackson said: "There is still much more to come for Michael Jackson. My passion for music has never stopped. ... It's my hope that Thriller continues to live on for each new generation to discover."

Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton fight over Timbaland

A source told the Mirror that Lindsay was the first to arrive at Timbaland’s party at Avalon in Hollywood and repeatedly tried to catch the producer’s attention before Paris arrived surrounded by a large entourage and took a seat opposite Lindsay - and far closer to the man of the moment.

The source explained: “Both of them want to work with Timbaland to revive their faltering music careers.”“Both saw the party as an ideal way of getting him on side - but they didn’t count on the other being there.”The onlooker reports Lindsay pointed at Paris and shouted: “What the hell is that bitch doing here? I didn’t know she was on the list.”Paris then retorted with “F*** off you bitch.”Not to be put off her game, Lindsay is said to have started climbing over a sofa to talk to Timbaland but Paris took a shorter route over a barrier and got to him first.

But Timbaland wasn’t impressed with the women’s antics: according to the newspaper, he gave the pair a blank stare then walked off.

Living to Age 100

New research shows that even people who develop heart disease or diabetes late in life still have a good chance of living to be 100 years old.

Dr. William Hall of the University of Rochester, who published new research in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine, wrote that this increased chance of longevity may be attributed to doctors who aggressively treat elderly health problems, rather than taking an "ageist" approach that assumes they wouldn't benefit."It has been generally assumed that living to 100 years of age was limited to those who had not developed chronic illness," Hall told AP.Through phone interviews and health assessments, researchers at Boston University looked at more than 500 women and 200 men who had reached 100. They found that about two-thirds of them had avoided significant age-related ailments.

The remaining men and women, called “survivors,” had been diagnosed with an age-related disease such as high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes, but the study noted that even they had functioned almost just as well as their disease-free peers.They found that men seemed to be living better overall, as nearly three-fourths of men were capable of bathing and dressing themselves, while only about one-third of the women could.They noted that this may be because men had to be in exceptional condition to reach the century mark.

Jose Ramos-Horta wounded in rebel attack

East Timor president wounded in rebel attack.

Rebel soldiers shot East Timor President and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta in the stomach at his home in Dili on Monday, while Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao escaped injury in another attack, officials said.

The shootings on East Timor's two most famous independence figures, in which a key rebel leader was killed, prompted analysts to warn the tiny Southeast Asian nation could suffer renewed violence and political chaos.

Ramos-Horta was in a stable condition following the assassination attempt, Foreign Minister Zacarias da Costa said, while in Dili, residents reported the capital appeared calm.

News source

Off-label Botox serious side effects

Botulinum toxin injections, best known for smoothing wrinkles, have been linked to cases of serious reactions, including death, the Food and Drug Administration announced Friday.The FDA has received at least one report of a patient hospitalized after getting injections for cosmetic purposes, but it was "unlikely" that the drug was to blame, Russell Katz, director of the neurology products division at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told reporters.

Most of the severe reactions occurred in children treated for limb spasticity associated with cerebral palsy, an off-label use, Katz said. Such off-label uses are appropriate if the physician believes they are, Katz said.Diane Rehm, host of National Public Radio's The Diane Rehm Show, has used Botox — as an off-label treatment —for nearly 10 years to treat spasmodic dysphonia, a vocal disorder that previously robbed her of her voice. "If I had not been able to continue my career, that would have been one thing," Rehm said Sunday. "But I could not walk into a drugstore and say my own name to someone else so that they could understand me. Your voice is your life."

Although Rehm says she has never experienced any harmful side effects, she plans to ask her doctor about the FDA warning.The reactions announced by the FDA Friday resembled botulism, a rare but potentially deadly paralyzing illness caused by botulinum toxin in tainted food, the agency said in what it called "an early communication about an ongoing safety review" of Botox, Botox Cosmetic and Myobloc, the three brands sold in the USA.

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Corzine Drops Route 440

Jon S. Corzine said Sunday that he would drop his proposal to turn a portion of Route 440 in Middlesex County into a toll road as part of his multibillion dollar package to restructure the state’s wobbly finances.

Mr. Corzine made his comments before a packed crowd of more than 700 people at East Brunswick High School in Middlesex County, which would have been most affected by the new toll road. “Since it’s not central to the plan, I don’t think we will be moving forward with that aspect,” he said.

Mr. Corzine’s decision to drop Route 440 from his plan was not expected to have much of an impact on his overall package: reducing the state’s $32 billion debt by half and financing transportation projects with higher tolls, while also tightening the ways Trenton can borrow and spend.

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Roger Clemens' silver-tongued lawyer might have to rein in his rhetoric.

Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent Rusty Hardin, Clemens' Houston-based lawyer, a letter urging him to quickly "clarify the record" regarding comments he made last week about Jeff Novitzky, an IRS special agent and lead investigator on the BALCO case who questioned Brian McNamee about Clemens' alleged drug use.

Waxman's office provided SI.com with a copy of the letter on Sunday.Hardin was apparently perturbed last week when Novitzky stated his intention to attend Wednesday's hearing in Washington, D.C., where Clemens and his former personal trainer will come face to face and answer questions concurrently for the first time since McNamee's allegations that Clemens used steroids and human growth hormone became public on Dec. 13.

Hardin told The New York Times that it would be "unbelievable" and "brazen" for Novitzky to attend the hearing in person, when he could just as easily watch it on television.

Hardin went on use an expression that Waxman took particular exception to: "I can tell you this," Hardin said, "If ever messes with Roger, Roger will eat his lunch."

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Rowan Williams face Anglican leaders

Dr Rowan Williams faced calls for him to quit after he implied some aspects of Sharia could be adopted in the UK.

BBC religious correspondent Robert Pigott says some traditionalist members of the Synod could ask for the issue to be debated, but that this was unlikely.

The Times says Gordon Brown has asked Dr Williams to clarify his remarks.It says the prime minister telephoned the archbishop and encouraged him to clarify his remarks, where he felt they may have been misinterpreted.


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Vista SP1 RTM available on MVLS

Microsoft has responded to wide disappointment from the tech community regarding the company's decision to hold the release of Vista Service Pack 1 Release to Manufacturing (RTM) in mid-March because of possible device driver issues.

Many users suggested that Microsoft should quietly provide a Vista SP1 RTM download link and push SP1 out on Windows Update later. Instead, it appears that only beta testers will be given the chance to download the service pack, even though some of them technically already had it.

There is currently no information about the RTM build being available on Microsoft TechNet or MSDN, but I assure you I will update this post if and when that changes. I would have loved to see a public download link, but I must say I'm relieved that pirating Vista SP1 RTM is no longer the only way to obtain it.

iSeePet Feeder

iSeePet360 could be the answer to your pets feeding needs when you away. A lot of pet owners, especially if they work can be delayed in feeding their pet, this could be part of the solution.You can use the internet or another remote internet connection to enable you to feed you pet, they say that it can be used so that you don’t have to ask neighbors or put your pet in kennels.

This is a great idea in principle, but even if I was away overnight I would put my dogs in the kennels, this is not intended to replace human care and I would think it would be cruel to leave your pet unattended overnight. However, if it was for a period of 24 hours I think that a cat would be better suited for this device as they use a litter tray or have a cat flap to enter and exit the house.

Caffeine Fix Whilst You Shower

one way that you won’t have to wait for your morning caffeine fix, and its ShowerShock, soap with caffeine in it, so this should give you a good start to the day.

Thos is a vegetable based glycerine soap and its doesn’t contain any ethanol or dietanolamine) so it eill gently get you ready got the day ahead. There is approximately 12 servings/showers which is about 200 mg of caffeine in each.

DirectX 11 the boot from Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows 7 features to be limited so early on, what we are hearing is Microsoft’s next version of Windows is giving DirectX 11 the boot.

The Inquirer has reported that they want to keep hardware requirements down; this does bring back memories of the many features cut from Vista, although there is no official word from Microsoft yet about this rumor.

Phone for OAP’s

Emporia Telecom, A lot of the over 50’s complain that the buttons are too small and that the loud speaker is not loud enough. The company founder, Albert Fellner has said “Customers should be offered information instead of multiple functions.

Large buttons, an easy-to-read display, a loudspeaker that is compatible with hearing aids and simple menu navigation is what we do.”There will be five phones in the range which are the emporiaLIFE, the emporiaLIFEplus, emporiaTIME, emporiaTIMEplus, and the emporiaTALK.

International day against religion

Church of Scientology protests before but today is something much bigger, today is the international day against the religion.

These demonstrations have been sparked by the viral spread of Tom Cruise’s promo video and The Star reports that 14 countries are going to have protests.The organizers have said around “150 masked protesters will turn up outside the Church of Scientology building on Yonge St., south of Bloor St, U.S. CANADA”The York Press in the UK is reporting on a demonstration that will happen today against the controversial religion in York, UK…they have pledged to “destroy it”.

The Age in Australia, also reports on a group called “Anonymous”, they have skilled computer hackers in their group and have even posted a message on YouTube that declared war on Scientology.

Pre-Grammy Awards, Leona Lewis performs

Leona Lewis sang at a Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy Awards party. She sang in front of stars like Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.

She performed ‘Bleeding Love’ and ‘ The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’“I was immediately knocked out by her range, her versatility and the pure beauty of her voice,” Davis said. “She is an artist who will be a true star for many years to come.”

Staples, LA will be the venue of the Grammy Awards which will take place tonight.

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LG-KT610 with GPS Launched

LG-KT610 is one of the first products that has been launched at the Mobile World Congress, it is a mobile telephone that will be GPS enabled and has a unique 2.4 inch VGA flip screen with a PC like qwerty keyboard.

According to the Korean company users will be able to “take full advantage of a rich suite of multimedia features and applications”The KT610 also offers HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps and there is also an email function.

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Sold defective Blu-ray players, Samsung Lawsuit

Samsung Blu-ray player might know all to well about problems the brands high definition players have been having, Samsung has tried to combat this with a “flurry of firmware updates”.More recently the Samsung BD-UP5000 hybrid player has been axed, this has obviously upset a few consumers and one decided to sue Samsung.

They have filed a lawsuit alleging Samsung sold “defective Blu-ray players” to consumers; it goes on to say Samsung was “fully aware of the defective nature of the player [BD-P1200, in particular] at the time of manufacture and sale.”

Waterproof cybershot rumours

Sony Ericcson are about to launch a waterproof version of the cybershot mobile phone. There is a press conference to be held at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this evening.It is said to boast a 3.2 mega-pixel camera and a flash, but no other specs have come out in the rumour.

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2008 Grammy Nominees Albums

The 2008 Grammy Nominees album is no. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart and, no, we're not discussing the no. 7 debut of Hannah Montana 2: Non-Stop Dance Party.

That's not even part of my world and, besides, those remixes don't do justice to the originals by any means!

Top 10 Albums on the Billboard 200

1. Alicia Keys - As I Am
2. Soundtrack - Juno
3. Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
4. Bullet For My Valentine - Scream Aim Fire
5. 2008 Grammy Nominees
6. Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains
7. Hannah Montana 2: Non-Stop Dance Party
8. Keyshia Cole - Just Like You
9. Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift
10. Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus

Swine fever, loathsome swine fever

swine fever virus discovered in Azerbaijan

The African swine fever virus (ASFV) has been discovered in Azerbaijan, the press secretary of the Agriculture Ministry's veterinary service said Tuesday.Yolchu Khanveli said the virus was discovered in the South Caucasus state's northern Gabala Region, in the village of Nidzh, which has been quarantined.

Blood samples from pigs bred in the village were tested in a laboratory of the State Veterinary Service. The test results confirmed the presence of the African swine fever virus

he said.ASFV is a highly contagious virus causing fatal hemorrhagic disease in pigs. The virus can survive for up to 15 weeks in meat, and up to half a year in processed hams. Swine fever does not pose a threat to humans.In October-November last year, ASFV was discovered in two other ex-Soviet republics, Georgia and Armenia. The chief vet of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warned at the time that if ASFV spreads to nearby countries, the consequences could be serious.

Pebble Beach Golf, Golf and Nature

Every year at this time, the familiar coastline comes into view. Beamed into millions of living rooms and dens are the scenic assortment of aerials, ground-level looks from worm cams, slo-mo and super-slo-mo beauty shots of players and celebrities great and small strolling the golf course on the cliffs at Pebble Beach. To see it all unfold each February is a ritual as familiar as opening the family photo album.
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2007 Majors

* The Masters
* U.S. Open
* British Open
* P.G.A. Championship

And for nearly all the spectators of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, there is only one tiny drawback. The closest they will get to the most lovingly photographed hole in golf is the front of their TV.

As captivating as the CBS pictures are from the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, stepping on the 18th tee is necessary to grasp the magnitude of this “most felicitous meeting of land and sea,” as Robert Louis Stevenson called it.

see it at http://www.nytimes.com/

Chasing liberty soundtrack

1. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Lyrics American Girl
2. Chris Isaak Lyrics Life Will Go On
3. Faith Hill Lyrics If I'm Not in Love
4. Apollo 440 Lyrics Stop the Rock
5. Caroline Lost Lyrics To Be With You
6. Giorgia Lyrics Vivi Davvero
7. Rooney Lyrics Stay Away
8. 7th Sun Lyrics Melody
9. The Roots Lyrics The Seed
10. Jesse Harris Lyrics If You Won't
11. Jason Mraz Lyrics Who Needs Shelter
12. Get Busy Lyrics Get Busy
13. Yomanda Lyrics You're Free
14. Mansun Lyrics Wide Open Space
15. Amici Forever Lyrics Nessun Dorma

see all at http://www.stlyrics.com

Wendy Vo, An incredible child!

8 year-old Vietnamese-American speaks 11 language.

Wendy Vo was born on July 20,1999 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wendy has been studying music since age 4 and composing her own music since age 5. Wendy Vo (Vo Thi Ngoc Diem) speaks 11 languages! They are Vietnamese, English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Cantonese and Portuguese.

Wendy Vo is an 8 year-old Vietnamese-American. Wendy was chosen by the prestigious Forbes magazine as one of America' 10 young role models. (Go to forbes.com , search for wendy vo, click on 10 role models and wait for Wendy picture to appear)

You can listen to her music (4 songs) at http://www.showcaseyourmusic.com/wendyvo. It is amazing!

Nebraska "no more" the electric chair

The Nebraska Supreme Court has banned the use of the electric chair in the execution of murderers. The court found that the application violated the Nebraska constitution's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Since July 2002, Nebraska has been the only state in the United States to use electrocution as its only executional method.

The case developed from death sentence of Raymond Mata Jr., who was convicted in the murder of three-year-old Adam Gomez. Mata's sentence was upheld by the court but stayed it stating that when petitioning for a date, the state should establish that it has a "constitutionally acceptable method of carrying out Mata's sentence."

Uri Geller dismisses copyright lawsuit

Judge Vaughn R. Walker dismissed the Electronic Frontier Foundation's lawsuit against Uri Geller. Walker dismissed the case, concluding in his 25 page opinion that the United States District Court in San Francisco did not have jurisdiction over Geller, a British subject, or Explorologist, LTD, an English company that holds certain rights to him.

The lawsuit was filed in May 2007 by the EFF on behalf of Brian Sapient and his organization the Rational Response Squad. Sapient has posted a excerpt from the PBS documentary Secrets of the Psychics, starring James Randi, on YouTube. Geller claimed he owned the video clip and forced YouTube to remove the video. However, Sapient filed a counter-DMCA claim and the video has since been restored pending the lawsuits.

Walker suggested that the case be moved to Philadelphia where Explorologist, LTD (Geller's business) filed an earlier lawsuit against Sapient, claiming that the YouTube post violated English Copyright Law.

Tallahassee Plane Crash

A private plane crashed down in Tallahassee during the beginning of Friday night.

Reports from people nearby the crash site reveal the plane was flying unusually low as it plunged into the ground of Florida’s capital.

The plane is responsible for knocking out power, including that to a somewhat disabled FSU campus. The single engine plane went down in a more dense area of the city, nearby the Walgreen’s on Ocala street. Police are cordoning off the area to keep spectators away and to do proper investigations.The good news from the matter is that at the time it seems power outages and some people having a fright are the worst of problems. The small private plane only carried the pilot, who survived the airplane crash. The pilot is still not being named and is currently being treated for injuries from the rough landing.

Gunfire at Missouri city council meeting

A local man known for his outbursts and disruptive behavior with city officials killed five people at a city council meeting in City of Kirkwood, Missouri, United States. During the melee, he was shot dead by police.

Among those killed were Councilwoman Connie Carr, two police officers and two others at the meeting.The suspect shot and killed a Kirkwood Police officer on the way into City Hall where he shot a second officer. He then proceeded to shoot five more people in the room, killing 3 more. Kirkwood Police called to the scene for shots fired, returned fire killing the suspect. According to St. Louis County Police Department spokesperson Tracy Panus.

The two wounded are a Suburban Journals reporter and Mayor Mike Swoboda. Swoboda underwent emergency surgery to treat a gunshot wound to the head Thursday night at St. John's Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur. Hospital spokesman Bill McShane delined to discuss Swoboda's injuries. He did note that another Suburban Journals reporter Todd Smith was in satisfactory condition. Smith was shot in the hand.

According to McNichols, the gunman was Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton who was arrested two years ago in the same council chambers for refusing to leave a meeting after a confrontation with Swoboda and the council. He was asked to stop and was arrested when he refused to leave the chamber.

According to KSDK, an NBC affiliate, Thornton had been banned from City Council meetings, but had made it known that he would be at Thursday night's meeting and extra police were assigned ahead of time.

KSDK also reported that the shooter fired at City Attorney John Hessel who had thrown chairs at the assailant in an attempt to stop him. The assailant then moved behind a curved desk where council members sat to fire on them.

Wayne Allyn Root wins Libertarian primary

Wayne Allyn Root, one of the leading competitors for the Libertarian Party's nomination for the 2008 U.S. presidental election, won the Missouri primary on Super Tuesday.

He came second in Arizona, ahead of Barry Hess, a native of the state. In California he was beaten by Steve Kubby, taking third place. Mr. Root did not campaign in any of these states.

The Libertarian Party will hold their national convention on May 22, ending on May 26. During this time, nearly 1,000 delegates will meet at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Denver to choose their presidential and vice presidential nominees.

Somalian woman,New Zealand aircraft hijacking attempt

Somalian woman was arrested after she stabbed two pilots in an attempt to hijack a New Zealand passenger plane. The 19-seater on Eagle Airways Flight NZ2279, was travelling from Blenheim to Christchurch when the incident occurred. Eagle is a regional commuter carrier division of Air New Zealand.

According to media reports, the pilots sent a mayday call around 07:40 NZDT to report that a female passenger had breached the cockpit and attacked them before being removed from the flight deck area. Local police confirmed that the woman also made bomb threats. Christchurch Police Commander Dave Cliff told reporters that emergency radio calls informing staff on the ground that the woman claimed to have two bombs on board were sent by the wounded pilots after subduing their attacker.

The pilot sustained a severely cut hand while the co-pilot suffered an unknown foot injury.

The flight landed at 08:00 NZDT in Christchurch and the woman was arrested by a special Armed Offenders police team, and was taken into questioning. Police and fire units quickly surrounded the plane as it landed, and a witness account said a "sniper was on the tarmac". All six remaining passengers were removed from the plane and the pilots were able to walk off before being moved to Christchurch Hospital for treatment.

Passengers and their luggage on short haul flights within New Zealand are not subject to security checks. This excludes domestic flights departing a New Zealand international airport, however. Air New Zealand, the national carrier who operated the flight through a charter company, told reporters Friday that the company was reviewing security measures across the fleet following the incident.

"Today's incident, although a one-off, has naturally given us cause to conduct a thorough review of our safety and security systems and processes on regional domestic flights," said Bruce Parton, Air New Zealand's general manager of short-haul airlines.

Police searched the plane and are now confident there was no bomb on board, although initial measures were taken to arrange a bomb disposal unit for a possible unit in the woman's bag. The Christchurch Airport was closed for three hours following the incident.
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Eagle Airways flight 2279

65 journalists killed in 2007

The Committee to Protect Journalists has said 65 journalists were killed in 2007. According to the report, 32 of these deaths were in Iraq, which has had the highest number of deaths for the second year running.

The report says that "journalists were killed in unusually high numbers in 2007, making it the deadliest year for the press in more than a decade." According to the report, the number of deaths has increased by eight from the previous year and is more than double the figure for a decade ago.

The African director of the CPJ said that , in general, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which came fourth in the list, “is fairly antagonistic to the independent press, and unfortunately we [the CPJ] monitor a lot of cases [in the Democratic Republic of Congo] of harassment, imprisonments, and even murders that are carried out with impunity."

The report also shows that the number of journalists imprisoned in 2007 has decreased from the 2006 figure, with the 2007 figure, which was 127, being approximately the same as the 2005 figure. It also states that 57% of those imprisoned are done so on antistate charges, and that 17% have no publicly disclosed charge pressed against them. The director of the CPJ criticized these imprisonments in the report, saying that “imprisoning journalists on the basis of assertions alone should not be confused with a legal process. This is nothing less than state-sponsored abduction.” He continued by stating that he believes "every one of these 127 journalists should be released," and that the CPJ are "especially concerned for those detained without charge because they’re often held in abysmal conditions, cut off from their lawyers and their families.”

UND Adriyatik, Turkish ship on fire off Croatia

UND Adriyatik, a Turkish freight ship caught fire in the Adriatic Sea 13 nautical miles west of the town of Rovinj on the early morning hours of February 6, 2008. An SOS was launched at 4.04 local time. It said that the 193-metre long ship was sailing from Istanbul in Turkey to Trieste in Italy and was carrying 200 trucks and nine tons of dangerous material, in addition to between 100 and 200 tons of ship fuel, causing fears of environmental damage. An official said Croatian fire-fighting planes and ships were trying to extinguish the blaze. As the fire started inside the ship, there was no way of extinguishing it from the outside. The ship's 22 crew members and nine passengers were rescued by the Greek ship Ikarus Palace that was sailing nearby and were on their way to Venice.

There were fears of an explosion if the fire was to reach the fuel tanks. Also, the water currents were pushing the ship towards the Croatian coast. However, reports said the fire was diminishing by the end of the day.

CariDee English modeling career and her battle with psoriasis

CariDee English, a small-town girl from Fargo, North Dakota, was plucked from relative obscurity to be the new look for CoverGirl Cosmetics, the newest fresh face on the cover of Seventeen, and affiliated with the largest modeling agency in the world, Elite Model Management.

However, she feels her greatest accomplishment is being the spokeswoman for the National Psoriasis Foundation, in which she is a motivational speaker and gives encouragement to psoriasis sufferers. CariDee has even lobbied in Congress for the passage of a bill which would ask the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Institute of Medicine to increase spending on finding a cure for psoriasis. You can read more about her role with the National Psoriasis Foundation here.

Heath Ledger memorial service

A memorial service has take place for Australian actor Heath Ledger, who died recently in New York died from a suspected overdose of prescription drugs. The service was attended by over 100 people, although the actual funeral was only be attended by Ledger's close family. Before the funeral Heath's father, Kim Ledger said that "the funeral will be very, very private and there will only be 10 people there, immediate family and nobody else."

In addition to family, the memorial service was attended by several actors and actresses who have acted with Ledger, including Cate Blanchlett and Michelle Williams, who was previously Ledger's fiancee.

The Ledger family asked the media not to visit the funeral they say they will find it easier to cope without the media at the funeral. He said that "It's a pretty sad time. We're finding it difficult to cope by ourselves, let alone cope with everybody around the world." He did continue, however, by saying that the family "do really appreciate the outpouring and the emotional support from all over the globe."

Ledger starred in the 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain where he was nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He also starred in the 2000 movie The Patriot with Mel Gibson.

STS-122 NASA Space Shuttle

STS-122 is the current NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It is being flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-122 marks the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1.The primary objective of STS-122 is to deliver the Columbus science laboratory, built by the European Space Agency (ESA), to the station. It will also return Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel M. Tani to Earth. Tani will be replaced on Expedition 16 by Léopold Eyharts, a French Flight Engineer representing ESA. STS-122 will mark the final scheduled visit by Atlantis to the International Space Station. After Atlantis lands, the orbiter will be prepared for STS-125, the final servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope.

The completion of STS-122 will leave ten flights remaining in the Space Shuttle program until its end in 2010, excluding two as-yet-unconfirmed Contingency Logistic Flights.The original target launch date for STS-122 was December 6, but due to engine cutoff sensor (ECO) reading errors, the launch was postponed to December 9, 2007. During the second launch attempt, the sensors failed again, and the launch was halted.

A tanking test on December 18 revealed the probable cause to lie with a connector between the external tank and the shuttle. The connector was replaced and the shuttle launched during the third attempt on February 7, 2008.

Patti scialfa

Patti scialfa Video


How To Download From Google - A funny movie is a click away

The Aristocats Animated feature

The Aristocats is a 1970 animated feature produced and released by Walt Disney Productions.

The twentieth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the story revolves around a family of aristocratic cats, and how an alley cat acquaintance helps them after a butler has kidnapped them to gain his mistress' fortune which was meant to go to them. It was originally released to theaters by Buena Vista Distribution on December 11, 1970.

The title is a pun on the word aristocrats.The film's basic idea - an animated romantic musical comedy about talking cats in France - had previously been used in the UPA animated feature Gay Purr-ee.

Ahmed Ahmed With Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show

Ahmed Ahmed joined 3 other comics from Los Angeles' Comedy Store on tour in Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show.

They sped through 30 shows in 30 days through the heartland from Dallas to Atlanta to Louisville to Chicago. Ouch.Fast forward to today - they filmed Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show and turned it into a sort of documentary cum concert movie, though not quite like Eddie Murphy Raw.

It's not all fun and laughter. Don't forget that comedy's roots lie in tragedy. The soft-spoken Ahmed Ahmed riffs on being Arabic after 9/11 and describes getting arrested at an airport just because he's there. The Egyptian-born comic does a hilarious routine on his problems with airport security and having the same name as a wanted terrorist, frankly admits that he capitalizes on his ethnicity. Exploitation of this material requires courage and the breaking of unspoken taboos. In between his stand-up routines, he said, "Fifteen minutes of validation is what we look forward to in our lives."

Speedball 2 Tournament

Speedball 2 – Tournament, the ferocious and extreme sports game for PC, is available in stores today.

In a violent future, two heavily armoured teams fight a vicious battle for possession of a steel ball. Take control of a brutal squad of athletes and punch your way through the opposition, pounding players to the ground as you go, using any malicious tactics to win the game.

Speedball 2 – Tournament: Game Features:

• New Multiplayer mode – Dedicated server solution and renowned Raknet network middleware for professional online gaming (e-sports)
• Customise your players – Choose your player skin, team colours and tags in the profile editor or create your own logo and integrate it into the game and display it on the field
• Team Selection – Choose your team carefully from male, female and cyborg characters with differing strengths and weaknesses
• Game-Centre – Unique online community platform: Subscribe to worldwide rankings, leagues and events and use the match making tool to play with friends or other ranked players. Get your own webpage and add personal information, access the chat room and link to your clan’s blog
• Extreme community support and action – Challenge other players on the Speedball2.com game portal’s international leagues or tournaments for friendly or ranked matches
• Live news and replays – Keep up-to-date with tournaments and events and watch full game replays on the Game-Center

Download the MP3 soundtrack here or visit speedball2.com

Justin Timberlake joint Indie flick The Open Road

Justin Timberlake has signed on to join Jeff Bridges and Mary Steenburgen in indie flick The Open Road. The film follows the story of a young man (Timberlake) who travels home to be with his sick mother (Steenburgen) and trying to connect with his athlete father (Bridges) on the way.
The film is to be directed by Michael Meredith and will start shooting in America’s Southern States later this month.

Source

Microsoft to keep selling Windows XP till 2009

Vista SP1 slower and Microsoft told to keep selling Windows XP till 2009, Windows XP having a cut-off point for new XP licenses on June 30th, Microsoft are being told by analysts to keep selling XP till 2009.The story is that most customers are not ready for Vista and the June 30 cut-off date for new XP licenses will still be too soon, Richard Jones from Burton Group’s said “any OS transition should have the original and new products available for at least two years to handle customer migration needs” read more on that here.

Many of us that have made the switch know there was a lack of support for some apps, and this is because businesses need more time to get their applications and systems up-to-date to handle the new OS.What makes things worst is that the new Vista SP1 seems slower, Blorge are reporting Microsoft has talked about increased performance in Vista SP1, but they have not highlighted the slower parts of the upgrade, like file copying. Blorge went on to say that a 2GB+ sized file takes 20% longer to copy to a local folder with Vista SP1.

Hilary Swank Set To Fly

Hilary Swank signed on to play aviator Amelia Earhart last year, not much has been heard about it since. Well today it seems things are getting off the ground with the addition of director Mira Nair and a title - Amelia.The film will follow Amelia’s early career, when Amy Guest, a society dame, set up a non-stop flight across the Atlantic and sought a female pilot to make the trip for maximum publicity.

The film’s script is based on a number of Earhart books and was finished before the strike so production should move take off (sorry) on this one!

Source

Isla Fisher : "No more Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn"

Isla Fisher is not inviting Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn to wedding to see if they crash it.Isla who is engaged to Sacha Baron Cohen wants to test her ‘Wedding Crashers’ co-stars to see if they live up to their characters from the film.

Isla said that “I’m thinking of not inviting Owen and Vince to our wedding so I can see whether they can crash our wedding.”Isla has converted to Sacha’s Jewish faith so they can marry in a traditional ceremony and is pleased with her decision.She said that “I love religions and find them fascinating and I find Judaism very beautiful. It has enriched my life enormously.”

Steve Wilkos the host of “The Steve Wilkos Show

“The Steve Wilkos Show,” he is best known for his role as Head of Security on “The Jerry Springer Show” and he has become one of the most recognizable figures in talk television.

And after 14 seasons on Jerry Springer show Steve now has his own show.Steve served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps for almost seven years before joining the Chicago Police Dept. For almost 12 years, he kept the streets of Chicago’s volatile 14th District safe while moonlighting during his off hours on Jerry Springer.Steve then retired from the police force in 2001 and has devoted himself full time to television ever since.

Call of Duty 5 (COD5) Activision confirm release

Activision has confirmed when Call of Duty 5 will be released, that’s right, somewhere between April 2008 and March 2009. That’s the good news, its not very specific but does mean the game will come anytime from this April.

COD5 has become one of the most played games by many gamers; it’s the game I seem to end up playing each evening.

Activision has also confirmed COD5 will be on the PC, Sony PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Playstation 2.Time will show us if it can become the biggest selling game of 2009 as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare did in 2007.

Sony PS3 Call of Duty 4 (COD4) v1.1 Patch

Sony PS3 and about to play Call of Duty 4, I am then prompted to update the game.

Good news as many gamers have been waiting for an update to COD4 on the Playstation 3.The update is the first for the PS3 (Call of Duty 4 version v1.1), the patch has been installed and although I cannot find any information yet on what this update does, I am sure it will improve some of the server trouble gamers have been having.

Australia vs Srilanka Cricket Update

A match between Australia (AUS) vs. Srilanka (SL), the match ended up with Australia winning by 128 runs. Sri Lanka finished with 125-all out and the Man of the Match was Nathan Bracken, who was the destroyer-in-chief and picked up a career best 5/47. Nathan was helped also by Lee and Johnson; both of them aided in the final results by picking up important wickets and stemmed the flow of runs early on.

Next for Australia is their game this Sunday against India, you can view more information on the commentary and highlights of AUS vs. SL on cricbuzz.

Lost: Confirmed Dead, Sunday night

Lost: Confirmed Dead on Sky HD, but as it aired last night in the U.S. we get to read some spoilers on what happened…so do not read on if you do not want to be spoiled. Lost: Confirmed Dead is said to be “downright alive with fascinating new characters, mind-blowing new possibilities, and exciting new theory fodder” by ew.com.

The writer watched Lost: Confirmed Dead last night is “utterly convinced Charlotte Staples Lewis has been to the Island before”, she splashed about in the Island’s inland waters and the apparent freighter savior (or devil as will be known) should be celebrating that she had survived her harrowing arrival, It looks like Lost has started a whole new story for us to follow, or one that will lead us to many answers.

Google Android Phone (Prototype) to be revealed

Google Android a while ago and then everything went quiet, but now we are hearing that a prototype Google Android Phone is about to be revealed.It being reported that ARM (the company who manufacturer chips used in most cell phones), is about to show a prototype Google Android phone at Mobile World Congress next week.

Although this is some updated news on the Android SDK, its nothing ground-breaking, as the prototype Android Phone will most probably use the same SDK that’s available for emulation on your PC…the real aim of this unveiling is to show that ARM processors work with an Android phone.

Currer Bell

Charlotte Brontë an English novelist and the eldest of the three Brontë sisters whose novels have become enduring classics of English literature.

Charlotte Brontë was born in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, the third of six children, to Patrick Brontë (formerly "Patrick Brunty"), an Irish Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Maria Branwell.

In April 1820 the family moved a few miles to Haworth, where Patrick had been appointed Perpetual Curate. Maria Branwell Brontë died of cancer on 15 September 1821, leaving five daughters and a son to the care of her sister Elizabeth Branwell. In August 1824, Charlotte was sent with three of her sisters, Emily, Maria, and Elizabeth, to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire (which she would describe as Lowood School in Jane Eyre).

Its poor conditions, Charlotte maintained, permanently affected her health and physical development and hastened the deaths of her two elder sisters, Maria (born 1814) and Elizabeth (born 1815), who died of tuberculosis in 1825 soon after they were removed from the school.

california proposition

California, then you have been bombarded lately with advertisements in favor of, and opposed to, Propositions 94-97. These propositions are referred to collectively as "referendum(s) on the amendment to Indian Gaming Compact." By the text, they seem to allow specific tribes to have more slot machines, to omit certain projects that would normally be subject to the California Environmental Quality Act, and require the tribes to pay into the state's general fund a larger lump payment, and/or a percentage of revenue of the additional slots.

Groups on both sides have hired sincere looking native americans, teachers, and others to appear in ads and either proclaim that these propositions benefit both tribes and the rest of california, or, in the alternative, that these propositions only benefit "rich" tribes and fail to provide enough funds for California's struggling budget.With more than a little embarrassment, I must admit that I am somewhat ignorant when it comes to the interplay of the sovereign rights of native american tribes and the roles of the federal and state governments. Why, exactly, California voters are voting on a proposition amending a compact between California and several tribes left me puzzled. Shouldn't this be something dealt with by the feds? I mean, if tribes are treated as sovereign nations, doesn't that mean that the feds have to execute treaties or at least executive agreements with them? Or, since reservations are governed, in part, by the feds (the aptly named "Bureau of Indian Affairs," for example), why does the state, let alone individual voters, have any say in this at all? Others have expressed to me similar confusion, and I had no good answers. And the voter guide, let alone the ads, provide little information. So, I decided to do some research myself. Hope it is helpful for someone.

In a 1987 case called California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians (480 U.S. 202, for the ambitious among you), the Supreme Court invalidated an attempt by California to enforce a portion of the penal code against tribes that operated bingo halls. The Court noted thatIndian tribes retain "attributes of sovereignty over both their members and their territory,' . . . and that "tribal sovereignty is dependent on, and subordinate to, only the Federal Government, not the States" . . . It is clear, however, that state laws may be applied to tribal Indians on their reservations if Congress has expressly so provided.

The Court found that Congress had granted California the authority to enforce criminal provisions, not civil or regulatory provisions, of state law. Since California permitted some gambling, including some bingo, the Court held that the bingo statute was regulatory, not criminal, and therefore, could not be enforced on Indian lands.

A concerned and confused Congress reacted by passing the "Indian Gaming Regulatory Act" ("IGRA") (this was back in the day before they started giving legislation lofty and emotional-laden names like the "Patriot Act" or "No child left behind"). Congress was also confused about the interplay between the tribes and federal and state authority, so they decided to lay down a framework for gaming regulation.

IGRA creates three classes of gaming, each of which is subject to a different level of regulation. Class I gaming covers "social games solely for prizes of minimal value or traditional forms of Indian gaming engaged in by individuals as part of, or in connection with, tribal ceremonies or celebrations." Class II gaming includes bingo and card games, but not banked card games or slot machines, that are explicitly authorized by a state or "not explicitly prohibited by the laws of the State and are [legally] played at any location in the State."

Class III gaming includes "all forms of gaming that are not class I gaming or class II gaming," and thus includes the most controversial high-stakes games usually associated with casinos, as well as slot machines.

Under IGRA, Class III gaming is lawful on Indian lands only if three conditions are satisfied:

(1) authorization by aordinance or resolution of the governing body of the Indian tribe and the Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission ("NIGC");

(2) location in a state that permits such gaming for any purpose by any person, organization, or entity; and

(3) the existence of a Tribal-State compact approved by the Secretary of the Interior.

Well, unfortunately for California tribes, they did not find much of an audience with then governor Pete Wilson, who refused to negotiate with the tribes. The tribes brought suit, arguing that the state had an obligation to negotiate a compact. The tribes lost in a case called Rumsey Indian Rancheria of Wintun Indians v. Wilson, 64 F.3d 1250 (9th Cir. 1996). The Ninth Circuit found that IGRA does not require a state to negotiate over Class III gaming.

In response to their loss, a coalition of tribes went to California voters and put Proposition 5 on the ballot, which required the governor to execute compacts within 30 days after any tribe requested one, or the compacts were deemed approved. In 1998, the voters approved Proposition 5.

Proposition 5 was then put on hold when it was challenged based on the California constitution's prohibition on class III gaming. Before the California Supreme Court had a chance to rule on it, Governor Gray Davis took office and sought to negotiate gaming compacts with the tribes. By September 1999, 57 such compacts had been concluded.

The California Supreme Court then issued an opinion, holding that the state did not have the authority to execute the compacts. To address this problem, the Davis administration proposed Proposition 1A, which amended the California constitution so that Indian tribes would be exempt from the state's constitutional prohibition. In 2000, California voters ratified Proposition 1A. This cleared the way for the governor to execute tribal-state compacts as contemplated Congress via IGRA.

Whew. So that is why and how we have state-tribal compacts. The compacts that are in place today were adopted after a series of negotations between the state and the tribes. Only in the final round of negotiations did the state allow slot machines as well as an exclusive right to conduct Class III gaming in the state in exchange for a percent of tribal gaming revenue.

Propositions 94-97 amend these compacts (to allow more slot machines as well as allow them to operate outside of certain state environmental regulations, but pay more money to the state). The amendments were already negotiated between these specific tribes and the state, and were approved by the legislature.

Bobby knight resigns Texas tech basketball

Bob Knight, major college basketball's all-time winningest men's coach who will be remembered as much for controversy as success, abruptly resigned yesterday.

The decision of the 67-year-old Knight to step down in the middle of the season surprised much of the college basketball world. But Pete Newell, the legendary former coach and a close friend of Knight, was not surprised Knight decided to resign after amassing 902 career victories.

"I'm glad to see he is getting out," Newell said in a telephone interview last night. "He is worn out. Basketball is a lot tougher on coaches now. There is more money. There is more pressure. The media, it is all a lot bigger. You get older, you just don't have the same capacities. "

Knight told the Lubbock (Tex.) Avalanche-Journal that he made his decision to step down after talking to Newell for more than an hour Sunday night. Newell said the two talk often and Knight has broached the subject of retiring before.

Mike Krzyzewski, who played for Knight at Army and began his career as an assistant at Indiana, said in a statement: "Outside of my immediate family, no single person has had a greater impact on my life than Coach Knight. I have the ultimate respect for him as a coach and a mentor, but even more so as a dear friend. For more than 40 years, the life lessons I have learned from Coach are immeasurable. Simply put, I love him."

source

Iclips.net, swarmcast Deadheads for Obama

DEADHEADS FOR OBAMA
featuring
BOB WEIR, MICKEY HART, PHIL LESH , & FRIENDS

The Warfield Theatre
Monday, February 4th, 2008
Doors 6:00 PM/ Show 7:30PM

Tickets are $35.00 general admission (main floor)
and $35.00 reserved seating (balcony) plus applicable service charges
All ages are welcome to attend this event.

Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster.com ONLY.
This is a Will Call only event.

Grateful Dead Members to Reunite for Barack Obama

Members of the Grateful Dead will host a get out the vote
concert in support of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama on
Monday, February 4th at The Warfield Theatre in San Francisco.

Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir, joined by Jackie Greene, John Molo, and
Steve Molitz, will play a show together in support of Barack Obama.

The video website Iclips will be producing a live simulcast streamed via the
Internet on www.iclips.net at approximately 7:30 PM PST.

This will mark the first time that the members of the legendary band have
performed together since 2004. They have agreed to reunite for this
one-time-only event in order to lend support to Senator Obama leading into the
crucial "Super-Tuesday" series of primaries held on Tuesday, February 5th.

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

General hospital, Shell Kepler death

Shell Kepler, best known for playing the gossip-loving nurse Amy Vining on "General Hospital," died on Friday of renal failure at a hospital near her home in Portland, Ore. She was 49. Just over the weekend I was talking about my early '80s love affair with "General Hospital" when a co-worker mentioned having run into Finola Hughes at a Fashion Week event here in New York. It was the summer of '79 and my mom hadn't gone back to work yet, so she was home hooked on "her stories" on ABC. My brother and I quickly got into them too, intrigued by the exploits of Monica and Alan Quartermaine (and evil sister Tracy), Bobbie Spencer, Robert and Holly Scorpio, Luke and Laura -- and dreamy Scotty Baldwin and Joe Kelly.