Yet another bank has found itself in trouble but luckily for Wachovia and it's customers a rescue bid/buyout is on the cards.
With Bradford & Bingly being rescued in the UK it must bring into question just how many banks can survive and how can or should we afford these rescue packages!
Portland Business journal have provided an in depth report;
Citigroup has agreed to buy Wachovia’s banking operations.
New York-based Citigroup will pay $2.1 billion to Wachovia for its retail bank, corporate and investment bank and wealth-management business. Citigropu will base the retail bank in Charlotte and the investment bank in New York.
Citigroup will pay about $1 a share for Wachovia, according to The New York Times.
The sale does not include Wachovia Securities, which has nine offices in Portland and 16 others across Oregon.
Under the agreement, Citigroup (NYSE: C) will absorb up to $42 billion of losses on a $312 billion pool of loans. The FDIC will absorb losses beyond that.
Citigroup has granted the FDIC $12 billion in preferred stock and warrants to compensate the FDIC for bearing this risk.
“This morning’s decision was made under extraordinary circumstances with significant consultation among the regulators and Treasury,” FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair said. “This action was necessary to maintain confidence in the banking industry given current financial market conditions.”
Wachovia’s stock (NYSE: WB), which has traded between $7.80 and $52.25 a share over the last year, closed Friday at $10, down from Thursday’s closing price of $13.70. Wachovia's stock was trading at 94 cents per share Monday morning.
According to the FDIC, Citigroup will acquire the bulk of Wachovia's assets and liabilities, including five depository institutions, and assume Wachovia's senior and subordinated debt. Wachovia (NYSE: WB) will continue to own Wachovia Securities and Evergreen Investments.
The transaction is expected to close before year-end. It has been approved by the directors of both companies and is subject to Wachovia shareholder and regulatory approval.
At this time, there have been no changes to Wachovia’s board. Two Wachovia directors will join Citigroup’s board.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Wachovia held advanced merger discussions with both Citigroup and California-based Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) late Sunday. The newspaper cited individuals familiar with the discussions.
It was only last fall that Citigroup was seeking to raise billions to offset its substantial losses amid the credit crisis.
Spain’s Banco Santander SA also was said to be interested in Wachovia, but longtime industry observers were dubious that the U.S. government would want to work with a foreign bank to rescue Wachovia.
Late Friday, a Wachovia spokeswoman declined to comment, saying the bank doesn’t discuss merger speculation.
Reports late last week indicated that struggling Wachovia was seeking a suitor. The Charlotte-based bank fumbled badly on its ill-timed purchase of Oakland, Calif.-based Golden West Financial Corp. Much of the bank’s mortgage woes stem from that $25 billion deal completed in 2006. Many analysts said that deal was a huge mistake even before it closed.
“During recent weeks, the financial landscape has changed significantly and presented us with unprecedented challenges,” says Wachovia Chief Executive Robert Steel. “Today’s announcement is the best alternative for the company, enabling a resolution on the Golden West portfolio.”
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/09/29/daily1.html
Monday, 29 September 2008
Saturday, 27 September 2008
Water Is The Most Essential Commodity For Those Near The Indus River.
We all need water to survive and many countries depend on the rivers that run through them for the essential water supply for people, animals and crops. When the river is blocked near its source this can have devastating effects for those living further down stream.
This has happened in Pakistan due to the fact that India has built a water blockade at Chenab. The Pakistan government has now put together a plan to avoid it's people having to suffer in the future.
This is best described by the The News International
Govt to build MMC to offset Chenab blockade
By By Khalid Mustafa 9/26/2008
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to construct the strategic Mangla-Marala Canal (MMC) project to offset the adverse impact of any future Chenab water blockade by India, a senior official at the Ministry of Water and Power told The News.“The Mangla-Marala Canal will not only ensure the watering of 10 million acres of land in the Punjab which gets damaged because of the Chenab water blockade by India, but also guarantee water in two defence canals in Sialkot which emerge from Head Marala and irrigate the central Punjab.
”“The Engineering Corps of the armed forces and the National Engineering Services of Pakistan, Wapda and the Government of Punjab would put their heads together to first work on the PC-1 of the Mangla-Marala Link Canal project and then execute the project. The MMC will carry water from the Mangla reservoir to Head Marala from where the two defence canals get water and irrigate the central Punjab.”
The federal government, to this effect, has given the task to Wapda to initiate work on this very important project. Under the plan, the water from Jhelum river is to be taken to Chenab whenever the said river would be in short of water to ensure survival of the crops.
The government also decided to integrate the whole water system in Pakistan to avert any such adventure by India in future. It was also decided that water from Indus (Kalabagh) was to be taken to Jhelum (Rasool barrage) and from Jhelum (Mangla) to Chenab (Headmarala) command area so as to ensure water in every corner of the country. In case of water stress in Indus, water from Jhelum or Chenab could also be taken to area which falls under Indus river command.
This vital and strategic decision was taken in a very crucial meeting held on September 16 with Minister of Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf in the chair. That particular meeting was convened on reduction in flows of River Chenab at Marala headworks because of violation of Indus water Treaty by India which reduced Chenab flows to Pakistan for filling up the dead shortage of Baglihar HPP beyond August 31, 2008.
When contacted Pakistan’s Commissioner of Indus Water Syed Jamaat Ali Shah confirmed the development saying that Federal Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in September 16 meeting has asked Wapda to initiate the MMC project to combat the Indian designs.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=137938
This has happened in Pakistan due to the fact that India has built a water blockade at Chenab. The Pakistan government has now put together a plan to avoid it's people having to suffer in the future.
This is best described by the The News International
Govt to build MMC to offset Chenab blockade
By By Khalid Mustafa 9/26/2008
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to construct the strategic Mangla-Marala Canal (MMC) project to offset the adverse impact of any future Chenab water blockade by India, a senior official at the Ministry of Water and Power told The News.“The Mangla-Marala Canal will not only ensure the watering of 10 million acres of land in the Punjab which gets damaged because of the Chenab water blockade by India, but also guarantee water in two defence canals in Sialkot which emerge from Head Marala and irrigate the central Punjab.
”“The Engineering Corps of the armed forces and the National Engineering Services of Pakistan, Wapda and the Government of Punjab would put their heads together to first work on the PC-1 of the Mangla-Marala Link Canal project and then execute the project. The MMC will carry water from the Mangla reservoir to Head Marala from where the two defence canals get water and irrigate the central Punjab.”
The federal government, to this effect, has given the task to Wapda to initiate work on this very important project. Under the plan, the water from Jhelum river is to be taken to Chenab whenever the said river would be in short of water to ensure survival of the crops.
The government also decided to integrate the whole water system in Pakistan to avert any such adventure by India in future. It was also decided that water from Indus (Kalabagh) was to be taken to Jhelum (Rasool barrage) and from Jhelum (Mangla) to Chenab (Headmarala) command area so as to ensure water in every corner of the country. In case of water stress in Indus, water from Jhelum or Chenab could also be taken to area which falls under Indus river command.
This vital and strategic decision was taken in a very crucial meeting held on September 16 with Minister of Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf in the chair. That particular meeting was convened on reduction in flows of River Chenab at Marala headworks because of violation of Indus water Treaty by India which reduced Chenab flows to Pakistan for filling up the dead shortage of Baglihar HPP beyond August 31, 2008.
When contacted Pakistan’s Commissioner of Indus Water Syed Jamaat Ali Shah confirmed the development saying that Federal Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in September 16 meeting has asked Wapda to initiate the MMC project to combat the Indian designs.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=137938
Thursday, 25 September 2008
'Dive Of Death' Not One Of Blane's Better Moves!
David Blane ended his latest stunt (hanging upside down for 60 hours) by performing the so called 'Dive Of Death', although well planned the stunt left many fans feeling short changed!
Towards the end of the illusion Blane was already taking breaks from hanging upside down but loyal fans were hoping for something spectacular at the end.
Here is the latest report from the New York Daily News:
David Blaine's 'Dive of Death' gets mixed reviews
BY WIL CRUZ and LEO STANDORA DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
BY WIL CRUZ and LEO STANDORA DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Magician-daredevil David Blane finished his latest stunt - hanging upside down over Central Park for 60 hours - then took a "Dive of Death" from a 44-foot-high platform on Wednesday night.
Fans were both delighted and disappointed.
The bat thing lost some luster when Blaine started taking breaks every hour to stand on his own two feet.
The bat thing lost some luster when Blaine started taking breaks every hour to stand on his own two feet.
Then the dive looked more like a bungee jump.
Shortly after 11 p.m., Blaine nodded and smiled to hundreds of fans watching the stunt as they screamed, "Jump! Jump!" and, "Do it!"
So he did, dropping straight down from the platform and touching the stage below lightly with his toes before cables pulled him back up.
He then hung in the air like a sack of potatoes with a goofy grin on his face, occasionally kicking his legs as though he were running.
The stunt, which aired as part of a two-hour ABC television special Wednesday night, ended with Blaine floating off into the night attached to giant balloons.
The finale drew more boos than cheers from the crowd, but his faithful fans nevertheless were satisfied.
Ivy Avveceto 20, a family counselor from the Bronx, said of the show, "It was amazing. He really pulled it off."
But Kenneth Leonor of Newark, a 22-year-old businessman and part-time magician, called the three hours he spent in the park a waste of time.
"I think it was ridiculous," Leonor said. "Everybody was robbed of their time. Everyone thought he was going to jump, but he didn't live up to his expectations."
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Shipping Containers Become The Starter Homes Of The Future!
1st time buyers have been up against it in the past few years what wuith prices spiralling and mortgages becoming harder to obtain. However an answer my now have been found by a new company in Mexico.
PFNC Global Communities has been set up to turn steel shipping containers into affordable compact homes that can give people a start on the housing ladder. etailing at around $8000 they could be the ideal solution to some areas of the country where affordable housing just does not exist;
This is the full report from City News;
They're not that big, they're not that roomy and they're not that expensive. But could they be a cheap way to end the problems of the homeless?
A company in New Mexico has taken an old concept and given it a new twist - use those huge steel storage containers that some people employ to keep their lawn mowers, snow plows, inventory and other equipment in, for something else: a fully furnished albeit very small house.
The idea first came to homebuilder Brian McCarthy when he was touring Juarez, Mexico a few years ago. The city was booming with Fortune 500 companies moving work down south to get cheaper labour. But when he left the industrial area and ended up in a poor neigbourhood, he was stunned to see how the people who worked in those factories were living.
"We saw hundreds of homes that are made out of wood pallets and cardboard and scrap metal and scrap building material," McCarthy remembers. So when he read an article about someone converting a shipping container into a home, the concept for a new business was born.
"They talked about the merits of the construction, how strong they are, how affordable they are, and how plentiful they are," he reveals of his inspiration.
Partnering with a cousin and some college friends, the quartet formed a company called PFNC Global Communities. The letters stand for the Spanish "Por Fin, Nuestra Casa," which translates as "Finally, our own home."
It's a small business with a big goal - give people who have no home a chance at all the amenities in a place that costs only US$8,000. The group has figured out how to make a lot of the one room 'house', working with only 320 square feet of space. The entire place is just 40 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 ½ feet tall.
But it's enough.
"We started with a kitchen and bathroom because they're the most necessary and most basic ingredients of a home," McCarthy recounts. They used space saving designs figured out by condo makers, trailer manufacturers and even jet plane builders and installed a gallery style kitchen, complete with a stove, sink, fridge, and a dinette. There's also a 48-square foot bathroom with a sink, shower and toilet.
The bedroom features space saving bunk beds for kids and separate sleeping quarters for the parents.
It can be hooked up to plumbing and electricity and provides a safe and secure environment for those who may never have had one.
Toronto's harsh winter climate will require some additional insulation, but that can likely be taken care of.
It may not sound like much. But according to company co-owner Pablo Nava, to the poor folks in Juarez, it's a place to call home. People said, "You know it'd be like a dream to live in one of these," Nava relates. "You know, just the thought of having nice fresh air ventilating through the house, a large bed ... a normal kitchen and a safe home that locks and closes each night was more than appealing."
The small company can make as many as 3,000 of the custom made dwellings a year and hopes to increase that number as they ramp up production.
So could it possibly be a solution to the homeless problem in Toronto? It's hard to say, but if the idea catches on, it could be the first small step back for many on what has been a long journey to nowhere.
"With our design and with our price point, we think we'll at least be able to take the first step of getting more families into more homes" McCarthy concludes. "We fully anticipate that people will move into our homes, build up some equity, sell this home. We see this is a stepping stone to get into a bigger or more comfortable home."
And maybe, for some, putting homelessness in storage.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
G Phone Could It Be Better Than The iPhone?
T Mobile are today launching a new product to rival the popular iPhone. The gphone has been developed in conjunction with Google and use the android system. It will have lots of similar functions as the iphone and with some improvements promised.
Improvements will include the ability to copy and paste e-mails, free access to gmail, links to amazon applications and a cheaper price.
this looks like a phone to look out for if you use all the gadgets and it could certainly prove cheaper to run than a Blackberry. it is due to hit the stores on October 17th or 20th so maybe some pre-ordering may be necessary as the hype will now start!
Improvements will include the ability to copy and paste e-mails, free access to gmail, links to amazon applications and a cheaper price.
this looks like a phone to look out for if you use all the gadgets and it could certainly prove cheaper to run than a Blackberry. it is due to hit the stores on October 17th or 20th so maybe some pre-ordering may be necessary as the hype will now start!
Monday, 22 September 2008
Today is Officially The First Day Of Autumn
Today marks the first day of autumn, we can now officially say we are in the Fall. September 22nd marks the autumn equinox when day and night are virtually the same length.
I find this time really depressing as the days get shorter and colder we know we are in for a long wait before we can relax in the balmy days of summer. It is also a really busy time with the preparations for Harvest Festival, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all looming on the horizon.
This day is also the day when pagans celebrate Mabon also known as Harvest Home or Feast of the Ingathering, it is a time to celebrate the fruits of the easrth and share them amongst others in order to please the gods and godesses during the winter months.
I find this time really depressing as the days get shorter and colder we know we are in for a long wait before we can relax in the balmy days of summer. It is also a really busy time with the preparations for Harvest Festival, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all looming on the horizon.
This day is also the day when pagans celebrate Mabon also known as Harvest Home or Feast of the Ingathering, it is a time to celebrate the fruits of the easrth and share them amongst others in order to please the gods and godesses during the winter months.
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Cat Murder - Not A Sex In The City Story Line!
The trial is underway of Sex In The City Guest Star Joseph Petcka. Petcka is accused of murdering his girlfriend's cat in a particularly brutal manner. As the case is unfolding the story is so bizarre that it could be mistaken for a Sex in The City Storyline.
The NY Daily news is providing extensive coverage;
'Monster' Joseph Petcka killed my cat, she testifies about ex-Met boyfriend
By BARBARA ROSS and DAVE GOLDINER DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Thursday, September 18th 2008, 8:21 AM
A "Sex and The City" actor's claim that he killed his girlfriend's cat in self-defense suffered a blow Wednesday with revelations that the tabby was declawed.
Joseph Petcka, who is on trial on charges of felony cruelty, claims he was being attacked by the 7-pound pussy named Norman when he pummeled the animal to death.
Norman's heartbroken owner, Lisa Albotelli, told a Manhatton Supreme Court jury a far different story Wednesday, describing Petcka's jealous rage toward the creature.
Weeping on the witness stand, she recounted finding her beloved pet's battered body under a bedside table after a quarrel with Petcka on the night of March 27, 2007. "He was dead," Altobelli said. "I put my hand there. He was cold and stiff."
She picked up the phone and called Petcka, 37, a handsome bit-part actor with a short fuse who once played minor league baseball for the Mets.
"What kind of monster could kill an innocent cat?" she remembered asking him. He just hung up, she said.
Altobelli said she previously had sensed something was amiss between her boyfriend and cat, which she testified had been declawed.
She described an earlier incident that happened after she had been dating Petcka - who once appeared on "Sex and the City" and in Brawny paper towel ads - for several weeks.
She returned to her Tribeca apartment to find the gentle, orange-and-white cat terrified and soaking wet.
"He was hissing [at Petcka]," Altobelli, a Sports illustrated writer testified. "Obviously, that was a huge red flag."
On the night Norman was killed, Petcka had been drinking heavily and the couple began quarreling, she said. "You love Norman more than me!" Petcka exclaimed, Altobelli testified.
She went to sleep and recalled hearing Petcka talking to the cat in a singsong voice, "Norman, Norman, Norman."
Altobelli said she abruptly woke up after Petcka kneed her in the side and grabbed her neck. He claimed the cat had bitten him.
She took her purse and ran out of the apartment after warning Petcka to leave or she would call the police, Altobelli said.
The last thing she saw, she said, was Norman looking plaintively at her. "I honestly thought he [the cat] would be right behind me," she said. "I thought he would flee."
An ASPA official is expected to testify Thursday that the cat died from an extensive beating that caused broken ribs and massive internal injuries.
Petcka, who faces two years in prison if convicted, also is expected to take the stand.
bross@nydailynews.com
The NY Daily news is providing extensive coverage;
'Monster' Joseph Petcka killed my cat, she testifies about ex-Met boyfriend
By BARBARA ROSS and DAVE GOLDINER DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Thursday, September 18th 2008, 8:21 AM
A "Sex and The City" actor's claim that he killed his girlfriend's cat in self-defense suffered a blow Wednesday with revelations that the tabby was declawed.
Joseph Petcka, who is on trial on charges of felony cruelty, claims he was being attacked by the 7-pound pussy named Norman when he pummeled the animal to death.
Norman's heartbroken owner, Lisa Albotelli, told a Manhatton Supreme Court jury a far different story Wednesday, describing Petcka's jealous rage toward the creature.
Weeping on the witness stand, she recounted finding her beloved pet's battered body under a bedside table after a quarrel with Petcka on the night of March 27, 2007. "He was dead," Altobelli said. "I put my hand there. He was cold and stiff."
She picked up the phone and called Petcka, 37, a handsome bit-part actor with a short fuse who once played minor league baseball for the Mets.
"What kind of monster could kill an innocent cat?" she remembered asking him. He just hung up, she said.
Altobelli said she previously had sensed something was amiss between her boyfriend and cat, which she testified had been declawed.
She described an earlier incident that happened after she had been dating Petcka - who once appeared on "Sex and the City" and in Brawny paper towel ads - for several weeks.
She returned to her Tribeca apartment to find the gentle, orange-and-white cat terrified and soaking wet.
"He was hissing [at Petcka]," Altobelli, a Sports illustrated writer testified. "Obviously, that was a huge red flag."
On the night Norman was killed, Petcka had been drinking heavily and the couple began quarreling, she said. "You love Norman more than me!" Petcka exclaimed, Altobelli testified.
She went to sleep and recalled hearing Petcka talking to the cat in a singsong voice, "Norman, Norman, Norman."
Altobelli said she abruptly woke up after Petcka kneed her in the side and grabbed her neck. He claimed the cat had bitten him.
She took her purse and ran out of the apartment after warning Petcka to leave or she would call the police, Altobelli said.
The last thing she saw, she said, was Norman looking plaintively at her. "I honestly thought he [the cat] would be right behind me," she said. "I thought he would flee."
An ASPA official is expected to testify Thursday that the cat died from an extensive beating that caused broken ribs and massive internal injuries.
Petcka, who faces two years in prison if convicted, also is expected to take the stand.
bross@nydailynews.com
Chris Angel Is the Master Of Illusion so is Delay Of 'Believe' Another Stunt?
Illusionist Chris Angel has overtaken David Blane for hogging the limelight and producing the most mind blowing illusions. However all is not what it seems with his new show 'Believe' which has been delayed until the 31st October is this just another stunt?
The famous illusionist has been very busy lately with a new series out, a show due to open in Las Vegas and a fantastic illusion that had even the scientists believing that an Artic Ice Shelf had disappeared and the launch of the Mind Freak clothing brand.
The official premiere of Criss Angel's Cirque du Soleil show, "Criss angel Believe," has been delayed once again.Cirque now says the $100-million showcase will debut publicly at the Luxor on Oct. 31.
“I can't imagine a more fitting night all year for Criss than Halloween, the night that marks the 82nd anniversary of the death of his and the show's inspiration, Harry Houdini,” angel’s publicist, Steve Flynn, said."Believe" originally was scheduled to open publicly on Sept. 12.
Publicists for Angel and Cirque say the magician and show’s director, Serge Denoncourt, insist every aspect of the technical show, which includes illusions, acrobatics and pyrotechnics, be perfect before it opens, and more time was needed.
The latest decision to delay the premiere was announced Saturday after more than 400 Cirque employees and artists took in a performance Friday. The creative team met afterward and it was then decided to move the premiere to Oct. 31 and restore the preview period to its original time frame.
Organizers first delayed the premiere in late June because of apparent technical difficulties. The premiere was then rescheduled for Oct. 10.Further “enormous complexities” were cited on Sept. 2 as the schedule for preview performances was pushed back a second time. While the change didn't affect the Oct. 10 premiere, the decision effectively axed the first two weeks of preview performances.
Saturday’s announcement restores the preview period to its original five-week run, with the first performance taking place Sept. 26.“The preview period is an important part of our creative process as it allows the show to develop in front of a live audience,” Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman Anita Nelving said."Believe" will blend Angel’s illusions with the costumes and acrobatics that are part of Cirque du Soleil productions.
Angel will give about 5,200 performances over the next decade. His contract will see him perform five nights a week for the next 10 years, with an additional five-year extension option.“Unlike traditional magic-themed shows, 'Criss Angel Believe' transcends any preconceived notion of what it means to be emotionally engaged by the arts of mysticism and illusion,” Cirque promises in the show’s promotional materials.You can find more info at crissangel.com.
http://celebrityunplugged.blogspot.com/2008/09/premiere-of-criss-angels-believe.html
The famous illusionist has been very busy lately with a new series out, a show due to open in Las Vegas and a fantastic illusion that had even the scientists believing that an Artic Ice Shelf had disappeared and the launch of the Mind Freak clothing brand.
The official premiere of Criss Angel's Cirque du Soleil show, "Criss angel Believe," has been delayed once again.Cirque now says the $100-million showcase will debut publicly at the Luxor on Oct. 31.
“I can't imagine a more fitting night all year for Criss than Halloween, the night that marks the 82nd anniversary of the death of his and the show's inspiration, Harry Houdini,” angel’s publicist, Steve Flynn, said."Believe" originally was scheduled to open publicly on Sept. 12.
Publicists for Angel and Cirque say the magician and show’s director, Serge Denoncourt, insist every aspect of the technical show, which includes illusions, acrobatics and pyrotechnics, be perfect before it opens, and more time was needed.
The latest decision to delay the premiere was announced Saturday after more than 400 Cirque employees and artists took in a performance Friday. The creative team met afterward and it was then decided to move the premiere to Oct. 31 and restore the preview period to its original time frame.
Organizers first delayed the premiere in late June because of apparent technical difficulties. The premiere was then rescheduled for Oct. 10.Further “enormous complexities” were cited on Sept. 2 as the schedule for preview performances was pushed back a second time. While the change didn't affect the Oct. 10 premiere, the decision effectively axed the first two weeks of preview performances.
Saturday’s announcement restores the preview period to its original five-week run, with the first performance taking place Sept. 26.“The preview period is an important part of our creative process as it allows the show to develop in front of a live audience,” Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman Anita Nelving said."Believe" will blend Angel’s illusions with the costumes and acrobatics that are part of Cirque du Soleil productions.
Angel will give about 5,200 performances over the next decade. His contract will see him perform five nights a week for the next 10 years, with an additional five-year extension option.“Unlike traditional magic-themed shows, 'Criss Angel Believe' transcends any preconceived notion of what it means to be emotionally engaged by the arts of mysticism and illusion,” Cirque promises in the show’s promotional materials.You can find more info at crissangel.com.
http://celebrityunplugged.blogspot.com/2008/09/premiere-of-criss-angels-believe.html
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Not Oranges and Lemons but Oranges and Bananas!
Not Oranges and Lemons but Oranges and Bananas!
According to the nursery rhyme it should be oranges and lemons but according to new scientific research we would be doing our children more good by giving them oranges and bananas!
Scientist working in Islamabad have been trying to research into why there are higher rates of childhood leukemia and cancer in the west rather than the east. The results have proved startling revealing that if we give our children oranges and bananas regularly we could halve the risk of these cancers.
This is the report from Online the International News Network;
Oranges, bananas and turmeric prevent leukemia
ISLAMABAD: Giving infants oranges and bananas regularly may halve their risk of developing childhood leukemia, suggest the results of a new study.
And a diet containing the curry spice turmeric may also be protective - accounting for the differences in childhood leukemia rates between east and west - says a leading scientist.
Children who ate oranges, orange juice or bananas between four to six times a week during their first two years of life had a significantly reduced risk of developing the cancer, revealed the observational study by US researchers.
Previous studies on childhood leukaemias have not examined the effects of the overall diet in this way, focusing more on possible risk foods like cured meats.
"Our study is unique, and we have elucidated a significant protective association with the consumption of oranges, bananas and orange juice," says Marilyn Kwan, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Berkeley.
However, she cautions that without carrying out a randomised controlled trial, it is difficult to predict exactly how protective eating these fruits may be, or to make firm public health recommendations. But she notes that in her study "there was a 50 per cent reduction in risk".
The evidence for oranges and bananas, and turmeric in preventing leukaemia was presented at Children with Leukaemia’s international leukaemia conference in London, UK, on Thursday.
Oranges and bananas may protect against childhood leukemia because they are a rich source of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. They could act by reducing oxidative DNA damage, and so stop the initiation of cancerous processes.
Bananas are also rich in potassium. Animal studies have indicated that potassium stabilises DNA and can reduce rates of mutation.
http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=133473
According to the nursery rhyme it should be oranges and lemons but according to new scientific research we would be doing our children more good by giving them oranges and bananas!
Scientist working in Islamabad have been trying to research into why there are higher rates of childhood leukemia and cancer in the west rather than the east. The results have proved startling revealing that if we give our children oranges and bananas regularly we could halve the risk of these cancers.
This is the report from Online the International News Network;
Oranges, bananas and turmeric prevent leukemia
ISLAMABAD: Giving infants oranges and bananas regularly may halve their risk of developing childhood leukemia, suggest the results of a new study.
And a diet containing the curry spice turmeric may also be protective - accounting for the differences in childhood leukemia rates between east and west - says a leading scientist.
Children who ate oranges, orange juice or bananas between four to six times a week during their first two years of life had a significantly reduced risk of developing the cancer, revealed the observational study by US researchers.
Previous studies on childhood leukaemias have not examined the effects of the overall diet in this way, focusing more on possible risk foods like cured meats.
"Our study is unique, and we have elucidated a significant protective association with the consumption of oranges, bananas and orange juice," says Marilyn Kwan, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Berkeley.
However, she cautions that without carrying out a randomised controlled trial, it is difficult to predict exactly how protective eating these fruits may be, or to make firm public health recommendations. But she notes that in her study "there was a 50 per cent reduction in risk".
The evidence for oranges and bananas, and turmeric in preventing leukaemia was presented at Children with Leukaemia’s international leukaemia conference in London, UK, on Thursday.
Oranges and bananas may protect against childhood leukemia because they are a rich source of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. They could act by reducing oxidative DNA damage, and so stop the initiation of cancerous processes.
Bananas are also rich in potassium. Animal studies have indicated that potassium stabilises DNA and can reduce rates of mutation.
http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=133473
Is Constitution Day Something To Celebrate?
Today is constitution day where we should celebrate the fact that on this date in 1787, 39 of the original 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document that would eventually be ratified and enshrined as fundamental law. Do these ideals still stand today or have we let our forefathers down?
I'd like to think that we still believe in the same ideals! Freedom is the most precious of commodities.
President Bush has issued a proclamation today concerning Constitution day it goes as follows:
Proclamation by the President -- Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Constitution Week, 2008
Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 /Standard Newswire/ -- The following is a proclamation by President Bush:
Americans are united by the ideals of equal justice, limited government, and the rule of law. On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day and during Constitution Week, we remember the vision and determination of the Framers to build a free society, and we celebrate the historical document they created to achieve that goal.
More than two centuries ago, our Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia and produced a charter that would promote justice and preserve the liberty of all our citizens. The Founders established three separate branches of Government with a system of checks and balances among them. Ours is the oldest written constitution in the world, and the American experiment remains the world's best hope for freedom.
The Constitution forged the American creed of liberty and equality and has lifted the lives of countless individuals. Whether they are citizens by birth or by oath, Americans share a great tradition of enjoying liberty protected by a constitutional government of their choosing.
On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and during Constitution Week, Americans come together and recognize the blessings bestowed upon our great Nation. On this occasion we celebrate the courage of the Constitution's drafters and recommit ourselves to making the United States a more perfect union.
In recognition of the signing of the Constitution and of Americans who strive to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106, as amended), designated September 17 as "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," and by joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108, as amended), requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as "Constitution Week."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2008, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23, 2008, as Constitution Week. I encourage Federal, State, and local officials, as well as leaders of civic, social, and educational organizations, to conduct ceremonies and programs that celebrate our Constitution and reaffirm our rights and responsibilities as citizens of this great Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
GEORGE W. BUSH
I'd like to think that we still believe in the same ideals! Freedom is the most precious of commodities.
President Bush has issued a proclamation today concerning Constitution day it goes as follows:
Proclamation by the President -- Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Constitution Week, 2008
Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 /Standard Newswire/ -- The following is a proclamation by President Bush:
Americans are united by the ideals of equal justice, limited government, and the rule of law. On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day and during Constitution Week, we remember the vision and determination of the Framers to build a free society, and we celebrate the historical document they created to achieve that goal.
More than two centuries ago, our Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia and produced a charter that would promote justice and preserve the liberty of all our citizens. The Founders established three separate branches of Government with a system of checks and balances among them. Ours is the oldest written constitution in the world, and the American experiment remains the world's best hope for freedom.
The Constitution forged the American creed of liberty and equality and has lifted the lives of countless individuals. Whether they are citizens by birth or by oath, Americans share a great tradition of enjoying liberty protected by a constitutional government of their choosing.
On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and during Constitution Week, Americans come together and recognize the blessings bestowed upon our great Nation. On this occasion we celebrate the courage of the Constitution's drafters and recommit ourselves to making the United States a more perfect union.
In recognition of the signing of the Constitution and of Americans who strive to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106, as amended), designated September 17 as "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," and by joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108, as amended), requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as "Constitution Week."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2008, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23, 2008, as Constitution Week. I encourage Federal, State, and local officials, as well as leaders of civic, social, and educational organizations, to conduct ceremonies and programs that celebrate our Constitution and reaffirm our rights and responsibilities as citizens of this great Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Pick A Color Career Advice Test
A new web site has sprung up which says it can help you choose the correct career path based on your color preferences. This website claims it can tell the type of person you are by the choices you make
http://www.careerpath.com/ gives you three choices when you enter it's website all of which give you an all round perspective of careers available.
The choices are;
http://www.careerpath.com/ gives you three choices when you enter it's website all of which give you an all round perspective of careers available.
The choices are;
- Career Tests
- Careers Advice
- Career Resources
My daughter is coming up to 16 and needs to make some career decisions soon so it is definitely one to try.
Dana Hunsinger has tried it out already and this is her report;
I happen to like fuchsia shirts and metallic silver polish for my toenails. My golf paraphernalia is all in the pink family. And my favorite eye shadow is a lavender frost.
Based on my colors of choice, what career do you think would suit me?
"You sound like you should be prettying up people as a hairdresser," said Janice Crowder, an administrative assistant who was eating lunch at Washington Square Mall last week. "Or some manicurist or girly-girl career."
Ha. I laughed. How wrong she was.
But believe it or not, there is a new- fangled career personality test that judges you based on your color preferences.
The Color Career Counselor at www.careerpath.com takes an ultra- simple approach to telling people what career is best suited for them. It asks them to click on colors they most prefer to look at and the colors they least prefer, from magenta to lime green.
This test decided I am one of those "conservative-appearing, plotting types," who enjoys organizing, data systems, bean counting and noncreative activities.
Not exactly.
But the second option the test gave me for a career was right on: creator, impulsive, spontaneous, writer.
As with any personality test, it should not be the only variable determining a career path. Nevertheless, this test seems legit and well-researched, said local human resources expert Karl Ahlrichs.
It is "powered by the Dewey Color System" and is scientifically validated. Favorite colors represent hopes and aspirations, the ideals you pursue with passion. Least favorite colors highlight the issues and experiences you try to avoid.
"Tests like these are good because they at least get people thinking about their careers, their likes and dislikes," said Ahlrichs, a partner with local company ExactHire.
But they should be just a starting point.
"Careers are way more complex than that. People are more complex than that," he says.
In different cultures, different tools are used to determine appropriate careers. In Japan, a person's blood type is important. The French feel handwriting analysis is a valid predictor of career success.
Here? We like to try to delve into people's psyches and personality types. I had several people take the test and got varied results.
Lisa Bauer, who graduated from Ball State University with a math degree, turned out to be a creator -- nonconforming, expressive, romantic and emotional. The test said she should think about a job in art, drama, music, writing. "That is not me at all," she says. But the second choice it gave for her was mathematician. "That sounds more like me," she says.
Olympic Gold Medalist Margaret Hoelzer Speaks Out About Child Abuse
Margaret Hoelzer won 3 medals for swimming in the Olympic games in Beijing. After a startling revalation she now want to moves forward and help children who have also suffered abuse.
Now becoming somewhat of a celebrity last night Margaret spoke to The Associated Press about her less than idyllic childhood.
Here is the full report
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Margaret Hoelzer squirms in the leather chair, trying to get comfortable. She kicks off the flip-flops and tucks her feet underneath her body. Shifting again, she slings her legs over the side of the chair, revealing the star-spangled toenail polish that still remains from the Beijing Olympics.
She takes a deep breath, ready to reveal her secret - saying she was sexually abused as a child.
Now, the swimmer who won three medals at the Beijing Olympics is ready to share her story and work to make sure what she says happened to her doesn't happen to other kids.
"It's nerve-racking," Hoelzer said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. "Some days I feel great about it, and I'm completely at peace with it, completely calm and ready to do this. Then, there are other days where I'm like, 'Oh my God, do I really want to do this?"'
Hoelzer was born 25 1/2 years ago in Huntsville, a north Alabama city tucked into a valley of the Tennessee River, not far from the state line. Her paternal grandfather was brought over from Germany after World War II, a member of Wernher von Braun's team that would help send Americans to the moon.
She proudly points out that her grandpa invented the analog computer, and her father became an engineer in the booming town that grew to be known as the "Rocket City." It should have been an idyllic childhood.
It wasn't.
Hoelzer says she was five years old when the abuse by a playmate's father started.
Although the timeline is a bit fuzzy due to her young age, Hoelzer and her mother believe the abuse went on for at least two years, ending when that family moved away.
"I was going to their house on a regular basis," Hoelzer said. "I would spend the night at their house from time to time. ... It was definitely a situation where I was taught to trust that person."
She wasn't even sure what was going on was wrong.
"I didn't connect the dots other than feeling uncomfortable," Hoelzer said. "I think on a subconscious level I knew it. But consciously, I didn't."
Even after the abuse stopped, it took years to realize what happened. Finally, in the fifth grade, Hoelzer was walking in the neighbourhood with her best friend, talking about all the things in life that seem so important to 11-year-old girls. Suddenly, the awful truth poured out.
"She was the one who was like, 'Oh my God, you were molested,"' Hoelzer said. "You need to tell your mom.' She was the one who actually put a name on it for me."
Heeding her friend's advice, young Margaret went to her mother.
"She was putting up a border in her bedroom," Hoelzer said. "Of course, I go in there and volunteer to help. She's probably wondering why in the world does she want to help me do this? Luckily, it was a very thick border. It took forever to do."
All the while, a child told her story to a stunned parent.
"She was very quiet and listened," Hoelzer recalled. "I remember from time to time, she would say things to kind of prod me along. I was very, very lucky because she 100 per cent believed me. She never questioned it. Most importantly, she just let me talk. She didn't freak out."
Hoelzer's mom immediately told her father. That night, the police were called. The family was directed to the National Child Advocacy Center, which lined up counselling for everyone and showed them how to pursue legal action.
The alleged molester was arrested. There was no real physical evidence because Hoelzer wasn't raped. Also, the passage of time and a child's still-developing memory raised doubts about whether a conviction could be reached in the harsh scrutiny of a courtroom. The case was taken to a grand jury, but no formal charges were ever brought.
That made it even harder to take.
"I was very angry for a long time that nothing happened and he got off scot-free," Hoelzer conceded. "In school, if you did something wrong you would get in trouble for it. You would go to detention or have your parents ground you. It was almost this mentality of, 'How can you do something like that and have nothing happen?' No community service. No fine. Nothing.
"Now that I'm older," she added, "I realize that's not how it is. A lack of evidence is just a lack of evidence."
She never had any more contact with that family.
She never had any desire to confront her molester.
"I haven't seen him in almost 20 years," Hoelzer said. "I don't even know if I'd recognize him at this point."
Chris Witty, a Winter Olympic gold medallist in speedskating, can sure relate. She, too, was a victim of childhood abuse, violated by a trusted neighbour from the age of 4 to 11. She, too, hid her secret for years.
Finally, after extensive therapy and a triumphant performance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, Witty turned to the media to get her story out.
"When I first told the reporter, I had all this anxiety," Witty recalled in a telephone interview with the AP. "You don't know what people are going to say, how they're going to react. What about my friends? Are they going to believe me?"
Once she went public, Witty was overwhelmed by the reaction. She was bombarded with letters and emails, all of them praising her for taking such a bold step. Total strangers came up to reveal their own cases of abuse. Most poignantly, a friend, emboldened by Witty's courage, came forward to reveal being molested.
"As soon as I heard that, I knew it was mission accomplished," said Witty, who now lives in the Netherlands. "I don't think I would have had closure about my abuse issue unless I could tell people about it. Whether they wanted to hear about it or not, I had a need to tell people what happened to me."
Hoelzer is not ready to say she's reached closure, but she's eager to use her plight to help others. She majored in psychology at Auburn, with a minor in criminology. She wanted to learn about the child abuse issue from both sides: victims and perpetrators.
"In my own way, I was self-counselling in college," she said. "Every single paper I wrote in school was about kids who've been molested and sex offenders."
That process goes on. Without telling anyone her motivation, she already has gotten involved with the National Child Advocacy Center, the first of its kind and now one of some 900 branches around the country.
She'll be giving the keynote speech at a big fundraising dinner Friday. Her message will be so much more poignant now that she's come clean about her past.
Chris Newlin, the facility's executive director, points to statistics that show one in four girls and one in seven boys under the age of 18 will be the victims of sexual abuse. He's hopeful that Hoelzer's story will raise awareness even more.
"It's very courageous of her to offer us a face to what a number of children in our country are going through," Newlin said. "There's a lot of value in someone of her prominence coming forward. What it really speaks to is how this affects people across a broad spectrum."
While steadfast in her decision to talk openly, Hoelzer worries about reopening old wounds, especially within her own family.
A tear stream downs her cheek when she mentions the mother who still feels guilty about not recognizing what her daughter was going through, the older sister who still believes she should have been there to protect little Margaret.
Hoelzer is quick to point out that much of her childhood was happy, "normal."
She began swimming year-round when she was eight, and quickly became one of the best in the city, then one of the best in the state, and finally one of the best in the nation.
"I always felt like swimming was the one thing I could control," Hoelzer said. "I can't control other people. I can't control whether or not I beat someone or how they swim. But I could control how good I was."
Auburn gave her a swimming scholarship, and she made her first Olympic team in 2004. By then, though, Hoelzer had reached a troubling point in her life, one she eventually traced back to her childhood trauma.
She was no longer swimming the best times of her life. Not even close. Hoelzer finished fifth at the Athens Games in the 200-meter backstroke, a bitter disappointment. Things didn't get much better over the next two years, either. Finally, after a decent showing at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships but still short of a personal best, she crumpled under the weight of her emotions.
"This isn't normal. I didn't swim that bad," she thought to herself. "Why am I feeling like I have no value as a person?"
Hoelzer, in counselling for more than a year after telling her parents of being abused, decided it was time to return to therapy.
During the process, Hoelzer dredged up all sorts of uncomfortable feelings and memories. But she also began to gain a better understanding of herself.
"I was looking for a sense of peace within myself, and I was looking for a sense of confidence," Hoelzer said. "Since I've been back in counselling, the biggest thing I've learned is that what (sexual abuse) does. It undermines people's value. It undermines their self-confidence. I think that's what swimming was for me for so many years. I was thinking it was something I could control, but it was really a way for me to build confidence."
Removing that burden from her swimming, she blossomed again in the pool. Hoelzer claimed her first world championship, winning the 200 backstroke at Melbourne last year. She set a world record in the 200 back at the Olympic trials and claimed an unlikely spot on the team in the 100 back.
At Beijing, she was beaten in her best event by former college roommate Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, who also reclaimed the world record. Hoelzer was disappointed, naturally, but she also saw the value of silver. And it didn't hurt when she added a bronze in the 100 back and another silver as a member of the medley relay team.
"I wonder if I had won if I would have felt this sense of peace and contentment was just because I won," Hoelzer said. "The fact that I can sit here and say, 'I just won a silver medal and I'm content and at peace with myself,' to me that conveys that it's real."
And time to go public with her secret.
Still, Hoelzer wonders if it's all worth it.
"I still have so many unresolved issues," she said. "My self-confidence is better, it's definitely better. But it's not there all the time. I have good days. I have bad days."
She's never been able to lower her guard long enough to have any sort of meaningful romantic relationship, even as she devours the latest romance novel. She's never been on more than two dates with anyone.
"For me, it's just such a trust issue," she said. "I really have a hard time getting to know people, and letting people get to know me."
Recently, Hoelzer was among the 150 U.S. Olympians who appeared on the season premiere of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." While everyone else revelled in the moment, she looked around nervously, knowing that all those people on stage - not to mention all those people watching at home - would soon know her own painful story.
Only her family and closest friends know what happened. She's never even told any Olympic teammates.
"I think my biggest fear is letting my guard down," she said. "What if no one cares?"
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jybyvQdj4TaJC_B2Sp8Taav12pvA
Now becoming somewhat of a celebrity last night Margaret spoke to The Associated Press about her less than idyllic childhood.
Here is the full report
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Margaret Hoelzer squirms in the leather chair, trying to get comfortable. She kicks off the flip-flops and tucks her feet underneath her body. Shifting again, she slings her legs over the side of the chair, revealing the star-spangled toenail polish that still remains from the Beijing Olympics.
She takes a deep breath, ready to reveal her secret - saying she was sexually abused as a child.
Now, the swimmer who won three medals at the Beijing Olympics is ready to share her story and work to make sure what she says happened to her doesn't happen to other kids.
"It's nerve-racking," Hoelzer said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. "Some days I feel great about it, and I'm completely at peace with it, completely calm and ready to do this. Then, there are other days where I'm like, 'Oh my God, do I really want to do this?"'
Hoelzer was born 25 1/2 years ago in Huntsville, a north Alabama city tucked into a valley of the Tennessee River, not far from the state line. Her paternal grandfather was brought over from Germany after World War II, a member of Wernher von Braun's team that would help send Americans to the moon.
She proudly points out that her grandpa invented the analog computer, and her father became an engineer in the booming town that grew to be known as the "Rocket City." It should have been an idyllic childhood.
It wasn't.
Hoelzer says she was five years old when the abuse by a playmate's father started.
Although the timeline is a bit fuzzy due to her young age, Hoelzer and her mother believe the abuse went on for at least two years, ending when that family moved away.
"I was going to their house on a regular basis," Hoelzer said. "I would spend the night at their house from time to time. ... It was definitely a situation where I was taught to trust that person."
She wasn't even sure what was going on was wrong.
"I didn't connect the dots other than feeling uncomfortable," Hoelzer said. "I think on a subconscious level I knew it. But consciously, I didn't."
Even after the abuse stopped, it took years to realize what happened. Finally, in the fifth grade, Hoelzer was walking in the neighbourhood with her best friend, talking about all the things in life that seem so important to 11-year-old girls. Suddenly, the awful truth poured out.
"She was the one who was like, 'Oh my God, you were molested,"' Hoelzer said. "You need to tell your mom.' She was the one who actually put a name on it for me."
Heeding her friend's advice, young Margaret went to her mother.
"She was putting up a border in her bedroom," Hoelzer said. "Of course, I go in there and volunteer to help. She's probably wondering why in the world does she want to help me do this? Luckily, it was a very thick border. It took forever to do."
All the while, a child told her story to a stunned parent.
"She was very quiet and listened," Hoelzer recalled. "I remember from time to time, she would say things to kind of prod me along. I was very, very lucky because she 100 per cent believed me. She never questioned it. Most importantly, she just let me talk. She didn't freak out."
Hoelzer's mom immediately told her father. That night, the police were called. The family was directed to the National Child Advocacy Center, which lined up counselling for everyone and showed them how to pursue legal action.
The alleged molester was arrested. There was no real physical evidence because Hoelzer wasn't raped. Also, the passage of time and a child's still-developing memory raised doubts about whether a conviction could be reached in the harsh scrutiny of a courtroom. The case was taken to a grand jury, but no formal charges were ever brought.
That made it even harder to take.
"I was very angry for a long time that nothing happened and he got off scot-free," Hoelzer conceded. "In school, if you did something wrong you would get in trouble for it. You would go to detention or have your parents ground you. It was almost this mentality of, 'How can you do something like that and have nothing happen?' No community service. No fine. Nothing.
"Now that I'm older," she added, "I realize that's not how it is. A lack of evidence is just a lack of evidence."
She never had any more contact with that family.
She never had any desire to confront her molester.
"I haven't seen him in almost 20 years," Hoelzer said. "I don't even know if I'd recognize him at this point."
Chris Witty, a Winter Olympic gold medallist in speedskating, can sure relate. She, too, was a victim of childhood abuse, violated by a trusted neighbour from the age of 4 to 11. She, too, hid her secret for years.
Finally, after extensive therapy and a triumphant performance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, Witty turned to the media to get her story out.
"When I first told the reporter, I had all this anxiety," Witty recalled in a telephone interview with the AP. "You don't know what people are going to say, how they're going to react. What about my friends? Are they going to believe me?"
Once she went public, Witty was overwhelmed by the reaction. She was bombarded with letters and emails, all of them praising her for taking such a bold step. Total strangers came up to reveal their own cases of abuse. Most poignantly, a friend, emboldened by Witty's courage, came forward to reveal being molested.
"As soon as I heard that, I knew it was mission accomplished," said Witty, who now lives in the Netherlands. "I don't think I would have had closure about my abuse issue unless I could tell people about it. Whether they wanted to hear about it or not, I had a need to tell people what happened to me."
Hoelzer is not ready to say she's reached closure, but she's eager to use her plight to help others. She majored in psychology at Auburn, with a minor in criminology. She wanted to learn about the child abuse issue from both sides: victims and perpetrators.
"In my own way, I was self-counselling in college," she said. "Every single paper I wrote in school was about kids who've been molested and sex offenders."
That process goes on. Without telling anyone her motivation, she already has gotten involved with the National Child Advocacy Center, the first of its kind and now one of some 900 branches around the country.
She'll be giving the keynote speech at a big fundraising dinner Friday. Her message will be so much more poignant now that she's come clean about her past.
Chris Newlin, the facility's executive director, points to statistics that show one in four girls and one in seven boys under the age of 18 will be the victims of sexual abuse. He's hopeful that Hoelzer's story will raise awareness even more.
"It's very courageous of her to offer us a face to what a number of children in our country are going through," Newlin said. "There's a lot of value in someone of her prominence coming forward. What it really speaks to is how this affects people across a broad spectrum."
While steadfast in her decision to talk openly, Hoelzer worries about reopening old wounds, especially within her own family.
A tear stream downs her cheek when she mentions the mother who still feels guilty about not recognizing what her daughter was going through, the older sister who still believes she should have been there to protect little Margaret.
Hoelzer is quick to point out that much of her childhood was happy, "normal."
She began swimming year-round when she was eight, and quickly became one of the best in the city, then one of the best in the state, and finally one of the best in the nation.
"I always felt like swimming was the one thing I could control," Hoelzer said. "I can't control other people. I can't control whether or not I beat someone or how they swim. But I could control how good I was."
Auburn gave her a swimming scholarship, and she made her first Olympic team in 2004. By then, though, Hoelzer had reached a troubling point in her life, one she eventually traced back to her childhood trauma.
She was no longer swimming the best times of her life. Not even close. Hoelzer finished fifth at the Athens Games in the 200-meter backstroke, a bitter disappointment. Things didn't get much better over the next two years, either. Finally, after a decent showing at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships but still short of a personal best, she crumpled under the weight of her emotions.
"This isn't normal. I didn't swim that bad," she thought to herself. "Why am I feeling like I have no value as a person?"
Hoelzer, in counselling for more than a year after telling her parents of being abused, decided it was time to return to therapy.
During the process, Hoelzer dredged up all sorts of uncomfortable feelings and memories. But she also began to gain a better understanding of herself.
"I was looking for a sense of peace within myself, and I was looking for a sense of confidence," Hoelzer said. "Since I've been back in counselling, the biggest thing I've learned is that what (sexual abuse) does. It undermines people's value. It undermines their self-confidence. I think that's what swimming was for me for so many years. I was thinking it was something I could control, but it was really a way for me to build confidence."
Removing that burden from her swimming, she blossomed again in the pool. Hoelzer claimed her first world championship, winning the 200 backstroke at Melbourne last year. She set a world record in the 200 back at the Olympic trials and claimed an unlikely spot on the team in the 100 back.
At Beijing, she was beaten in her best event by former college roommate Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, who also reclaimed the world record. Hoelzer was disappointed, naturally, but she also saw the value of silver. And it didn't hurt when she added a bronze in the 100 back and another silver as a member of the medley relay team.
"I wonder if I had won if I would have felt this sense of peace and contentment was just because I won," Hoelzer said. "The fact that I can sit here and say, 'I just won a silver medal and I'm content and at peace with myself,' to me that conveys that it's real."
And time to go public with her secret.
Still, Hoelzer wonders if it's all worth it.
"I still have so many unresolved issues," she said. "My self-confidence is better, it's definitely better. But it's not there all the time. I have good days. I have bad days."
She's never been able to lower her guard long enough to have any sort of meaningful romantic relationship, even as she devours the latest romance novel. She's never been on more than two dates with anyone.
"For me, it's just such a trust issue," she said. "I really have a hard time getting to know people, and letting people get to know me."
Recently, Hoelzer was among the 150 U.S. Olympians who appeared on the season premiere of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." While everyone else revelled in the moment, she looked around nervously, knowing that all those people on stage - not to mention all those people watching at home - would soon know her own painful story.
Only her family and closest friends know what happened. She's never even told any Olympic teammates.
"I think my biggest fear is letting my guard down," she said. "What if no one cares?"
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jybyvQdj4TaJC_B2Sp8Taav12pvA
Monday, 15 September 2008
Mr Sulu Gets Hitched
George Takei - Star Trek's Mr Sulu married his long term partner today in Los Angeles.
Here is a copy of the report from the BBC
Star Trek's Takei marries partner
The couple were joined by Takei's Star Trek co-stars at the wedding
Former Star Trek actor George Takei has married his long-term partner in a Buddhist ceremony in Los Angeles.
Takei, 71, who played Mr Sulu in the sci-fi series, married business manager Brad Altman, 54, in front of a number of his Star Trek co-stars.
They included best man Walter Koenig, who played Chekhov, and matron-of-honour Nichelle Nichols - Uhura.
The wedding - at Japanese American National Museum - came after California lifted a ban on same-sex marriage.
The couple, who have been together for 21 years, wore matching white tuxedos in the ceremony.
Takei, who recently appeared in US TV show Heroes, said in his vows that Altman was "an organised, detailed-obsessed, punctuality-driven control freak".
"I'm easygoing so we're a good fit," he added.
Speaking before the ceremony, Takei said: "We have a relationship that's been stronger and longer-lived than some of our straight friends and yet we were not equal.
"What this does is give us that dignity."
The couple were among the first Californian couples to receive a wedding licence when the state lifted its same-sex marriage ban on 17 June.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7616129.stm
Here is a copy of the report from the BBC
Star Trek's Takei marries partner
The couple were joined by Takei's Star Trek co-stars at the wedding
Former Star Trek actor George Takei has married his long-term partner in a Buddhist ceremony in Los Angeles.
Takei, 71, who played Mr Sulu in the sci-fi series, married business manager Brad Altman, 54, in front of a number of his Star Trek co-stars.
They included best man Walter Koenig, who played Chekhov, and matron-of-honour Nichelle Nichols - Uhura.
The wedding - at Japanese American National Museum - came after California lifted a ban on same-sex marriage.
The couple, who have been together for 21 years, wore matching white tuxedos in the ceremony.
Takei, who recently appeared in US TV show Heroes, said in his vows that Altman was "an organised, detailed-obsessed, punctuality-driven control freak".
"I'm easygoing so we're a good fit," he added.
Speaking before the ceremony, Takei said: "We have a relationship that's been stronger and longer-lived than some of our straight friends and yet we were not equal.
"What this does is give us that dignity."
The couple were among the first Californian couples to receive a wedding licence when the state lifted its same-sex marriage ban on 17 June.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7616129.stm
Lehman Bothers File For Bankruptcy - Stocks Fall Sharply
After much speculation it is now officila that Lehamn Brothers have filed for bankruptcy.
The official reasons given are that it has been overwhelemed with debt due to the world wide credit crisis. This could have desaterous effect on the whole of the banking industry.
ABC in Australia have posted the following article;
One of the world's biggest investment banks, Lehman Brothers, overwhelmed by debts linked to the global credit crisis, has announced it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States.
At the same time, another distressed Wall Street bank, Merrill Lynch, has been sold in a fire sale to Bank of America, as fears spread of a systemic meltdown of the global financial system.
The Australian share market has fallen sharply as a result of the financial turmoil.
The US Federal Reserve has convened emergency meetings with the heads of the world's major investment banks to try to find ways to minimise the fallout.
Ten giant banks have set up a $US70 billion fund to try to stabilise the markets, while the US central bank is taking unprecedented steps to maintain liquidity.
But some experts still fear the collapse of Lehman could spark a run on other banks, potentially causing a catastrophic financial failure.
At about 3pm AEST, the All Ordinaries index had shed 84 points to 4,874.
The ASX 200 had fallen 1.8 per cent to 4,817.
The financial sector was leading the losses, with the National Australia Bank dropping 4.1 per cent.
The Australian dollar was trading at 82.14 US cents.
Earlier, the Australian arm of Lehman Brothers was stripped of the ability to trade on the local stock exchange.
The bankruptcy action comes after talks to find a buyer for the company ended without resolution.
The ASX said Lehman Brothers had been suspended for up to a month, because its third-party clearers Citi Securities and Berndale Securities had terminated their arrangements with the firm.
A Citi spokeswoman would not comment on the decision.
Stock markets across the world braced for carnage after last-ditch efforts to find a buyer for Lehman collapsed.
As emergency talks on Lehman's woes were being held in New York, a London source at British bank Barclays, who requested anonymity, said it walked away from negotiations because of concerns it would have to guarantee the 158-year-old US firm's trading commitments.
Financial institutions around the world who do business with Lehman Brothers stand to lose billions of dollars.
There was an emergency Sunday trading session in New York to allow them to unwind some of their positions with Lehman and minimise those losses.
But the signs are that stock markets will plummet when they open later.
Banks unite
Earlier, the Bank of America, Barclays, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and UBS, said in a joint statement they "initiated a series of actions to help enhance liquidity and mitigate the unprecedented volatility and other challenges affecting global equity and debt markets".
They agreed to create a "collateralised borrowing facility" of $US70 billion, with each bank contributing $US7 billion, to help ease access to credit.
They also said they would work together "to help facilitate an orderly resolution" of the derivatives exposures between Lehman Brothers and its counter-parties.
"These actions reflect the extraordinary market environment," the statement said
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/15/2365006.htm
The official reasons given are that it has been overwhelemed with debt due to the world wide credit crisis. This could have desaterous effect on the whole of the banking industry.
ABC in Australia have posted the following article;
One of the world's biggest investment banks, Lehman Brothers, overwhelmed by debts linked to the global credit crisis, has announced it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States.
At the same time, another distressed Wall Street bank, Merrill Lynch, has been sold in a fire sale to Bank of America, as fears spread of a systemic meltdown of the global financial system.
The Australian share market has fallen sharply as a result of the financial turmoil.
The US Federal Reserve has convened emergency meetings with the heads of the world's major investment banks to try to find ways to minimise the fallout.
Ten giant banks have set up a $US70 billion fund to try to stabilise the markets, while the US central bank is taking unprecedented steps to maintain liquidity.
But some experts still fear the collapse of Lehman could spark a run on other banks, potentially causing a catastrophic financial failure.
At about 3pm AEST, the All Ordinaries index had shed 84 points to 4,874.
The ASX 200 had fallen 1.8 per cent to 4,817.
The financial sector was leading the losses, with the National Australia Bank dropping 4.1 per cent.
The Australian dollar was trading at 82.14 US cents.
Earlier, the Australian arm of Lehman Brothers was stripped of the ability to trade on the local stock exchange.
The bankruptcy action comes after talks to find a buyer for the company ended without resolution.
The ASX said Lehman Brothers had been suspended for up to a month, because its third-party clearers Citi Securities and Berndale Securities had terminated their arrangements with the firm.
A Citi spokeswoman would not comment on the decision.
Stock markets across the world braced for carnage after last-ditch efforts to find a buyer for Lehman collapsed.
As emergency talks on Lehman's woes were being held in New York, a London source at British bank Barclays, who requested anonymity, said it walked away from negotiations because of concerns it would have to guarantee the 158-year-old US firm's trading commitments.
Financial institutions around the world who do business with Lehman Brothers stand to lose billions of dollars.
There was an emergency Sunday trading session in New York to allow them to unwind some of their positions with Lehman and minimise those losses.
But the signs are that stock markets will plummet when they open later.
Banks unite
Earlier, the Bank of America, Barclays, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and UBS, said in a joint statement they "initiated a series of actions to help enhance liquidity and mitigate the unprecedented volatility and other challenges affecting global equity and debt markets".
They agreed to create a "collateralised borrowing facility" of $US70 billion, with each bank contributing $US7 billion, to help ease access to credit.
They also said they would work together "to help facilitate an orderly resolution" of the derivatives exposures between Lehman Brothers and its counter-parties.
"These actions reflect the extraordinary market environment," the statement said
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/15/2365006.htm
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Rock Band 2 for XBOX - Out Today
After the great success of Rock Band, Rock Band 2 has gone on sale today in America and should be out in Britain soon (certainly in time for Christmas!)
The new game has several more advanced features as you will be able to customise faces and poses as well as camera angles, everything you may have form the original Rock Band can also be imported into the new game with no problem so you can carry on from where you left off.
This is the article from the Boston Herald
Music-minded gamers can jam with the newest version of Rock Band beginning today.
That’s when “Rock Band 2” for the Xbox 360, created by Cambridge’s Harmonix Music Systems Inc., hits store shelves. New hooks include battle-of-the-bands tournaments, an online world tour, auto calibration to eliminate TV lag and a real drum trainer.
The interactive music game allows up to four people to choose from vocals, guitar, bass and drums and create their own characters in a band which they take on a virtual world tour. In small gritty clubs to giant stadiums, they can play the different parts of their favorite songs by following the colored-coded note track and hitting the corresponding frets of the guitar or the right pad on the drum.
Harmonix has sold 3.5 million bundles of the first “Rock Band” since the interactive music game’s launch in November 2007, and fans have downloaded more than 21 million song tracks.
The flagship upgrade of “Rock Band 2” is the battle of the bands feature, according to Kasson Crooker, Harmonix’s lead producer for the game.
“You get to compete against other bands - generic bands from around the world or on your friends list,” Crooker said. “We have daily and weekly battles that you can choose from, and each one is created by us at Harmonix.”
The music video game development company will have five active at a time - such as vocals, guitar or The Who battles - and scores will be uploaded to a server so players can see how they stack up against the competition.
The drum trainer added to “Rock Band 2” lets players practice the instrument with step-by-step lessons on the basic beats and fills in songs.
No worries for original “Rock Band” owners who want to upgrade to the new version. Almost all of the first game’s songs can be exported and used on “Rock Band 2,” as well as all purchased downloadable content. Harmonix also improved the game’s instrument peripherals. A cymbal expansion pack can be added to the drums, for example, which now have quieter velocity-sensitive pads and more sturdy kick pedals.
Harmonix’s new game will have new competition in just more than a month. Rival publisher Activision will release “Guitar Hero: World Tour” on Oct. 27, adding drums and vocals a la “Rock Band” for the first time.
Harmonix was actually the original developer of “Guitar Hero,” working on the first and second versions of the game. And Crooker says his company is honored that Activision has recognized there’s more to music than just one instrument and followed its lead.
“Music is about being in the same room with a bunch of musicians,” he said. “There’s something about the collective energy of feeling that you’re all working together to play a single piece of music.”
dgoodison@bostonherald.com
The new game has several more advanced features as you will be able to customise faces and poses as well as camera angles, everything you may have form the original Rock Band can also be imported into the new game with no problem so you can carry on from where you left off.
This is the article from the Boston Herald
Music-minded gamers can jam with the newest version of Rock Band beginning today.
That’s when “Rock Band 2” for the Xbox 360, created by Cambridge’s Harmonix Music Systems Inc., hits store shelves. New hooks include battle-of-the-bands tournaments, an online world tour, auto calibration to eliminate TV lag and a real drum trainer.
The interactive music game allows up to four people to choose from vocals, guitar, bass and drums and create their own characters in a band which they take on a virtual world tour. In small gritty clubs to giant stadiums, they can play the different parts of their favorite songs by following the colored-coded note track and hitting the corresponding frets of the guitar or the right pad on the drum.
Harmonix has sold 3.5 million bundles of the first “Rock Band” since the interactive music game’s launch in November 2007, and fans have downloaded more than 21 million song tracks.
The flagship upgrade of “Rock Band 2” is the battle of the bands feature, according to Kasson Crooker, Harmonix’s lead producer for the game.
“You get to compete against other bands - generic bands from around the world or on your friends list,” Crooker said. “We have daily and weekly battles that you can choose from, and each one is created by us at Harmonix.”
The music video game development company will have five active at a time - such as vocals, guitar or The Who battles - and scores will be uploaded to a server so players can see how they stack up against the competition.
The drum trainer added to “Rock Band 2” lets players practice the instrument with step-by-step lessons on the basic beats and fills in songs.
No worries for original “Rock Band” owners who want to upgrade to the new version. Almost all of the first game’s songs can be exported and used on “Rock Band 2,” as well as all purchased downloadable content. Harmonix also improved the game’s instrument peripherals. A cymbal expansion pack can be added to the drums, for example, which now have quieter velocity-sensitive pads and more sturdy kick pedals.
Harmonix’s new game will have new competition in just more than a month. Rival publisher Activision will release “Guitar Hero: World Tour” on Oct. 27, adding drums and vocals a la “Rock Band” for the first time.
Harmonix was actually the original developer of “Guitar Hero,” working on the first and second versions of the game. And Crooker says his company is honored that Activision has recognized there’s more to music than just one instrument and followed its lead.
“Music is about being in the same room with a bunch of musicians,” he said. “There’s something about the collective energy of feeling that you’re all working together to play a single piece of music.”
dgoodison@bostonherald.com
Saturday, 13 September 2008
Pedigree Has To Recall Some Of It's Pet Food
After reports of some dogs and cats aprearing to suffer from food poisoning type syptoms it has been discovered there could be contamination of some pet foods by Salmonella
As a precaution Pedegree have decided to recall a selection of its products. Although the recall is voluntary it is infact a Class 1 recall which means there is potential risk if the food is eaten by pets.
Here is the letter from Debra Crew (Pedigree US General Manager) about the dog food recall.
Today, we're announcing a voluntary recall of selected bags of PEDIGREE Small Crunchy Bites Complete Nutrition and PEDIGREE Large Breed Food For Dogs, both of which are made in our Everson, PA facility.
Thankfully, there haven't been any reports of pets being affected by our food in this recall; however, we feel we must take this action as a precautionary measure after we were alerted of a possible link between dry dog pet food produced at the Everson plant and two isolated cases of people infected by Salmonella Schwarzengrund.
While none of the pet foods found in the homes were determined to contain Salmonella, the strain of Salmonella Schwarzengrund involved in the illnesses was detected in the Everson plant where some PEDIGREE products are produced.
You should know that we have numerous facilities throughout the country and Everson represents a very small portion of our manufacturing base (2.7%) of total PEDIGREE production. Rest assured, you can continue to have confidence in the quality and safety of products produced at all our other facilities.
We realize how important dogs are to your family. We are dog lovers too. And implementing this safety measure immediately is the best way we can protect them, their owners and the families who feed and trust PEDIGREE.
Please know we are doing all we can to make sure that these foods are no longer on store shelves. If, however, you believe you have purchased products affected by this voluntary recall, please return the product to the store where you purchased it for a full refund. If you want more information on specific product details and other information please visit www.petcare.mars.com
As the makers of PEDIGREE, our number one priority has always been, and continues to be, the health and welfare of pets and their owners.
Sincerely
Debra Crew
General Manager
Mars Petcare US
Tops Markets has listed the following information about the pet food recall.
Mars pet food recall
(Class I)Recall
Date: 09/12/2008
Product: PEDIGREE SM CRUNCHY BITES BEEF
Code Date: All code dates
Size: 32
LBUPC: 2310031483
Product: PEDIGREE MLTM CRNCHY BITE SMLL
Code Date: All codes
Size: 4.4
LBUPC: 2310005104
Product: PEDIGREE LARGE BREED ORIGINAL
Code Date: All codes
Size: 20
LBUPC: 2310029158
Product: PEDIGREE SMALL CRUNCHY BITES
Code Date: All codes
Size: 20 LBUPC: 2310014719
Reason For Pet and Dog Food Recall:The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella. Customers are to be given a full refund.If more information is needed customers can call " Mars Care " 866-298-8332.
Available at TOPS
By: eMaxHealth - Sat, 09/13/2008
As a precaution Pedegree have decided to recall a selection of its products. Although the recall is voluntary it is infact a Class 1 recall which means there is potential risk if the food is eaten by pets.
Here is the letter from Debra Crew (Pedigree US General Manager) about the dog food recall.
Today, we're announcing a voluntary recall of selected bags of PEDIGREE Small Crunchy Bites Complete Nutrition and PEDIGREE Large Breed Food For Dogs, both of which are made in our Everson, PA facility.
Thankfully, there haven't been any reports of pets being affected by our food in this recall; however, we feel we must take this action as a precautionary measure after we were alerted of a possible link between dry dog pet food produced at the Everson plant and two isolated cases of people infected by Salmonella Schwarzengrund.
While none of the pet foods found in the homes were determined to contain Salmonella, the strain of Salmonella Schwarzengrund involved in the illnesses was detected in the Everson plant where some PEDIGREE products are produced.
You should know that we have numerous facilities throughout the country and Everson represents a very small portion of our manufacturing base (2.7%) of total PEDIGREE production. Rest assured, you can continue to have confidence in the quality and safety of products produced at all our other facilities.
We realize how important dogs are to your family. We are dog lovers too. And implementing this safety measure immediately is the best way we can protect them, their owners and the families who feed and trust PEDIGREE.
Please know we are doing all we can to make sure that these foods are no longer on store shelves. If, however, you believe you have purchased products affected by this voluntary recall, please return the product to the store where you purchased it for a full refund. If you want more information on specific product details and other information please visit www.petcare.mars.com
As the makers of PEDIGREE, our number one priority has always been, and continues to be, the health and welfare of pets and their owners.
Sincerely
Debra Crew
General Manager
Mars Petcare US
Tops Markets has listed the following information about the pet food recall.
Mars pet food recall
(Class I)Recall
Date: 09/12/2008
Product: PEDIGREE SM CRUNCHY BITES BEEF
Code Date: All code dates
Size: 32
LBUPC: 2310031483
Product: PEDIGREE MLTM CRNCHY BITE SMLL
Code Date: All codes
Size: 4.4
LBUPC: 2310005104
Product: PEDIGREE LARGE BREED ORIGINAL
Code Date: All codes
Size: 20
LBUPC: 2310029158
Product: PEDIGREE SMALL CRUNCHY BITES
Code Date: All codes
Size: 20 LBUPC: 2310014719
Reason For Pet and Dog Food Recall:The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella. Customers are to be given a full refund.If more information is needed customers can call " Mars Care " 866-298-8332.
Available at TOPS
By: eMaxHealth - Sat, 09/13/2008
Dame Edna is Back!
Dame Edna is back in our lives!
After a bad year when Barry Humphries had complications after an appendectomy which forced a planned tour to be cancelled I am pleased to say the Australian 'gigastar' and Madge are back with us.
Dame Edna has been very busy preparing for the show Dame Edna Live and Intimate in Her First Last Tour. This will be running for six weeks from Nov 20th at the Post Street Theatre.
The Dame has also been apparent on talk shows such as Talk Talk in America where she can be guaranteed to cause a stir!
Finally so we can all have a touch of her magic she has teamed up with MAC cosmetics and will be t
heir icon for 2008 with her own range of cosmetics in specially designed pink packaging featuring her trademark glasses which apparently sparkle. Launch date is due to be December 26th and will feature in all stores and according to forum site tis looks to be a sure fire success!
Good On Ya!
After a bad year when Barry Humphries had complications after an appendectomy which forced a planned tour to be cancelled I am pleased to say the Australian 'gigastar' and Madge are back with us.
Dame Edna has been very busy preparing for the show Dame Edna Live and Intimate in Her First Last Tour. This will be running for six weeks from Nov 20th at the Post Street Theatre.
The Dame has also been apparent on talk shows such as Talk Talk in America where she can be guaranteed to cause a stir!
Finally so we can all have a touch of her magic she has teamed up with MAC cosmetics and will be t
heir icon for 2008 with her own range of cosmetics in specially designed pink packaging featuring her trademark glasses which apparently sparkle. Launch date is due to be December 26th and will feature in all stores and according to forum site tis looks to be a sure fire success!Good On Ya!
Friday, 12 September 2008
PMS Buddy - Does it really help understanding?
There seems to be a lot of talk lately about the website http://pmsbuddy.com/ . This website has been designed to help the males of this world (or even some females) be aware of the times of the month when the other females in their life could be feeling under the weather due to PMS.
In other words it is an early warning system for the days of the month when you are more likely to have you head bitten off!
I'm not sure how this will go down in certain quarters and I for one don't feel that I need to keep the males in my life informed but if this could help you then it is a completely free service and you can have up to 5 contacts listed in your account. The spiel that goes with the website is as follows;
PMS buddy.com is a free service created with a single goal in mind: to keep you aware of when your wife, girlfriend, mother, sister, daughter, or any other women in your life are closing in on "that ,time of the month" - when things can get intense for what may seem to be no reason at all.
For women, this is a great way to give people in your life a heads-up of when you might be feeling a bit irritable without having an awkward conversation.
What's more, we will not only keep you informed, but will give you some free advice on what to do about it. With PMSBuddy.com, there is no reason to ever be blindsided by PMS again.
PMS Buddy.com - Saving relationships, one month at a time!
http://pmsbuddy.com/
In other words it is an early warning system for the days of the month when you are more likely to have you head bitten off!
I'm not sure how this will go down in certain quarters and I for one don't feel that I need to keep the males in my life informed but if this could help you then it is a completely free service and you can have up to 5 contacts listed in your account. The spiel that goes with the website is as follows;
PMS buddy.com is a free service created with a single goal in mind: to keep you aware of when your wife, girlfriend, mother, sister, daughter, or any other women in your life are closing in on "that ,time of the month" - when things can get intense for what may seem to be no reason at all.
For women, this is a great way to give people in your life a heads-up of when you might be feeling a bit irritable without having an awkward conversation.
What's more, we will not only keep you informed, but will give you some free advice on what to do about it. With PMSBuddy.com, there is no reason to ever be blindsided by PMS again.
PMS Buddy.com - Saving relationships, one month at a time!
http://pmsbuddy.com/
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Fire Scare in the Channel Tunnel
This afternoon traffic heading to use the 'Chunnel' would have been seriously delayed due to a fire that broke out on the freight line.
The fire was caused by an overturned lorry and was detected nearly 11 miles into the tunnel from the French Side of the Channel Tunnel. Every one was evacuated safely through the service tunnel although there are reports that up to 30 people have been treated for smoke inhalation.
CNN have recently reported on the incident as follows;
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A fire broke out on a freight train Thursday as it traveled in the tunnel under the English Channel, halting all passenger and freight services.
The Channel Tunnel has freight and passengers trains running through it.
Eurotunnel confirmed a number of people were injured. French police told the UK's Press Association they suffered smoke inhalation, but could not confirm whether they needed hospital treatment.
A spokesman for French police in Arras added the fire is thought to have begun on a lorry which overturned. It is unclear if the fire has been contained.
People inside the 50-kilometer (30-mile) tunnel, known as the Chunnel, were evacuated through a service tunnel that runs between the two train-carrying tunnels, Eurotunnel officials said.
Police in Kent, England, said the fire broke out 11 kilometers from the French entrance to the tunnel at about 3.55 p.m. French time (1355 GMT).
Kent police added that the French fire service dealt with the fire.
Eurotunnel said 32 people were aboard the shuttle train transporting trucks when the fire broke out.
No passenger trains were going through the tunnel at the time of the fire, they said.
The Channel Tunnel system has two tunnels running trains and the third service tunnel between them. Eurotunnel runs the tunnel system and freight train services. Eurostar operates the passenger trains that use the tunnel.A spokeswoman for Eurostar said none of the company's trains was in the tunnel at the time of the incident.
She said: "We have got services on both sides of the tunnel and they have been stopped. They are at various stations on either side of the tunnel. We are looking at what to do with them."
The $15 billion undersea tunnel opened in 1994 and it now takes just over two hours for the trip from London to Paris. There are also passenger services to Brussels, Belgium
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/09/11/tunnel.fire/?iref=mpstoryview
The fire was caused by an overturned lorry and was detected nearly 11 miles into the tunnel from the French Side of the Channel Tunnel. Every one was evacuated safely through the service tunnel although there are reports that up to 30 people have been treated for smoke inhalation.
CNN have recently reported on the incident as follows;
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A fire broke out on a freight train Thursday as it traveled in the tunnel under the English Channel, halting all passenger and freight services.
The Channel Tunnel has freight and passengers trains running through it.
Eurotunnel confirmed a number of people were injured. French police told the UK's Press Association they suffered smoke inhalation, but could not confirm whether they needed hospital treatment.
A spokesman for French police in Arras added the fire is thought to have begun on a lorry which overturned. It is unclear if the fire has been contained.
People inside the 50-kilometer (30-mile) tunnel, known as the Chunnel, were evacuated through a service tunnel that runs between the two train-carrying tunnels, Eurotunnel officials said.
Police in Kent, England, said the fire broke out 11 kilometers from the French entrance to the tunnel at about 3.55 p.m. French time (1355 GMT).
Kent police added that the French fire service dealt with the fire.
Eurotunnel said 32 people were aboard the shuttle train transporting trucks when the fire broke out.
No passenger trains were going through the tunnel at the time of the fire, they said.
The Channel Tunnel system has two tunnels running trains and the third service tunnel between them. Eurotunnel runs the tunnel system and freight train services. Eurostar operates the passenger trains that use the tunnel.A spokeswoman for Eurostar said none of the company's trains was in the tunnel at the time of the incident.
She said: "We have got services on both sides of the tunnel and they have been stopped. They are at various stations on either side of the tunnel. We are looking at what to do with them."
The $15 billion undersea tunnel opened in 1994 and it now takes just over two hours for the trip from London to Paris. There are also passenger services to Brussels, Belgium
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/09/11/tunnel.fire/?iref=mpstoryview
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Not The End of The World - Large Hadron Collider Works!
After all the hype it seems that the largest, potentially most powerful scientific experiment has started. In the next few months Scientists in Switzerland hope to reveal how planets were created and if there really was a Big Bang!
Contrary to rumours surrounding the experiment all went well at the start of the experiment and there wasn't even a flicker let alone the end of the world! The Telegraph reports about the start of the experiment as follows;
"Five, four, three, two, one, zero - nothing," joked Lyn Evans, leader of the LHC project, before a fuzzy dot appeared on a monitor.It was 9.30am local time when a stream of protons was introduced into a short stretch of the circular 17-mile underground racetrack, buried in the Jura Mountains on the Franco-Swiss border.
The fuzzy dot registered their arrival, and then - well, not a lot. But to the scientists who have devoted their working lives to the project it was a moment of consummation. Protons streams were then introduced into more and more of the machine until less than an hour later - far earlier than predicted - a stream whizzed around the entire circumference of the particle accelerator at a shade under the speed of light. The LHC had passed its first crucial landmark.
A host of Jeremiahs have been predicting that the collider, costing £5bn and a quarter of a century in the making, will destroy the world by spawning mini black holes which will sink to the Earth's core before gobbling it up
The scientists at CERN have dismissed the claim as ill-informed nonsense, and it certainly wasn't going to happen on today's inaugural test run, which did not include the sub-atomic collisions needed to produce an Earth-munching singularity.Dr Evans, the coal miner's son from Aberdare, south Wales, who grew to lead the LHC project, the biggest thing in so-called Big Science, was so moved by the first completed circuit that he could muster only a few words.Asked to speak, he said: "I'm too happy to continue." And he left it at that.
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Earlier, he said: "This is really the biggest and most complex scientific project ever undertaken, and you cannot do a thing like this without engineers and applied scientists of very top quality."
Around him in the collider's control room, a few miles outside Geneva, scientists burst into applause.
They will now get a proton beam to travel in the opposite direction before beginning the work of smashing sub-atomic particles together in an effort to discover the greatest question in science: why we came to be.
John Ellis, a British theoretical physicist, who like Dr Evans has devoted most of his career to CERN, said: "I've been here 35 years and this is the culmination of that time. I've just completed a paper on what we might discover with the LHC. It's such an exciting time."
Meanwhile, William Hill celebrated Man's continued existence. It had taken £119 from punters willing to bet that September 10 2008 would see the end of the world. A spokesman said: "Our standard odds are 1,000,000/1, but anyone wanting longer or shorter odds is at liberty to take them. A number of customers took us up; on our offer and have bet that the world will end as a result of the Large Hadron Collider experiment."
As the doom-mongers would say, there's still time. The LHC will not get going in earnest until the end of the year, when hopefully it will begin to produce data shedding light on the origin of the universe, the dark matter and energy that makes up its bulk and the existence or not of the Higgs boson - an as yet theoretical particle believed to impart mass to other particles.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/10/scicern410.xml
Contrary to rumours surrounding the experiment all went well at the start of the experiment and there wasn't even a flicker let alone the end of the world! The Telegraph reports about the start of the experiment as follows;
"Five, four, three, two, one, zero - nothing," joked Lyn Evans, leader of the LHC project, before a fuzzy dot appeared on a monitor.It was 9.30am local time when a stream of protons was introduced into a short stretch of the circular 17-mile underground racetrack, buried in the Jura Mountains on the Franco-Swiss border.
The fuzzy dot registered their arrival, and then - well, not a lot. But to the scientists who have devoted their working lives to the project it was a moment of consummation. Protons streams were then introduced into more and more of the machine until less than an hour later - far earlier than predicted - a stream whizzed around the entire circumference of the particle accelerator at a shade under the speed of light. The LHC had passed its first crucial landmark.
A host of Jeremiahs have been predicting that the collider, costing £5bn and a quarter of a century in the making, will destroy the world by spawning mini black holes which will sink to the Earth's core before gobbling it up
The scientists at CERN have dismissed the claim as ill-informed nonsense, and it certainly wasn't going to happen on today's inaugural test run, which did not include the sub-atomic collisions needed to produce an Earth-munching singularity.Dr Evans, the coal miner's son from Aberdare, south Wales, who grew to lead the LHC project, the biggest thing in so-called Big Science, was so moved by the first completed circuit that he could muster only a few words.Asked to speak, he said: "I'm too happy to continue." And he left it at that.
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Earlier, he said: "This is really the biggest and most complex scientific project ever undertaken, and you cannot do a thing like this without engineers and applied scientists of very top quality."
Around him in the collider's control room, a few miles outside Geneva, scientists burst into applause.
They will now get a proton beam to travel in the opposite direction before beginning the work of smashing sub-atomic particles together in an effort to discover the greatest question in science: why we came to be.
John Ellis, a British theoretical physicist, who like Dr Evans has devoted most of his career to CERN, said: "I've been here 35 years and this is the culmination of that time. I've just completed a paper on what we might discover with the LHC. It's such an exciting time."
Meanwhile, William Hill celebrated Man's continued existence. It had taken £119 from punters willing to bet that September 10 2008 would see the end of the world. A spokesman said: "Our standard odds are 1,000,000/1, but anyone wanting longer or shorter odds is at liberty to take them. A number of customers took us up; on our offer and have bet that the world will end as a result of the Large Hadron Collider experiment."
As the doom-mongers would say, there's still time. The LHC will not get going in earnest until the end of the year, when hopefully it will begin to produce data shedding light on the origin of the universe, the dark matter and energy that makes up its bulk and the existence or not of the Higgs boson - an as yet theoretical particle believed to impart mass to other particles.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/10/scicern410.xml
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Is Hannah Montana Really Dead? Rumors surrounding accident involving Miley Cyrus
Looking into the breaking news there appears to be confliting reports surrounding the possible death of Disney Favourite Miley Cyrus.
Miley plays the hit character Hannah Montana and was supposedly on her way to the current round of filming for the series when she was involved in a collision with a truck. Reports and rumours then say that she died whilst undergoing surgery.
I have just been on her official website and several others regarding Miley and as yet nothing has been posted which leads us to belive that this is a sick hoax. My daughter is a great fan of Hannah Montana and so are millions of other youngsters so this type of hoax can have a very disturbing effect.
Surely if there was any truth behind the rumour the big news agencies would have reported on the story?
I have also searced Reuters (this site has been quoted!) and can find no trace of story. Surely id it was true it would be making the headline by now
Miley plays the hit character Hannah Montana and was supposedly on her way to the current round of filming for the series when she was involved in a collision with a truck. Reports and rumours then say that she died whilst undergoing surgery.
I have just been on her official website and several others regarding Miley and as yet nothing has been posted which leads us to belive that this is a sick hoax. My daughter is a great fan of Hannah Montana and so are millions of other youngsters so this type of hoax can have a very disturbing effect.
Surely if there was any truth behind the rumour the big news agencies would have reported on the story?
I have also searced Reuters (this site has been quoted!) and can find no trace of story. Surely id it was true it would be making the headline by now
Sidney Kimmel Stands Up To Cancer
Sidney Kimmel Stands Up To Cancer
Famous film producer Sidney Kimmel is putting his backing and expertise behind the new single to raise money for Cancer.
The world’s most renowned 13 female singers have worked with song creators and producers LA Reid and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds to sing “Just Stand Up!”, the worldwide charity single benefiting Stand Up to Cancer.
The fist airing of the song was last night with all three major TV networks, NBC, ABC and CBS this created a roadblock at 8pm EST when the event was broadcast.
More than 60 celebrities participated in Stand Up to Cancer (www.standup2cancer.org) such as Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Jack Black, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Garner, Diane Keaton, Rob Lowe, Sharon Osbourne, Keanu Reeves and Carrie Underwood. Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige and Rihanna are among a group of singers participated last night with hope to benefit cancer research.
Sidney Kimmel is also in the news in his role as film producer. Sidney announced this year that his production company, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, would scale back its releases to two films a year from five.
Mr. Kimmel was hit hard when his most-recent picture, “Synecdoche, New York,” starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, failed to find a distributor at the Cannes Film Festival this spring.
In late July, Sony Pictures Classics bought the film, just giving its backers a portion of the revenues. Even with that, the film’s backers will likely take a loss on the movie, which cost about $20 million. Executives at Kimmel Entertainment, however, say they recouped a substantial part of the film’s cost by selling off the international rights.
Famous film producer Sidney Kimmel is putting his backing and expertise behind the new single to raise money for Cancer.
The world’s most renowned 13 female singers have worked with song creators and producers LA Reid and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds to sing “Just Stand Up!”, the worldwide charity single benefiting Stand Up to Cancer.
The fist airing of the song was last night with all three major TV networks, NBC, ABC and CBS this created a roadblock at 8pm EST when the event was broadcast.
More than 60 celebrities participated in Stand Up to Cancer (www.standup2cancer.org) such as Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Jack Black, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Garner, Diane Keaton, Rob Lowe, Sharon Osbourne, Keanu Reeves and Carrie Underwood. Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige and Rihanna are among a group of singers participated last night with hope to benefit cancer research.
Sidney Kimmel is also in the news in his role as film producer. Sidney announced this year that his production company, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, would scale back its releases to two films a year from five.
Mr. Kimmel was hit hard when his most-recent picture, “Synecdoche, New York,” starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, failed to find a distributor at the Cannes Film Festival this spring.
In late July, Sony Pictures Classics bought the film, just giving its backers a portion of the revenues. Even with that, the film’s backers will likely take a loss on the movie, which cost about $20 million. Executives at Kimmel Entertainment, however, say they recouped a substantial part of the film’s cost by selling off the international rights.
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