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Snacks Against Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:26:00 +0000

Don’t smoke, wear sunscreen, exercise—you likely know these top habits for reducing your risk for breast cancer and other forms of the disease (and hopefully you’re already practicing them!). But there’s one more step you can take every day to cut your cancer odds that’s not only simple, it’s also enjoyable: Eat well! “Research suggests the phytochemicals in food can fight cancer by doing everything from preventing cellular changes to stopping the flow of blood to a cancerous tumor,” says Sally Scroggs, R.D., of the Cancer Prevention Center at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. As a general rule, aim to eat 2½ cups of fruit and vegetables each day—vary your choices to get a mix of antioxidants and phytochemicals in your diet. For your main protein sources, eat mostly fish, poultry and beans; studies show consuming more than 18 ounces of red meat per week may increase the risk for colon and pancreatic cancer. Keep your grains whole: Fiber helps move poten-tially carcinogenic waste through your system quickly, which may lower the risk for colorectal cancer, Scroggs says. And finally, sip tea, which contains catechins, antioxidants that may lower cancer risk. Want recipes to get you started? These tasty snacks are so delicious, you won’t even notice how good you’re being. Enjoy two every day.
Vegetables With Creamy Onion Dip

In a glass bowl, microwave 1 diced scallion in ½ tsp olive oil until fragrant, 1 minute. Whisk in 3 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp light sour cream, 1 tsp mayonnaise, ¼ tsp each salt and onion powder and a pinch each of black pepper and gar-lic powder. Serve with 1 cup chopped broccoli and cauliflower.

How it fights cancer: Cruciferous veggies, a class that includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, appear to prevent breast, lung and colon cancer. “Different types of estrogens have been associated with both increased and decreased cancer risk. Cruciferous vegetables help your body process estrogen in a way that might lower risk,” says Gregory A. Plotnik-off, M.D., senior consultant for health care innovation at Allina Hospitals and Clinics in Minnesota.
Super Savory Popcorn

Pop one 100-calorie bag microwave popcorn. Toss with ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika and a pinch of garlic powder.

How it fights cancer: Whole grains have cancer-fighting antioxidants, according to research from the University of Scran-ton in Pennsylvania. Popcorn has the most antioxidants in the snack group; pastas made with whole wheat tops the grain list.
Edamame With Iced Green Tea

Cook 2/3 cup edamame as directed on package. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Serve with 8 to 12 oz iced green tea mixed with ½ tsp honey.

How it fights cancer: To pump up the disease-fighting potential of green tea’s catechins, add a squeeze of citrus: Lemon juice protects the chemicals so more of them are available to your body, a study from Purdue University in West
Tomato Bruschetta

Spread 1 tbsp part-skim ricotta and 2 tbsp store-bought tomato bruschetta topping on each of 3 slices melba toast or toasted whole-grain baguette.

How it fights cancer: Scientists suspect that the lycopene in tomato works as an antioxidant that protects the body’s cells against certain cancers. Bonus: It also helps reduce your risk for heart disease.
Cheese Plate

Serve 1 oz reduced-fat cheddar with 3/4 cup red grapes and 2 whole-grain crackers.

How it fights cancer: Like vino, the skin of fresh red grapes contains the protective chemical resveratrol, which may reduce your risk for both cancer and heart disease and also sharpen your brain. “And there’s no alcohol, which has been linked to certain cancers,” says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., spokeswoman in Sarasota, Florida, for the American Dietetic Association.
Honey-Ginger Blueberries With Mascarpone

In a pan, heat 1 cup blueberries with 1 tbsp honey and ¼ tsp ground ginger until berries become jammy, 5 minutes. Top berries with 1 tbsp mascarpone and ½ sheet graham cracker broken into bits.
How it fights cancer: Anthocyanins, the pigments behind blueberries’ hue, may fight cancer while also helping brain cells fire faster, so you stay sharp. And the berries’ vitamin C may block the effects of cancer-causing free radicals, help prevent cancer from spreading and enhance immunity.

Craving more cancer-preventing foods? Surf to Self.com for a week-long meal plan of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and treats featuring anticancer superfoods.

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Debris Comet Armagedon Pass by on Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:23:00 +0000

The moment long feared by conspiracy theorists is nearly upon us: The "doomsday comet" Elenin will make its closest approach to Earth Sunday (Oct. 16). Or what's left of it will, anyway.

Comet Elenin started breaking up in August after being blasted by a huge solar storm, and a close pass by the sun on Sept. 10 apparently finished it off, astronomers say. So what will cruise within 22 million miles (35.4 million kilometers) of our planet Sunday is likely to be a stream of debris rather than a completely intact comet.

And the leftovers of Elenin won't return for 12,000 years, astronomers say.

"Folks are having trouble finding it, so I think it's probably dead and gone," said astronomer Don Yeomans of the Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. [Gallery: Comet Elenin in Pictures]

That means it probably won't present much of a skywatching show Sunday, scientists have said.

The doomsday comet

Elenin's apparent demise may come as a relief to some folks, since apocalyptic rumors circulating on the Internet portrayed the comet as a major threat to Earth.

One theory claimed Elenin would set off havoc on Earth after aligning with other heavenly bodies, spurring massive earthquakes and tsunamis. Another held that Elenin was not a comet at all, but in fact a rogue planet called Nibiru that would bring about the end times on Earth. After all, the comet's name could be taken as a spooky acronym: "Extinction-Level Event: Nibiru Is Nigh."

Those ideas were pure nonsense, Yeomans said.

"Elenin was a second-rate, wimpy little comet that never should have been noted for anything, really," he told SPACE.com. "It was not even a bright one."

Elenin's remains will not be the only objects about to make their closest pass of Earth. One day after the Elenin flyby, the small asteroid 2009 TM8 will zip close by. Like Elenin, it poses no risk of striking our home planet.

Asteroid 2009 TM8 is about 21 feet (6.4 meters) wide and the size of a schoolbus. It will come within 212,000 miles of Earth – just inside the orbit of the moon – when it zips by on Monday morning (Oct. 17).

Say goodbye to Elenin

Elenin was named after its discoverer, Russian amateur astronomer Leonid Elenin, who spotted it in December 2010. Before the icy wanderer broke up, its nucleus was likely 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 km) in diameter, scientists say.

Elenin never posed any threat to life on Earth, Yeomans said. It was far too small to exert any appreciable influence on our planet unless it managed to hit us.

"Just driving to work every day in my subcompact car is going to have far more of a gravitational effect on Earth than this comet ever will," Yeomans said.

Elenin's supposed connection to earthquakes was just a correlation, and a weak one at that, he added. Relatively strong earthquakes occur every day somewhere on Earth, so it's easy — but not statistically valid — to blame some of them on the comet's changing position.

Yeomans views the frenzy over Elenin as a product of the Internet age, which allows loud and often uninformed voices to drown out the rather more prosaic results that scientists publish in peer-reviewed journals.

"It's a snowball effect on the Web," Yeomans said. "You get one or two folks who make an outrageous claim, and a bunch of others pile on. Some folks are actually making a living this way."

Elenin's crumbs will soon leave Earth in the rear-view mirror, speeding out on a long journey to the outer solar system. But Yeomans doesn't think the departure will keep the conspiracy theorists down for long.

"It's time to move on to the next armageddon," he said.
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Debt-crippled Pa. capital files for bankruptcy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 06:37:00 +0000

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania's distressed capital city filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, citing "imminent jeopardy" from lawsuits related to a debt-saddled municipal incinerator and setting up a power struggle between the mayor and City Council.

The federal petition for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, being sought to help Harrisburg get out from under crushing debt, listed about $458 million in creditors and claims and six pending legal actions by creditors.

"The city does not have the ability to pay those money judgments or any significant portion thereof and still provide health and safety services to its citizens and other essential government services," wrote Mark D. Schwartz, an attorney hired by the City Council.

A spokesman for Mayor Linda Thompson, who has resisted calls for bankruptcy because of fears that it would further blemish the city's name, said the council lacks the legal authority to seek it.

"There are procedural matters the solicitor objects to, as far as how the resolution was handled, and the quote-unquote hiring of counsel," said mayoral spokesman Robert Philbin. "The solicitor also says only the mayor, in conjunction with the solicitor, can file for bankruptcy on behalf of the City of Harrisburg."

The filing was signed by Councilwoman Susan Wilson after a 4-3 vote late Tuesday by the council to authorize it.

At a news conference, Thompson said she was hiring a law firm to challenge the bankruptcy filing, which she called a "sneak attack" by council members.

"I'm ashamed of the behavior, the road jams, the road blocks, the dishonest statements that keep coming out of four members' spirits," Thompson said.

The legal move comes the week before the state Senate is expected to take up a bill, already passed by the House, that would authorize Gov. Tom Corbett to assume many of the city's financial functions in response to the stalemate between Thompson and the council majority.

The bill would empower the governor to declare a state of fiscal emergency and install someone to make many of the critical decisions about government spending and operations.

Schwartz called the pending bill "a political grab" and said it was designed to protect bond insurers.

"You got paid your premiums, OK?" he said. "So pay your losses. This was a great lucrative game."

Municipal bankruptcies are rare, with only a few dozen filed in the United States in the past three decades, and some of those were dismissed. Among them are Orange County, Calif., which took the action in 1994, and Vallejo, Calif., three years ago.

More recently, a state receiver filed for bankruptcy for Central Falls, R.I., in August, and the recovery plan includes cost cutting, higher taxes and pension reductions. Jefferson County, Ala., is considering Chapter 9 as a solution to a $3.1 billion sewer debt problem.

The trash incinerator in question in Pennsylvania is owned by the public Harrisburg Authority -- an independent government agency with appointed members that owns the city's water and sewer systems, as well as the incinerator. Schwartz wrote that the principal amount the city has guaranteed is about $242 million, with $65 million past due.

"The magnitude of that debt is sufficiently large that it dwarfs the city's other liabilities," Schwartz wrote.

The incinerator began operating in 1972, generating steam heat for steel mills and office buildings. In the 1980s, it began generating electricity -- and cancerous chemicals. Pressure from federal environmental regulators led to its shutdown in 2003, and it didn't fully go back on line until 2008, after a costly overhaul.

The incinerator still didn't make money, even as residents paid some of the nation's highest trash disposal fees. Last year, Moody's Investors Service gave Harrisburg the lowest credit rating of any municipality that hadn't already defaulted.

That has hurt the city's ability to pay for civic improvements without huge interest rates.

Thompson has said bankruptcy would promise a further hit to the city's reputation and expensive legal fees -- but no guarantee of financial relief. She has been working to come up with a permanent plan to pay off the debt and has pressed for concessions from lenders, taxpayers, labor unions and contractors.

Philadelphia lawyer Jonathan Hugg, an expert in municipal liability, said questions about the council majority's right to file in the first place raise issues about the city's status as a state-created entity.

"Way back in the beginning, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania set up Harrisburg," he said. "I think a savvy creditor is going to argue that, having loosed this thing into the world, the commonwealth is going to be responsible if it doesn't meet its obligations."

He said creditors also may challenge whether the city's bankruptcy is in good faith, considering its ability to raise taxes.

"There's a political problem that's developed with government not being able to increase streams of revenue," Hugg said. "This is the final result."

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American Idol Achievements

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 06:32:00 +0000

Week Ending Oct. 9, 2011. Albums: Beam Me Up

Scotty McCreery's Clear As Day enters The Billboard 200 at #1. You might expect a debut album by an American Idol winner to open in the top spot, but this is the first one to do so since 2003. Kelly Clarkson, the Season 1 winner, bowed at #1 in April 2003 with Thankful. Ruben Studdard, the Season 2 champ, followed suit that December with Soulful.

The next five Idol winners made the top 10 with their first post-Idol albums, but fell short of the top spot. They were, in order, Fantasia's Free Yourself (#8), Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts (#2), Taylor Hicks' Taylor Hicks (#2), Jordin Sparks' Jordin Sparks (#10) and David Cook's David Cook (#3).

The last two winners before McCreery didn't even make the top 10. Kris Allen's Kris Allen peaked at #11. Lee DeWyze's Live It Up peaked at #19. I haven't written much in the past few years about the declining fortunes of recent Idol winners. It didn't seem to be a reflection of those artists' lack of star power so much as it was a reflection of the franchise's waning power to sell albums. But for McCreery to reverse the trend suggests that the franchise isn't out of gas just yet.

(You may have read that DeWyze was dropped by his label after just one album. This negates the original premise of American Idol-that the winner was destined for recording stardom-but it serves as a reminder of what a tough business this is for artists.)

McCreery's album sold 197K copies this week. That's the biggest first-week tally for a first post-Idol album by an Idol winner since Cook's eponymous album sold 284K in its first week three years ago. But McCreery was edged out by the most prominent runner-up of recent years. Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment sold 198K copies in its first week in 2009.

There were signs that McCreery would have a have a big debut. His two EPs, both titled American Idol Season 10, have sold a combined total of 231K copies. His single, "I Love You This Big," has sold 630K copies.

McCreery turned 18 on Oct. 9, the last day of the tracking week. (A #1 album will be a hard birthday present to top.) McCreery is the second teen artist to reach #1 on The Billboard 200 so far this year. He follows Justin Bieber, who was nine days away from turning 17 when he hit #1 in February with Never Say Never: The Remixes.

McCreery's album also debuts at #1 on Top Country Albums. McCreery is the fourth Idol contestant to reach #1 on this chart. He follows Carrie Underwood, who topped the chart with her first three albums; Kellie Pickler, who scored with her first two albums; and Bucky Covington, who hit #1 with his first album. (Pickler and Covington both competed in Season 5. Pickler finished sixth. Covington finished eighth.)

Billboard's Keith Caulfield adds that McCreery is the youngest male artist to enter The Billboard 200 at #1 with a debut album. He takes the title from Omarion, who was 20 when O debuted at #1 in February 2005. And McCreery is the first country artist to debut at #1 with an initial studio album.

Adele's 21 rebounds to #2 in its 33rd week on the chart. The album has sold 3,885,000 copies. It has already sold more copies than any other album has sold in any calendar year in the last five years. The last albums to sell more copies in a calendar year were Mariah Carey's The Emancipation Of Mimi (4,969,000 in 2005) and 50 Cent's The Massacre (4,853,000 in 2005). 21 may well top both of those albums before the year is through. Its sales will likely swell after the Grammy nominations are announced on Nov. 30 and throughout the holiday sales season.

Tony Bennett's Duets II rebounds from #4 to #3 in its third week. This is its third week in the top five, which equals the mark set by Bennett's 2006 album Duets: An American Classic. The last Duets album to spend more than three weeks in the top five was Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company. It spent six weeks in the top five in 2004-2005.

Feist's Metals debuts at #7. It's the first top 10 album for Feist, whose 2007 album The Reminder peaked at #16. (That album has sold 735K copies.) Feist received four Grammy nominations in 2007. Two of them were for the top 10 hit "1234."

Jack's Mannequin was conceived as a side project for Andrew McMahon, the lead singer of the band Something Corporate. But a funny thing has happened. The side project has done better on the charts than the band has. Jack's Mannequin this week lands its second top 10 album. Something Corporate's highest-charting album, North, peaked at #24 in 2003.

Adele's "Someone Like You" and "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera hold at #1 and #2 on Hot Digital Songs. Which will come out on top on the Hot 100? You'll find out later today when we post Chart Watch: Songs.

If you missed my Chart Watch Extra in which I listed every top 10 hit ever written by Burt Bacharach and/or Hal David, you have a second chance to read it. (They have been tapped to receive an award named after another peerless songwriting team, George and Ira Gershwin.) Here's a link.

Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.

1. Scotty McCreery, Clear As Day, 197,000. This new entry sold 36K digital copies, which puts it at #1 on Top Digital Albums. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "I Love You This Big" rebounds from #181 to #83. "The Trouble With Girls" re-enters at #137.

2. Adele, 21, 112,000. The former #1 album rebounds from #3 to #2 in its 33rd week. It has been in the top five the entire time. Five songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "Someone Like You," which holds at #1 for the third week.

3. Tony Bennett, Duets II, 71,000. The former #1 album rebounds from #4 to #3 in its third week.

4. Lady Antebellum, Own The Night, 58,000. The former #1 album rebounds from #6 to #4 in its fourth week. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "Just A Kiss" re-enters at #33. "We Owned The Night" jumps from #62 to #58.

5. J. Cole, Cole World: The Sideline Story, 54,000. The former #1 album drops from #1 to #5 in its second week. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "Workout" jumps from #66 to #50. "Can't Get Enough" (featuring Trey Songz) drops from #70 to #155.

6. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter IV, 53,000. The former #1 album rebounds from #7 to #6 in its sixth week. Five songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "How To Love," which drops from #19 to #22.

7. Feist, Metals, 38,000. This new entry is Feist's first top 10 album. Her breakthrough album, The Reminder, reached #16 in 2007.

8. Rodney Atkins, Take A Back Road, 35,000. This new entry is Atkins' second top 10 album. If You're Going Through Hell hit #3 in 2006. "Take A Back Road" jumps from #32 to #17 on Hot Digital Songs.

9. Jack's Mannequin, People And Things, 31,000. This new entry is the act's second top 10 album. The Glass Passenger hit #8 in 2008.

10. Blink-182, Neighborhoods, 31,000. The album drops from #2 to #10 in its second week. "After Midnight" drops from #52 to #187 on Hot Digital Songs.

Four albums drop out of the top 10 this week. Wilco's The Whole Love drops from #5 to #11, Switchfoot's Vice Verses drops from #8 to #28, Chickenfoot's Chickenfoot III drops from #9 to #29, and Mastodon's The Hunter dives from #10 to #44.

Two rock bands from Florida debut in the top 40. Mayday Parade's Mayday Parade debuts at #12. New Found Glory's Radiosurgery bows at #26. This is Mayday Parade's highest-charting album to date.

Adele's 2008 album 19 jumps from #25 to #19. It returns to #1 on Top Catalog Albums, displacing Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon. This is its 23rd week on top. It's far and away the #1 catalog album of the year. Among all albums, it's #27 for the year.

Mutemath's Odd Soul bows at #24. It's the rock band's second top 30 album. Armistice hit #18 in 2009.

Indigo Girls' Beauty Queen Sister debuts at #36. The folk-pop duo first charted in April 1989 with Indigo Girls. They were nominated for a Grammy as Best New Artist, but lost to Milli Vanilli (whose award was later revoked following a lip-syncing scandal). The Recording Academy opted not to give the award to the artist with the second highest number of votes. Their "winners book" simply skips over 1989. Based on longevity (an important factor in this category), Indigo Girls deserved the award. They are still charting 22 years later. How about the other nominees? Tone Loc and Neneh Cherry never returned to The Billboard 200 after their hit debut albums. (At least Milli Vanilli got back on the chart with a 1990 remix album.) Soul II Soul charted with two more albums, through 1992. I'm sure academy officials wish Indigo Girls had won the award in the first place. The award to Milli Vanilli was an embarrasing episode for the academy.

The Lost Notebooks Of Hank Williams debuts at #42. The album consists of a dozen songs that the country legend had left unfinished when he died in 1953. They were recorded by such artists as Alan Jackson, Bob Dylan, Norah Jones and Williams' granddaughter, Holly Williams. Williams and his backing group, the Drifting Cowboys, first hit the country chart in August 1947 with "Move It On Over." They first topped the country chart in May 1949 with "Lovesick Blues."

The Drive soundtrack drops from #46 to #89 in its fourth week. It's the top-ranking soundtrack for the second straight week; the top-ranking soundtrack to a theatrically-released movie for the third time in four weeks.

Paul McCartney's Paul McCartney's Ocean's Kingdom debuts at #143. McCartney is joined by John Wilson and the London Classical Orchestra on the album, which consists of four movements. This is the highest-charting of McCartney's three classical albums. Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio reached #177 in 1991. Paul McCartney's Standing Stone hit #194 in 1997. The new album vaults from #58 to #3 on Top Classical Albums, behind Jackie Evancho's Dream With Me and Tori Amos' Night Of Hunters.

Real Steel was #1 at the box-office over the weekend. The soundtrack features Bad Meets Evil, Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, 50 Cent and the Crystal Method. It sold about 1K copies, too few to make The Billboard 200.

Jackie Evancho's Dream With Me In Concert returns to #1 on Top Music Videos. It has been #1 in two of its four weeks.

Coming Attractions: Evanescence's Evanescence, the group's first album in five years, is expected to vie with Adele's album for the #1 spot next week. Five Finger Death Punch's American Capitalist will probably open at #3. Three other albums are looking at top 10 debuts: Lauren Alaina's Wildflower, Ryan Adams' Ashes & Fire and Martina McBride's Eleven. Also due: Joe Jonas' Fastlife, Johnny Gill's Still Winning, Bjork's Biophilia, A.N.T. Farm soundtrack featuring China Anne McClain and Taylor Swift's music video Journey To Fearless.

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Guinness names Filipino as world's shortest man

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:44:00 +0000

SINDANGAN, Philippines (AP) — A poor Filipino blacksmith's son who stands less than 2 feet (60 centimeters) tall was declared the world's shortest man by Guinness World Records on his 18th birthday Sunday, sparking a celebration in his hometown.

The title was bestowed on Junrey Balawing in Sindangan in the southern Philippines, with his parents, villagers and officials showering the coastal town's newly famous resident with a feast of roasted pigs and seafood, cake, balloons and cash gifts.

Balawing measured 23.5 inches (60 centimeters) during the ceremony attended by about 100 villagers and journalists at the town hall. Guinness World Records representative Craig Glenday presented Balawing with official recognition of his status as the shortest adult man in the world, with the framed certificate nearly reaching the ears of the standing recipient.

Balawing, who wore a white shirt emblazoned with the Guinness seal, took over the title from Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal, who is 26.4 inches (67 centimeters) tall, Glenday said.

Dozens of journalists descended on Sindangan, a fishing and farming town of 90,000 located about 450 miles (730 kilometers) south of Manila, to cover the event.

"Thank you," Balawing told the crowd in a local dialect which was translated by his father, Reynaldo. Balawing tried repeatedly before managing to blow out the candles on the cake and clapped heartily each time the crowd applauded. He was later heard saying "Kapoy," or "I'm tired."

Balawing — who is about the size of a toddler and has a child's demeanor — needs to hold onto something to stand because of weak knees. He was photographed propping himself up with empty Coca-Cola bottles, which were taller than his waistline.

Balawing's mother grew teary-eyed during the ceremony, saying she was happy with her son's instant fame.

Glenday said he was struck by Balawing's lively personality and constant smile.

"Although he's short, he takes that in stride," Glenday told The Associated Press. "He has this cheeky smile."

Aside from the Guinness certificate, the crown does not come with any cash award. Glenday said he hopes the international fame will bring in gifts and donations, particularly medical supplies to ensure Balawing's health.

Nobody could explain why Balawing stopped growing two months after his birth, his father said, adding that he first walked with help from his parents when he was 5 years old.

Sindangan Vice Mayor Bess Jagonio, a doctor, speculated that he may have had an endocrine or a birth-related defect.

Balawing's brother and two sisters are all average size.

His family said they tried to send Balawing to school but withdrew him after he distracted other children's attention.

Local officials got the idea of informing the Guinness records committee about Balawing from journalists who learned about his size.

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Coasta Rica 2011 Tourist Spot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:44:00 +0000

Costa Rica, with its beautiful beaches, vibrant culture and stunning wildlife, has long been a peaceful haven in Latin America for US tourists -- but now, it seems that the rest of the world is getting in on the action.

Recent figures have shown that the number of US tourists is declining in favor of visitors from other regions, predominantly Central and South Americans, keen to experience the Costa Rican promise of 'Pura Vida' (pure life).

With the launch of a new route from Air Berlin this November, that could soon include European tourists, although visitors would do well to visit before the rush really begins -- in the first three months of this year, the country has already seen a spike of 7.8 percent in arrivals.

Already lauded this year by the International Business Times and TripAdvisor, Costa Rica is a rich and thought-provoking destination -- here's a look at some of the best things to do in a country that prides itself on having 'no artificial ingredients':

See the wildlife. Costa Rica is one of the planet's most biodiverse nations, offering everything from bird watching to whale-spotting thanks to terrain which is uniquely varied. The best way to do this, however, is to…

Take a canopy tour. Invented in Costa Rica in the 1990s, the idea of whizzing above the treetops on a zip line has gained popularity across the continent, but the country's incredible forestry remains one of the best places to do it.

Raft. Costa Rica offers some of the world's best white-water rafting, even if it is terrifying. Still, the risks are easy to forget as you bounce down the Río Reventazón, hanging on by a thread and trying desperately not to miss the incredible jungle wildlife.

See Liberia. Costa Rica's capital San José isn't for everybody, but Liberia offers a far more charming base from which to explore the country and an increasing number of international flights to get there.

See the Pacific and the Atlantic - from a volcano. Thirty kilometers outside of San José, the Irazu volcano is the most active of Costa Rica's volcanoes, but for now it makes a great day out. From the 3,432-meter high tip -- accessible by car through the national park -- it's possible to see both oceans on a clear day.

Get muddy. Don't miss a chance to splash around in the volcanic mud pits of parks like Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja, which sits 25 km to the north of Liberia. There are several independent spas in the region.

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U.S not coming to aid Ph againts China

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:43:00 +0000

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The United States has said it will not side with any party in the Spratlys conflict, which is to say that the Philippines' most powerful ally will not be coming to its aid should its spat with China escalate into a shooting war.

The US Embassy made this clear in reaction to a Malacanang (the presidential palace) statement expressing confidence that Washington would honour its commitment under the two countries' Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT) to come to the aid of a beleaguered ally.

"The US does not take sides in regional territorial disputes," the US press attache Rebecca Thompson said in an e-mailed statement when contacted for comment to deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte's invoking of the 60-year-old MDT.

Thompson said the US was "troubled by incidents in the South China Sea in recent days that have raised tensions in the region" and that Washington opposes "the use or threat of force" by any of the countries with rival claims to the Spratly islands.

The brief statement said the US "shares a number of national interests with the international community in the South China Sea" but did not mention the Philippines or the two countries' over-a-hundred-year-old ties and mutual defence pact.

In an interview on state-run dzRB radio earlier on Saturday, Valte figured the Philippines could count on its superpower ally should the situation with China deteriorate because of the MDT.

"I haven't seen the terms of the MDT quite recently but I know that as an ally, the United States will help if ever it reaches that point because of the Mutual Defence Treaty," she said.

"Hopefully, it doesn't get to that point because, again, we are committed to the resolution of the issue in the most diplomatic and the most peaceful way possible," she added.

Armed Forces Chief General Eduardo Oban was also earlier quoted as saying that the military remained "hopeful that the Americans will not stand aside should the conflict erupt and that they can invoke the MDT with the US".

The MDT was signed on Aug 13, 1951, in Washington, DC with both parties declaring "publicly and formally their sense of unity and their common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack".

Under the eight articles of the treaty, both parties agree to aid and support each other in settling any international disputes by peaceful means, among others.

Sentor Francis Escudero said the Department of Foreign Affairs should be designated as the lead agency to talk about the Spratlys issue in public.

Avoid any mistakes

He said Malacanang should not do so through its spokespersons "in order to avoid any faux pas on our part".

Escudero said the government should also review the MDT to ascertain if US forces would indeed come to the rescue if the Philippines is attacked because of the Spratlys dispute.

He said Palace officials should carefully review the MDT, read through its fine print and get confirmations from the US government "if indeed this situation is covered".

But he remained optimistic that US military support would be given in case of an armed conflict as "a gesture of longstanding friendship".

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the House would leave it to the Department of Foreign Affairs assert the country's sovereignty claim over the West Philippine Sea.

"The DFA is articulating our position and we're supporting it," he said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Commodore Miguel Rodriguez said the AFP leaves it to the DFA to make an official comment on the developments in the Spratlys issue.

Not joining Viet Nam

"We submit our reports to the DFA and the DFA crafts the country's position on KIG [Kalayaan Island Group] affairs," he said, referring to the portion of the Spratlys claimed by the Philippines.

He also said the military was not joining Viet Nam, another Spratlys claimant, in the deepening rift with China over the issue.

"We are not looking at partnering with one country against another country," he said.

At a Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Independence Day dinner Saturday night, President Aquino came face to face with Chinese Ambassador Liu Jiangchao who only a few days ago had warned claimant states to stop exploring for oil in the Spratlys.

"Like all neighbours, I know we may have our disagreements sometimes," Aquino said in his speech, acknowledging Liu's presence.

"(But) no one can deny the benefits our relationship has brought to both our countries throughout the years," he added.

Liu adverted to "incidents" that have arisen between the two countries since Aquino came to power.

"But facts have manifested we are stronger than these tests," he said.

Liu said the August 23 botched hostage crisis involving Hong Kong tourists had been settled with a "loving and understanding heart".

"The last thing the Chinese government and people want to see is that the [Spratlys] dispute stands in the way of the progress of our wonderful relations and the friendship and brotherhood of our two peoples," Liu said, who hinted at a visit to China from Aquino later this year.

In the past two weeks, the Philippines has accused China of making at least six incursions into Philippine territory in the past four months, a charge that Beijing has dismissed as rumors.

Recently, the Aquino government has made a point of referring to the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea to bolster its claim to certain parts of the Spratlys. With reports from Christian V. Esguerra, DJ Yap and Cynthia D. Balana

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Selena Gomez meets Bieber family

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:40:00 +0000

Justin Bieber has taken Selena Gomez to visit his hometown.
The singing sensation was accompanied to his sister’s belated birthday gathering in Canada by his 18-year-old girlfriend, who met his extended family.
The trip comes after the pair enjoyed a romantic break to Hawaii together after sharing a public kiss at the Billboard Music Awards. Prior to visiting Canada, the couple also spent time at Selena’s home in Texas.
The talented twosome were spotted enjoying lunch at the Swiss Chalet in Toronto on Wednesday. A source has revealed that they were joined by his cousins, aunt and uncle at the restaurant, and were relaxed whilst they tucked into a variety of hearty meals.
"They were really sweet and make an adorable couple. Justin comes here whenever he's in town. For lunch he had the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and Selena had a cheese burger with fries,” a source told Hollywood Life.
Justin, 17, and Selena were also seen spending time with his father Jeremy and half-siblings, Jazmyn and Jaxon, at a local park. The pretty brunette was apparently a hit with her beau’s family who instantly warmed to her down-to-earth nature.
"They looked like one big happy family. The little kids took to Selena straight away and they were all laughing and joking around. They couldn't have been happier,” a source revealed to Us Magazine.
The American stars are rumoured to have been romancing for several months, but only went public with their relationship at February’s Vanity Fair Oscar party. Selena has received several death threats from a number of Justin’s devoted fans since they stepped out together.
"Selena Gomez is dangerously close to a long, slow painful death,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
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London Olympic Park completed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:35:00 +0000

London 2012 officials say construction on public transportation to the Olympic Park site has been completed, more than a year ahead of the Summer Games.
The Olympic Delivery Authority says the work was completed at Stratford Station, which is the main transportation hub for visitors to the Olympic Park in east London.
About $10.6 million is being spent on Britain's transportation for the Olympics. Ten rail routes including the high-speed Javelin, Eurostar and Docklands Light Railway will serve Stratford.
London Mayor Boris Johnson says "thanks to the Games and the massive settlement we've secured from central government, London is seeing a neo-Victorian age of investment in its transport infrastructure."
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Rats on Board

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:18:00 +0000

A flight crew checking the cabin of a Qantas plane before takeoff found rats in a compartment holding medical equipment, grounding the plane for more than a day, a spokeswoman said Thursday.
Crews did a visual check of the plane Tuesday afternoon and found no more rats or any damage. The rodents had been in a cabinet holding a defibrillator. The plane returned to service Thursday morning.
Passengers had not yet boarded the Sydney-to-Brisbane flight and were instead put on another plane.
A Qantas spokeswoman called the incident "very unusual." She declined to be named, citing policy.
But Scott Connolly of the Transportation Workers Union told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio on Thursday that members have had concerns about hygiene and sanitation on Qantas flights.
The spokeswoman denied that was the case. "This is a very irregular occurrence," she said.
Qantas, Australia's national carrier, has experienced a series of troubles in recent months, including an engine explosion and forced landings.
Earlier this week, a Qantas flight from Dallas, Texas, to Australia made an unscheduled stop on a Pacific island after pilots feared they might run out of fuel because of strong headwinds. The Qantas spokeswoman said the airline was committed to the route — which is new and one of the world's longest for Boeing 747 jets.
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Bulls Goes to Eastern Finals

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 May 2011 05:37:00 +0000

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The Chicago Bulls advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998 with a series-clinching 93-73 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
Displaying the kind of offensive and defensive balance that earned them the best regular-season record, the Bulls brushed past the Hawks to close out the best-of-seven series 4-2.
Chicago will now face the in-form Miami Heat for a place in the NBA Finals.
"It's going to be a battle. They're a great team, they're playing together great as a team and we are too," Chicago's Derrick Rose told reporters of the upcoming series.
"We're at a place where we've never been. We're happy, the fans are happy and we're just trying to keep it going."
Rose, the League's most valuable player (MVP), has helped the Chicago franchise reach a level not seen since the Michael Jordan-led glory days of the 1990s.
On Thursday, he delivered one of his most efficient performances of the postseason, finishing with 19 points and 12 assists while taking just 14 shots -- nearly half of his series average.
Rose's team mates carried more of the load with Carlos Boozer tallying 23 points and 10 rebounds.
"I'm just getting a little better every day and playing off the MVP," said Boozer, who has been hampered by a toe injury during the playoffs. "We just got done with a great challenge against a great team."
The Hawks were blitzed from the start, trailing by 10 after the first and second quarters, before falling behind by 17 after three.
Joe Johnson scored a team-high 19 points and Josh Smith added 18 for the Hawks.
Having pulled off an upset win over the Orlando Magic in the first round series, Atlanta stole the opener against Chicago to position itself nicely.
But the Hawks lost the next two games of the series then were pushed to the brink with a Game Five loss on Tuesday.
Atlanta was held to just 36 percent shooting in the finale.
The Bulls, meanwhile, thrived making 53 percent of their field goals and tallying a playoff-high 34 assists on the night.

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Teacher's Licensure Exam Result in April 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 May 2011 05:30:00 +0000

A total of 12,946 teachers out of more than 62,000 examinees passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) given last April in the Philippines and Hong Kong, according to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board for Professional Teachers (BPT).
Of the successful examinees, 5,221 of 33,023 passed the LET for elementary teachers with a passing rate of 15.81 percent, while 7,690 secondary teachers out of 29,267 examinees passed the LET for high school teachers with a passing rate of 26.28 percent.
Meanwhile, 35 others out of 339 examinees passed the LET for the Accelerated Teacher Education Program (A.T.E.P.).

Examination Results of two examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities.
The University of the Philippines was the top performing school in the LET for secondary teachers with 69 of 71 examinees passing the exam.
To view the complete list, see:

* Results of Licensure Examination for Teachers - Elementary
* Results of Licensure Examination for Teachers - Secondary
* Results of Licensure Examination for Teachers - ATEP

The Board for Professional Teachers is composed of Dr. Faith Bachiller, chairman; Dr. Reynaldo Peña and Dr. Jesus Nieves, members.
The exam was held last April 3 in 14 testing centers in Lucena, Tuguegarao, Metro Manila, Region IV, Tacloban, Legazpi, Iloilo, Zamboanga, Pagadian, Baguio, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, and Hong Kong.
The requirements for the issuance of a Certificate of Registration and a Professional Identification Card (ID) are the following:Duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal
latest Community Tax Certificate (Cedula)
1 piece 1" x 1" picture (colored with white background and complete name tag);
2 pieces 2" x 2" picture (colored with white background and complete name tag);
metered documentary stamp for the Oath Form and
the initial registration fee of P600 and annual registration fee of P450 for 2011-2014.The successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.
The registration date for the issuance of the IDs and certifications will be announced at a later date. — VS, GMA News

Microsoft is Buying Skype?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:02:00 +0000

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft is close to buying internet telephony network Skype in an $8.5 billion deal, a source familiar with the situation said, as it seeks to regain ground on growing rivals such as Google. Buying the loss-making but popular Skype would underline Microsoft's need to gain new customers and platforms for its software as smartphones and tablets explode in popularity. Skype, which allows people to make calls at no charge, would also give Microsoft a foothold in potentially the lucrative video-conferencing market as global businesses seeking to reduce expenditure shift to lower-cost ways of communicating. Microsoft has already put more energy and resources into mobile and internet technologies as the use of PCs, which underpin its Windows and Office franchise, is under threat. This change was starkly illustrated last year when Apple's portfolio of coveted consumer goods propelled it past Microsoft to become the world's most valuable technology company. The maker of iPhones and iPads has since been named as the most valuable brand too, overtaking Google. The Skype deal -- which would be the biggest in the 36-year history of the world's largest software company -- is expected to be announced as early as Tuesday morning, the source told Reuters. Microsoft and Luxembourg-based Skype declined comment. The $8.5 billion mooted price tag, including debt, was a surprise. Although the sum would not stretch cash-rich Microsoft, some said it was high for a company whose ownership has changed several times during its relatively short life. "In this atmosphere of Internet Bubble 2.0, picking up an unprofitable online company for roughly 10 times sales probably seems downright cheap," Shanghai-based Michael Clendenin, managing director of consulting firm RedTech Advisors, said. "But if you consider (it) was just valued at about $2.5 billion 18 months ago when a chunk was sold off, then $8.5 billion seems generous and means Microsoft has a high wall to climb to prove to investors that Skype is a necessary linchpin for the company's online and mobile strategy," he added. This was echoed by Ben Wood, head of research firm CCS Insight: "The big unanswered question is how do Skype assets work for Micrososft, they already have instant messaging, IP telephony...how do you justify the price?" "That being said, Skype is a vibrant community, a diverse global community with a young population and Skype is making inroads into older parts of the population too," Wood added. Skype, which delayed plans for an initial public offering expected to raise $1 billion, has been looking at other options, including tie-ups with Facebook and Google. Such a deal was seen as valuing Skype at $3 billion to $4 billion. STOCK LANQUISHING Despite doubling sales and profit in the last eight years, Microsoft's stock has largely languished, as investors worry about its ability to counter new rivals or adapt to new ways of computing, especially the threat posed by new mobile devices. Microsoft has countered with a new version of its mobile software -- which will power the next generation of Nokia smartphones -- and is developing a new operating system that will work on low-power tablet PCs. But online video chat remains a weakness. Although the company already has video in its Windows Live Messenger service, it is not available on its Windows Phone 7 software. Skype also makes versions of its own service for use on iPhone and iPad, Research in Motion's BlackBerry and Android phones. It cannot be used on Microsoft phones. Apple's FaceTime video calling service -- available on its latest iPhone and Mac computers -- has been a big hit. Google recently followed suit by adding video to its popular Google Talk application for smartphones running on its Android system. CASH PILE Despite being its most expensive to date, the deal would still be relatively small for Microsoft, which has $50 billion in cash and short-term investments on its balance sheet. The price would likely include $686 million in long-term debt. "I think the price is quite reasonable," said Sean Lee, a Taipei-based manager of the Global Top Dividend Fund at Shinkong Investment Trust, which owns Microsoft shares. Skype, which was formed in 2003, was bought by Ebay Inc in 2005 for $3.1 billion. Last year it had in $860 million in revenue but made a net loss of $7 million, according to data in its initial public offering filing. In 2009, eBay sold a majority stake in Skype to an investor group including Silver Lake, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Andreessen Horowitz for $1.9 billion in cash and a $125 million note. EBay retained about a third. Last year, Skype had about 124 million connected users every month by the end of June. But 8.1 million were paying customers, using Skype to make calls to traditional phones at low rates. A deal would exceed the $6 billion Microsoft paid for online ad agency aQuantive in 2007, which was not a success. Microsoft shareholders are relieved its $47.5 billion offer for Yahoo Inc in 2008 was rebuffed, paving the way for a web-search agreement which gives Microsoft most of what it wanted anyway. Yahoo shares have halved in value. Microsoft's most high profile internet buy was the $240 million paid for a 1.6 percent share in Facebook in 2007. It is also ploughing money into its MSN internet portal and Bing search engine, racking up $7 billion in losses over four years. Technology sector mergers and acquisitions have spiked since last summer, driven by increased confidence in the economy and companies facing pressure to spend mountains of cash. Global deal volume year to date is up 55 percent when compared with the same period in 2010, recent figures from Thomson Reuters show. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are advising Skype, the source said, while Microsoft is not using advisers. (Additional reporting by Megan Davies and Bill Rigby, Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore, Clare Jim in Taipei and Melanie Lee in Singapore; Tarmo Virki in Helsinki and Nicola Leske in Frankfurt; Editing by Anshuman Daga and Alexander Smith)
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Facebook Linked Keys data

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:01:00 +0000

US computer security firm Symantec has said that Facebook accidentally left a door open for advertisers to access profiles, pictures, chat and other private data at the social network.
Facebook told AFP that there was no evidence anyone stepped through that door and swiped any information from the accounts of its more than 500 million members.
Symantec discovered that certain Facebook applications leaked tokens that act essentially as "spare keys" for accessing profiles, reading messages, posting to walls or other actions.
Facebook applications are Web software programs that are integrated onto the leading online social network's platform. Symantec said that 20 million Facebook applications, such as games, are installed every day.
"We appreciate Symantec raising this issue and we worked with them to address it immediately," Facebook said in response to an AFP inquiry.
The tokens were being leaked to third-party applications including advertisers and analytics platforms, allowing them to post messages or mine personal information from profiles, according to Nishant Doshi of Symantec.
"Fortunately, these third-parties may not have realized their ability to access this information," Doshi said in a blog post.
"We have reported this issue to Facebook, who has taken corrective action to help eliminate this issue."
Symantec estimated that as of April, nearly 100,000 applications were giving away keys to Facebook profiles.
"We estimate that over the years, hundreds of thousands of applications may have inadvertently leaked millions of access tokens to third parties," Doshi said.
Facebook confirmed the problem, which was discovered by Doshi and Symantec colleague Candid Wueest, according to the computer security firm.
But Facebook said the Symantec report had a few "inaccuracies."
There was no evidence that the problem resulted in private information being gleaned from Facebook members' accounts, according to the California-based social networking service.
"In addition, this report ignores the contractual obligations of advertisers and developers which prohibit them from obtaining or sharing user information in a way that violates our policies," Facebook said.
There was no reliable estimate of how many tokens have been leaked since the release of Facebook applications in 2007.
Despite whatever fix Facebook has put in place, token data may still be stored in files on third-party computers, Symantec warned.
"Concerned Facebook users can change their Facebook passwords to invalidate leaked access tokens," Doshi said.
"Changing the password invalidates these tokens and is equivalent to 'changing the lock' on your Facebook profile."
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Pacquiao vs Marquez III

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:58:00 +0000

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will face Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez at a 145-pound catchweight if the proposed fight pushes through, Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, said.

Marquez, who already fought Pacquiao in two tight battles, reportedly asked the Filipino champion to go down to 143 pounds to make their third fight.

Koncz, however, said Pacquiao won’t fight Marquez at a weight any lower than 145 pounds.

"It's 145, and not 143. We've had general discussions with [Top Rank Promotions CEO] Bob Arum, but we haven't sat down, Manny and I, to make a decision," said Koncz in BoxingScene.com.

Pacquiao, who recently defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Shane Mosley, is currently fighting at 147 pounds.

Marquez, the reigning WBO and World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion, is seen by many fight experts as the next best opponent for Pacquiao in the absence of pound-for-pound great Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The Mexican first met Pacquiao in 2004 in a fight that ended in a controversial draw.

They fought again 4 years later, when Pacquiao eked out a split decision to take away Marquez’s WBC super featherweight title.

Arum is currently working to arrange a third fight between the two boxers.

Koncz said they will just wait for Arum to present options about the Marquez fight.

"I don't think that there is a rush to do it," said Koncz. "Let Manny get some rest and spend some time with his family after spending long, hard weeks in training camp. We don't have to come up with a decision this week.
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17 Things you must know from Justin Bieber

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:54:00 +0000

Justin may only be 17 years old, but he has achieved milestones fellow artists take a lifetime to accomplish, not to mention his incredible talent and gorgeous looks that have captivated his fans around the world.
To keep up with the world's "Beliebers," here's a list of 17 trivia you may find helpful in knowing more about the young singer-performer and how they add up to his phenomenal rise as a pop star.

1. Number 1 albums. Proving the Bieber fever, Justin's two albums, "My World 2.0" and "Never Say Never: The Remixes" have reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. "Never Say Never: The Remixes" has sold 165,000 copies in its first week

2. Drummer boy at 2. Justin began drumming at the tender age of 2. Other than drums, music lover Justin also plays piano, guitar and trumpet.

3. 3D movie: Never Say Never. Get a glimpse of Justin's life on his first 3D movie, documenting the pop star's life ten days before his concert in Madison Square Garden in August 2010, which sold out tickets in 22 minutes.

4. Four awards in 2010 American Music Awards. Justin knows how to sweep awards, he won "Artist of the Year," Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist," "T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist," "Favorite Pop/Rock Album."

5. 5'4" in height. According to IMDB in 2010, Justin's height is 5'4. Justin even joked about his height in USA Today, "Thanks to the music industry, I'm going to be really short."

6. Favorite number. Justin's favorite number is 6. His other favorites are color purple, Supra shoes and Ne-yo's "So Sick" song.

7. "The Seven." Justin guested in MTV's "The Seven" show to promote his movie, "Never Say Never." His guesting created much pandemonium having his fan girls camped outside the building in tents for hours.

8. 8th in Twitter Top Trends. Having over 9 million followers in Twitter, Justin placed 8th in the 2010 Overall Top Trends in Twitter. For the people category, Justin placed first.

9. Nine million followers. If Twitter is a country, Justin could have been voted as the president. In April 2011, Justin made the 9 million mark on Twitter, making him the second celebrity to reach that mark, having Lady Gaga as the first celebrity to gain 9 million followers.

10. Justin's "Top Ten" on the "David Letterman Show." David Letterman's usual audiences might not be the Beliebers, but their parents instead; however, Justin's guesting on the show charmed both young and adult audiences. The category is "Top 10 Reasons It's Fun to be Justin Bieber," which includes this reason ""When I'm sick, my doctor makes hilarious jokes about 'Bieber Fever.'"

11. 11 Billboard nominations. With eleven Billboard nominations, including "Top Artist," "Top Billboard 200 Album," "Top Male Artist" and "Top Artist," we wonder how many Justin can snag. The Billboard Music Awards will be broadcasted in May 22, 2011.

12. YouTube sensation at 12. Justin's mother, Malette, uploaded Justin's video of him singing Ne-yo's "So Sick" when he was twelve.

13. Recording artist at 13. Teen sensation Justin signed contract with Island Records and RBMG when he was thirteen. He also first met Ludacris, his featuring artist in "Baby," when he was thireteen.

14. 14 eye-candy colors. Wonder how to have one less lonely girl? Justin collaborated with Nicole by OPI for the "One Less Lonely Girl" collection with 14 colors, named after his hits! Paint your nails with "Baby Blue," "Step 2 the Beat of my ♥, OMB!," "Me + Blue," and "Give Me the First Dance."

15. "Somebody to Love" reached number fifteen in the US chart. Justin's second single, "Somebody to Love" from his album "My World 2.0" which was released in April 10, 2010, reached number ten in Canada, fifteen in the US and the top twenty in other countries.

16. Released a memoir at 16. Justin was 16 years old when he released "Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story."

17. 17th birthday. Justin celebrated his 17th birthday with his girlfriend, Selena Gomez, at Los Angeles Italian restaurant Maggiano's Little Italy for a candlelit dinner. On his 17th birthday, Justin asked his fans to donate $17 to Charitywater to help make a change, instead of giving him gifts.

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Lakers coach Jackson bids farewell after playoff

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Phil Jackson, the most successful coach in NBA history, walked gingerly off the court for what is likely to be the final time following the Los Angeles Lakers' season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Having led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s, and the Lakers to five since, the 65-year-old has called it a career after his 20th season as a head coach.
"All of my hopes and aspirations are that this is the final game that I will coach," Jackson told reporters after his Lakers were swept from the playoffs in a crushing 122-86 defeat to the Mavericks.
"This has been a wonderful run. I go out with a sour note after being fined 35,000 dollars by the league earlier today."
The NBA fined Jackson earlier in the day for comments made about the officiating in the series.
The penalty hardly detracts from the astounding career the Hall of Famer Jackson has enjoyed, including the 11 NBA titles and suffering just 10 playoff series losses.
There is considerable caution about declaring a definitive end to Jackson's career as he has walked away from the game before only to return after a break.
Jackson ended his tenure with the Bulls in 1998, and after a one-year absence, joined the Lakers in the 1999-2000 season. Following a loss with Los Angeles in the NBA Finals in 2004, Jackson took another year out before rejoining the Lakers for a second stint in the 2005-06 campaign.
Lakers All Star Kobe Bryant, who has won each of his five titles with Jackson as coach, said he a hard time imagining playing for anyone else.
"It's tough to put into words what he's meant for me," Bryant said. "I grew up under him. The way I approach and think about things, a lot of it comes from him because I've been around him so much.
"It's a little weird for me to think of what next year is going to be like."

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Asteroid's Approach in November

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:41:00 +0000

An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will come closer to Earth this autumn than our own moon does, causing scientists to hold their breath as it zooms by. But they'll be nervous with excitement, not with worry about a possible disaster.
There's no danger of an impact when the asteroid 2005 YU55 makes its close flyby Nov. 8, coming within 201,700 miles (325,000 kilometers) of Earth, scientists say.
So they're looking forward to the encounter, which could help them learn more about big space rocks.
"While near-Earth objects of this size have flown within a lunar distance in the past, we did not have the foreknowledge and technology to take advantage of the opportunity," Barbara Wilson, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement. "When it flies past, it should be a great opportunity for science instruments on the ground to get a good look." [Photos: Asteroids in Deep Space]
Getting to know YU55
Asteroid 2005 YU55 is about 1,300 feet (400 meters) wide. It was discovered in December 2005 by the Spacewatch program at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Because of the asteroid’s size and orbital characteristics, astronomers have flagged 2005 YU55 as potentially dangerous down the road. But the upcoming encounter is no cause for alarm, researchers said.
"YU55 poses no threat of an Earth collision over, at the very least, the next 100 years," said Don Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at JPL. "During its closest approach, its gravitational effect on the Earth will be so minuscule as to be immeasurable. It will not affect the tides or anything else." [5 Reasons to Care About Asteroids]
This round space rock has been in astronomers' cross hairs before. In April 2010, astronomers at the National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico generated some ghostly radar images of 2005 YU55 when the asteroid was about 1.5 million miles (2.3 million km) from Earth.
But those pictures had a resolution of just 25 feet (7.5 meters) per pixel. The November close pass should provide some sharper images.
"When 2005 YU55 returns this fall, we intend to image it at 4-meter resolution [13 feet] with our recently upgraded equipment at the Deep Space Network at Goldstone, California," said JPL radar astronomer Lance Benner. "Plus, the asteroid will be seven times closer. We're expecting some very detailed radar images."
A radar astronomy opportunity
Radar astronomy employs the world's biggest dish-shaped antennas. The antennas direct microwave signals at celestial targets that can be as far away as the moons of Saturn.
These signals bounce off the target, and the resulting "echo" helps researchers create radar images. These images can then be used to reconstruct detailed, three-dimensional models of the object.
With 4-meter-per-pixel resolution, the new views of 2005 YU55 should be pretty sharp, perhaps even showing boulders and craters, researchers said.
"We're talking about getting down to the kind of surface detail you dream of when you have a spacecraft fly by one of these targets," Benner said.
The data collected from Arecibo, Goldstone and ground-based optical and infrared telescopes also should help detail the mineral composition of the asteroid, researchers said.
"This is a C-type asteroid, and those are thought to be representative of the primordial materials from which our solar system was formed," Wilson said. "This flyby will be an excellent opportunity to test how we study, document and quantify which asteroids would be most appropriate for a future human mission."
The capabilities of the Goldstone antenna, in California's Mojave Desert, and of Arecibo are complementary. The Arecibo radar is about 20 times more sensitive and can detect asteroids about twice as far away. But its main dish is stationary, so it can see only about a third of the sky. Goldstone is fully steerable and can see about 80 percent of the accessible sky, so it can track objects for longer periods and can image asteroids at finer spatial resolution, researchers said.
Researchers are eager to train the instruments of both facilities on 2005 YU55 in November.
"So stay tuned," Yeomans said. "This is going to be fun."

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Lets Get Ready to Rumble! Pacquiao VS Mosley

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 May 2011 09:36:00 +0000

Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley may have faced off in one of the least intimidating stare-down photos ever Friday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

After Pacquiao and Mosley both made weight for their WBO welterweight title fight, which will air via pay-per-view at 6 p.m. Saturday, the two approached each other for their pose and broke into laughter.

Neither Pacquiao, who weighed in at 145 pounds, nor Mosley, who came in at 147, have shown any disdain toward each other while promoting their fight. They have shared a mutual respect and continued to commend each other at the weigh-in.

“I believe Shane Mosley is a strong fighter, a good fighter,” Pacquiao said after making weight. “I had to train hard and focus on the fight.”

Most of the approximately 4,000 fans at the weigh-in — some of whom waited more than six hours to snag the best possible seat — were there to cheer on Pacquiao.

The demand was so overwhelming that no one else was allowed in and the arena’s doors were shut about 2:20 p.m., 40 minutes before the fighters were scheduled to tip the scales.

The pro-Pacquiao crowd initially booed any mention of Mosley’s name, before the card’s promoter and Top Rank President Bob Arum urged otherwise.

“Let’s give credit where credit is due,” Arum said. “In this era, one of the great, great fighters has been ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley.”

Mosley knows Pacquiao is the one attracting all the attention and hype for the fight. He doesn’t mind playing second fiddle.

“None of this is getting under my skin,” Mosley said. “It’s going to be an exciting fight. The whole world needs to watch this.”

Sportscaster James Brown served as the master of ceremonies at the weigh-in and spoke positively about the lack of trash talk between Pacquiao and Mosley. The fans showed their agreement by letting out a round of applause.

The kindness between Pacquiao and Mosley is unique in the boxing world but clearly something that comes naturally to both of them. Before they went their separate ways, they gave each other a quick embrace.

The next time Pacquiao and Mosley see each other, their intent will be more malicious.

All eight fighters on the pay-per-view main card made weight. The full weigh-in results are posted below.

World Welterweight Championship Bout: Manny Pacquiao (145) vs. Shane Molsey (147)

World Super Bantamweight Championship Bout: Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. (122) vs. Jorge Arce (122)

Super Middleweight Bout: Kelly Pavlik (170) vs. Alfonso Lopez (169)

Continental Americas Super Lightweight Championship Bout: Mike Alvarado (139) vs. Ray Narh (140)

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NOD32 Username ans Password 5/7/11

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 May 2011 09:28:00 +0000

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Only in the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:02:00 +0000

I have now been in this country for over six years, and consider myself in most respects well assimilated. However, there is one key step on the road to full assimilation, which I have yet to take,and that's to eat BALUT.

The day any of you sees me eating balut, please call immigration and ask them to issue me a Filipino passport. Because at that point there will be no turning back.
BALUT, for those still blissfully ignorant non-Pinoys out there, is a fertilized duck egg.

It is commonly sold with salt in a piece of newspaper, much like English fish and chips, by street vendors usually after dark, presumably so you can't see how gross it is.

It's meant to be an aphrodisiac, although I can't imagine anything more likely to dispel sexual desire than crunching on a partially formed baby duck swimming
in noxious fluid. The embryo in the egg comes in varying stages of development, but basically it is not considered macho to eat one without fully discernable feathers,
beak, and claws. Some say these crunchy bits are the best. Others prefer just to drink the so- called 'soup', the vile, pungent liquid that surrounds the aforementioned feathery fetus...excuse
me; I have to go and throw up now. I'll be
back in a minute.

Food dominates the life of the
Filipino. People here just love to eat.
They eat at least eight times a day. These eight official meals are called, in order: breakfast, snacks, lunch, merienda, merienda ceyna, dinner, bedtime snacks and
no-one-saw-me-take-that-cookie-from-
the-fridge-so-it-doesn't-count.

The short gaps in between these mealtimes are spent eating Sky Flakes from the open packet that sits on every desktop. You're never far from food in the Philippines .
If you doubt this, next time you're driving home from work, try this game. See how long you can drive without seeing food and I don't mean a distant restaurant, or a
picture of food. I mean a man on the sidewalk frying fish balls, or a man walking through the traffic selling nuts or candy. I bet it's less than one minute.

Here are some other things I've
noticed about food in the Philippines :

Firstly, a meal is not a meal without rice - even breakfast. In the UK , I could go a whole year without eating rice. Second, it's impossible to drink without
eating. A bottle of San Miguel just isn't the same without gambas or beef tapa. Third, no one ventures more than two paces from their house without baon (food in small container) and a container of something cold to drink.

You might as well ask a Filipino to leave
home without his pants on. And lastly, where I come from, you eat with a knife
and fork. Here, you eat with a spoon and fork. You try eating rice swimming in fish sauce with a knife.

One really nice thing about Filipino food culture is that people always ask you to SHARE their food. In my office, if you catch anyone attacking their baon, they ill
always go, "Sir! KAIN TAYO!" ("Let's eat!"). This confused me, until I realized that they didn't actually expect me to sit down and start munching on their boneless bangus.

In fact, the polite response is something like, "No thanks, I just ate." But the principle is sound - if you have food on your plate, you are expected to share it, however hungry you are, with those who may be even hungrier. I think that's great!

In fact, this is frequently even taken one step further. Many Filipinos use "Have you eaten yet?"
"KUMAIN KA NA?") as a general greeting, Irrespective of time of day or location. Some foreigners think Filipino food is fairly dull compared to other Asian cuisines.
Actually lots of it Is very good: Spicy dishes like Bicol Express (strange, a dish named after a train); anything cooked with coconut milk; anything KINILAW; and anything ADOBO.
And it's hard to beat the sheer wanton, cholesterolic frenzy of a good old-fashioned LECHON de leche (roast pig) feast. Dig a pit,light a fire, add 50 pounds of animal fat on a stick,and cook until crisp. Mmm, mmm...you can actually feel your arteries constricting with each
successive mouthful.

I also share one key Pinoy trait --- a sweet tooth. I am thus the only foreigner I know who does not complain about sweet bread, sweet burgers, sweet spaghetti, sweet banana ketchup, and so on. I am a man who likes to put jam on his pizza. Try it!
It's the weird food you want to avoid. In addition to duck fetus in the half-shell, items to avoid in the Philippines include pig's blood soup (DINUGUAN); bull's esticle soup, the strangely- named "SOUP NUMBER FIVE"(I dread to think what numbers one through four are); and the ubiquitous, stinky shrimp paste, BAGOONG,and it's equally stinky sister, PATIS.

Filipinos are so addicted to these latter items that they will even risk arrest or deportation trying to smuggle them into countries like Australia and the USA, which wisely ban the importation of items you can smell from more than 100 paces.

Then there's the small matter of the purple ice cream. I have never been able to get my brain around eating purple food; the biquitous UBE leaves me cold.

And lastly on the subject of weird food, beware:
that KALDERETANG KAMBING (goat)
could well be KALDERETANG ASO (dog)...

The Filipino, of course, has a well-developed sense of food.
Here's a typical Pinoy food joke: "I'm on a seafood diet.

"What's a seafood diet?" "When I see food, I eat it!"

Filipinos also eat strange bits of animals --- the feet, the head,
the guts, etc., usually barbecued on a stick. These have been
given witty names, like "ADIDAS" (chicken's feet);

"KURBATA" (either just chicken's neck, or "neck and thigh"

as in "neck-tie"); "WALKMAN" (pigs ears); "PAL" (chicken wings);

"HELMET" (chicken head); "IUD" (chicken intestines), and

BETAMAX" (video-cassette-like blocks of animal blood). Yum,yum. Bon appetit.

WHEN I arrived in the Philippines from the UK six years ago,one of the first cultural differences to strike me was names.

The subject has provided a continuing source of amazement and amusement ever since. The first unusual thing, from
an English perspective, is that everyone here has a nickname.
In the staid and boring United Kingdom , we have nicknames in kindergarten, but when we move into adulthood we tend, I am glad to say, to lose them.

The second thing that struck me is that Philippine names for both girls and boys tend to be what we in the UK would regard as overbearingly cutesy for anyone over about five.Fifty-five-year-olds colleague put it.

Where I come from, a boy with a nickname like Boy Blue or Honey Boy would be beaten to death at school by pre-adolescent bullies, and never make it to adulthood. So, probably, would girls with names like Babes, Lovely, Precious, Peachy or Apples. Yuk, ech ech. Here, however, no one bats an eyelid.

Then I noticed how many people have what I have come to call "door-bell names". These are nicknames that sound like -well,
doorbells. There are millions of them. Bing, Bong, Ding , and Dong are some of the more common. They can be, and frequently are, used in even more door-bell-like
combinations such as Bing-Bong, Ding - Dong, Ting-Ting, and so on.
Even our appointed chief of police has a doorbell name Ping.

None of these doorbell names exist where I come from, and hence sound unusually amusing to my untutored foreign ear.

Someone once told me that one of the Bings, when asked why he was called Bing, replied, "because my brother is called Bong".
Faultless logic.

Dong, of course, is a particularly funny one for me, as where come from "dong" is a slang word for well; perhaps "talong" is the best Tagalog equivalent!!!

Repeating names was another novelty to me, having never before encountered people with names like Len-Len, Let-Let, Mai-Mai, or
Ning-Ning. The secretary I inherited on my arrival had an unusual one:
Leck-Leck. Such names are then frequently further refined by using the "squared" symbol, as in Len2 or Mai2. This had me very confused for a while.

Then there is the trend for parents to stick to a theme when naming their children. This can be as simple as making them all begin with the same letter, as in Jun, Jimmy, Janice, and Joy.

More imaginative parents shoot for more sophisticated forms of assonance or rhyme, as in Biboy, Boboy, Buboy, Baboy (notice the names get worse the more kids there are-best to be born early or you could end up being a Baboy).

Even better, parents can create whole families of, say, desserts (Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Honey Pie) or flowers (Rose, Daffodil, Tulip). The main advantage of such combinations is that they look great painted across your trunk if you're a cab driver.

That's another thing I'd never seen before coming to Manila -- taxis with the driver's kids' names on the trunk.

Another whole eye-opening field for the foreign visitor is the phenomenon of the "composite" name. This includes names like Jejomar (for Jesus, Joseph and Mary),
and the remarkable Luzviminda (for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, believe it or not). That's a bit like me being called something like "Engscowani" (for England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland ). Between you and me, I'm glad I'm not.

And how could I forget to mention the fabulous concept of the randomly inserted letter 'h'. Quite what this device is supposed to achieve, I have not yet figured out, but I think it is designed to give a touch of class to an otherwise only averagely weird name.
It results in creations like Jhun, Lhenn, Ghemma, and Jhimmy. Or how about Jhun-Jhun (Jhun2)?
How boring to come from a country like the UK full of people with names like John Smith. How wonderful to come from a country where imagination and exoticism rule the world of names.

Even the towns here have weird names; my favorite is the unbelievably named town of Sexmoan (ironically close to Olongapo and Angeles). Where else in the world could that really be true?

Where else in the world could the head of the Church really be called Cardinal Sin?

Where else but the Philippines !

Note: Philippines has a senator
named Joker, and it is his legal
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Floyd strikes again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 May 2011 11:26:00 +0000

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is at it again.

While fight fans eagerly anticipate the welterweight showdown between boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao and former world champ Shane Mosley, the controversial boxer picked up his bullhorn and downplayed Pacquiao's opponents.

“Leftovers,” Mayweather told Fighthype.com’s Ben Thompson as he belittled Pacquiao’s victories over his former opponents, including Mosley.

“Because when he comes to my house, the only thing he can eat is leftovers. Shane was already a beaten fighter,” said Mayweather.

Mayweather was referring to Pacquiao’s wins over boxing great Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

In May 2007, “Pretty Boy Floyd” scored a split decision against De La Hoya before stopping Hatton in 10 rounds months later.

Pacquiao, however, scored dominating victories over the same opponents.

The Filipino champion forced De la Hoya to quit on his stool after 8 rounds in 2008.

In 2009, Pacquiao knocked Hatton out in just 2 rounds.

This coming Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Pacquiao will be facing Mosley, a boxer Mayweather defeated by unanimous decision.

Mayweather, who is taking a hiatus from boxing because of his legal woes, claimed he is not interested in watching the Pacman-Mosley clash.

“You know what I'm going to be doing Saturday night? Saturday night, I'm, going to be watching Lady Gaga on HBO, the best network in the world,” said the undefeated boxer.

The undefeated Mayweather is considered as Pacquiao’s closest rival in boxing pound-for-pound status.

He is, however, being accused of ducking the more popular Filipino champion.

“The things is this, Floyd Mayweather has never been scared of Manny Pacquiao at all. Never! At all!” he claimed.

He again dared Pacquiao to take an Olympic drug test, the same issue that he has been using against the Filipino champion.

“All I say everyday is this, just take the test! Floyd's scared of you? Okay. If I'm scared of you, why won't you take the test?” he said.

In a separate report by Boxingscene.com, Pacquiao said he doesn’t think Mayweather is interested to fight.

He, however, agreed that a Mayweather fight would be good for the sport.

"Yes, I believe that [boxing is healthier when that happens], but I don't think he really wants to fight," Pacquiao said.

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Prince William Kisses to his Lovely Pinay Nanny

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 May 2011 09:15:00 +0000

Bacolod City (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Royal nanny Araceli "Lillie" Piccio said Prince William thanked her twice for coming to his wedding and, along with his bride Kate, kissed her on seeing her at the reception at Clarence House on Friday (April 29).
Piccio, who is from Bacolod City, in central Philippines, was the lone Filipino invited to the royal wedding, having served as a nanny to both Prince William and Prince Harry, and later working for their mother Princess Diana.
"I cried at the wedding. It was both a happy and sad occasion for me," she told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a telephone interview.
Piccio was happy to see the boy she had cared for turn into a handsome young man and finally get married, but she wept at the thought that his mother, Princess Diana, could not be at his wedding.
"The princess would have been so proud of him," she said.
Piccio said she had breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner at Clarence House on the day of the wedding and went home past 8 p.m. on Friday.
With the rest of the staff
When Prince William and his bride arrived at Clarence House from the Buckingham Palace reception in a dark blue Aston Martin, Piccio, along with the rest of the staff, lined up in the courtyard.
She said they were briefed to curtsy when the royals arrived.
"When Prince William drove in there was loud applause from everyone and all of a sudden I heard him call out 'Hi Lillie' and he came up to hug and kiss me, as if he really missed me," Piccio said.
"I was dumbfounded ... I was not able to say anything."
"He said he was so happy I came to his wedding and asked how I was. He also said he liked my dress," Lillie said. She wore a dress made by Bacolod designer Lourdes Lipa.
She added that Kate, who also kissed her, asked how she knew Prince William.
According to Piccio, Prince William told his bride that "She (Piccio) looked after Mummy before."
Stopped to talk
"I told her I had been working for the family since William was a baby. She (Kate) was beautiful and sweet," she said. "Everybody was looking at us because Prince William and Kate stopped to talk to me."
Asked if Kate was like Princess Diana, Piccio said, "Nobody can wear the shoes of Princess Diana. She was one of a kind, she was beautiful, kind and generous. She taught her boys to be humble."
Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, arrived at Clarence House later, she said.
"Prince Charles came up to me and asked how I was and asked where I was working, and I told him I was retired," she said.
Piccio added that she was having snacks when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"When I looked up, it was Prince Harry. I tried to get up to curtsy to him but he told me to sit and he kissed me," she said.
A lovely couple
Later in the evening, Piccio said she saw Prince William come down dressed in his tuxedo along with his wife who was wearing a white gown to go to another party at Buckingham Palace.
"He looked so handsome, and she looked beautiful," she said.
On Saturday, Piccio said she was surprised to get a call from Bernie, the butler at Clarence House.
"He told me Prince William told him before he left to make sure to call and thank me for attending his wedding, and that he was so happy that I was there," she said.
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Singapore's Leader Face Election Test

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 May 2011 09:14:00 +0000

The prime minister is admitting mistakes and even apologizing. It's a sign that the party that has dominated Singapore and told the island state what's best for a half-century could be facing its strongest electoral challenge.
The People's Action Party, with the son of Singapore founding father Lee Kwan Yew at the helm, is still expected to overwhelmingly win Saturday's parliamentary election and remain in power for at least the next decade.
But more seats are being contested than ever before, by a new crop of well-educated opposition candidates. A gradual opening of traditional media alongside unfettered Internet debate has meant an increasingly substantial discussion of campaign issues, such as immigration and housing costs.
"The opposition in the past was not able to recruit because there was a very strong climate of fear for a very long time," said Gillian Koh, a senior research fellow at Singapore's Institute of Policy Studies. "The situation today is very different. We've seen a liberalization of the political space."
Dozens of PAP posters even have been defaced — nearly unheard of in this Southeast Asian country, where vandalism can get you a caning, the Colonial-era punishment famously meted out to American teenager Michael Fay in 1994.
"I'm not against the PAP," 35-year-old restaurant manager Francis Loh said at a Workers Party rally last weekend. "I just want more opposition in Parliament and someone to speak for the poor people."
The PAP has had to evolve as Singaporeans traveled and studied abroad more and became better educated. Gone are the days from the 1960s to 1980s when the elder Lee would imprison suspected communists without trial for years, and when he told the state-owned Straits Times in 1987, "We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think."
In recent speeches, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong — Lee Kwan Yew's son — has warned voters to avoid opposition candidates, reminding them that the government favors pro-PAP districts with funding for improvements to the public housing where about 80 percent of Singaporeans live.
But he also has admitted several mistakes, including failing to build enough public housing overall and not expanding the transportation network to accommodate a surge in foreign workers.
"We're sorry we didn't get it exactly right, but I hope you'll understand and bear with us," he said. "We made mistakes, we have slip-ups. We must apologize, acknowledge, put it right."
In power for 52 years, the PAP controlled all but two of the last parliament's 84 seats. The opposition never has held more than four. This year, opposition parties are contesting 82 of 87 seats.
The bedrock of the PAP's support is its delivery of jobs and education, its reputation for an efficient, corruption-free bureaucracy and a history of savvy policy choices — such as embracing English as a common language — that helped boost gross domestic product per capita to $43,867 last year from $428 in 1960.
The economy, based on manufacturing, shipping, finance and tourism, expanded a record 14.5 percent last year.
Rights groups condemn Singapore's use of the death penalty for drug couriers. Speech about race and religion is severely restricted and defamation lawsuits by PAP leaders have bankrupted opposition figures and deterred criticism of the government.
But Singapore is hardly a pariah. It's a staunch ally of the U.S., has close ties to China's leadership and has helped facilitate regional integration.
"Singapore's great virtue is that they have been able to skirt this fine line between democracy and autocracy, having the mechanics of democracy without the substance, but it's worked," said Benjamin Reilly, a political scientist at Australian National University.
Rich people love the place and trust the PAP. Singapore has the world's highest percentage of millionaires — households with at least $1 million in liquid assets — at 11.4 percent of the country's 5 million population, according to Boston Consulting Group.
"When I consider investing in Singapore, I don't have to worry about political instability, something that I can't say about some other countries," said Ravi Thakran, managing partner of a $650 million private equity fund of luxury goods maker LVMH.
The central figure in the PAP and modern Singapore life has been Lee Kuan Yew, a Cambridge-trained lawyer who was prime minister from 1959 to 1990 — during limited self-rule under the British, through a two-year federation with Malaysia that ended in 1965, and then during independence.
At 87, Lee is still an influential Cabinet minister. Famed for his blunt rhetoric, Lee took part in the nine-day official campaign that ended Thursday, warning Singaporeans that only the PAP can ensure prosperity.
"Don't rock this foundation," Lee said last week. "Remember, don't risk your assets, property values, job opportunities."
The PAP traditionally attracted Singapore's best and brightest, such as Michelle Lee, 35, who attended the most prestigious high school, graduated with honors from London School of Economics and worked at financial houses and the central bank.
But she's running for the opposition Singapore Democratic Party.
"Before I went to university, I was very pro-PAP," said Lee, now a high school teacher. "But my eyes were opened. I would not be able to live with myself if I joined the PAP."
Newspapers and television, which are closely controlled by the government, have begun airing a few dissenting views.
Reilly said the government could afford even more liberalization. "I think if they did that the PAP would win anyway. They have performance legitimacy," he said.
The government's most important policy decision since the last election in 2006 was to allow a surge of foreign workers. About 150,000 foreign workers entered Singapore per year from 2007 to 2009, and they now make up about one-third of the island's 3 million work force.
Singaporeans complain that the foreigners have depressed wages, boosted housing prices and clogged public transportation — and opposition leaders are tapping into that unease.
"The problem started with the crazy number of foreigners they brought in the last few years," said Chua Beng Huat, a sociologist at National University of Singapore. "They were looking for growth at all costs. The quality of life for Singaporeans has actually declined, especially for the middle class and lower."
The government cut back the number of workers allowed in to 80,000 last year, but stuck to its argument that foreigners are essential to expand the economy.
Speculation about Singapore after the elder Lee dies has increased since he suffered an abnormal heart rhythm in 2008. Some observers predict investor confidence could suffer or that the PAP could split into factions.
"When he dies, I don't think Singapore will go down because he built a good foundation," said Lilian Tan, a 50-year-old flower shop owner. "In my heart, I respect Lee Kuan Yew a lot. I don't know about the opposition, I only know about the PAP. As long as they do a good job, we only need the PAP."
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Taiwan's Natural Taroko Park

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 May 2011 09:13:00 +0000

With friendly people, great food, and a number of attractions, Taiwan is a destination that should be on every tourist's travel plans for 2011.

What should really persuade potential tourists to visit are Taiwan's natural attractions, with the Taroko National Park near Hualien getting top billing.

Here are some of the park's top spots.

Taroko Gorge

A view of the Taroko Gorge.The Taroko Gorge is a spectacular 19-kilometer long canyon in Taiwan's east coast a short drive from Hualien. The climate is usually cool and humid, but again perfect for any of the trekking options at any of the long or short trails available, biking or whitewater rafting.

It's just over 60 kilometers from the coast, yet it is home to some of the highest peaks in Taiwan at over 3,400 meters.

It can be easily visited by bus, car or scooter and has enough treks to keep you busy for several days, but most people usually only visit it on one.

How to get there

Taroko Gorge is close to Hualien, so an early morning start is recommended. That is unless it's raining or you're traveling with kids, in which case I recommend renting a scooter.

Be aware that most of the rental agencies will ask for an International Driver's License, and the drive from Hualien to the Gorge will take about 30 minutes along a beautiful (and dangerous) road snaking next to the Liwu River.

Beaches near Taroko Gorge

Head to the beach for a great end to your day.

One of the best ways to call off a day at the gorge is by heading to any of the great nearby beaches: Hualien beach, picture-perfect QiXingtan beach (reachable along the bike trail from Hualien too) or Jici beach for those who want to hit the surf when in season.

Tunnels, shrines and waterfalls

Pilgrimage at the Taroko Gorge.

More Taroko National Park highlights include the Tunnel of 9 Turns (a man-made pedestrian-only tunnel that follows the river offering dramatic views), a dip in the Eternal Springs Shine during the unbearably hot summer months, a walk up the steps to Hsiang-Te temple and getting wet in the Water Curtain Tunnels along the trail to Baiyang Waterfall (currently closed due to landslide danger).

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